Two In One

The Blackmail

I really regretted going back home. Not only because had to leave the beach. But because tonight Dad is coming to the club to see the band play. And I'm dreading it.

Leonie told me I should just tell Ryder about Arsen. But I'm having too many thoughts of what the outcome will be when Ryder does find out. I know he will at some point. I just wasn't expecting it to be this soon.

We got back to Manhattan around five so we went to grab dinner with the band. They were all overly excited about Dad coming. Kirby ran out of the restaurant again. I was very pleased that Arsen wasn't joining us for dinner though. He apparently had to drop his little brother off at a soccer game. That's quite the fake little brother.

"Alright, we need to go pick up the van from Ash's. Sody would you mind terribly going to let Arsen in the club when he gets there?"

I gave him a fake smile and agreed to go to the club. I needed to meet Dad there anyway and I didn't know what time he would be there.

When I got to the club, Arsen was sitting on the front steps with a smug look on his face.

"That's a nice car Sody. You should let me take it for a spin."

"Yeah right."

I put the key through the slot and turned it left unlocking the door. Arsen opened it and shut it right behind him. Rude.

He flipped all the lights on and immediately went back behind the bar. I guess they replaced a drunk with another drunk.

"Hey Sody, could you spare a couple bucks for my drink?"

"I don't have any cash." I did. But please. Would I really give it to him? No.

He walked out from behind the bar with a smirk on his lips. It was all too familiar and all too uncomforting.

"Oh come on I bet you've got something. You've got that nice necklace..."

He brushed his fingers across my neck and walked behind me.

"..diamond earrings...."

His fingers went up to my ear. I just stood there as I listened to what he was saying it was as familiar as his smirk.

"...or you could just give me the keys to your car," he whispered in my ear causing me to shudder with fear.

Then it hit me.

It all makes sense now. Him joining the band. His complete and total hatred of me. What he just said to me. The scar on his face. They were the exact same words the mugger said to me that night Ryder saved me.

"It-it-it was you......in the alley that night? It was you."

He held his arms out as though he were going to take a bow.

"Surprise! I was wondering when you were going to catch on. Took you a while."

"What do you want? Why did you do that to me that night and why are you here? What do you want money or fame or something cause if that's what you're looking for, all you're gonna get is a shared jail cell."

He laughed before chugging back his entire drink.

"Sody Dear, you don't even remember."

"Remember what?"

He set his drink down and scowled at me, sensing my tone of disgust towards him.

"You don't remember when your whole family went out of town without you. And you were scared to be alone. So you asked me to come over. And we did some things that I probably shouldn't say out loud."

"We didn't do anything I stopped you."

"Oh really? You wanna explain this to me then?"

He pulled up a video on his phone of some girl in a bed half naked. She was probably drunk and completely unaware of where she was.

"That's not me."

"Who can tell? It's such poor quality. How would Ryder even know it was another girl. Or even better, how would the whole world know?"

His question made my hands shake and my heart pound. I can't believe he's doing this. He's blackmailing me.

"Ju-just tell me what you want and I'll do it."

I can't believe I'm agreeing to it. This is how much I love Ryder. This is how badly I don't want to lose him. This is going to be the end of me.

"You're going to continue to go on as if we were complete strangers. As if we never knew each other. If you don't cooperate then Sody Keller's sex tape will be everywhere."

I can't believe he's using a video of some other poor girl just because of...what?

"Why are you doing this? What are you hoping to get out of it?"

"I want you to feel the pain I felt when you broke up with me. When you left me broken. When you left me feeling like nothing."

"I could say the same thing about you. For two years I just forgave you over and over and over again. It's because of you that I have been so terrified of letting anybody new in my life. Because after you I realized I couldn't trust anybody because all they would do was hurt me. Physically emotionally mentally. You left me an emotional wreck Arsen. And you fled town. And after two years, just think about that long period of time. I was finally able to trust someone again. So just excuse me if I don't believe in what you're doing because it's only gonna hurt you in the end."

I turned around to walk away. Then I was lying face down on the ground. Then I felt a sharp pain shoot up my right leg as I grasped it and screamed in pain.

Then the doorbell rang.

Arsen flipped over a barstool and knelt close to me.

"Tell them you tripped."

"What? OW!"

"Tell them you tripped on the barstool.......Oh gosh Sody!"

What a little-

"Sody what happened?"

I looked up at Arsen who stared at me with wide eyes.

"I tripped on the barstool."

Ryder helped me sit up before taking a picture of my ankle to send to his mom. People began to walk in and came over to see what was going on. Getting claustrophobic people. Please back off.

Then what are the odds that Dad comes in. But not just Dad. The entire freaking band. The Only.

When Dad saw me he ran off, the rest of his bandmates following his action. When Arsen saw him he turned around and walked away quickly. Smart kid. But dang I would have loved Dad to have just caught a glimpse of him.

"Sody baby what'd you do?"

"She tripped on a barstool. My Mom's saying you need to get an x-ray. She'll meet you at the nearest hospital if you go now."

"But I don't wanna miss your show."

"You won't. Mom said She can have us in and out in an hour. We're not on for two. We've got plenty of time."

"Are you sure?

"Sody, just come on. It's okay we have time."

Ryder helped me stand up and he and Dad walked me out to the car.

"You're sure you don't want me to go Sody," Dad asked me while shutting the door to Ryder's car.

"I'm fine. Promise. We'll be back in an hour. Go talk with the band before Kirby has a heart attack."

He laughed before agreeing to go inside as we drove off.

"You tripped on the barstool?"

"You know me Ryder. I'm clumsy."

I'm also scared of your new guitarist cause he's my ex-boyfriend. Did I mention he's blackmailing me? But hey, no big deal.