It's Better to Burn Out than Fade Away-Kurt Cobain

Chapter 142

"My own daughters probably hate me! It's not like I don't want to be in their life, but right now, I feel like I shouldn't."

"And why is that?"

"Because look at what I'm doing to you. I don't want to do that to them."

"You're not even doing anything to me."

"Ruby, you just asked me yesterday if I had any heroin."

"I was just joking."

"Were you?"

"Okay, it was in the heat of the moment, but it's alright. I don't want it now."

"But I do."

"And I'm going to help you with that."

"There's nothing you can do. I'm like a broken clock. I'll never work again."

I stared at him for a hard second waiting for him to laugh, but he wasn't. I started to burst out laughing, clutching my stomach because it hurt so bad. 

"You can fix clocks, dumbass!" I wailed. 

Kurt looked at me and started to laugh, too. "I don't even know why I said that."

"How about this?" I asked, after collecting myself. "I'll clean up the breakfast mess and you go get dressed and we'll go visit our children, alright?"

"Okay, Ruby."

After cleaning up all of the plates and putting everything away, I got a phone call. 

"Hello?" I answered. 

"Hey, Ruby, it's Andy," Andy said. 

"Oh, hey Andy."

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing better. I'm sorry about the yelling at the reunion and-"

"Ruby, don't apologize for anything. You had every right to react that way. I would've reacted the same way if I was you. I don't know what I would do if my husband went missing. Have you found him?"

"Yeah, he's in our house right now."

She sighed. "Oh, I am so relieved to hear that. Everyone's been worried sick for you."

"Yeah, I'm doing alright."

"If you ever need anything, just call me, okay?"

Kurt came downstairs and mouthed to me, Who is it?

My cousin...I think, I mouthed back. 

"Alright, thank you so much, Andy," I told her. "Buh-bye."

I set the phone down and saw Kurt wearing a t-shirt and jeans. 

"Ready to go?" He asked me. 

"Don't you want to call Courtney first?"

"Why in the fuck would I call her?"

"Because we're going to go see Frances, too."

"Oh, I didn't know that was on the agenda."

"We don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, no, I want to."

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We arrived at Courtney's house and rang the doorbell. 

She opened the door wearing lingerie and smoking a cigarette.