Hey :)
Just a little note to say that the character 'Gabriel' is the guy Tyler needs to collect the money from!
Enjoy ♡
Chapter 34
Jake's POV
I grinned to myself as Tyler walked out of the pub angrily. He was completely helpless, he had no choice but to take up my offer. I was certain that he wouldn't call the police this time, his sweet Arissa was on the line after all.
Mark, one of my men, left the group of men playing cards on his table and stomped towards me, displeased that I had included Tyler in our plans. They never did get along. "Tell me he said no," he sighed, ordering a drink from the bartender and sitting down next to me.
I smiled, "I'm afraid I can't, mate." I laughed at his annoyed reaction and patted his shoulder, telling him to calm down because I had a plan in mind. "You don't really think I'd be able to save Tyler's ass? Or that I'd want to? They would shoot me in under a second if I showed any sympathy towards a traitor."
"Then why the hell is he still breathing? Why is he even coming to the party when we don't need him?" anger emanated from him.
I shook my head at his lack of understanding whenever it came to matters like this. I groaned, pressing on the bridge of my nose. "See, if something happens to him, we'll be accused straight away and we really don't need that. But if he was to get hurt at a party that none of us attended... we definitely won't be the main suspects. Gabriel will. Once the police find out why Tyler went there and consider the bad history the two of them have," I devilishly smirked.
"But how do you know Gabriel will even shoot him? Or do anything at all?"
"He won't. You will," I pointed a finger rudely at him. "Tyler will get the money, you'll shoot him and take it, our asses will be saved from the bosses. Never mind hitting two birds with one stone, we'll be hitting three!" I exclaimed, swishing the liquid in my glass around and hearing the clink of the ice hitting the sides.
I'd finally get myself out of this mess.
-
Arissa's POV
The sound of Tyler slamming the front door echoed through the hallway and boomed in my ears. He dragged his feet into the room and slumped down on the sofa, frowning. "Is everything okay?" I asked him but he did not respond. "Ty?" I crept upto him. "Tyler!" I yelled, startling him.
"What?!" He shouted back at me.
"What the hell is up with you?" I was becoming increasingly worried. "You seem off."
"I'm fine! Do you have a problem with that?" He meanly answered, walking out without listening to anything else I had to say.
I was left bewildered in the middle of the room when he returned, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. He held my hands in his own and gazed into my eyes, making my heartbeat quicken. "I didn't mean to lash out, sorry."
"It's okay," I said. His eyes bore into mine, neither of us blinked as a smile made its way onto my face. He returned the gesture, all of a sudden in a much better mood. "I'm going to town with Heidi," I informed him, hoping he would tag along.
"Okay," he said, shattering that hope. He saw the dull expression clouding my face and smiled in defeat. "Fine, I'll come too. I need a few things anyway."
After picking Heidi up, the three of us set off to go to the Mall, with Tyler clearing that whenever he was around I wouldn't be driving. How annoying.
Heidi and I separated from Tyler as he insisted he had things to do and we would meet up for lunch. As soon as he parted, I turned to Heidi so I could thoroughly question her. "I have no idea what to get him for Christmas!" I shrieked with worry. I knew what to get for the four other important people in my life; Heidi, my parents and Drew, but when it came to Tyler I could only draw a blank.
He hadn't mentioned a single thing he wanted or needed. However even if he had done, I wanted to give him something personal, something meaningful that he could keep with him all the time, could treasure. I mean, I knew him well didn't I? He still hadn't opened up to me in the way I would have liked. He didn't share his feelings with me very often which was why I was in such a dilemma.
Heidi thought for a few moments, then smiled. "That's simple!" She exclaimed, instant relief settling inside me. "A watch," she put her hands on her hips proudly.
"Are you serious?" I frowned at her. "I have never ever seen Tyler wear a watch in my entire life! That's the worst idea ever!" I screamed at her.
"That's because he doesn't like wearing them—"
"Why suggest it then?" My hands flew up in frustration.
"Would you let me finish, woman?" She kept her cool, raising her eyebrows at me in question. I nodded, not exactly having another option. "As I was saying, he doesn't like them anymore. But I've seen the collection in his room more than once. He keeps moving it but I always find it," she laughed, her mind drifting somewhere far from here. "See, I don't understand what's so fascinating about them but Mum said Tyler was always intrigued by them. So Dad always bought him new ones, on Christmas, birthdays and sometimes randomly... right until he left. From that day on, Tyler's wrist has remained bare. For the first few years he continued to buy them but it slowly stopped," she sucked in a deep breath. "I still catch him staring at them sometimes."
There was a faint smile on her face when she suddenly came out of her trance and looked at me, grabbing my hand. "I never thought I'd tell anyone that but he loves you like he's never loved anyone before and that means you deserve to know. I told you because I know you're as close to him as Dad used to be. Heck, even closer. So you're the only person who can help him get over the past. He says he hates Dad, he tries to show it too but he doesn't really. He never has done. Neither of us have."
I squeezed her hand in comfort, touched by what she had said but also saddened. "I'm glad you told me," I spoke truthfully.
Finally I knew what to get my boyfriend. I kept reconsidering the idea but settled with it eventually, it was the best thing I could give. I hoped he would like it.
Once we were done with our gifts we decided to shop for clothes. Any shopping trip was incomplete unless clothes were bought. As I looked around the store I realised I had lost Heidi. She had most likely wandered off to try on five thousand pairs of clothes. I held a t-shirt up to my chest, checking it out in the mirror but setting it back down since I didn't particularly like the look. "It would look nice on you," a male voice spoke. A voice that definitely didn't belong to Tyler.
This all seemed too familiar. The last time I was caught in a situation like this I ended up walking into a trap, getting kidnapped and assaulted. That day would have ended terribly if Daniel hadn't come. Daniel... I wondered what he thought of me now. Nothing good I presumed. He probably thought I was so weak and pathetic.
I peeked over my shoulder and was relieved to see that it was only Kyle. "I don't like it," I replied. "What are you doing here anyway? Stalking me?" I asked whilst searching through the racks of clothes.
He snorted, "no. I decided to show myself around town since nobody else bothered."
I felt like he was indirectly referring to me although I had no idea why. It wasn't my responsibility or Tyler's or Heidi's. He should have asked his father. "You expected me to?" I came straight out with it.
"I never said that."
"It sounded like that."
"Well maybe I did. Compared to anyone else you seemed the nicest."
"Seemed?" I emphasised. "Just because I didn't give you a tour, I'm not nice anymore? I have more important things to do than waste my time on you," I defended myself, drawing my attention to the handbags on my left.
"Wow, sorry I even spoke to you," he said.
I sighed, wishing I had thought twice before speaking. That really wasn't nice of me. When I turned around he was already disappearing out of the store so I sprinted after him.
As I was saying, this was all way too familiar. "Kyle, wait!" I called out breathlessly. He halted.
"What?"
"I'm sorry for what I said," I awkwardly apologised. "I'm just—"
"PMSing," he answered and I rolled my eyes. Why was saying that even a thing? "I understand, probably every girl I've come across has been a moody bitch to me once in her lifetime," he wiped mock tears from his face.
"Are you calling me a moody bitch?" I gasped over dramatically.
"That's the only way I can explain what you said before."
"Maybe I actually meant it?" I suggested the alternative idea and he smiled, shaking his head.
"I don't believe that, you wouldn't have apologised otherwise!"
"What if I was just trying to maintain my nice girl image?" I chuckled.
Throughout our chatter we had ended up in the food court. I decided to get just a milkshake whilst Kyle invested in a burger and chips. We were seated on high chairs in the centre of the area and even though he was making conversation, my eyes kept searching for Tyler or Heidi. I even rang them but hadn't been answered.
"You seem distracted," he stopped midway of narrating his story that I had only heard the first few words of.
"Mhm," I replied.
He dropped his burger into his polystyrene takeaway tray and opened his mouth to speak but I shot out of my seat before he could continue.
I spotted Tyler and someone who I was certain was Zach from my seat, arguing it seemed like. "Just stay out of it!" Tyler threateningly pointed a finger at him as he backed away, neither of them noticing me approach.
"You're making a stupid mistake!" Zach shouted back and Tyler flipped him off, stepping backwards onto my toe.
A squeak escaped my lips and he quickly whizzed himself around, eyes widening when he saw me so close. "Shit, you okay?" He held my shoulders and I nodded, not concerned about my foot at all, rather the conversation that had just occurred before me.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. What was Zach saying? What mistake are you making?" I wasn't going to let him shrug this question off, I demanded a straight answer.
"Um, it was about me leaving them. I totally ended it and they sent him to try and persuade me back, it's nothing for you to worry about."
His response was actually convincing. I was honestly surprised that he told me the truth without much persistence. "Oh okay. Well let's get Heidi and Kyle then head home," I clutched his hand, tugging him along.
"Wait," he roughly let go of my hand. "Where did Kyle come from?" His voice raised. Oh crap.
"Oh yeah.. I ran into him."
"How convenient," he spat.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I felt like he was accusing me of planning this.
"He's not coming with us."
"Why not? I don't understand why you hate him, he hasn't done anything to you."
"And I don't understand why you seem to like him so much!"
"That's how you see it, I'm merely giving him a chance. He might not be a bad guy. You can't hold him responsible for your dad leaving," I held his hand but he pulled away.
Ouch.
"This has nothing to do with that man," he lied. "He can ride home with us but that doesn't mean I'm giving him a chance or anything of the sort. It's only because you want it for some fucking reason," he huffed, making me laugh.
"It's a start."
-
Tyler's POV
The four of us poured into the house and began to head upstairs when the voice I hated most spoke up. "Tyler, son, would you come here a minute?"
I furiously looked at him and scowled. "I'm not your son and I don't want to talk to you so no, I won't come there for a minute." I continued to tread up but my do-gooder girlfriend stopped me, wanting to somehow reunite a father and son. Well that was one thing that would never happen as long as I was alive.
"Please just hear him out," she whispered, giving me the puppy dog eyes.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," I groaned. She knew full well I wouldn't refuse her when she did that. "You've got two minutes then I'm gone," I purposely stomped my feet, exaggering the effort I had to go through because of him. The rest of the people in the house crowded around, wanting to listen in.
"It's about Christmas," he began. I was fucking done with this conversation already and he had only said three words. "Traditionally it's been at your Grandpa's cabin so I thought—"
"Traditionally? You haven't been in our lives for God knows how many years and now you expect me to let you enter that place? No fucking way. I'll definitely be there but only with the people I care about and those who actually give a shit about me. So don't you worry about the 'tradition'," I mocked his use of the word. "I'm here to continue it."
I could feel the anger radiating off him, he never was good at controlling it. That was probably where I got it from but I wasn't bothered about how he felt. I wouldn't let anyone argue with my decision, not even Arissa.
I had no motivation to write this because it's kinda like a boring filler chapter.. anyway the better chapters are approaching! I'll probably try to take my time on them plus I have to revise for my college exams so don't stop reading if I take extra time to update please!
Love y'all ♥
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