The Loser in the End--The Sequel

Stabbed in the Heart

Ava returned one afternoon to find Brian still in bed.  He hadn't been working on anything since his initial breakdown, and she felt that was a big part of the problem.  Seeing him laying around the house all the time was really getting on her nerves.

But every time she brought the subject up, he would accuse her of nagging.  Today was no different.

"Brian," she said, "you can't just lay around the house all day.  You need to get out and do things."

"Quit your bitching," Brian complained.  "You've got everything you could possibly want, so stop pestering me."

"Get up, asshole,"  Ava swore in frustration.

"Leave me alone," Brian said, turning his back to her.

Sure, Brian was a millionaire, but he was also quickly turning into a boring has-been. And that just would not do. There was no way she wanted to be married to a fucking has-been. She needed to be with a man who was still relevant, not some old fart.  

"No," Ava said adamantly.  "I will not leave you alone.  I'm going to keep bugging you until you get your ass out of that bed.  You're pathetic."

"Fuck off, bitch," Brian mumbled.

"Yeah, that's right, I'm a bitch," Ava said defiantly.  "And you're the asshole who destroyed the band.  Not anyone else--just you.  You fucked everything up, and now you just mope around all day feeling sorry for yourself.  Well, I'm not going to stand for it anymore.  It's time for you to pull yourself together.  What kind of role model will you be for our child?"

Brian stayed silent as her words sunk in.  Ava was a hard ass, but she had a point. He certainly didn't want to fuck his kid up.  He curled up into the fetal position and began to weep.  He just felt so helpless.

She let him cry for a moment before slipping into bed to hold him.

"I don't know what to do..." he sobbed against her. "I've tried medication, I've tried counseling, and nothing's working.  I know I had it all and I fucked it up...but what do I do now?"

"Here's what you're going to do, Brian," Ava said.  "You're going to make amends.  You're going to be honest about what happened to you, and you're going to apologize to everyone you hurt."

"No..." Brian balked.  "I can't do that.  I won't.  It's too humiliating."

"Yes, Brian, you can and you will,"  Ava said sternly.  "If you don't, I'm out of here."

Brian didn't respond for several moments.

"...Ok..." Brian finally agreed reluctantly,  "I'll do it.  Just don't give up on me."

"I won't," Ava said.  "As long as you don't give up on yourself."

**********************************************

Meanwhile, with each passing day you were falling more and more in love with Roger. He was funny and kind and warm, not to mention gorgeous and sexy. Life with Roger was perfect, and you rarely thought about Freddie these days. You were really proud of yourself.  You felt like you were finally over him.

That is, until the phone rang one day, and you heard that soft melodic voice on the other end...

"Hello, it's Freddie," he said.  "May I speak with Roger please?"

His accent was just as posh as you remembered it, and a shiver went up your spine.

"Freddie...how...how are you..." you stumbled over your words.

"I'm fine," he said shortly.  "Can you please put Roger on?"

It was obvious he didn't want to talk to you, and it hurt you deeper than it should have.

"One moment," you said curtly.  

You were once so close...so in love... and now he was treating you like a virtual stranger.  Well, if he was going to be cold with you, you would be like an iceberg towards him.

You had everything you needed with Roger, you told yourself as you angrily wiped away a tear from your eye.  You didn't need Freddie anymore.

But you felt like you'd just been stabbed in the heart...