Crazy Love

Prologue

[July 2019]
"Oh, back again?" The bartender, sarcastically asks a drunken Valentine. He was slumped over the bar table, barely able to keep his balance on the stool. "I gave her everything..." he mumbled to himself.

He was certain he was making a fool of himself. But he didn't care. His past five years were nothing but a lie.

Slightly annoyed, the seasoned bartender looked at Valentine. "Do you need to be cut off again?"
Valentine made a failed attempt at sitting up, at those words. "Cut off...?!" He slurred, not even able to look her in the eye.

The bartender sighed and wiped her hands on her tattered apron. "Look, Val." She whispered, as she leaned a bit closer to him. "We don't want to have to call the cops on you again, that behavior you displayed last week is not tolerated here."

He laughed to himself. "Is a man not allowed to have some fun around here?" Although, the man he beat senselessly would say he has a sick version of fun.

"That's not what I'm saying." The bartender told him. "What I AM saying is, you're gonna have to take your business elsewhere."

Valentine slammed his palm on the walnut bar table. Causing the bartender to flinch and jump backward.
"That's fine, the drinks here are mediocre at best."

He abruptly stood up, stumbling a bit in the process. He grabbed his wallet and keys and put them in his pockets. He grabbed the glass of whiskey on his way out.

"HEY! THATS GONNA BE CHARGED TO YOUR CARD." The bartender yelled at him. He didn't care. Not anymore.

*

Walking down the bustling street, Valentine couldn't help but notice a happy couple walking opposite of him. He couldn't help but think of his fiancé- oh, that's right. EX-fiancée.

He was wandering down the sidewalk when he eventually encountered a bridge... it was beautiful. Watching the river below him he thought of that night.

The night his soul mate left him.

1 week ago

Aubrey was sitting in Valentines arms as they watched tv. It was their favorite thing to do after a busy day. Valentine was rubbing her waist and just admiring his soon to be wife.

She was his past,present and future.

Aubrey was acting a bit off today. Valentine thought it could be because of her job that has been keeping her there late recently.

"Valentine...?" She looked up at him. She looked a bit weird today. Valentine couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Yes, baby?" Valentine was never one for being nervous. He felt anxious in this moment. He felt a small drop of sweat on his eyebrow.

Aubrey sat up on the couch. She looked at her phone to check the time. Val wondered if checking the time is really important from the tone she just took with him .

'Why is she checking her phone?' He thought nervously.

Aubrey looked down at the ring on her finger, spinning it on her finger. He had spent months getting the exact cut and color band that would fit her.

"Can we talk?" She coyly asked. It didn't even look like she was phased. Like she's been waiting for this moment her entire life.

Valentine had gotten goosebumps all over. "Talk? Talk about what?" He looked her in the eyes.

"Val, I don't think I love you anymore."

Valentine thought his heart stopped. No, it definitely did stop. He had taken a sharp breath inward and it felt as if his chest was being stabbed by a million tiny daggers.

"D-don't love me... anymore?" He felt like the world around him had shattered. "What do you mean you don't love me anymore? What the fuck happened, Aubrey?" He was angry there was no more anxiety.

Aubrey was coldly staring at him. Her eyes were void of emotion. "I mean..." she gasped out. "Are you surprised? I've been avoiding you, showing up late to wedding preparations, and I've been working late recently. Think?"

Valentine could feel heat emitting from his face onto his ears. "You're fucking cheating on me?"

"You're a smart man." She patted his cheek and stood up. "I've been seeing my boss for quite awhile now. I was going to break up with you like two years ago but you ABSOLUTELY had to propose to me. 'You're my world... I can't live without you...' blah blah blah" She giggled a little.

' She was fucking insane. How could she be so nonchalant about ruining my whole entire world?' Val thought.

"I mean I was going to say no but... you already had a pretty tough year. Your mom died, good riddance she never liked me. I hated her too. I even did all the fake nice girlfriend things around her." She shrugged her shoulders and walked to their bedroom.

As much as Valentine didn't want to, his body had a mind of its own, he followed her back there. He watched as she packed a suitcase.

He felt as if he was going to blackout from anger. All he could see was red.

"Your boss?" Valentine asked her. "What you needed a shitty raise or something?" He rubbed his hands down his face. "THAT BASTARD WAS IN OUR FUCKING HOUSE!" He screamed at her.

"It wasn't about money. He can take care of me the way I need to be taken care of." She said, as she zipped up the suitcase. "Oh and the sex..." she turned toward Valentine and smiled sinisterly. "Fucking amazing. There are so many positions."

Aubrey's phone vibrated. "He left his wife like I don't know, maybe eight months ago for me. I just had to do something with you. You were on me like white on rice." She shivered. "Au revoir, he's waiting for me outside."

She put the wheels of the suitcase down and pulled the handle up. She grabbed a jacket and threw her sneakers on.

"How long, Aubrey?" Val choked out. It was getting hard to breathe. He felt shivers running down his spine. This can't be the last time I see her.

"It's been about 3 years."

Valentine couldn't even look at her. She walked past him and out the front door.
*

That was the last time he seen her.

His past. His present. His future.

Valentine threw the glass from the bar onto the ground and went home.

He fell onto the bed amongst the mess in it.

He laughed.

"I made a fool of myself... for the first time." And drifted to sleep.