Fight For Me (Wilde #1)

Chapter 20

THIS IS NOT IN ELLIOT'S POINT OF VIEW! REPEAT, THIS IS NOT IN ELLIOT'S POINT OF VIEW! You should know who it is the more you read.

       I was a jerk. That was all that was in my mind when I went to school the next day. Everyone looked so hurt. Who would have guessed that Laughlin, my sworn enemy, had feelings? Okay, I knew he did but after what he did, I thought he was a low-life jerk. Then I saw him at school, looking like a lost puppy. God, I had never seen him look that way before. The pained, hurt expression really took a toll on me.

        I had to fix whatever was going on between him and Elliot, even moreso when Elliot didn't show up to school. The whole scholl knew something was going on. Whispers were at every corner with bets on what happened. Some say Elliot fell for him, but Laughlin didn't return the feelings. Others say Laughlin was the one who fell, but Elliot didn't return the feelings beacuse her best friend was Laughlin's ex-girlfriend. Clearly, they were oblivious as to the way both Laughlin and Elliot look at each other. With love.

       When school ended, I decided it was now or never. I knew Laughlin would take his anger out at Matlin Gym, so I headed over there. I was right when he was there. In the boxing room, I heard cries of anger as a punching bag was being hit. "Stupid Jerry!" came Laughlin's voice. "Stupid Mary! Stupid Elliot!"

       "Wow," I said, leaning against the doorway. "I never knew you hated me that much."

       Laughlin looked at me, anger written on his face. So he did hate me. "What the hell are you doing here?"

       "It's a public gym," I said. "Anyone is allowed here. I'm here to talk to you."

       "You think I want to talk to you?" Laughlin asked. "After you ruined my life? You went to Jerry of all people! You know how much I hated him!"

       I scoffed. "You're really hurt  about what I did? What about you? You hurt me way more than I hurt you!"

       "I never hurt you," he objected, punching the punching bag three times in an angry way. If he could use this anger in the ring, he would definitely beat Jerry.

       "Really?" I asked. "Then tell me you didn't love Elliot while we were dating. Tell me that you loved me, not her. Laughlin, I saw the way you looked at her when the three of us hung out together. You only paid attention to her. Never me."

       Laughlin not saying anything as he continued punching proved my point. I wasn't an idiot. I saw the way he looked at Elliot, my best friend of all people. Out of everyone he could have chose, he fell for Elliot.

       "You want to know why I cheated on you with Jerry?" I asked. "I knew you hated him. I knew how he took everything from you. More importantly, I know that Elliot liked him. If she was going to take my boyfriend away without even trying, I was going to take away the guy Elliot liked."

       "That doesn't mean you can go behind my back and cheat on me!" Laughlin exclaimed. "Dammit, Mary! You couldn't have talked to me about it?! I'm sorry for falling for Elliot when I was dating you, alright? Is that what you wanted me to say? That I was a crappy boyfriend for loving your best friend and not you?"

       I groaned, wishing he would understand why I was here. "I don't even care that you love her anymore," I said. "I lied to Elliot because I didn't want her taking the one thing I thought I cared about away. But......then I realized how much you two need each other. I have never seen you so happy before when you're with Elliot."

       "That's nice," he said. "But I am not forgiving her."

       "Why are you even mad at her?" I asked. "I was the one who lied!"

       "And she was the one who believed you," Laughlin said. "I never thought Elliot of all people would listen to what someone else said about me. I never thought she would think of me so lowly. She hurt me more than you ever did."

       "Oh, boo hoo," I mocked. "Grow some balls and talk to her."

       "Make me," Laughlin said, taking more anger out on the punching bag.

       I marched over to him and stood between him and the punching bag so he would actually listen to me. "She made one mistake," I said. "One stupid mistake that I caused. She loves you, Laughlin. A whole lot. I see the way she smiles at you or the way you make her blush. Are you really going to throw that all away because she believed me."

       "Yes," Laughlin said. "Maybe if you actually know about my life, you would know why I can't forgive her. Did you know that my dad was in prison for five years and was only released two weeks ago? Did you know that when my dad was arrested, my mom left and I've never seen her or heard from her since?" Hearing that was shocking to say the least. I dated him for a year and I never knew that. "I've been broken since I was twelve and I thought that Elliot would be able to fix me. But she just broke me more."

       I wasn't going to give up on this. I needed to put others before myself. "If it makes you feel better, Elliot had a hard time believing that you cheated on me. She had her doubts. She only believed me because she's a loyal best friend. She would have believed anything I said. She was still your friend when I asked her not to be. She still fell for you even though she though you hurt me. You mean everything to her. Why do you think she wasn't at school today? Her dad wouldn't have let her stay home unless something bad happened. I don't know if she went to talk to you after she found out I lied to her....."

       "She did," Laughlin said. "And I told her to forget everything."

       I couldn't help but punch Laughlin in the shoulder. "You jerk! You had her in the palm of your hand and you're letting her go?! She's hurting and you're hurting her more by acting like this!"

       "She hurt me!" Laughlin said.

       "I don't care if she hurt you!" I said. "I want what's best for Elliot and that's you right now! If you don't go talk to her right now, I will get Jerry to win Elliot. She's vulnerable right now and even Jerry can win her."

       Laughlin glared at me. "You wouldn't."

       I smirked, proving to Laughlin I would actually go that far. "Try me."

       Laughlin didn't reply as he pulled off his boxing gloves and shoved them into his gym bag.  "Where are you going?" I asked.

       "Elliot's house," Laughlin replied before leaving the gym.

       I smiled to myself. My work here was done. All I had to do was hope Elliot wouldn't be as stubbron as Laughlin.

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It's short, I know, but I wanted to show you what made Laughlin go to Elliot's. That's right, his ex-girlfriend ended up being the one to convinve him. (:

Next chapter should please everyone.

<3