Messy Love(89)

“I don’t think so. I mean, with me I don’t see—’’

“You said that he pushed you away right when you thought you two were having a real connection. I bet you something set him off.’’ He glared across the street, and I followed his eyes, finding Wyatt getting out slowly, his eyes going left and right nervously before he stepped out. He missed us across the street, or so I thought until he looked up, maybe feeling our eyes on him. He froze, and from here I saw his whole body coiling tight.

“Ralph?’’ I asked, stepping back, ready to bolt. I had no idea how I could talk to him right now.

“If you need to go, do it now before he crosses the street, girlie.’’

I let my eyes take in his face as he drew closer. I latched onto his unshaved face with an unkempt beard, the rings under his eyes full of anger and worry and the tight press of his lips.

“I’m staying,’’ I mumbled right when he rounded a car and stalked toward us with long steps.

“What are you doing here? And together?’’ he asked, eyes narrowed as he glanced at me before settling on his best friend.

“What do you think? We’re all worried about you, dumbass!’’ Ralph snapped and stepped closer to his best friend. “Don’t you dare tell us to go fuck ourselves. We know what’s going on.’’

His already pale complexion turned ghostly white, and the air in his lungs escaped in a loud sound. His eyes went back to me with a shake of his head. “You don’t know shit.’’

“We saw your biological father leave.’’

“Fuck!’’ He cursed loudly, and his eyes wildly searched around in the street. “You shouldn’t be here. Go.’’

“What’s going on with you?’’ I asked, breaking my vow of silence when his scared voice pierced through me.

“It’s none of your business, Marissa. We’re over.’’

His glare hurt, but the pain and fear in his voice had me staying put, not once thinking about leaving now that we were close again. My heart, my pain wasn’t relevant at that moment. What was, was Wyatt’s well-being and his safety from the man who had abused him for years when he was a kid. That was the top priority.

“It doesn’t mean I don’t care. Lydia and Danny are worried sick. Ralph has been trying to be there for you, but you won’t let him. What did you think? We were all bound to get to you.’’

“She’s right,’’ Ralph butted in. “And we know you’ve had shady people around. Man, what are you doin'?’’

“We can’t talk here.’’

“Then let’s go to your place.’’

“We can’t go there either. Fuck.’’ He rubbed his eyes and re-checked the street.

“Don’t tell me you’re stupid enough to have drugs in your apartment,’’ Ralph said in a warning tone.

“What do you think? I’m fucked, okay? I’m fucked. Now go.’’

“Stop it,’’ Ralph said, and the harsh tone begged no contradiction.

“I don’t want her mixed in this shit, okay!’’ Wyatt yelled in his best friend’s face pointing at me. “Get her out of here.’’

“I’m not a little girl. Do you think it’s easy for me to be here? Guess what, Wyatt? In life, nothing is easy. Either you do nothing and let shit rule you, or you take action. Don’t be the little boy abused by his biological father. Be the man Lydia and Danny taught you to be.’’

The man I had first met months ago in front of the Burton’s residence would have gone into a tongue lashing that would have smarted pretty bad, but Wyatt wasn’t the same man. That wasn’t true. I believed he hadn’t changed, but he let me see another part of him, unlocking the massive doors that protected him to let me in. That soothed the pain radiating through me.

His dark eyes stared at me, pain echoing in me, letting me see the man I had fallen for and not the cold and distant person that let me out of his life a month ago.

“It’s not that easy, Marissa.’’ That was all he said. He clamped his lips after that and sighed so deeply the passing cars didn’t cover the sound.

“It is,’’ Ralph butted in and put his face in Wyatt’s. He placed both hands on his shoulders, and the two men stared at each other darkly. “That asshole broke you once. Don’t let him win again. You think you’re stuck in this hellhole, and I’m telling you that you have one chance to put him and his little friends away for a while.’’

“My dad…’’

“Danny?’’ Ralph asked to make sure, and at Wyatt’s feeble nod he went on. “Danny will do everythin' to help you, and you know it. Your father is a fuckin' cop, damn it! If it’s not the perfect time to have a cop in your pocket, I don’t know when it is.’’

“I’m going to go to jail because of this,’’ Wyatt said quietly between gritted teeth, obviously trying to keep me out of this.

“Unless you help the cops arrest all those people,’’ I said before Ralph could reply something. I came closer and grabbed Wyatt’s fist. I coaxed him to open his hand with slow caresses on his wrist, the back of his hand and over his knuckles. When he linked his fingers through mine, it was like life breathed through me again, like the bleakness that surrounded me evaporated. “Doing something right isn’t always the easy path, Wyatt. You have people there to support you.’’