I spent the whole evening at this little dive bar, from three in the afternoon until nine, just sipping


    away. I didn’t go overboard, but I drank for hours, enough to feel that numb buzz where everything


    else faded


    away.


    The bar’s owner, Mr. Seth, knew me well enough by now. I didn’t have to worry about getting too


    wasted, even if I was on my own.


    “When are you heading out? Is someone picking you up?” Mr. Seth asked. I never knew his first


    name- everyone just called him Mr. Seth.


    He looked like he was in his fifties. If my dad were still around, he’d probably be about the same


    age.


    “I guess I should get going.” I said, though honestly, thest thing I wanted was to leave.


    But I had work tomorrow. I needed to get home and at least pretend to sleep. Tonight’s drinking was


    my way of saying a final goodbye to whatever I had left for Jace.


    I tried to steady myself as I stood up, but Mr. Seth stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “I’m not


    letting you leave like this. I’ll have someone take you home.”


    Mr. Seth was always looking out for people. He’d been running this cozy little bar tucked away in an


    alley


    for


    years, and it was always packed.


    That’s because the folks who came here were regrs, people who knew they could count on Mr.


    Seth.


    I starteding here back in college days, the first time being when I saw Jace dancing with some


    girl who was all over him. Jealous and heartbroken, I ran to this bar and drank until I passed out.


    When I woke up, it was nearly dawn, and I was the only one left in the ce.


    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    I freaked out, but Mr. Seth just made me a te of pasta and told me if I ever needed to drink again,


    I shoulde to his bar. He warned me to steer clear of other ces where things could get


    sketchy if I wasn’t careful.


    Since then, whenever I was down, I’de here. He never stopped me from drinking, letting me do


    my thing, but he always made sure I was safe, no matter how much I drank.


    I also knew he once had a daughter who, after a bad breakup, drank too much and got assaulted.


    She never recovered and eventually took her own life. Mr. Seth opened this bar to give heartbroken


    girls a safe ce to drink, where he could keep an eye on them.


    “Okay,” I agreed, not wanting to stress him out.


    “Wait here, don’t leave on your own,” Mr. Seth said as he turned to make some calls.


    “Mr. Seth,” a familiar voice called out just then.


    I looked up to see Wayne walking toward me.


    I smiled. “Mr. Seth, looks like I won’t need that ride after all.”


    Wayne knew this ce too. We’d run into each other here a few times before.


    Tonight seemed like just another one of those ‘coincidences.”


    But I knew better–there were no real coincidences, just stuff that was bound to happen. I knew that.


    “Settle up the tab,” I said, tugging at Mr. Seth’s sleeve.


    “No need, next time,” Mr. Seth waved me off.


    I didn’t argue. If not this time, I’d just pay double next visit.


    But Wayne pulled out his phone and scanned the payment code without even asking the amount.


    He just sent over a couple hundred right away.


    Mr. Seth looked like he was about to protest, but Wayne spoke first. “Whatever’s extra, keep it to


    cover her next visit.”


    Another visit?


    Did he think I was some kind of regr drunk?


    Still, it was easier if he thought I was hammered.


    Wayne came over, sliding an arm around me, and led me out of the bar. The cool night air hit me as


    we stepped outside, clearing my head a little.


    “Want to grab a car, or take the bike?” Wayne asked.


    I hesitated, caught in a foggy memory.


    Back when Wayne was always around, I didn’t even have a driver’s license. I used to ride my bike


    everywhere, and whenever I drank here, Wayne woulde to pick me up on his bike.