𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑢𝑠

Ch.8

📍Fez's Store
Elaine (1st person pov)
Sunday, 8:00pm

I peck Fez's lips a few times as he holds my waist. He holds my hand as I walk from behind the register, past Ash, to the door. He tries to walk with me but I stop him.

"No no, it's okay. I can bike home." I say, stopping in the doorway.

"Alone? It's dark outside, hell no." He says as he tries to push the door open.

I hold it closed. "Fez, really. I'll be fine. Plus, on bike it's only a few minutes. I've put you through enough." I say with a slight giggle.

He looks at me as if he's contemplating whether to let me go or not. I give him a reassuring look and he nods. He kisses my forehead one more time.

"Bye, Ash!" I yell as I walk out.

"Bye, Laine." He says, head in his phone.

༄ ༄ ༄

I bring my bike to the side of my house and prop it on the wall. I get my house key out of my bag and go up to my porch. Mom isn't here today. She won't be until Thursday. Some job workshop shit that everyone goes to. I don't fucking know and I don't fucking care. I get the house to myself.

I let myself in and close and lock the door behind me. I keep the lights off, as I'm not gonna be down here long. I walk into the kitchen to get the blueberries that I've been waiting to come home to all day. I quickly wash them and put some in a small bowl. I walk around, back into the living room, when the lamp turns on.

"Hey, Elaine."

I jump and almost drop my bowl. In the corner of the room beside the over head lamp, I see that sneaky motherfucker. Guess who.

Nate goddamn Jacobs.

From the one time I've heard of this scenario happening, it didn't turn out well for the guy. He got a broken neck or some shit. I have no doubt that he'll do that to me, or worse.

"Uh..." I stutter, trying to stay calm. "Hey, Nate." I say, clutching my bowl.

No shit, I'm scared. Fucking horrified. I didn't realize how scary it is being in a room alone with Nate until this very moment. All I can do is try to stay calm and get him out of here.

As I look at Nate, I examine his face. It's battered. Bruised. It's probably from Fez. I know it's from Fez. It scares me more. This is why he didn't show his face in the insta pic. This is why he was arguing with his dad.

The fuck did Fez do to him?

"How's your night?" he says calmly, as if he didn't break into my damn house.

"What do you want?" I say, fear obvious in my voice.

"Right to the point?" He asks, acting offended.

I nod. Right to the point.

"I'm here to talk about your boyfriend. Fezco, I believe?"

"Look, Nate. I swear I have no idea what he did to you and I even asked him not to do anything. Whatever y'all have going on, I know nothing about it." I try to explain.

"Well...that's okay. Cause I'm gonna tell you." He looks at me. "Have a seat." He tells me.

'Have a seat' in my own damn house. But I'm too scared to say no. I slowly walk over to the couch opposite of him, and sit down. Placing my bowl of blueberries next to me. They're not gonna be cold anymore. That pisses me off.

"So, after Fez heard about our little..." he pauses. "Incident. He wasn't too happy. Understandable. If he touched my girlfriend, I'd be upset too." He adjusts himself in his seat.

"But see, what I wouldn't do." He continues. "Is tell him I wanna meet up to talk, drag him into an alleyway, beat him, fucking water board him, and leave him for dead." He says, looking into my eyes the entire time.

My eyes drop to my legs. What? Fez isn't the most civil man, sure. But this? This didn't sound like anything I could ever imagine him doing. Nate could've died. I feel bad. I feel like I shouldn't feel bad. Should I? Jesus, I don't know.

"Nate I-" I don't know what to say. Sorry or you deserved it. "I'm sorry. I didn't know-"

"No, it's okay, Elaine. I didn't come for your sorry." He interrupts. "I came here to warn you."

Uh oh.

He leans forward in his seat, making me subconsciously move back in mine.

"You have no doubt that I can ruin your life, right? I mean, Fezco's theres no point. He's already at rock fucking bottom. But you...you have something. A boyfriend, friends, family, an education, a plan. But just one thing could fuck it all up, yea? You know I could. I have the power and money to, you know that." He stares me in the eyes.

"Now," he goes on. "It's simple. Get that fucking maniac of a boyfriend of yours under control, and we'll have no problems. Keep him out of my life, out of my friends lives, and out of my families lives. Easy." He explains.

Am I dumb or did I not just tell him that I already fucking tried that. Fez won't listen to a word of that shit.

"Okay-"

"Ah ah ah." He cuts me off. "It's no fun if I don't tell you how." He adjusts again. "How about that little issue you had. You know, the drug issue." He mockingly whispers.

What the fuck? I immediately tense up and feel my cheeks flush. How does he know about that.

He goes on. "How you can't be around certain drugs because of your old addiction. You're not that hard to figure out, Elaine."

Asshole.

"Or or - and this is my favorite one - your buddy Elliot?"

I freeze. No way he knows. He can't know.

"Yea." He smiles, seeing my reaction. "How you got with him. Fucked him. How you swore to each other to never tell a soul."

How. The. Hell.

"Oh, and let's not forget your kinks. The deepest darkest shit you're into. Maybe I haven't even seen the half of it."

Seen? My eyes fill up with tears.

He clicks his tongue three times. "Gotta be careful with the guys you get with. You'll never know who's 'saving the moment.'" He smiles.

He relaxes and leans back into his seat as if it's just a flip of the switch. Manic one second, acting like nothing happened the next. He lets out a sudden, loud clap.

I jump.

"So! Now that we, hopefully, are on the same page." He stands up and walks toward the door, turning around one last time.

"Have a good goddamn night." He says as he unlocks my door and walks out. He won. He always fucking wins.