Living in Sin (On Hold)

Twenty Nine _ On the HoriZon

“Just stay out of my way, Ian.”

“Maybe,” He didn’t exactly push off Steve but did exert enough force to get out of his hold, “if you stay away from her.”

This guy really knows how to push my buttons.

“No, Ian. You don’t understand.”

“Steve, don’t! We’ll see who gets there in the end.”

I didn’t even know why I said that. But one thing I knew: it felt so right saying that.

“What the hell does that even mean?” was Steve’s surprised reply as he suddenly turned back to me. I didn’t care what he thought, though, at the moment.

Glancing between us, confusion did begin to fill Ian’s eyes but bastard didn’t lose his annoying demeanor.

“Yeah, we’ll see,” came the cocky challenge from Ian.

I didn’t mean to but with unnecessary force jerked away Steve’s hand as I stormed off, fuming.

The more corners I’d turned and the further the distance my feet carried me away from him, the more I came to realize walking away wasn’t doing anything to help put down the beast inside me running stark mad with rage.

I needed to see anguish breaking out on his face. And I needed to be the cause of that.

And also on the face of whoever did that to her!

How startled they looked when I slammed the door open and burst into the bathroom, I didn’t care to see. Well, I couldn’t see really, since my vision went blur the moment I saw her hand dripping with blood. Okay, not dripping but redness surely coated both of her hands good.

“Who the f*ck did this?” Before I knew it, I was already standing over both of them, inches away from taking her arm off myself to check it.

“I’m not…,”

“It’s not her blood,” I turned to Elizabeth’s voice and found a look of annoyance on her face.

Her words entered my ears no sooner than my hand grabbed Rina’s hand to make sure she was telling the truth.

She was. And the lump blocking my airway finally removed itself, letting me breathe again. And I eventually managed to bridle my most unstable state of mind and let go of Rina, and took a step back.

“So you’re not hurt or anything?” There was a nod and a small pleased smile on her flushed face. “Then what happened?”

“There was a fight and she obviously didn’t fail to have the big heart to help whoever in it,”

“Why are you answering everything I ask her? It’s not like I’m talking to you.”

Alright, now, that was just meant as an playful insult of course but what’d happened with Ian earlier, and now with her, hadn’t exactly worn off so it came out as a little rough.

But the chick glared back at me, unfazed. “Well, it’s not like she’s supposed to answer any of your questions, either.”

“Liz?!”

I gotta give it to her. She had guts. But then again, it shouldn’t have come as that big a surprise in the first place: she’s got me by the horns, after all. If anything, I was the one being hard-headed here when she could spill my secret all over the girl next to her any minute she wanted.

“What?” She shot back at her friend, defiance dripping everywhere. Rina let out an exasperated sigh before turning to me.

“I’m sorry. She’s a little frisky right now.”

“When isn’t she anyways?” That sparked off some chuckles on our side and I cut Elizabeth off as she opened her mouth. “Alright, I gotta go.”

“Hey, Nicole,” I looked back over my shoulder as I heard Rina called, “I mean, Nik.”

I half turned and nodded for her to continue.

“Thanks.”

It was strange that with a smile, she turned me from Patrick Bateman to Buzz Lightyear. And not even remembering to wash my hands, with quick feet, I walked out of the rest room, feeling something was supposed to be clear to me by now.

But what it was- I had no idea.

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