Darkside

Thirty-Three

Orson's face...

It's a smack from reality. He's hurt, really hurt, and also refusing to meet my eyes, which stings. The bruises on his cheeks match my knuckles, the blood on his face is just like it was in my dream, like it was in my shower.

"Archie thinks we're toxic."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Fucking Archie. Like I give a shit about his opinion.

"I know things haven't been great recently..."

"Not great?" He points to his swollen eye. "This is more than not great,"

"Right, sure. But we're good, right? In general, I mean. We have a fairytale romance, like the sort from a movie. When things are happy."

Orson's eyes narrow. He stares at me like I've lost my damn mind.

"How the hell do you see us, Phoenix? We aren't some lovers in a romcom or something. We're two broken people running away from our lives and taking our problems out on one another...some of us more than others."

Fucking Archie. We were fine before he intervened.

"So, you think we're just relying on one another? You don't see any love between us?"

I hate the pity in his eyes.

"Orson, if there's no love between us, why did you tell me there was?"

He's silent for a beat too long.

I might throw up.

"I don't know. Maybe because we do rely on one another. Maybe because I thought I was in love in the moment. I didn't mean to string you along..."

Fuck Orson.

He knows I need him more than he needs me these days. He's taken everything from me and left me helpless. He's stripped my life and savings away, he knows I can't go now.

Not only that, he has goddamn Archie on his side, whispering in his ear the whole time.

"You won't beat me down, Orson. You won't win. You can't."

"This isn't about winning and losing, this is about us doing what's right. This is about...well, we need to separate, don't we? We have to part, to save our lives."

"Our lives...or your life?"

The surge of power rushes through me, the adrenaline grabs me once more, I'm going to erupt at any given moment all because he's pushed me. Orson's trying all he can to get a rise out of me and he'll get it. Any minute now, he'll get it all.

And when it comes his way, Orson will have no one to blame but himself.