Luke's POV:

All I could think was why. Why? Out of all people that could've cheated on me, why did it have to be her? Anyone but her. What did I do to deserve this? How long has this been going on? How could someone that I loved with all my heart be so heartless themselves?

The only thing I knew to do was to call Kelly. She'd know what to do. What to say. How to cheer me up. Let's face it though, nothing, could cheer me up now. Yet, I still dialed Kelly's number in my phone and waited, anxiously, while it rang.

She answered after the fifth ring. Sounding like she was out somewhere with music and chatter in the back. "Hey baby brother! What's up?"

As the words left the phone speaker and into my ear, the tears in my eyes welled up. By the time I spoke I was already choked up. "It's Emilee," I spit out. "She's cheating on me."
"What? Luke. No. You. You've got to be mistaken. How did you find out? Do not make any assumptions. You have to talk to her about this. Do it now. Before she leaves," Kelly rambled on and on.

"I'm not assuming anything. She told me herself. I passed out and everything and the EMTs and paramedics had to shock my heart to make it work properly. She's already gone, Kel," I cried into the phone. Tears rolled down my face while the day's events replayed themselves in my mind.

"Oh Luke," she sighed. "I-i don't know what to say. I'm so sorry."

"Kelly I don't know what to do."

"Come home," she told me. "Just for a few days."

"I can't come home. She's there. Right next door. I can't."

"Oh Luke. I'm sorry. Do you want me to come up there?" She asked. Damn, she was a good sister.

"I don't have any vacation days. So, if you wanna sit around my apartment all day, be my guest."

At that, she laughed and agreed to trek all the way up here tomorrow. I thanked her and bid her goodbye before grabbing a beer and moping in my bedroom.

I know that this is not the way to solve my problems. But at the moment, it was the easiest, most comforting way to.
And if an alcoholic is what I become, an alcoholic is what I'll be. If I can't have Emilee, I'll have something else.
No one will be happy about this, but who am I trying to please?

Kelly's POV:

"Mama, I'm going to Luke's tomorrow." I told my mama as I packed.

"Okay. Why?" She questioned.

"I'm...just going for a visit." I smiled.

"Honey, I wasn't born yesterday," mama told me. "Luke is my son. You need to tell me if something is up."

I mustered up the courage to tell her what was going on, "Em was cheating on Luke. He's so broken hearted Mama."

"Oh dear god. No. She couldn't be. He's mistaken. He needs to talk to her about this. She can't be-," mama rambled until I cut her off.

"She told him herself. He passed out. Paramedics had to shock his heart," I told her. She sat down on her bed slowly with her hand on her heart. "I'm going up to Nashville tomorrow to make sure he's holdin up okay."

"Okay." Mama said. She had fire in her eyes. She was mad now. Mad at Emilee. All those years that we trusted her with Luke's heart just blown away. I was gonna go talk to Emilee tonight, but now it looks like she'll get two people's insight on her actions.

Luke's POV:

By now I had finished at least three beers and was working on a bottle of Jack. The TV was on, but I wasn't paying attention to it. The buzz of people's voices on the show played in the background. Nothing was going through my mind. Nothing at all. All that I felt was hurt. It felt like someone was twisting my heart around their finger.

Someone was. And now that they've let go, I have all this excess heart with nowhere to go. No finger to be wrapped around. Nothing twisting it, making my stomach do little flips. I was like a beach that endured a hurricane. Everything wrecked. People gone. Roaring waters. Weather cold as steel.

I was helpless. There was no way out of this mess. I didn't even create it. Why? Why did she have to do this? I licked the rim of the bottle before downing the rest of it.

I heard my phone beep beside me with a text. I looked down to see a message from Kelly: "I'm finished packing. I'll see you tomorrow."

I didn't reply. I merely turned the phone on silent and walked into the kitchen to retrieve another case of beer. I opened the first bottle, leaving the 11 others in the case, and took a sip. I let it sit in my mouth while I thought, for the millionth time, about what has happened today.

Sooner or later, my mind was too blurred by the alcohol to even replay the day's events. The only thing I could picture in my mind was Em's face when we woke up this morning. The sun had hit face in the gentlest way possible. Showing off her jawline, cheekbones, and damned perfect eyes.

She smiled back at me as I opened my eyes. Her hands ran through my hair as I stared up at her with a smiling face.

I could picture in my mind, her mouthing the words "good morning", but no sound played in my head. I could feel my lips greet her back before she leaned down and kissed me softly. I could still feel her lips on mine.

I shook the memory out of my head with another sip of the beer. I had drank from dusk and now til dawn. I could almost feel the hammer banging in my head.
Dum da dum da dum. Dum da dum da dum. Dum.