The Next Morning

Joyce walked inside of her sons home after finding the door unlocked to get the clothes that Aubree requested. Shutting the door, she glanced around the house. "Chris!" She called while walking in further. When Joyce got no response she made her way upstairs. "Chris." She knocked on the door but again no answer so she walked inside. "Christopher."

He laid across the bed with his face buried in the pillow, still dressed in his clothes from last night, down to the shoes.

Honestly Joyce was nervous, it didn't even look like he was breathing. She went and shook his body lightly first then harder the second time.

Chris's eyes slowly peeled open, he felt like his body was a million pounds. He lifted his body and looked over at his mom. "Where my kids at?" He asked before laying back down.

"The kids are the least of your worries. Where is Aubree's luggage?"

Chris's eyebrows furrowed. "Her luggage? Why?"

"She asked me to bring her some clothes, do you want to tell me why your fiancé is staying in a hotel? Does have to do with your crazy behavior yesterday?"

"Man I wasn't acting crazy and why the Fuck is she at a hotel, I haven't did shit to her."

"You obviously did. What is going on with you?"

"Ain't nothing going on with me." Chris sat up and grabbed his phone, he called Aubree's phone but it went straight to voicemail. "Where she at?" He asked looking up at his mom.

"Somewhere she doesn't want you to know about obviously. Where is her bag?"

"Man Ma, tell me where my fiancé is. Don't pack her no bag, I'm about to go get her."

"Chris she needs some space so let the girl be."

"Space for what?! I haven't did anything to her."

"You had to! She wouldn't just randomly walk away. Chris you were acting very ignorant yesterday. What happened when you guys left the rehearsal where did you go?"

He scratched his head trying to remember the night before. "I don't know. Maybe we came here.....I think we went to dinner."

"You think? Why don't you know?"

Chris exhaled. "Forget all the questions, can you just tell me where Aubree is?"

Joyce shook her head and walked over to the closet. She looked around until she spotted a duffle bag and started putting clothes in it. Aubree said she'd be out for a while so she put a lot of clothes in there. Once she grabbed all of her other stuff she walked out. "I can tell something is not right with you Christopher and you really need to shake whatever your problem is. I'll keep the kids for a few days and I'll check up on you later."

"Tell Aubree I love her and whatever I did, I'm sorry."

"I'll tell her." Joyce left out the house and headed to Aubree. Chris climbed out of bed and stretched while groaning due to the unexpected pain in his body.

He went into the bathroom to freshen up. When he looked into the mirror he rubbed his fingers over the red circles under his eyes. Sighing he cut on the sink water and splashed it on his face. Popping two narcos had his memory foggy. He remembers yesterday but only bits and pieces.

After he brushed his teeth, he opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed the bottle. He popped the top and looked at the 8 pills that sat inside. He was in a battle with himself of what he should do.

The devil on his shoulder won the fight. He poured one pill into his hand. "Only one today."

"Coming." I called out after there was a knock on my hotel room door. After looking through the peephole, I pulled it open. "Hey Mama J." I said while closing my robe around my neck more. Once she was fully in, she gave me a hug.

"Hey sweetie. How are you?"

"I'm okay." I said while walking to the living room. "I wish the kids were with you."

"I didn't know what kind of situation I was being put in the middle of so I called your mom.....Aubree, why are you in a hotel?"

"I just needed some alone time. Things have been hectic with all this wedding planning and everything."

"All of this planning has you avoiding Chris?"

"Chris is............he's just not himself at the moment." That lump grew in my throat and my eyes began to burn but I quickly blinked the tears away and attempted to put on a poker face.

Joyce grabbed my hand. "Aubree I'm going to ask you one last time, what is going on?"

I just stared at her for a while and a tear rolled down my cheek. Letting out a shaking breath, I showed her the bruises on my neck from him grabbing me. "I don't know what's wrong with him." I cried harder.

Joyce's eyes grew as she stared at the marks on me. "Please tell me this is a joke."

"No I would never play about something like this!"

"How did this happen?! What went on?!"

"We went to dinner after the rehearsal dinner and I was upset because he was falling asleep at the table. I asked him about the comments Keeis was making and he said 'bitch if you think I'm on crack you can cancel this whole wedding' I got upset because we made it clear to never call each other bitches. I tossed my drink and cup at him. I wanted to leave after that but I left the keys, he brings them out calling me stupid. Then out he gripped my neck. I was so damn scared, that normal sparkle in his eyes wasn't there he just looked out of it. When he finally let go he pushed me onto the grown. All of this happened in a public parking lot. The girl that worked there wanted to call the cops." I shook my head while wiping my tears. "I'm still in shock. I never thought he'd do this to me."

Joyce sighed while leaning forward. "The crazy thing is, he doesn't even remember what he did to you. I kept asking and he said you were overreacting."

"How could he not remember?"

"Did he drink that day?"

"No, not that I know of. I know drunk Chris and that wasn't it."

"Well.......what about drugs? My son doesn't look like himself, he's not acting like himself. That could be the problem."

"Drugs? Naw, I don't think so. We're around each other almost all the time. The most he does is smoke."

"Aubree he is not okay and you said he didn't drink so there has to be something else. There's no telling what Chris does when he's at that warehouse or the club. Something is not right with my baby and we need to figure it out." She said sound as if she was ready to cry.

I looked at her. "We will don't worry."

¥¥

I've been sitting here for hours trying to grasp what Mama J said. Is Chris really on drugs and how haven't I noticed? Like what is he even on?!

And the fact that he chooses to do this right before we're about to get married. Has he always had a problem and I just never noticed. I grew up with a drug addict, I know the signs. That's why it's hard for me to believe this.

I gotta investigate. Getting up from my the bed, I went and grabbed some clothes then jumped in the shower. Once I got dressed I ordered an uber. I hope he isn't there. Even though I want to find out what's going, I don't want to see him.

My uber came and I headed downstairs then made my way to the house.

When we got to the house I was happy as hell that his car was gone. "Thanks." I said to my driver before getting out. I disabled the alarm from my phone then unlocked the door and headed inside.

Where would I even began to look?

I guess I'll start where he keeps his emergency money.

I made my way to the basement and started going through his safe. It was nothing there so I headed up to the closet. I just started tearing his things down. It was mainly because of how upset I am with him.

But I came up empty handed.

Exhaling I looked around. Where the hell would this shit be?

My alarm went off on my Apple Watch for my birth control. I missed yesterday since I didn't come home. I went into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet two bottles fell out. One was empty and the other was almost gone. I picked them up and it was his pain pills.

The ones he's only supposed to take when needed.

Not everyday.

The half empty bottle was just filled. So this nigga is addicted to Narco?!

"What you doing?"

I quickly turned my head towards Chris. "So you're addicted to pain killers?"

"I'm not addicted to anything."

"Chris you just got into your accident three weeks ago and you're on your second bottle of narcos. That seems like an addiction to me."

"My hand bothers me so I take them ain't that what they here for?"

"You haven't complained about your hand since you got into your accident so that's not why you taking them." I popped the top on the half empty bottle then dumped it down the toilet. "I've dealt with one addict, I don't have time to deal with another. Get some help." I tried to walk past him but he grabbed my arm, causing my heart to start racing.

"Where you going Aubree?"

"Back where I was, can you let me go?"

"What you leaving for? It's just some pills you acting like I'm on crack or something."

"Nigga it starts with pills and once that high isn't good enough for you, you move to something stronger and I ain't marrying no fucking crackhead. And to top that off, this shit got you thinking you can put yo hands on me." I snatched away from him.

"When did I put my hands on you Aubree. Don't fucking lie on me!" He got in my face causing me to quickly step back.

"You choked me in a parking lot yesterday and pushed me to the ground but you were too drugged to remember. What reason do I have to lie on you, what the fuck would I gain from that?!"

"Why would I choke you Aubree? I've never put my hands on you before!"

I unzipped my fleece so that he could see the damage he had done. It looked his breath had gotten stuck in his throat.

"Then who the fuck did this? You did it motherfucka! I never in a million years would've thought that I'd be going through any of this with you." Tears ran down my face. "Looking at you is just making me sick. Where is the man I fell in love with?"

"Baby I can shake this."

"Can you? I knew something wasn't right when I looked you in your eyes. And if you don't remember what happened yesterday how will you remember this conversation? I can tell you're high. You watched me struggle with my mother and her addiction and all the shit she put me through only to turn around and do this! You putting your hands on me was unforgivable but to see that all this erratic behavior is because you're popping pills makes the shit even worse and I'm sorry Chris but I don't want to deal with it." I pulled my ring off my hand.

His eyes instantly got watery. "No Aubree no." He walked up to me again causing me to instantly tense up. "Baby, I'll get help. I promise."

"It should've never started or you should've told me what was going on."

"Just so you can leave me like you're doing now?"

"You got yourself into this mess so get yourself out."

"This just proving to me that you ain't who I thought you was. You supposed to hold me down through whatever."

I looked at him and chuckled. "Okay Chris."

"You know what, I don't give a Fuck about you or this wedding. I'll let everybody know it's cancelled. Ima make you regret giving back this ring Aubree."

I ignored his ranting and walked out the room. Lord knows I want to help him but I know he doesn't really want it and when you're dealing with an addict you can't help them until they really are ready or it'll be an endless cycle. BEEN THERE DONE THAT!

Let's see if a few days without me or his kids will wake him up.