Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Charlie
Losing the Plot
I fumble in the darkness of the bathroom at three in the morning, washing my hands. Even though I was asleep, I still have a dumb grin on my face from my night with Kip. Using my phone to light my path, I exit into the hall.
“He’s cheating on you, you know that right?” Tyson’s voice comes out of the darkness of the hallway, spooking me.
“What?” I mumble, still groggy and disoriented in the dark.
“Kip. He’s a playboy, always has been. He’s known to fuck a different hole every night. Do you honestly believe you’re any different? You think you’re special or something?” Tyson sneers, his face lit up by his cellphone.
“God, will you just give up already? I get it, you’re in love with him. You had years to make things right, and to tell him how you felt, and you blew it. Time to move on, Tyson.” I make to push past him, but he raises his hand to my chest and stops me.
“You need proof, huh? How’s this?” He turns his phone screen towards me, and hits play on a video.
The volume is down low, but it’s loud enough in the empty apartment for me to hear what’s happening. Kip grunting, someone moaning. The screen shows a video of Kip railing some girl, her head thrown back in ecstasy as he pounds into her. At first, my breath stops, and dread coils in my gut.
But then I notice Kip’s eyes. They aren’t the silver pools I’m used to. They’re blue-grey. His hair is shorter, less tousled than he wears it now. And he’s not as chiseled. This isn’t recent footage.
“That’s fucking sick, Tyson. Why the fuck do you have that footage? Does Kip know you keep videos of his past hook-ups?” I spit, absolutely disgusted. Tyson is obsessed with Kip, it’s clear as fucking day.
“This was yesterday, before you went out for the night.” Tyson’s face is full of pity, but his eyes sparkle with mirth.
“Do you really think I’m that dumb? It’s clearly an old video, from before he was turned. His eyes aren’t the right color. And his hair is different now.”
Is he really stooping this low?
My lip curls in disgust. “You’re really desperate, aren’t you? You want me gone that badly? To what? Try and win Kip over? You fucked up, Tyson. It’s too late.”
Tyson comes at me, using his forearm against my throat to push me into the wall.
“God, you just don’t get it, do you? Kip has been mine for years, and then you think you can come in and take him from me?
I tried to be nice. I tried to warn you.
I’ve tried everything in my power to get you to leave him alone.
But no, you had to keep pushing. Remember when this is over, all you had to do was walk away. You chose not to, and that’s on you.”
Tyson presses harder against my throat, choking me. I reach up, digging my fingernails into the meat of his arm, trying to pry it away from me. He’s too strong. Stupid fucking vampire.
“What’re you going to do, huh?” I rasp out, coughing and wheezing.
“Well, the only thing I can do, Charlie. Take care of the problem.”
I wake shivering on a concrete floor, somewhere pitch black.
“Oh good, you’re up. Just in time, I’d like your input on this message I’m sending.
” Tyson says from somewhere in the darkness.
“You see, I want it to be believable. And from what I can tell, you’re a giant nerd, so that means you probably care about grammar and punctuation and all that shit.
So if I text like I normally would, I don’t think Kip would buy it. ”
“What the fuck are you on about?” I groan, pressing myself up from the floor, rubbing my arms against the chill. Damn, I’m only in my fucking boxer briefs. I’m literally going to freeze to death.
“Here’s what I’ve got so far…” Tyson obnoxiously clears his throat. “Kip, I can’t be a vampire. I know that’s what you want, but it isn’t the life for me. Also, Tyson was right, I’m not good enough for you.”
I scoff. “I would never say any of that. And Kip knows that I wouldn’t break up with him, not after the talk we had earlier. We’re soulmates, you idiot. You can’t come between us.”
“Ugh, you’re right. It didn’t sound whiney and pretentious enough. Not believable at all.” Tyson gnaws on his bottom lip. “Maybe this trope is too played out anyhow. I mean, wouldn’t it be more poetic if you just ghosted him, like he ghosted you those other times?”
I want to laugh right in Tyson’s smug fucking face.
He obviously doesn’t know about our bond.
It’s not something that we chose. We’re literally connected by some mystical woo-woo shit.
I guarantee that Kip’s will tug at him and help him find me, just like mine helped me find him.
It’s only a matter of time. But I’d rather keep that little tidbit to myself, let it surprise Tyson.
Instead, I go with diversion. “You’re really obsessed with him, huh?”
Tyson balks, but then quickly deflates. “You caught me, alright? I’m in love with him.
And it’s about fucking time he finds out about it.
I’ve been waiting for him to fucking notice me, but all he ever wanted was to clap randos he met at the club.
Never me. And then, the kicker is that he meets you and suddenly he’s monogamous?
How is that fair? It should be me, not you.
I waited for him to figure it out for himself, but he’s too dimwitted, so now I have to force it along. ”
“The funny thing is, I told him you were in love with him.” I laugh, a mean, vicious thing.
“It’s so fucking obvious, but he didn’t believe it.
So, really, how did you ever expect him to notice you?
You were his best friend, and that’s all you were ever going to be… that is, until you fucking blew it.”
“I didn’t fucking blow it!” Tyson roars, standing up and knocking his chair over in the process. “This is all your fault. And that stupid cat of his. It was all going the way I wanted it to, before the two of you came along and fucked it up!”
The asshole part of me wants to keep riling him up, wants to see how far I can push him. But the self-preservation in me says woah, we need to slow down because he’s a vampire and could snap me like a twig.
I’m not ready to die today.
“Okay, okay. Let’s relax. So, you get rid of me…
what then? Well, actually, is your plan to like kill me…
or do I get another chance here?” Not that I’d really take the chance, if it meant that I had to let Kip go.
Life isn’t worth living without him. But maybe I can make Tyson think I’m going along with it?
Just until he lets me go and then I can go to Kip and get this all sorted out.
Tyson huffs. “Look, I’m not heartless, alright? I don’t really want to kill you. I just want Kip. You’re the one making me go this far. But, that doesn’t mean I won’t kill you if it gets me what I want.”
“I get it, Tyson. Kip is special. Obviously. I mean, we both fell for him, right?”
Tyson growls. “Don’t.”
I hold my hands up in placation. “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just saying I understand where you’re coming from.”
“God, what does he even see in you? You’re so fucking obnoxious. You know that thing I literally just said about not killing you? You’re making me want to take it back.”
Okay so clearly Tyson is unhinged. He gets mad when I’m sympathetic, he gets mad when I needle him. I mean, seriously, what does he want from me? You know, besides my disappearance from Kip’s life. Which is not going to happen.
“I’ve got it!” Tyson cackles. “He thinks he’s in love with you, right? Well, I’ll make him choose your safety. He’ll break up with you to keep you away from me, and then I can swoop in and have him all to myself!”
My jaw drops. “Uhh, you’re really delusional, aren’t you? You really believe that by forcing him to break up with me, it’ll end with the two of you riding off into the sunset? Are you fucking nuts?”
“It’s brilliant, really.” Tyson taps his chin, not acknowledging me at all.
“Before you, there was only me. Once you’re gone, I’ll be all he has again.
Then I’ll finally get my chance.” Tyson pulls out my phone again, holding the bright screen to my face to unlock with facial recognition.
“Here we go: ‘Kip, help. Meet me in the basement of Blood Rose. Hurry.’” His smile is maniacal.
“Yes, that’s right. We’ll keep it simple. Aaaaand send.”
“I’m not sure how Kip thought you were a normal guy for all those years.” I mutter, shaking my head. Tyson has officially lost it. Or maybe he never had it to begin with.