John slung back another shot his plan of getting himself drunk was working nicely he normally didn't drink but with the kids not around he it was nice to be able to. It was nice to know he wasn't going to wake up to one of them screaming or crying.
"Gimme a'nother" he told the bartender. Although he was not completely drunk he was feeling buzzed. He seemed to enjoy this feeling it was the most he had felt in a year. He was about to sling back another when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Hittin' it a little hard tonight?" Matt Hardy asked.
"Some might say that" John replied.
Matt sat down next to the man and watched him. It was obvious that something was bothering him and he had a feeling of what it was.
"This is kinda nice maybe I should do it more often" John said.
"If that is the case then you won't be the champ much longer" Matt said.
"You know the kids are with Ashley for 2 weeks this is my change to regain my player image" John said.
Here they went down heartbreak lane all due to his cousin. Matt sighed he had been in John's shoes not too long ago.
"You don't really want to do that" Matt said.
"And just why the hell not?" John asked.
He was getting frustrated talking to Matt was keeping him from getting drunk. The last thing he wanted to be was rational right now.
"Because you've been with my cousin too long you don't want to have to find someone to replace her'" Matt said.
"So maybe I don't but no man wants to be alone" John said.
"No man wants to sleep with a woman that doesn't respect themselves either" Matt said.
He knew what John was thinking right away because again he had been there not too long ago.
"What do you know of it?" John asked.
He was getting drunker by the minute by now he wasn't making any sense. All he knew was the liquor was helping him relax and have some fun again.
"Come on my friend you're done here" Matt said helping John to stand.
He threw some bills down on the bar top and began helping John walk away.
"You know you look like Ashley" John said. "are you two related"
John was plastered if Matt didn't know the seriousness of the situation he would have found John's drunken musings very entertaining.
"Yeah John we are related" Matt replied.
"I don't want to talk about Ashley" John protested.
"You keep bringing her up" Matt said.
"Well I don't want to talk about her" John said.
"Who?" Matt asked. He decided to have a little fun at his cousin's drunken ex-fiancée's expense.
"Ashley stupid" John answered.
"What about Ashley?" Matt asked.
"I don't want to talk about her" he repeated.
"So stop mentioning her then" Matt said with a small laugh.
The had finally gotten to John's hotel room. Now finding the key was going to be a project.
"John where is your hotel key?" Matt asked.
"Why are you askin me like I know" John said.
"Gee maybe because it is your hotel key" Matt said.
"Maybe it's inside the room" John suggested.
"Why would you leave the key in the room?" Matt asked.
"Cuz the door is unlocked" John answered.
"WHY didn't you mention that before?" Matt asked.
"You never asked" John said.
"It's like talking to a 2 year old" Matt mumbled to himself.
Matt dumped John on his bed and left he'd come back in the morning to make sure he was still alive.
Ashley was sitting on the porch of the cabin looking out at the view. She was sipping her glass of Jack Daniels. There was a lake about 10 feet from the cabin, Ashley just watched it waiting for the littlest thing to set off a sea of ripples but it never happened.
"I was wonderin where you were Shorty" Jeff said.
"I came out here for a breath of fresh air" she replied.
"You sure that is all it is?" Jeff asked.
"Yes" Ashley said.
"What are you thinking about?" Jeff asked.
Jeff was extremely worried about his younger cousin. She seemed so withdrawn from the world and anyone who knew Ashley knew that this wasn't the way she acted.
"I didn't expect him to welcome me back with open arms, and I keep telling myself that I am happy he is moving on but if that is so then why does it hurt so bad"
"Maybe you aren't ready to let go" Jeff suggested.
"I yelled at him and told him I wanted nothing to do with him" she said "I should have known not to get involved with him"
Jeff hugged her, she hid her face in his chest and cried.
"You can't expect those feelings to just go away" he said "you two share a connection emotionally and physically plus you have 3 children in there who need both their mom and their dad".
Ashley continued to cry while Jeff rubbed her back. It was clear that Ashley wasn't over John and probably never would be.
"Maybe I was too young, yeah that is what it was John was there he should have known I was stupid and defenseless"
"Ash there is no point in makin up stories to convince yourself that John is the bad guy because it ain't gonna help" Jeff said.
" I have never loved anyone like I love him" she said.
"You obviously have some stuff to think about so I'll Leave you too it" Jeff said.
John woke up the next morning his head was throbbing and he felt like he was going to be sick.
"How's Jim, Jack and Jose treatin ya?" Matt asked.
"Shut up man it ain't funny" John groaned.
He put a pillow over his head and tried to go back to sleep but it was impossible because his head hurt too much.
"How much did I drink last night?" he asked.
"Enough" Matt said.
"It's clear you love her man so just suck it up and tell her you want her back".
"She's moving on and so am I" John replied.