Help Our Heroes: A Military Charity Anthology

by T. L. Wainwright

  “When did you get back?” He pulls back but keeps his hands on my shoulders, looking genuinely pleased that I'm here, and making me feel even guiltier about feeling jealous.

  “A few days ago. Sorry I haven’t called, but it’s been… interesting.”

  Before he gets a chance to say anything else Handy walks in and shares with the world why I'm here. “Dan, my man. Did shithead tell you he was moving in here? I say good riddance to Dick…that’s what I'm calling him now by the way.”

  Dan looks at us like he's not sure what the hell is going on, and really who can blame him? Handy is not known for his discretion or secret keeping, so his verbal diarrhoea shouldn’t surprise me. I put Dan out of his misery, filling him in with everything that’s happened. By the time I've finished my tearful tale, we are all sitting at Handy’s breakfast bar drinking coffee.

  “I can’t believe he did that. I've never understood people that cheat. If you aren’t happy then just leave, it's what I would do.

  “That because you're not a dick like Dick. I told you, Ralph, the guy is not worth your time. I'm glad that you aren't wasting any time being heartbroken by him.”

  I'm glad that I had my breakdown last night while on my own. I'd spent a long time on that shower floor, tears streaming down my face as I finally gave in to the pain, but once finished I felt better. Lighter. It means today I can put on a brave face again and pretend that I'm not affected by it at all.

  “Handy, seriously?”

  “What? I'm just telling him what we all thought. None of us liked Dick, but no one wanted to tell him.”

  I look between Dan and Handy. Handy looks pleased with himself, like he's trying to make me feel better by telling me how much he hated William, but Dan’s cheeks are going red with embarrassment. At least he knows that the knowledge of everyone hating William isn’t going to make me feel better. “Everyone hated him?”

  “What did …”

  I hold my hand up and stop Handy from carrying on. I focus on Dan, knowing that he'll tell the truth but in a nice way. “I'm asking you, Dan.”

  He sighs like he doesn’t want to answer but a few seconds later I get what I asked for. “It's not that we didn’t like him, it's just that we thought he wasn’t the guy for you. He was kinda shallow, and whenever we were out, he would spend the whole night checking out other guys. He never seemed to focus on you which is what you deserve. You should have someone who makes you the centre of their universe, and that just wasn’t William.”

  Well, I suppose I asked for him to tell me, I just wish that it didn’t hurt so fucking much.

  * * * *

  I can’t believe that I’ve let that fucker get away with so much. He threw me out of my own house and emptied my bank account, and what did I do? I ran away with my tail between my legs like some big fucking loser. Why didn’t I say something? Why the fuck did I not knock him out?

  I throw back another Vodka, hissing when the burn in my throat catches my breath. My nose is numb, and I'm surprised that I can still feel the heat as the spirit goes down, but I don’t overthink it. I fill my glass, the liquid sloshing over the side as my aim goes wonky. I needed a drink when I got home after dropping my shit at Handy’s and all I could find in Aiden’s cupboards was vodka. It isn’t a favourite of mine but I'm not in the caring mood right now, and if I finish the bottle I will just have to buy a new one tomorrow.

  Listening to Dan and Handy talking about how much they hated William, that they saw him do some shit that made them have doubts about his faithfulness to me, got me angrier as the afternoon went on. Eventually, it all became too much and I managed to convince both of them that I had to return Aiden’s car. I'm not sure they were one hundred percent convinced but by that point, I didn’t care. I needed to get out of there before I either cried or threw a punch, and I wasn’t sure what urge would win out.

  By the time I arrived home, I was shaking with rage and wanted nothing more than to get fucked up enough that I stopped feeling. It backfired though, and all I can focus on now is the bitterness and anger I feel towards William. I would love nothing more than to go over to his, no my, house and show him how pissed off I am. Maybe that's what I should do. Go pay him a visit and finally have my say in this whole thing. I won't use my words to tell him, I'll use my fists.

  I giggle like a teenage girl as I take out my mobile and open the Uber app. It will take about fifteen minutes for a car to get here which is just enough time to get comfortably shit-faced before I head out. I don’t need liquid courage, but if I'm going to face William in an all-out brawl, I want to be numb enough that I don’t feel his punches. I'm not naive enough to think that William won't fight back, the guy is built almost as big as I am, but I'm hoping that not being able to feel pain will help me to fight longer.

  Uber booked, I pick up the bottle and decide to forgo the glass, getting my buzz straight from the bottle. I turn too quickly, and my arm catches the now empty glass. I curse up a storm as it hits the floor, shattering and covering the wood. I really should clean it up, but I just stare at it as I take another drink from the bottle. The burn has lessened now, making me feel like I'm drinking water. I don't mind that though because it's improving my experience of drinking the horrific spirit. I've nothing but bad memories of the last time I got drunk on Vodka and it's left me with a hatred that makes me want to vomit when I taste the stuff. The first few mouthfuls tonight made me want to heave, but I pushed through since it was Vodka or Rum, and Rum just wasn’t an option.

  Just when I decide that it's time to clean up the glass a horn sounds from outside the house. I stumble over to the window and see a car with an Uber sticker sitting at the kerb. Shit, this is going to lower my rating score. Uber drivers hate to wait. Snorting at that thought, I head out the front door, trying the handle to make sure I've locked it. It's only once I am outside that I notice I still have the bottle in my hand. I use my free hand to support me while I bend at the waist, putting the nearly empty bottle on the top step. I stand upright again and blink a few times to try and focus. My eyes have decided that seeing two of everything would be fun and if I don’t get it under control, I won't be able to have my moment with William.

  It takes far too long to get into the Uber, and after a warning from the driver not to vomit, we are finally on our way. I watch outside as we drive the twenty minutes to Williams house, and thanks to the driver for stopping briefly at a corner shop so I could pick up some water, my head is feeling slightly clearer. When we pull up at the pavement in the front of William's house, I sit for a moment, wondering if I'm about to do the right thing. All doubt vanishes when I see William coming out of the front door and kissing yet another guy.

  I thank the driver and tell him to leave, not wanting him to hang around and be a witness. By the time he's gone and William notices me, his friend has driven away in his car, leaving the two of us staring at each other.

  “Why are you here, Ralph?” He sounds pissed off and it makes my anger rise quickly.

  “The last time I checked my name was still on the lease so technically I can come whenever I want.”

  “You don’t live here anymore.”

  I barely stop myself from growling at him. He has a fucking cheek with the way he's talking to me, treating me as though I'm someone who's boring him. “Only because you kicked me out to move your little fuck toy in. So tell me, how long was my shit sitting out front? It must have been tough to keep me hidden.”

  William crosses his arms across his chest and glares at me. “Not really, it's not like you were here all that often. Look, you need to get over this okay. It's kinda pathetic that you are over here trying to win me back.”

  This time it isn’t a growl that escapes me, it's laughter. “You think I'm here to try and get your skanky arse back? Oh please, I'm here for the money you stole from my account.”

  “Our account.”

  Two little words and I'm storming across the grass, my fists clenched at my side as I try to resist the u
rge to punch him out. I think my night will end just perfectly if I see him bleeding.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Aiden

  I pull into the driveway behind my car and turn off my brother's car. I had no plans on leaving the house today, but when a client had a sudden need to see their logos in person, I scrambled to find a way to get there. When the call came in, Ralph had already taken my car like I'd offered, but thankfully my brother was available to come and pick me up. When he had to go back to work, he left his car with plans to pick it up tomorrow when he comes over for coffee.

  I get out of the car and lock up, loosening my tie until it's hanging slack around my neck. I don’t often wear a suit, but my employer requests it when we meet with clients. I like to flaunt the rules slightly, and instead of wearing the traditional three-piece suit they would want me to, I wear all black. Black shirt, black tie, and then a fitted black three-piece suit. A lot of people would call it overkill for a work meeting, but I call it the only one I own.

  Walking up the front steps, I slow my pace slightly when I see the near-empty Vodka bottle sitting just in front of the door. I turn my head and scan the street around me, but nothing else looks out of place. I lean down and grab the bottle, noting that it’s the same make as the one that’s currently sitting in my cupboard, or at least it was there when I left this afternoon. My stomach feels unsettled as I unlock my front door. Something just feels off, and as soon as I walk into the hall, I feel alone. Ever since Ralph arrived I could sense him in the house with me, but tonight it feels like I'm the only person in the house.

  “Ralph?” I step into the living room as I call his name, but I already know I won't get a response. Silence greets me as I look around but nothing is out of place. The uneasy feeling doesn’t vanish with the lack of evidence. Instead it increases, and I can feel my palms starting to sweat. I don’t even know why I'm worried, Ralph is the size of a house so looking after himself isn’t a problem, but something feels wrong. That feeling intensifies a hundredfold when I walk into the kitchen and see the broken glass on the floor. Yeah, this is not a good sign at all.

  Stepping carefully over the glass I approach the cupboard where I keep my bottles of alcohol. I open the door, and as soon as I see the space I race for the stairs, taking them two at a time until I get to Ralph's bedroom. I know I'll find it empty, but I check anyway to confirm my suspicions and seeing it empty sets my anxiety levels to Defcon one. I rush through the rest of the rooms before racing down the stairs incase he had come home while I was searching. Pacing back and forth across the living room floor I try to think where he might be. Ralph's a grown man so I shouldn’t worry about him, he's also practically a stranger so what he does is his business, not mine, but none of that makes a difference apparently because I'm still worried and have this urgent need to find him.

  Where can he be? I stop my pacing suddenly when the answer to my question hits me. He wouldn’t go there, would he? Of course he would, and if he's been drinking, then the whole thing is going to be a shit show of epic proportions. I rush out the front door and towards the car. I need to get to William's house as fast as I can.

  * * * *

  I'm barely parked at the kerb when I have the car turned off and I'm reaching for the door handle. I can see the two men in the front garden and as soon as the door is open their voices hit my ears. Ralph is screaming at William, all his anger finally surfacing about everything William has done to him. I don’t blame him for a second for being angry, but with the alcohol going through his system, I'm worried that he'll take it too far. Their voices get louder, and before I can reach Ralph, he rears back and punches William in the mouth. Thankfully William is a massive guy so he doesn’t go down, but on the downside, he now looks like he will be only too happy to return the punch.

  I increase my speed, slipping my teeny tiny body in between the two human mountains, only thinking about the consequences far too late. I keep my back to Ralph, feeling safer keeping my attention on William, and put my hands up in front of me in my lame attempt to keep the two men apart. “Stop.”

  Thankfully William stops moving, but his death glare doesn’t leave Ralph. It’s a step in the right direction though, and all I need to do now is to get these guys in separate postcodes. “Get him the fuck out of here.” Williams’s words are rough and he reaches up to wipe the blood from his lip.

  I have so much I want to say to this guy on Ralph’s behalf, names I want to call him like cheat and whore, but I keep quiet so I don’t start them fighting again. Unfortunately Ralph isn’t having the same thoughts as I am.

  “You’d love that, wouldn’t you? If I just fuck off and vanish, maybe not come over and tell all your little fuckboys who I am. Actually, that’s unfair, I'm pretty sure you're the only fuckboy around here. God, I can’t fucking believe I loved you.”

  “Then who’s the stupid one? If you cant see what’s happening so blatantly under your fucking nose then that’s not my problem. And you know what, Ralph, maybe try satisfying a lover for once in your life and they won't need to look elsewhere.”

  I feel the push against my back as Ralph tries to move forward but I dig my feet into the ground, acting on hope alone that Ralph won't use all his strength to shove me out of the way. I press back and feel Ralphs body give, increasing the distance between the two of us and William.

  “Why don’t you just walk away, William? Haven't you done enough to him yet?” I point to the house before turning my back on William completely. My complete focus is now the raging man that doing his best impression of a wild animal. “Ralph?” He doesn’t pay attention to my voice, so I raise my hand and put it on his cheek, turning his head down slightly so he's finally looking at me.

  “Hi.” I smile, trying to relax the situation. His eyes flicker back to William who I haven’t heard move, but it's only for a fraction of a second before I get his full attention again. “Get in the car and I’ll take you home.”

  “Do as your little boy tells you, Ralph. Don’t make him be up past his bedtime.” I can hear the derision in his voice and a fraction of a second later it becomes clear that Ralph does too.

  Ralph chest butts me until my back is almost against William, and if I thought he looked angry before I was wrong. Now it's like there is pure rage seeping out of his pores as he glowers at William. I need to stop this before I get stuck between these two and get myself hurt. Putting my hands on Ralph's chest, I push with all my might but I barely move Ralph at all.

  “Don’t fucking talk about Aiden like that. He is more man that you will ever be you cocksucker, but then again that’s not saying much. My mother is more man than you are.”

  I try not to laugh because it doesn’t feel appropriate at the moment but I can’t stop the snort that comes from me. The noise catches Ralph's attention, and I use that to my advantage. “Get in the car.”

  Ralph doesn’t move and I lean all my weight into him again. All I have to do is get him to start moving in the right direction and I think that will be enough. When he doesn’t look like he's going to back off, I put as much effort as I can behind my words, using anger and power to add enough force to get him to comply.

  “Get in the fucking car, Ralph.” This finally gets his attention and I swear I see his anger deflate the instant I growl out the words. He stares for a few moments before turning and walking to the car and getting in. I take a deep breath to brace myself before I turn and face William. I'm not sure where my bravery comes from because he looks as though he could snap my little body in two without breaking a sweat, but I have to say something to him before I leave. Even if it earns me a punch in the face.

  “How can you sleep at night knowing what you’ve done to Ralph? I have never met such a nice guy, and you took him for a fool. I don’t often wish ill on others, but I hope you get a dose of VD that antibiotics can't treat.” I don’t give him a chance to answer before I turn my back on him and walk as calmly as possible as I make my way back to the car.

 
; When I sit in the driver's seat I let out a stuttered breath, not quite believing I just said all that to William. I've never had the balls to talk to anyone like that, not even when I'm getting abuse thrown at me by strangers, but something in me needed to defend Ralph.

  “Thank you.”

  I turn to see Ralph looking at his hands where they sit on his lap. I can smell the alcohol on his breath but nothing about his demeanour hints that he's drunk. I should feel sorry for him, and a little proud that he finally got his say with dickhead, but all I'm feeling just now is anger, and I can't explain why. Maybe it's because he put himself at risk by coming here tonight when he wasn’t thinking one-hundred percent clearly, or perhaps it's that he didn’t just jump in and beat the shit out of fuckface. I know neither makes sense but that’s where I'm at. I start the engine but before I drive off I need to know something. “How did you get here?”

  “I took an Uber.”

  Good, at least he didn’t do something stupid like try and drive. Now to get home before I lose it with him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ralph

  The whole drive home is done in painful silence. There's so much I want to say to Aiden but I don’t think now is the time. I want to say thanks for coming to get me, thank you for saving me from doing something stupider than the one punch I got in, and I also want to tell him how fucking hot he was when he got all growly with me. It’s not a side of Aiden that I've seen up until now but holy fuck it made my dick hard. So no, now is not the time to tell him that. I'll just stay quiet until we get home and then I will have another jerk off session in the shower.