SEVEN'S POV
"Have you called her?" I ask Curby for the fifth time in the last ten minutes.
"I texted her not long ago." He replies flatly.
"Call her." I insist.
"No." He refuses and cringes at the idea.
"She's ten minutes late. Is she even coming?" I chew on my thumb nail to combat the pent up tension pulsing through my body. She's late and it's driving me insane with every minute that ticks by. I wish Curby would stop being such a bitch and just fucking call her.
"She will be here, just calm down." Curby apprises, digging into his pocket and pulling out a cigarette.
"I am calm." I lie and snatch the cigarette packet from his hand to pull one out for myself. Why the fuck is this shit so stressful? And why does she have to be so damn late it's making it worse.
I flick my lighter as Curby does the same, both igniting our cigarettes at the same time. The thick smoke enters my mouth as I draw it in deeply, hoping the tobacco will bring some solace to my shot nerves. I hate feeling this way, and I hate how my body is itching for a bump of coke to try deal with it.
I exhale the used smoke out into the air and watch out the decent gap between the concrete platforms to the minimal view of the surrounding buildings. We're on the fourth story of some shitty parking building, a strange place to meet but Curby said him and Mesha would use this place often as a usual meet up area. I imagine a lot of couples sneaking around would come to places like this. In fact I'm pretty sure the few cars parked on the lower levels we passed on the drive up here are harbouring couples hooking up in secret. Nothing more romantic then car sex in some derelict parking complex, am I right? The place smells like dust and oil spills and is obviously used as a hang out for the local delinquents and practicing street artists.
I study the graffiti on the walls, trying to figure out what the actual fucking letters say to pass the time. I'm half way through my cigarette and deciphering a large green bubble font tag when Curby speaks up.
"That's her car, make sure she can't see you." He says and I step further back behind one of the huge concrete support beams as a red Mini Cooper rounds the corner of the fourth level. I can hear her obnoxiously loud music from here as she drives the short distance to where Curby has parked in the west end of this level.
When the engine turns off, cutting off the beats of music mid sentence, I take another drag of my cigarette, listening out for the car door. It opens and closes quickly before Mesha's voice echoes over the empty car park.
"Cubby bear I've missed you!" She practically screeches. I cringe at the nickname and then cringe again at the sound of their obnoxious kissing. I've heard just about enough before I'm going to be sick so I round the corner of the support beam I was hidden behind to face them.
Mesha is too busy sucking the lips off Curby's face to even notice me yet. I lean against the beam and drag on my cigarette, waiting impatiently for them to surface for air. Her long curly, jet black hair is fisted in Curb's hands as he makes no attempt to break their intense snogging even though he knows I'm here waiting.
"Jesus Christ I think I'm going to be sick if I have to keep watching this." I groan loudly and immediately they break away from each other. Curby's shoulders go slack, clearly annoyed by my comment but expectant of my interruption. Mesha however is completely caught off guard and nonplus to my appearance. She's so perplexed by my presence she has no idea how to react. Her dark eyes are wide, red stained mouth completely open. I had expected her to cuss me out or even swing at me, but I hadn't expected her bewildered silence.
"Wh-" Mesha gets out, her blown out eyes finally leaving me for a second to glance at Curby before they return to me, this time her glare shines right at me.
"What the fuck is he doing here?" She finally gets out as I puff again on my cigarette.
"Hello to you too." I retort and her face grimaces in a glower.
"Curby?" She looks at him and he steps back as if he's scared of her. He probably is considering how much of a bitch he turns into at the mention of her name.
"He just wants to talk to you. I'm sorry, I knew you wouldn't see him any other way." Curby mutters out his weak apology to her. The man is fucking pussy whipped, it's actually kind of hilarious to watch the power dynamic between them. Mesha is the boss, that is for sure.
"Of course I don't want to fucking talk to him! You fucked over my best friend!" She turns back to me to direct the last part. I flick my cigarette away and take a step forward.
"I didn't do anything." I defend myself. I didn't really, I left but I didn't fuck Lilianna over. If anything she fucked me over, or at least that's what I'm trying to figure out.
"Are you fucking serious?" Mesha steps forward to me, my words clearly winding her up. Curby's arm reaches out to stop her approaching me as if she could actually hurt me. The fact that she thinks she can hurt me makes me smile.
"Don't fucking smirk at me you little prick!" She screeches again and I roll my eyes. There's the Mesha I had predicted.
"Put a muzzle on it." I say to Curby which just makes her flip out even more.
"Fuck you!" Mesha yells the same time Curby frowns at me and says,
"Dude what the fuck." I know I shouldn't wind her up, she's meant to be helping me. I sometimes can't help the shit that comes out my mouth.
"Fine, sorry. I'm sorry." I step forward with my hands up in apology. Curby's hands are still firmly on Mesha's shoulder to hold her back. He waits till her breathing calms before dropping his touch, satisfied that she won't attack me.
"What the fuck do you want Seven?" Mesha demands, adjusting her black top from slipping off her shoulder. Her glare doesn't falter. I'll give it to her, she knows how to look intimidating but she doesn't intimidate me.
"I want to know where Lily is." I admit and she surprises me when the dirty look she's giving me turns into a smile. For some reason I prefer the scowl, her smile is definitely not genuine.
"Oh get fucked." Mesha laughs. literally laughs at me and I bite down till my jaw flexes.
"I need to know where she is." I insist but Mesha still giggles at me.
"Oh really? What for?" She folds her arms over her chest. I don't know how to answer her question and glance to Curby for help. He avoids my gaze like the pussy he is and I roll mine annoyed that he is no help in this situation.
"I just do. I need to see her." I rub my nose, wishing it was burning with cocaine right now instead of having this fucking conversation.
"You need to see her?" She repeats my words with a sarcastic tone. Is she purposely trying to piss me off?
"Yes." I shove my hands into my trousers to stop me from fidgeting in frustration.
"You could have seen her. When she was laid out on a fucking hospital bed in a fucking coma because of you!" Mesha spits at me. Her reminder of me not being there for Lily during such a time stings.
"I wanted to. I wanted to come see her but they wouldn't let me." I defend.
"It's true." Curby interjects, finally growing a back bone.
"He wanted to go see her but I ... we thought it wouldn't be a good idea." He says and Mesha looks at him, her eyes are blazing with anger causing Curby to look away from her. Nope, still no back bone. Most definitely pussy whipped.
"Well you didn't. You didn't come and see her, you didn't have to sit by her bed for days wondering if she'd wake up or not. Wondering if when she finally would if she'd even be able to walk or talk!" Mesha steps towards me in anger.
"I know. I know I wasn't there but I ..." I don't know what the fuck to say.
"But you nothing! You left her even before her accident! We spent all night looking for you that night! She was so fucking worried about you, she was terrified something had happened but you had just left her with nothing! Not even a text to say it was over!" Mesha steps forward yet again and her two hands come up, pushing against my chest. She shoves me back but I only move half a step, she is a small woman and lucky for me her bark is much heavier than her bite.
I grab her wrists, pushing her hands down. I know she's being hysterical in the defence of Lilianna. I'm glad she has a friend like Mesha to come to her defence. To protect her the way I wanted to, the way I still want to.
"There's so much you don't know. That Lily doesn't even know! I left because I thought that's what I had to do! But I need to see her, I need to find out the truth!" I issue.
"The truth?" Mesha frowns at me confused before she composed herself back to her usual disgusted gaze.
"Whatever your reasoning is Seven, you still hurt her. She's finally doing okay again and I won't let you ruin that for her." Mesha concludes and moves to turn away from me but I grab her arm gently to stop her.
"Please Mesha. I won't even talk to her, I won't approach her. She won't know that I'm even back. I just have to see her that's all, I just have to know what is really going on." I'm desperate and it's obvious in my voice. Mesha's dark eyes stare at me, her frown falters slightly as she does. She can hear the anguish in my tone, the affliction on my face. I completely let my guard down, intentionally to show her just how I too have suffered these last few months without Lilianna. I look like shit, and finally Mesha notices. Her eyes take in the dark circles under mine and then slowly look me up and down.
"You won't approach her?" She repeats my words but as a question.
"I promise. I won't interfere. I don't want to cause her any more problems I just need to see some things for myself, to find out the truth." I need to see what she's up to. I need to know whether she's involved like Victor had said or if he was lying and used complete coincidences against me. I need to know if I was completely manipulated out of the best thing that ever happened to me; her.
Mesha eyes me, then glances over to Curby.
"Don't think you're off the hook for tricking me and bringing him here." She point a long manicured finger at Curby but then turns back to me.
"You should know that you really fucked her up Seven." That makes two of us.
Mesha sighs and shakes her head at both Curby and I.
"I'm only telling you this because you promised to leave her alone. But I know that it must be important if you've come back and if Curby has agreed to this." She shakes her head at the ground as if she can't believe she's actually going to help me out. Hell even I can't believe it.
Mesha gives me Lilianna's new address. I ask for her new number but she refuses to give it to me saying I won't need it since I promised I wouldn't talk to her. She also tells me Lily still works at the liquor store and that if I wasn't, "a complete bell end of a screw up," I should have just checked there instead of making Curby trick her. She is right, that was probably a logical thought but I didn't think about stalking her old work.
Mesha reminds me not to make any contact with Lily and gives me the finger when I thank her for at least giving me the new address. I can tell she feels bad for betraying her friend but I don't really care about that. All I can think about is finally seeing Lilianna again.
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A/N:
Hi I am currently on holiday on a small island with very sketchy internet reception so updates might be a little slower but I will be writing like crazy!