I looked at the clock. It read 1:48 a.m.
This is the fifth night in a row that Tyler told me that he would be home before midnight to spend some time with me before I had to go to sleep for work tomorrow morning. He always does this to me. It doesn't even bother me that he likes to spend time with his friends, but it shouldn't be every single night. He tells me every time before he leaves for a night like this one that he will be back at a certain time, but he never comes back at least an hour later.
I wait for him each time he does this, because I worry about him not making it home safe, getting sick, or in a fight, and everything inbetween. I constantly tell him how much he upsets me with what he does and he just doesn't understand. There's always an excuse with him and I'm sick and tired of it.
About an hour later, I hear the door being unlocked and I look up from over the couch that I'm laying on. I see Tyler come through the door, slamming it shut behind him.
"Hey." He says.
I can automatically tell that he's drunk from his speech.
"Where have you been?" I ask calmly, trying not to get upset at my drunk, vulnerable boyfriend in front of me.
Before he can respond, his face turns pale and he runs into the bathroom. He becomes sick and leans over into the toilet. I rush over to him, putting my hand on his back. Once he finishes, he sits back and leans on the bathtub. He looks exhausted and there is no way that I can talk to him about what he's been doing for the past few days.
I grab a wet rag and wipe his face. "Are you okay?" I ask him.
He simply nods his head and I begin to help him up to get him into the bedroom. I grab him clothes to change into as he brushes his teeth and I think about how his drinking and partying is just going to progress from here. I have to end it with him tomorrow. I really and truly don't ever want to leave him but I can't keep living my life like this.
I get him a glass of water and tylenol as he changes and put it on the bedside table. I give him the tylenol and he goes to sleep quickly, murmuring a small 'thank you' to me before falling into a deep sleep.
I decide to sleep on the couch, knowing that the morning will be rough for him and he will get better sleep by having the bed to himself.
~the next morning~
I wake up to the smell of pancakes and sizzling of bacon. I lift my head up off of the couch in confusion, to see Tyler cooking breakfast.
He looks over at me, as if to check on me, and sees me awake. He smiles and walks over to me.
"Well goodmorning sleepyhead." He says as he brings me into a hug. I hug him back and he kisses me. "I'm making breakfast for you." He says sweetly.
"I can see that. Thank you, Tyler." I thank him and kiss him on the cheek before he goes back into the kitchen to continue cooking.
I get up and walk over to the fridge, getting orange juice for both of us.
"So, where were you last night?" I finally break the ice and ask him the question that I've been dying to know ever since he got home last night.
He laughs a little before replying. "As you saw last night, I got extremely drunk and didn't keep track of time."
I roll my eyes, I can't even count the numerous amount of times I've ever received that excuse before.
He comes over to me and wraps his arms around my waist, "I just wanted to say thank you for taking care of me last night. I really don't know what I would have done without you here."
I look away from him, frustrated at his words. He's just saying this so I won't be upset with him. I'm tired of his excuses.
"Look at me," He says and I reluctantly look at him in the eyes. "I know you're upset with me and I don't blame you. I would be too if I were you, but you don't know how bad I feel about this." He says to me.
"Tyler, you can just stop right now because I know that you're lying. I'm so tired of the same old lines! Why can't you just come home at a decent time every night? You told me you would be back before midnight last night and you came home three hours later!" I push him off of me and begin to walk back into the bedroom, but he grabs my arm and pulls me back.
"Listen, it won't happen again, okay? I promise." He says to me.
"Yeah and we all know how well you keep your promises." I snap and yank my arm from his grasp.
"(Y/N)." He says with tears in his eyes. "I know that I haven't been the best at keeping my promises and I'm working on it still, but I need you here to help me. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I can't let you leave me. You've put up with my crap for so long and all I've done is treated you terribly." He says and takes my face into both of his hands. "And for that, I am so sorry." Tears are falling from his face and are slowly beginning to fall from mine.
"It's okay, Tyler. It's okay." I say and he brings my face to his and kisses me.
