Messy Love(27)

“Newsflash, buddy,’’ I replied in a hard voice, body coiled and ready to strike. “I’m better than your junkie ass. It’s no hardship.’’

“You—''

“Hey!’’ Ralph staggered between Tim and me, pushing him away so hard he about fell into one of his friends.

When he found his footing again, I knew him enough to see he’s ready to charge Ralph. I made a move to get to him, but Marissa’s body collided with my side and her arms wrapped around me. I glanced down and found her face turned to me, eyes big and wide. And scared. Shit.

“Don’t. Please.’’

I didn’t hear her voice over the music and chatters around, but I easily read on her lips. She’s pale, nothing like the confident and sexy woman of a few minutes ago. And she’s shaking. Damn it. Only one thing was left on my mind.

I needed to get her out of here and away from Tim.

“Ralph!’’

He turned to me, stopping mid-sentence while talking to Tim and nodded at me. At least, he wasn’t drunk enough not to stand on his own and follow me out.

“What? You afraid, Burton?’’ Tim egged me on loudly. It brought an odd silence in the packed room, the silence only filled with the music still blaring.

I kept Marissa in my arm, plastered against my side and looked back over her head. “Of you? We both know I’m not. You’re just a worthless piece of shit, Tim. Open your fucking eyes.’’ I didn’t wait to hear his parting words. Instead, I plowed through the few people standing in front of me, keeping the path to the front door blocked. “Move!’’ I ground out at a guy who’s drunk or high, his eyes not focusing on me. He only blinked at me.

I’ve had enough.

I disentangled myself from Marissa and forcefully removed the guy and pushed him against the wall next to the door. As soon as the exit was free, I wrenched the door open, grabbed Marissa’s hand and towed her out, glancing once over my shoulder to make sure Ralph was following.

Fucked up night.

It looked like my past couldn’t ever leave me the fuck alone.

“Damn it!’’ I closed my left hand into a fist and punched the dilapidated wall right before we reached the stairs.





MARISSA


Wyatt paced in front of Ralph and me. We watched him while leaning against the dirty wall a block from the party we had left fifteen minutes ago. I had no doubt the back of my dress will be dirty, but at that moment it barely touched my mind.

Wyatt shook his head and ran a hand violently through his messy hair, but not once did he stop pacing.

Still shaken up after the palatable tension between him and that Tim guy, I stared away and gazed at the few cars whizzing past the street, the people walking and a couple fighting further down the street with the girl crying and yelling things I couldn't make out. There’s nothing around that kept my attention more than a minute. My eyes always went back to Wyatt.

Ralph sighed and pushed away from the wall. I frowned when I noticed how unsteady he was on his feet. He took a deep breath, probably waiting for the dizzy spell to diminish and walked to Wyatt, stopping him in his pacing. Both men looked at each other without a world until Ralph broke down and held both hands up in front of him.

“That’s enough, man.’’

“He—''

“No!’’ Ralph’s voice rose, and a cat in the distance squeaked. His bleached mohawk seemed to be lit up under the glare of the city light, contrasting harshly against his dark hair on either side of his scalp. “I know you, and you’re not goin’ to do that same fuckin’ thin’ again. Not this time.’’ He slurred and scraped his face with his hand, visibly tired. “Go home, Wyatt, and forget 'bout this.’’

“Forget.’’ Wyatt laughed without humor. It raised the hair on the back of my neck. He turned away from his best friend; eyes lost up the street. “It’s so easy to say. That shit isn’t going to go away.’’

Ralph sighed. “Yeah, but you don’t have to always think ‘bout it. You’re twenty-four, for fuck sake!’’

I shuffled closer, unsure of what’s going on and while a part of me was curious and I desired to know more, the bigger part of me wanted to shower this strange night off of me.

In a way, I couldn’t help but think that maybe this showdown between Wyatt and that guy was to prevent me from doing something I’d regret, something that would probably hurt me. At the party, Wyatt had me under his spell, bound by lust. At that moment, nothing else had mattered but the way my body reacted to him and how hot he was.

“I… Guys, I think I should go home now.’’ My voice was soft, almost childlike.

Wyatt’s eyes found mine and my mouth dried up. He didn’t just look like a pissed off man, as I expected. He also looked like a tormented man, on the brink of drowning without any help nearby to catch him and bring him back to land. He’s drifting, right before me.

His dark eyes had lost that bright light, sometimes too hot and hard to handle. Instead, they’re full of fear and were too wide for someone like him. It’s the look I’d expect from a young boy afraid of the dark or who would have woken up after a nightmare.

His mouth was nothing but a straight line, almost white from pressing his lips so tight against one another. I was sure that without the beard, I’d see lines marring his face, lines only created by torment and ghosting memories that should be left alone.