Many thanks to McMackenzie and jlamb13 for my first reviews! So glad you enjoy the story, as it was just an idea that I was brewing in my head for a few days before I actually started writing. Just to let you guys know (if you haven't figured it out already), italics are flashbacks and the bold are the song lyrics. Also, to answer jlamb13's question, I have yet to decide if this will be Maddison. While their relationship is important to the story, I'm trying to write around the lyrics of the song and if you have heard it before, it's not so happily ever after.

The loneliness within me

Takes a heavy toll

Cuz it burns as slow as whiskey

Through an empty, aching soul

Mark took a large swig of the whiskey right from the bottle. He ignored the fiery trail it left as it burned through his chest into his belly. He didn't care about the pain. Nothing hurt him anymore; he was numb. He sighed and picked himself off of the floor and stumbled to the bathroom. He looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the face that stared back at him. He had two days worth of beard growth and his clothes reeked of alcohol. His eyes were dead; she took all of the life in them when she killed their child and then left him. It had been a month, but every time he thought of their last words to each other, he felt his heart constrict and tears heat the corners of his eyes. He washed his face quickly, not wanting to confront the image of the man he had become, and made his way to his bedroom, easing himself between the cold sheets and wishing that sleep would come. After tossing for hours, he cursed the peace that wouldn't come and sat near his window and gazed at the moon; so cold and empty, mirroring his own feelings.

And the night is like a dagger

Long and cold and sharp

As I sit here on the front steps

Blowing smoke rings in the dark

As he watched the moon sail gracefully across the sky, his thoughts turned to Addison. He had tried to call her a few days after she left, but all he got was her voicemail. So he left her messages, crying and pleading for her to come back, saying that he could forgive her for the baby and that they could start over. The day after his call, he came home from his practice to find a message on his machine.

"Stop calling."

He dialed her cell again, hoping to reiterate his feelings. She didn't answer, but he got one just the same…

"The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected…"

He didn't hear the rest of the message, as his phone was flying across the room. It hit the wall and broke in half. He then stormed to the kitchen, ripped the bottle of whiskey from the cupboard and swallowed a large gulp. And there he had stayed for two straight days, drinking and wallowing in his misery. He didn't go to work, he didn't change or even shave; just drank bottle after bottle of what was in the kitchen and then collapsed onto whatever was near to sleep it off. But tonight, sleep evaded him and he was forced to look at himself, to see what he had become. He stood up and walked back into the bathroom, to look at the reflection that stared back. This time, he didn't shy away; he looked right at his face in the mirror. And he didn't like it. He hated what she had done to him, but he also loved her at the same time. So he decided right then; he wasn't going to le her break him. He was going to go after her and bring her back with him. Finally thinking clearly, he grabbed a razor and shaved his face; while physically shaving the facial hair, he was metaphorically shaving away the self-loathing and misery that had plagued him for days. After shaving, he took a shower to wash the smell of alcohol off. He dried quickly and dressed himself, packing a small bag at the same time. He wasn't waiting until morning to leave; he was leaving right now. The fact that it was 4:45AM didn't faze him; he had to get her to listen to him. Making sure he had the essentials, he stepped out of his apartment and towards the street, hailing a cab along the way.

"I'm coming Addy," he whispered to himself. "I'm coming to bring you home."

I-I-I know I must be going

Cuz love's already gone

And all I'm taking with me are the pieces of my heart

And all I'll leave are smoke rings in the dark

More reviewschapter update tomorrow!