Breaking The Routine

            David stomped out of the office angrier than he had ever been in his life. Out of all the things he expected, what just happened in that office didn't even come near it! Just yesterday David was confessing to his best friend about how much he loved her. He'd guessed that she wouldn't take her father's rejection very well but for Sam to flat out lie and turn her back on him like that. How could she do this to him? That wasn't the Sam he'd come to know.

            Why she couldn't see that her father was just using her, David thought getting into the passenger side of the car slamming the door with all his might. Mark looked like he wanted to say something but David gave him a glare that told him he didn't want to hear anything Mark had to say. He felt so stupid, so betrayed, and so hurt. How could she have been so cruel? How could he allow himself to be used like that? He wanted to hit something so bad, to smash his fist over and over again till he didn't have the strength to lift it for another punch.

            When they arrived he jumped out of the car and raced up to his apartment before the car didn't come to a complete stop. "Whoa man, David, just take a minute to calm down!" Mark called after him. David scoffed to himself.

            "Calm down, how the hell can I calm down," he spat throwing and stuffing his clothes into suitcases. He had to get out of this horrible town as soon as possible. He didn't want to spend another night in the same town as those two.

            "Maybe you should try talking to her again," Mark offered leaning against the door of his bedroom. Been there and tried that, David thought bitterly. She ignored him and only talked to him to beg him to spare her father the inconvenience and discomfort of a lawsuit

            "You know what Mark; I don't want to see her ever again much less talk to her. She stabbed me in the back and made me look like an idiot," David said angrily zipping up the suitcases. He felt just like that, a complete idiot. "She obviously prefers his company before mine! I begged her man; I practically fell to my knees and begged," David shouted throwing one of the suitcases to the living room. It barely missed Mark and knocked into a lamp which proceeded to be shattered against the floor.

            "I know you did," Mark said quickly entering in the bedroom looking to the mess of lamp on the floor.

            "Stupid woman, I never gave anyone what I gave her! Many women wanted me like she had me," David shouted throwing a second suit case to the living room. "How did she repay me? Embarrassing and rejecting me! Did you see his face, that freaking smug look on his ugly face," David shouted again turning and punching a hole into the wall, at the reliving of the haunting memory.

            He leaned against the wall hurting more than he had ever hurt in his life. She was right about one thing, he really didn't love her anymore. He could never love someone as traitorous as her. He even doubted love existed honestly. Everything he had seen today told him otherwise.

            Mark patted him on the back in attempt to comfort him. "Let's get you out of here," his friend told him with a flat tone. David nodded mutely and let Mark guide him out of the apartment. Tabby was coming up the steps just as they left the door. She rushed up to David surprising him as she wrapped her arms around him in a firm hug.

            "I am so sorry David! I really am," she said with a down fallen face. He attempted to give her a smile but only the corners of his mouth managed to turn upward.

            "Thanks Tabby but you don't need to be apologizing for anything," he told her sadly. Tabby scrunched her face into a worried concerned face looking like she wanted to say something but David knew all too well there was nothing anyone could say to fix this mess. "I will wait for you in the car," he told Mark giving his friend a chance to talk to Tabby before they left.

            He lugged his suitcases down the cement steps to the car, and brutally tossing them into the trunk of his car. He glanced up at Mark and Tabby and watched them talk in hushed voices leaning in towards each other so much their foreheads were touching. David felt the ache of longing and envy that was enough to nearly knock him to his knees. Why couldn't Sam have chosen him, he would never have asked her to do the things that twisted excuse of a father she had. Why wasn't he good enough?

            David looked away from the couple unable to take the pain it caused watching them and got into the car. He closed his eyes leaning against the seat taking slow deep breaths trying his best will away all these horrible feelings he was feeling. He would rather feel nothing than this!

            Back in New York, David sat on the sofa and taking a long drink from the nearly empty whiskey bottle. He spent nearly all of the week since his return in complete drunkenness. It was the only time he felt nothing, and that's exactly how he wanted to feel. Life seemed to have lost all its color and he didn't see the point in anything anymore.

            This wasn't how it was supposed to work, he thought bitterly. She was supposed to love him back and they were supposed to get married, have children, and grow old together. He sighed and took another long drink from the bottle. Maybe he was wrong, maybe there was no happy endings after all, maybe those were just lies to keep people forming relationships and thus continuing the mess that is known as the human species.

            Someone knocked on his door, but he ignored it taking yet another drink. He didn't want to talk anyone at all he just wanted to sit there and drink; he didn't care what other people thought about it. He just wanted all of them to leave him alone! He scowled as the door opened. Seems that was the one thing people couldn't do, leave him the hell alone and stay drunk in peace. He grimaced as he glanced up at the woman standing in front of him. Why the hell did she come here? "Davey you shouldn't be doing this too yourself baby," she told him and sat down next to him wrapping her arms around shoulders. She pulled him close to her in a warm embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against her shoulder feeling some of the pain ease.

            "She must really be something," the woman added combing his hair with her fingers and he scowled.

      "Please mother don't mention her, she is nothing," he slurred and pulled away to take another drink but she took the

of that young man, I

    "I am old enough to do what I want mother,

            "David, I want you to stop this, I know you're hurting and hurting

    "What do you know about hurting? You and Dad are the happy little couple," he snapped as he tried to grab the

because you smell horrible for God's sake! Now when you're ready your father still has the accounting position open for you. I know you don't want to work for your father but you need something to

      "Now go on get yourself into the bathroom and get yourself cleaned up. I will

need you to baby sit me mother," he snapped standing up but tripped over his own feet as he tried to take

hips before walking over and helping him up. David continued to complain as she helped him into the bathroom. He sat on down on the toilet as she started the shower. "Now be careful I don't want to lose you because you broke your neck," she scolded him before leaving. He scowled at the closed door as

there. He wasn't going to let that woman destroy him, no he was stronger than that. As he got out of the shower feeling more sober David decided that Sam couldn't have been that special as he thought her to be. She was just probably like a million other women, he would find another easily. One thing he never had problems with was finding someone to keep his bed warm. A smug smile almost painted itself across his

much better he smiled a more authentically

cautious drink of the hot coffee. "You're right about everything. I can't

       That night David entered the club where he first met Sam and the place that was usually his favorite spot when he was younger. He walked up to the bar, greeting the bartender and ordering himself a drink. David was a little disappointed when Mark refused to come with him, he seemed to think it was a bad idea that David wanted to go. He wasn't sure why his friend thought so; in fact he had expected Mark to

motivated to talk to any of them. Just when he started to think that maybe it wasn't such a great idea a blonde walked up to him. With

he said seductively, "like to dance with me," he asked her

           "More than anything," she gushed in desperation. David took her small tanned hand in his leading her to the dance floor, noticing her touch did nothing like Sam's had

The blonde pushed and grinded her body against his as they moved but David couldn't help but start to compare every little aspect of hers against Sam's. Frustrated with himself he leaned down capturing the woman's lips in an angry kiss. The blonde quickly responded the kiss, sloppily, her hands roaming along his body. David felt disappointment as

this party somewhere else," he asked the blonde once their messy kiss had ended. He was determined to forget Sam, no matter what it took.  The blonde

with you anywhere gorgeous," she replied and David forced a smile on his face as he led her out of

cheap lipstick and perfume off his body. Pushing away the disappointment he was determined to not give up. There had to be a woman that would make him feel like he did when he was with Sam. Just because it wasn't the blonde in

nothing special, he told himself again as he got out of the shower and dressing. David quietly then snuck out of the hotel room thanking God he didn't tell her anything about himself, there was no way he would

time to accompany him. Apparently he and Tabby had become something serious; he flew to Illinois every weekend to be with her. David was happy for his friend but he

    He would go to a hotel or her house, the first woman that would accept. Most of them he did like the blonde, spend the night with them then sneak out before they awoke. It was rare if he actually spent more

    It had been four months since Sam had thrown him aside but David managed to keep himself busy so he would think about her as little as possible. "See you later Sexy," David told the brunette before giving her a quick kiss good bye. He couldn't seem to remember her name, seemed like it ended in Y. Nancy, Stacy, or maybe Lacy, he thought then shrugged, he

         He walked over to where his friend was waiting for him. Mark shook his head at David with a look of disapproval on his face. "When are you going to stop," Mark insisted and David looked at him confused. "The women, David, this isn't you!" Mark told him his look of

his friend. "Don't you ever say her name to me again, do you hear me! You don't know shit about me

of yours isn't you," Mark shot back pushing David off of him. "I

      "Since clearly you don't want my help, I will just keep my mouth shut. Anyways I have to go pick up Tabs from the airport,"

"Tabby is coming to New York?" David asked surprised. It was the first

        "Actually she moving up here, I

            "So things are