20. Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Ryan
T ucked away just outside the cemetery gates, I park my car behind a wall of snow-covered shrubs tall enough to hide me but low enough to see exactly what's going on a few feet away. The oak tree nearly blocks my view, but then Faith startles, stepping right back into my line of sight—right where she belongs.
I've given her plenty of time to move on from losing her friend, but I can't help feeling disgusted every time I see her kneeling by that headstone.
Come on, Faith, it's embarrassing how much you do this. How can she still be clinging to this? It's just a slab of stone over a decaying corpse. I wouldn't let her anywhere near this place if she were with me. It makes her weak and keeps her trapped in the past. She should be smart enough to realize this place holds nothing for her—just more loss, more pain.
But now there's Derek, trailing after her like some lost puppy, and it pisses me off; who does he think he is to put his hands on her? I used to brush off any guy who tried to get close to her—she always turned them down because she missed me, even if she hadn't admitted it yet. Sure, we broke up the night Chelsea died, but I know she's scared to come back. Still, I've been patient. I've always been patient with my girl because I know she'll return like always.
But with Derek in the picture, I'm not so sure anymore.
I've been around when they've run into each other, always watching Faith like the guardian angel she doesn't deserve. Every time Derek hurls insults at her, calling her out for his fiancée's death, I watch her just stand there and take it. The Faith I know is a fighter with a sharp tongue—at least she is with me until I put her in her place. Sometimes, all it takes is a look, and sometimes, I have to get more aggressive, but she always knows who's in control.
I can't figure out why she's letting Derek get so close to her after everything he's said. How he used to glare at her like she was the cause of all his misery—anyone could see the hatred in his eyes. But now? Now, he can't keep his hands off her, which makes my blood boil.
And I don't particularly appreciate seeing other men touching what's mine.
I'm still trying to decide if this guy is hooked on Faith or if he's just an idiot. Isn't there a rule between women you don't date your best friend, man? I would think dead or alive is a no-go. Chelsea was hot; I would have banged her a couple of times if she wasn't with dipshit over there. I thought keying the bastard's car would be enough for him to push her away, but no, he takes pictures, and they go straight to the police, where Faith knows she isn't allowed to go. She earned herself a big, fat lip when she threatened to go to the cops after our big fight. I would have given anything to be a fly on the wall when she spun some pathetic dramatic story to the police, all while painting me to be the big bad villain.
Not even photos of her but Derek being watched was enough to keep him away. Most guys I know run the second drama with a girl's ex pops up, and I don't blame them. Women with baggage can be a coin toss. Either they'll be loyal to a fault or bring more drama into your life that you didn't ask for. Derek should know that I'm not going anywhere, and if he wants to be with Faith, he has to deal with me. She's mine, and it's about time he gets it through his thick skull.
I can't think of a better time to teach Derek and Faith a lesson.
***
"You need to let her go and move on, man."
I'm back home not even five minutes before my roommate and best friend, Wayne, is already lecturing me. When I walk into the kitchen, he doesn't look up from the massive book he's reading. Like always, he's lounging on the couch, reading something pretentious that makes him think he's better than everyone else.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I say as I grab a beer from the fridge and plop down on the couch before turning on the T.V.
"You were following her again," he says plainly as if it's common knowledge.
"You bugging my phone or something?"
"No, I just know you don't have work today, and since that incident at the bar, you haven't stopped talking about Faith," he points out. "It's not that hard to figure out."
"Are you saying I'm predictable?"
"No, I'm just saying I pay attention," he says, his eyes still locked onto his book.
"Actually, it's the guy who tried being the hero that I'm more concerned about," I admit, my tone darkening.
"Why? You guys have been broken up for years, so why should you care who she's around?" He asks as he gets up and heads to the kitchen to make his nightcap- bourbon on the rocks with a splash of vanilla.
Because she's still mine, and I don't appreciate some other guy thinking she belongs to him. Wayne's clueless tone grates on my nerves, making it hard to keep my cool.
"You can still care about someone even if you're not technically together," I point out.
"I didn't think you cared about her. She made it very clear she doesn't want to be with you anymore, so why dedicate so much time to shadowing her or, as women would describe it, STALKING HER? Does she even know what you're doing?"
She does now; I grin, thinking of the photos I left for her on Derek's truck.
"She's too proud to admit it, but she needs someone looking after her," trying to get Wayne to see my point.
"And you think you're the one who gets to decide that? Sounds pretty controlling to me."
"It's not controlling; it's protecting her. She doesn't realize how dangerous it is to be a woman alone, especially in a bar. But pushing me away? That was her mistake."
"And throwing a drink at her wasn't yours?"
I let out a heavy sigh. "I'm going to regret telling you, aren't I?"
"It's a pretty big deal, Ryan. Normal couples don't do that."
"Will you just let it go? I was mad, okay?"
"I'm just saying that she doesn't seem to appreciate the effort," he says. "Didn't she push you away after you threw the drink in her face? It doesn't make sense."
"Excuse me?" I snarl, my temper flaring.
"You beat on her more than you loved her, so why keep chasing?" he says, and this is all it takes to make me snap.
I lunge at him, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the fridge, knocking cups to the floor. He claws at my wrists, but I hold him there, my fist pulled back, ready to strike. At the last second, he turns his head, and my fist smashes into the metal behind him, sending pain shooting up my arm. It's only when I pull back that he manages to put some distance between us, his eyes wide with fear.
"What the fuck, man?" he shouts, his voice shaky.
"You need to learn when to keep your damn mouth shut," I growl, shaking my hand to dull the pain.
"And you need to remember who your friends are," he fires back, grabbing his jacket and car keys. "For her sake, I hope she stays away from you."
"You don't know a fucking thing."
"I know that your short temper drove her away. I make one comment, and you're ready to beat me to the ground. What do you think that says about you? Maybe it's time to take a long, hard look in the mirror. Time for a fucking reality check."
And with that, he storms out, slamming the door behind him. I know my temper has flared in front of friends before, but Wayne's the only one who's ever had the guts to call me out. But he doesn't understand that Faith is the reason I do what I do.
She knows how to push my buttons just the right way, just like Wayne, and how to get me to react. It's always been a game with her. She fucks with me, I fuck her up, and then she goes crying to her friends, who are already in her ear, trying to get her to leave me. It's the same petty cycle, and she has no idea how lucky she is that I kept taking her back each time, all while making it seem like I'm the one asking for forgiveness.
Sometimes, I need to respond to her manipulation with some of my own, especially since I know she must have filed something at the police station.
It's time to get her to change her mind.