Rebound [ 🍒 ]

Paxton had a horrible fucking day. It had started out so well. Leana went to school, Paxton went to work, Reece stayed home. Like every single other day. Work had been fine. Not great, not terrible, but it paid him well and he didn't mind the work of a mechanic. He'd picked up Leana, as always, because her cheer practice ran late. Again, normal. Typical. But everything went to hell when they got home. Clothes? Everywhere. Paxton had recognized the blue lace bra he'd bought Reece for their anniversary last year. He didn't recognize the strawberry print boxers hanging off his stair railings. He'd heard Leana gasp, shoved her towards the car, and confronted the first moment of the end of his life. Alone. Reece, his wife. His wife of seventeen fucking years. In bed with another man. A stranger. In the bed they shared every night. Paxton had felt detached the moment he saw them. In a sick, twisted way, he was happy to be detached. His mind was turned off, for once. All he could feel was numb coldness. A deafening sort of cold that really settled the racing thoughts that had been in his head all day. He'd kicked her out, obviously. But he didn't stay. He went back outside to Leana. He took her to her friends house for the night, telling her not to think about it. That they'd handle it, no matter what, together. And now? Paxton sat at a bar. Some shiny, overwhelming place. Alone, but not truly alone. People were everywhere, but Paxton didn't pay them mind. He just... Drank. Shot after shot. Glass after glass. He'd never hated his alcohol tolerance more than right now, with his mind still reeling, still burning through the scenes of the day. Of his wife, his fucking wife, laying in bed with another. He barely even registers when you slot right in next to him. Intentional? Not intentional? Paxton hardly cares.