(Just a friendly reminder that I uploaded an extra chapter on Thursday, so if you missed the announcement, I advise you go back and read "Consent." Also I'm currently on a road trip and had to upload this from my phone, I hope the formatting and spacing look okay! I apologize for any typos! Xx Ace)
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Link's POV
It's past 1 and there's no sign of Karusa. I'm sitting on my parked bike, watching the cliffside trail from a close distance. I refresh the chat on Zelda's phone. Karusa read the message. He never replied.
I guess I should be relieved that he didn't show up. It means that even if Zelda did try to meet up with him, he wouldn't have come.
I spoke too soon. A silver car pulls up and the scum I've been waiting for gets out. He looks left and right before getting on the trail.
I get off my bike and follow the asshole who molested Zelda and tried to end my career.
On any other day I'd be admiring the Pacific Ocean view, but this is not the time for sightseeing. The waves crashing against the rocks below is a harsh reminder why I chose this trail. Besides the fact that it's a fairly private spot, the 400 ft cliff is supposed to prevent us from getting into a fight. Because if we start fighting, one of us, or both of us, might end up dead in the water.
The trail is uneven and rocky, bushes and sticks crowding the way. Zelda would love the wildflowers that grow here, but Zelda is not the one meeting Karusa. I am. And there he is waiting, lighting a cigarette. Idiot. One tiny spark could catch the grass and the whole land could burn down in flames. A perfect metaphor for how I feel about this whole situation right now.
Karusa's POV
Rocks and water, the whole Instagram-worthy thing. Wind's howling, and the waves are doing their thing, a background track to the mess I'm dealing with. The Palos Verdes cliffside trail might be all zen for some folks, but right now, it's like a damn obstacle course to my sanity.
While I'm waiting, I close my eyes and smoke a cig. I still feel hungover. Suddenly I hear a familiar voice.
"Karusa," he says and I can't help but scoff. I don't believe my own goddamn eyes. I search the trail behind him, half-expecting to see Zelda trailing along. "She's not here."
"Yeah, I can see that. Thanks." I casually flick the ash from my cig, not about to let him get under my skin. "How have you been? I see you're walking again," I take an obvious look at his leg and poke the bear. "I thought for sure your knee wouldn't heal after that nasty break in February."
Link glares at me, making me want to smirk even harder. He set this whole thing up at this dramatic spot for a reason, and I know it ain't for the killer view. I can feel the tension in the air. The cliffs themselves are a warning. One wrong step could send everything straight off the edge.
"Are you just gonna stare at me or is there something you need?" I ask annoyed. I should've just stayed at the dorms.
"I came for answers."
He tries so hard to sound intimidating but it just makes me laugh at him. "What's the matter, Link? Couldn't hack it as an athlete so you thought you'd try your hand at playing detective?" I taunt sarcastically.
Watching Link get all frustrated and butthurt makes it worth coming here. I like to see how good he is at holding back his anger. The answer is: not very.
"Come on, hero, say something. Shit, I forgot," I slap my forehead. "You don't talk to strangers."
I thought that would get him to talk but he stays silent, and I grow impatient. What the hell is it he wants from me? Is he pissed that I texted his girlfriend?
"You're not still angry, are you?" I prod. "Me and Zelda, that was a one time thing."
"Keep her out of this, Karusa."
I pretend I didn't hear him. "Okay, fine, maybe it was more than once, but I only had good intentions. You see, I kept her warm for you while you were in a coma. I kept her satisfied."
Link steps closer. I don't flinch. He doesn't scare me – never has.
"Why'd you text her in the first place?" Link asks. "You knew she was never going to help you with the lawsuit."
"I only texted her because," I shrug unbothered, "She seemed lonely. And thirsty. And I'm pretty good company, wouldn't you agree?"
I watch his fists. They're aching for a punch but he holds back. For now.
I stomp out my cig, watching the wild waves at the bottom of the cliff. "Does Zelda know that you texted me from her account?"
"This isn't about her. Don't mention her and don't ever get near her again," he warns, his knuckles turning white.
"Oh, don't worry," I laugh, "I'm not interested in your left overs." I push my hands into my pockets and tilt my head a little to the side to look at him. "Why don't you tell me why we're here so we can both go home?"
"I want answers," he says.
"So ask a damn question, detective."
"I want to know what kind of psycho treats girls the way you do."
"You just answered your own question, Genius." Link tenses his jaw. I smile. I shrug. I counter. "What kind of psycho beats a guy unconscious in front of a whole school?"
"I did the world a favor," Link says.
"Close, but no. The world would favor me dead."
"We can make that happen." Link's hinting at the sharp rocks in the water. "Lucky for you, I'm not here to talk about the past. I want to know if you've seen Ganon recently."
"And I want a better lawyer. We can't all have what we want."
"Just answer the question and we're done here."
I aim my eyes at the horizon. "You really think I'll just spill the beans about Ganon right before my trial?"
Link walks up to me. I still don't move. "Cut the crap, Karusa," he snaps. "Tell me if Ganon is still in prison."
"Why?" I'm like actually curious.
"Doesn't concern you."
"Uh, clearly it does? Why else would you go through the trouble of meeting me here?"
"I want to make sure he's still locked up."
"I don't know if he's still locked up but I can tell you he's locked down by your girl." Bad word play, but it gets him to tense up.
"Quit playing games," he says.
"Games are for little boys, Link." I turn toward him, so close that I'm invading his personal space. "And you're the only one playing. You're the one who catfished me here. You're the one beating around the bush. If you really want to know where Ganon is..." I lean closer. "Ask the prison groupie you call your girlfriend. 'Cause if someone's close to Ganon, it's Zelda. And by close I mean they fu–"
His fist smashes into my gut and then my face. Not once, not twice, three times before I can swing back at him. I aim for his face. The bastard dodges and I almost fall off the cliff when my punch hits the air. I turn to face him, finally landing a solid punch back. I don't aim anymore, I punch him wherever, hoping it hurts. He thrusts his hands against my chest, pushing me closer toward the cliff behind me.
"Tell me where Ganon is," Link demands full of rage.
Without a second thought, I lunge at him, my fist connecting with his jaw. The impact sends a jolt up my arm, a mix of satisfaction and adrenaline. I don't even care if it break my hand in the process, I want to hurt him as much as I possibly can.
The taste of blood in my mouth only fuels my desire to crack his head open on the rocks. He charges at me, his shoulder colliding with mine as we crash to the ground, the sharp edge at my head. The fight is a chaotic blur of fists and curses.
I'm much taller than this kindergartener but somehow he manages to pin me down, his hands closing around my throat.
"Tell me where he is," his grip tightens. "Now."
The pressure on my throat is suffocating, but I won't back down.
I choke out, "Fuck.. you."
Link's hands let go of my throat. He gets up and I gasp for air and cough like crazy.
"Get up!" Link says.
I don't get up. His hands grip the collar of my shirt, picking my torso up from the ground, and pulling me even more over the edge of the cliff. His eyes are locked onto mine. My shoulders slide past the brink, and I instinctively hold on to his wrists, to life. He pulls me further, and shit, if he's not strong enough to hold my weight, we're both taking the dive. I want to hold on to him but I am scared I'll pull him down.
Loose rocks skitter and tumble down into my grave. Link is fucking crazy and I wish I had hit the gym more often so I could hold myself up!
"You gonna kill me?" I cough.
Link's POV.
Why the hell is this bastard still grinning? His teeth are smeared with blood, like a frame for that arrogant smile. The temptation to wipe that smug grin off his face makes me blind to the dangers.
If I let go, he's a goner. He should be begging for his life right now, not daring me to kill him!
"You're not a killer, Link," his voice is a harsh rasp. "You might have broken bones, but you're not capable of taking a life."
My vision blurs, a red haze of rage clouding my judgment. Karusa fights like a wild animal, his punches might land with brutal force but they're undisciplined. He never stood a chance.
I shift our weight toward the cliff, my feet slipping on the dry rocks. Karusa's grip on me tightens. It's a deadly drop. I'm so close, so close to giving in to the urge.
This was bound to happen sooner or later. It's the real reason why I came here, let's be honest. I could've just asked him about Ganon over the phone, but no, I needed this confrontation. I needed to feel the weight of his life in my hands.
So why do my hands refuse to let go right now?
Everything bad that happened in our lives is his fault. He harassed Zelda. Kissed and touched her without consent. Hurt her. Over and over. His lips sucked on her skin, bruised her. His fingers pushed under her sweatshirt, clawed into her skin. He pressed himself against her.
I picture it. I picture everything nasty she told me about him and every ugly lie he told me about her. The way he apparently used her for sex and how his team passed her around like a snack bowl and how she screamed his name in pleasure and suddenly it all comes back to me! All the memories I thought were lost for good come crashing down on me.
The day of the baseball game. All the things Karusa said to me. All the lies he told and all the pain he caused! He broke my knee that day and started the whole fight between our teams.
I remember it all and I don't hold back anymore — I break his knee the way he broke mine.
He screams in agony and digs his nails into my arms, pulling so hard that I almost fall over the edge with him. I steady myself, shaking from the weight that's pulling me down. My feet are slipping closer to the edge.
I'm not angry about the things he said. I'm angry that I let his words affect me. I'm angry that, if he had the chance, he'd do all the things he claimed he did. He'd go as far as rape her. He has no empathy, no guilt. He's sick. And he can't be helped.
I can't undo what he's done. I can't save the girls he's already met. But by ending his life, I can help all the girls that would have met him in the future.
I strike, my fist colliding with his body, each punch releases built-up anger. I feel no justice when I thrust my knuckles into his ribs, no relief, but I also can't stop myself and so I keep punching him until my knuckles are bleeding.
He isn't fighting back. He literally can't. He can't even shield his face because if he lets go of my arms, he's dead. So all he can do is hold on to me while I beat the shit out of him.
"Wait," he chokes out, but I don't wait. "STOP!" But I don't stop.
How does that feel you son of a bitch? When the word "stop" doesn't do shit.
His whole face is bloody and I can't tell if it's his or mine but I keep going.
"Ganon's in prison!" He gurgles through the blood and my fist freezes in the air. "He's in prison, okay?"
He's lying to save himself!
"Prove it," I say.
"What?!"
"Prove it, goddamn it!"
"How?!"
Grabbing him by his neck, I hover his body over the edge. He's kicking and flailing his legs, desperately trying to stay on the trail. I want to let go. I want to watch his body drop. I do. But he's holding on to me with so much grip that if he goes, so do I.
Karusa's POV
"I talked to him!" I lie, hoping that Link will buy it.
"In prison?"
"Yes!"
"When?" He asks.
"All the time! He isn't getting out any time soon!"
"Bullshit!"
"What?"
"You're a pathetic liar!" He call me out on it.
"You didn't get on the visitor list 'till yesterday!"
How the fuck does he know that?
"Phone calls," I pant. "I call him in prison all the time!"
Link doesn't pull me up. He's not convinced. Even if I could prove it, he wouldn't be convinced, because I think a dark part of him is hoping to have a reason to off me.
"If Ganon wasn't behind bars," my voice is a whisper at best. "You'd already be dead."
Link's grip loosens, mine tightens. I pull myself up and back onto the path. Fuck Link for trying to kill me and–fuck–my leg hurt! I let out a short, involuntary scream from the lightning bolts of pain that shoot from my knee straight to my brain when my body drops onto the dirt.
My face is flat in the dust, coughing and wheezing like an idiot, breathing in more dust. More coughing. More wheezing. My lungs and throat are on fire. Breathing feels like a marathon. My lip and cheek are pulsating and my hands are fucking shaking.
I want to kill him but I have to stay down to catch my breath. My damn knee feels like it got caught in a blender and then chewed up by a rabid dog. I heard my bones crack when Link kicked my leg. It's definitely broken.
I'm grinding my teeth so hard, but the pain doesn't ease. Every movement feels like I'm stirring a hornet's nest, I can't even get up.
Link is going to pay for this.
He kneels in front of me. "Remember this," he pants and swallows. "If you contact her again... If you as much as think about her... You'll see that I am very much capable of taking a life."
I hope it's your own.
"Oh, and if I find out that you lied about your phone calls with Ganon..." He pauses, probably doesn't know what he'll do with me if I lied because he clearly doesn't have the balls to kill me.
I keep my mouth shut. If I say shit now, he'll definitely kick in my teeth.
"I'm not lying," I say and spit out some blood mixed with dirt.
Link walks away while I fantasize about his murder.
I slowly pick myself up, the pain in my leg screaming at me with every move. I have no idea how I'm gonna make it all the way back to my car.
I get my phone out. I call Ganondorf.
Ganondorf is the one who ordered Ganon to "take care of Link." But Ganon failed to kill Link and now that he's in prison, he can't finish the job.
I can.
I'll make a deal with Ganondorf: his lawyers in exchange for something he can't refuse.