Heartbreak & Honeysuckle

-02- Like A Damn Sociopath

Without faltering, Griffin laughs and ruffles August's blonde hair, making the shorter boy flinch. As Griffin continues chatting with his brother and Elliot, August stares at him in utter disbelief.

How is Griffin acting so casual right now, as if this isn't the first time he's seen August in years? As if the last time they spoke wasn't one of the worst days of August's life? And yet, here Griffin is, smiling and joking around without a care in the world.

August briefly wonders if Griffin has secretly been a sociopath all these years.

"So, did I hear something about dinner?" Griffin asks, clapping his hands together.

"Yeah!" Holden says enthusiastically. "We were just deciding on where to go. What sounds good—"

"Elliot," August cuts into the conversation. "A word?"

Smiling apologetically, Elliot follows August to the bathroom, leaving the brothers to watch them curiously. As soon as the door closes, August pounces.

"What the hell!" August whisper-screams, slapping Elliot's arm.

"Ow!" Elliot yelps, rubbing his arm.

"What is he doing here? He's not even supposed to be in this state, let alone in the same room as me!"

"I am so sorry," Elliot quickly apologizes. "I had no clue he would be here tonight. Honest."

"Then make him leave!"

"I can't do that! He's Holden's brother. I know you guys had that big blow-up a few years ago, but you can't expect his family to cut him off."

"Funny you should say that, because I'm tempted to cut off his—"

"August!"

"Well!" August throws his arms up. "What do you expect? He's an asshole."

Sighing, Elliot shakes his head. "Honestly, August, I don't know all the details about what happened, except for what I saw at the party. But he's not a bad guy. Trust me, he's grown a lot of the past three years."

August snorts. "Yeah, I'm sure Griffin Ortiz meditated in the mountains with a group of monks, and is now the ultimate saint."

Elliot rolls his eyes. "Come on, I'm serious. I think being away for a while did him a lot of good. Whenever he video-chatted with me and Holden, it seemed like he was doing really well."

Something stabs August in the gut, like a hot blade digging in deep and twisting for good measure. Has Griffin really been fine all this time? While August was rebuilding what Griffin broke, that bastard has been traipsing around grad school, living his best life? That, combined with how unbothered Griffin seems to see him again, August feels rage bubbling up inside of him.

It's not fair, August thinks to himself. It's not fair that Griffin has been living so happily while August is still haunted by nightmares of his face. His dumb, smiling, smug... handsome face. August shakes his head, as if trying to make that last thought tumble right out of his ear.

The bathroom door pushes open, and Holden peeks his head in.

"Hey, is everything alright?" He asks them. August opens his mouth, planning on telling Holden that he needs to throw his brother out.

"Actually—"

"Everything's good!" Elliot quickly says. If looks could kill, Elliot believes he would've dropped dead on the spot from the glare August is currently giving him. "Yup, we were just, er... talking about August's review!"