His Badass Mute

Chapter 22: Spiteful Serpent

"Yeah, and everyone wants to hear Mae's voice and you know how important that is to her," I looked at Damien, but I couldn't read him. At the mention of my name, all emotions were concealed. I began wondering what he was feeling. I also began doubting. Did he feel anything for me? If he did, he wouldn't have been able to conceal them that fast, right?

"Why are you bringing up Mae?" Damien asked and looked at me. My heart accelerated. He would connect the two. I was sure of it.

"I should let her tell you, not me," Zach told him. I looked at Zach and shook my head. Please, don't tell me he was going to do what I think he was going to. "Don't worry I have a plan," Zach whispered. I knew Damien couldn't hear, he was too far away to hear something I barely heard.

"Just tell me," Damien demanded, and Zach looked back at him.

"I shouldn't. I'm sorry, Damien but do this for Mae," Zach pleaded, desperation leaking from his eyes.

"Okay. I'll do it, but you have to tell me! Spit it out, Zach." Damien looked worried and impatient. Zach told him what I least excepted. Out of all the things he could have said, he chose to say that.

"The King is Mae's boyfriend," I looked at Zach like he lost his mind. What the hell? Why would he tell him that? I looked back at Damien and he laughed. He was shaking his head, laughing. "I'm serious, Damien." Damien slowly stopped laughing until his laughs were chuckles. He took in Zach's seriousness and all humor was gone from his face. He looked heartbroken and livid.

I had to play along, but I couldn't help but feel sad. I felt like a monster for hurting Damien. I was so worried that he would hurt and betray me, I ended up being the one who hurt and betrayed him. I could see it in his eyes. He let his guard down for just a moment but it was enough to see how he was feeling. He looked at me and all emotions were gone. I never wanted to hurt him. I'd rather get caught by the cops.

"Is this true?" Damien asked me so I nodded. He laughed but it was more vicious than humorous "You really think I'm gonna help you, now?" He sounded cold and hurt. He was far away from agreeing to helping me now and I felt screwed. The cops were going to arrest me, and they'll take down my hoodie. Damien will see it's me and I'll be humiliated.

"Please, Damien. For Mae."

"Why, so she could be with her boyfriend? No, thanks," he spat harshly.

"It's not only him you're helping. It's me too. Come on, Damien. Mae asked me to do this with him. I'm here because of her. This is my future too." Damien thought about it, but he was still livid; until he held a cold look and smirked.

"Fine, I'll call them off. On two conditions," he looked at me, so I nodded. "The first condition, I wanna fight. In two weeks' time where the fights usually happen. If I win, I get to know who you are. If you win, then your identity stays a secret."

"And the second condition?" Zach asked. Damien looked at me with a smug smile.

"The second condition is that you have to break up with Mae. You don't deserve someone like her. She's too good for you." I didn't know how to feel. Should I have felt happy he thought I was too good or sad that he was willing for me to get hurt?

"He'll do it," Zach said and I nodded. At this moment I didn't have anything else to lose. I lost Damien, his trust, my dignity, what else could I lose?

"Just like that?" Damien scoffed and I nodded again. "You're a coward. You just proved my point. You'd rather hurt Mae to save your own skin. Just know, you're making a deal with the Devil. But I'll tell you what, I'll give you an out. You could either, let the whole town know who you are. Right here, right now and keep Mae. OR you could let me know and hurt Mae." I shook my head.

He looked at me with disgust before he walked away and called the cops off.

A guy walked up to me with a duffle bag. He held it out to me, so I reached for it, but he dropped it on the ground and spat. So this was how they treated his enemies.

"What's that?" Zach asked.

"That's from Deacon," Damien called out. He looked at me with the same disgusted look, and I wondered if he would look at me like that at school. Would we still be friends? "In two weeks, don't forget." He got into his car and drove off.

I looked at Zach and he looked relieved. He walked to the duffle bag, picking it up and walked back to the car. I followed with slumped shoulders and got into the car. I felt tired. For the first time, I knew what it felt like to lose. I started the car and drove off.

This was my fault. If I wouldn't have been so stupid and got caught, then this wouldn't have happened. Zach wouldn't have needed to lie for me; he shouldn't have needed to escape when he was with me. If I was normal, none of this would have happened. I almost put his entire future on the line.

"I'm sorry, Zach. I'm such a horrible person," I said but he laughed. I glanced at him then back at the road.

"I should be the one apologizing, Mae. I know how much Damien was starting to mean to you. It was the only way." I knew he was right, so I wasn't mad at him about it.

"I know. Alec, activate."

"You never deactivated me."

I laugh at him and continued. "Check if anyone's following us."

"Calculating," I couldn't believe Damien was going to know my secrets in two weeks. He was never going to forgive me or talk to me, again. Not that he would want to talk to me anymore. "No one is following you. I already lifted the first floor. When you get to the storage, pull in."

"No, Alec. You always pull out," Zach chuckled, making a sex joke, and I shook my head. Leave it to Zach to forget his worries so easily.

"Nah, your pull out game is weak," Alec said, and it sounded funny because his voice sounded so normal.

I laughed and Zach slapped my arm, making me laugh harder. "You programmed him to say that?" Zach asked and I nodded. I stopped at the light and kept laughing. I stopped and looked at Zach. He rolled his eyes and grumbled something incoherent.

"Thank you, Alec. Deactivate." I laughed.

"You're welcome, Mae. Deactivating." he turned off by the time I pulled in to the storage. The door closed and we got out.

After I walked out, I pressed the button to bring down the first floor and closed the door. Zach put the duffle bag in the back seat of my Camaro, and we got in. We drove off and headed home. The whole drive home I kept thinking of Damien. When I got home, I had a text from him.