Mending Ryan Falls ✓

28 | in which he kills a girl

It's always been you,
Because no one else makes sense. 

.\.|./.

Ryan Falls

| in which he kills a girl |

Pacing all night in my room and anxiously running my hands through my hair turns out to be useless, even when I leave my house and walk around in the street, my eyes on her house. It worries me what he will think if he sees me stalking them, but leaving Crystal with Jeremy just doesn't feel right.

The way he looked at her was enough to tell me he doesn't love her. I don't know whether Crystal is blind or simply ignorant, having seen that deadly fire in his eyes and still taking his hand to let her lead him away.

I run a hand through my hair again, sitting at the edge of the bed, and wondering what it would take for me to go set her free.

I shouldn't care, I know I shouldn't. She's his girlfriend, loves him and adores him. I'm just a mistake to her, a random guy who dropped into her life uninvited and started telling her things she doesn't want to hear. Maybe I'm misjudging everything, and Jeremy actually cares about her. Maybe I'm not the perfect judge of a relationship and how it should be.

Night transforms to day, and the first rays of sunlight peeking in through the cracks in my curtains. Light sneaks across the floor and towards my feet, which are placed squarely on the ground.

My phone twirls between my fingers, as I contemplate whether to call her or not. The thought has been in my head for the past few hours, as I passed the night sleeplessly and waiting for her to give me some indication that she's okay.

I finally call her, only to hear the ringing somewhere close by. Shooting up from my spot on the bed, I see Crystal's phone lying on my bed, buried under the sheets. I reach for it, bending over the pillows that smell so much like her.

Under the pretense of returning her phone, I decide to actually drop by to visit. The only reason I didn't do this earlier was that I didn't want Crystal to be in more trouble with Jeremy. He doesn't seem like the guy who would be okay with his neighbor showing up past midnight to return his girlfriend's phone. If he's anything like I think he is, the man can be a monster when he wants to be.

The sun shines brightly overhead when I hear a car roar to life, and I hurry to the window to see Crystal's car driving past my house. Before it picks up speed though, I only get enough time to see the male figure in the driver's seat.

I'm out of my house before I can stop myself, staring after the car zooming into the distance. Although I didn't see Crystal in the car, I can't be sure.

My feet lead me towards her house, her phone held tightly in my hand. My neck is stiff from the sleepless night and from the anxiety of worrying about her well-being, but my mind is awake and fully alert.

I ring the bell, my hands clammy and breath heavy. If she asks me what I'm doing here, I'll just tell her I came to return her phone. If she's happy with Jeremy, I don't want to cause any drama. No amount of attraction is ruining her relationship.

There's no answer, and my panic only rises.

Maybe she was in the car after all.

I ring again. And again. And again.

Almost frustrated at this point, I get down from the stairs, surveying at the house in the larger context. I see a row of windows along the side, walking over and trying to peek in with my hands on either side of my face.

The house is dark inside, and I try looking in through each of the windows. It's only when I'm at the second last window towards the back of the house that I see a light on. Illuminated in the light is something that makes me frown -- a torn, grey fabric, one with a flowery blue pattern.