Bound in Love

Chapter 32

March 6th, 1992

That night, Soundgarden played the second show in town at the Paramount theater for they were filming it to release a live show on video tape. It had been two rough days, Ellie noticed it. Though Chris had promise her not to drink too much, he didn't keep his promise. Part of her understood it for he was with friends. Many of their friends had come to watch the shows and hang around and it usually involved partying like all the other times they had been out with them. On the second night though, things got a little heavier and Chris went on stage intoxicated and that displeased her and worried her all at once. Nevertheless, she watched the show from one side of the stage as she used to whenever she was around to see the band live. Chris liked to see her, so she'd always choose a place where she wasn't too exposed to the crowd but that he could look at and find her there supporting him. They have always been that way since they started dating properly.

He went on stage wearing a pair of black shorts and his black Doc Martens boots and one of his 90's shirt: white with the symbol in black. The band opened the show with Searching with my good eye closed and Ellie testified how even loaded in alcohol, Chris was just amazing for his voice was flawless. As usually they played tight, in tune and Chris had been amazing during the entire show and that alerted Ellie even more. The amounts of alcohol she had seen him drink had been a lot more than usual and he had managed it without stumble or stutter or forget words or fail a note. The show was amazing with a crowd hysterically praising them, and it ended with Chris with no shirt, sweating from head to toe, breaking all his guitar strings after approaching the front row and allow some lucky fans to touch it and finally, he rested it on Matt's drum. He mumbled some last words and dropped the microphone on the stage while Kim still yanked crazy sounds from his guitar. As usual, Ellie held a towel in her hands ready to receive him, and that's where he ran to when he left the stage.

"Fuck..." He breathed breathless as he got in front of her. "I am so tired." He complained.

Ellie opened the towel and stuck it to his chest, but she didn't lean over him as usual to kiss his lips. She just crossed her arms around her chest while he ran the towel over his face. Then, he looked in her eyes and she turned around and started walking away without saying a word and that gesture caught him off guard.

"Ellie!" He called her and started catching up with her. "Wait up..." Chris asked as he got by her side. "You didn't even kiss me." He let her know he noticed it.

"You're all sweaty." She told him, but not looking at him or slowing her pace.

"Well..." He breathed and paused trying to figure out in seconds what could have gone wrong. "... that never stopped you before."

"Chris..." Ellie stopped abruptly and he did too. "... do you even realize how much you have drank today?" She blurted the question without even preparing him for it and he frowned.

"The usual!" He responded after recomposing himself.

"It was not the usual." Ellie pointed out. "I know the usual very well and this was far from the usual. Even yesterday..." She looked in his eyes. "When I got here you were already so wasted..."

"So, is that it?" Chris asked and Ellie shrugged.

"What?" She asked.

"You're mad at me because I had a few drinks?" He hushed for people were starting to pass by. "It never bothered you before."

"No." Ellie shook her head. "I am not mad, Chris."

"You are!" He pointed out, looking in her eyes. "You didn't even wait for me. I had to catch up. You're not like that."