2014 Prompt Responses - 31. Prompt 353

Jody froze after he opened the seldom used desk drawer. Resting on top of the stack of papers he intended to go through was a photograph. He picked it up shakily and set it down on the desk. His heart constricted at the sight of Evan. He stood up abruptly, sending the rolling desk chair skittering across the floor of his home office. He grabbed a beer from the kitchen, then flopped down on the couch. He downed about half his beer in one gulp and then turned the TV on, hoping to distract himself from thoughts of Evan. It didn’t work. The photo of them at the beach, hugging, Evan kissing Jody’s cheek, haunted him and he retrieved it from his office before returning to the couch. He held the photo face-down against his chest and closed his eyes, fighting the tears that threatened to fall.

He felt like a fool. It was a year since the accident that took Evan from him and he should be over it by now. Jody snorted derisively. How do you get over your partner of ten years leaving you for some asshole that backed into him in the WalMart parking lot? Evan said it was fate, as he packed his belongings to move into Steve’s house. Jody punched the arm of the couch, letting out a strangled cry. Evan said the same thing to him the first time they met. He grabbed the beer and downed the rest of it. He threw the bottle across the room where it hit the wall with a loud bang.

Jody felt like he was living in hell. Everything reminded him of Evan, restaurants where they ate, stores where they shopped, places they walked, the house they used to share. Jody hadn’t slept in their—his—bed since the night Evan left. Nothing held his interest anymore since he had shared all his interests with Evan. He went into the kitchen to grab another beer. He had no appetite. His clothes hung loose on his thin frame. Not for the first time he wondered if the pain was worth it. He was living a shell of a life. Everyday tasks such as brushing his teeth or getting up in the morning seemed insurmountable, but he forced himself to complete them. Most days. He had no idea how he was still employed since he was so far behind on all his work. He was lucky he had a certain amount of autonomy when it came to his job.

He looked around the house and shook his head in disgust. It looked like a hoarder lived there, between the stacks of pizza boxes and piles of beer bottles. He downed the rest of his beer and added the bottle to the pile with a dull clink. What difference did one more make? On his way to get another bottle of beer, he tripped and grabbed the counter of the breakfast bar to avoid falling. He cursed. A piece of paper stuck to his hand as he righted himself. He plucked it off in annoyance. He was about to fling it onto the floor when he paused and looked at it.

It was a business card from his friend George. George was the only friend who stuck by him during his downward spiral. He told Jody he was very worried about him and that he needed help. The business card was for a shrink. Jody told George where he could shove it, he didn’t need a fucking shrink. He went back to the couch and sat down, his beer forgotten. He picked up the picture from the floor and looked between it and the business card he held in his other hand. Should he give in to the pain or seek the help he was slowly realizing he needed? He took a deep breath and held it as he leaned his head against the back of the couch. He exhaled as he fished his cell phone out of his pocket and started dialing.