Heartbreak Girl

Chapter Eighteen: Heartbreak

The front door shook as a fist pounded down on it. Shaye jumped away in surprise. Praying that it wasn't Finn coming back, she crept to the window to breathe a sigh of relief.

The door kept shaking as she unlocked the door and opened it wide enough for Hames to march into the living room. But he just stood there, looking at her with urgency. "You told Theo to tell you where the next fight would be."

Shaye nodded, confused at his seriousness. "But I don't care about the other's fights-"

Hames shook his head, "this isn't anyone. This is your boy." Hames took a moment to breathe air into his desperate lungs. "He's got a fight tonight. It's going to be a bad one."

Shaye's eyes widened. "No, he would have told me. He would have-" The phone call from this morning. That was the reaction to another fight. But why was the effect on him so drastic?

Shaye grabbed her wallet and keys off the coffee table and slammed the door shut behidn her. "Thanks, Hames, I owe you." She spit out as she walked past him toward the T station.

"No problem," she heard Hames say quietly from behind her.

Shaye didn't remember how she got on the train or any of the ride over to Jeriah's house. All she remembered was pounding on his kitchen door. "Jeriah! Open up!"

The kitchen door cracked open, revealing a somber Jeriah on the other side. Shaye pushed the door open and walked inside. She would have unleashed her wrath in full force had he not looked so defeated already, as he leaned against the door frame.

But he wouldn't get away so easily. "So, you've got a fight tonight? And didn't tell me?"

She could see the tears before he took in a shaky breath and sobbed, covering his face with his hands. "I'm in a lot of shit, Shaye."

She quickly moved to wrap her arms around his waist. He instantly wrapped his arms around her small frame as he had so many times before. "Shh, what? What happened?"

Jeriah buried his face into her neck, shaking his head. The black curly hair on the top of his head tickled the side of her neck. He sucked in a shaky breath as he stated, "I have a fight tonight."

"I know, tell me when and I'll-"

"And I don't want you there," he finished.

She froze, reeling through all of their conversations in the past twenty-four hours. "Why? Did I do something?"

"No," he whispered in a hushed tone. "This is my last fight." He pulled away, watching her facial expression.

Then it clicked. The reason why was simple, because of her. "Jer-" Shaye warned.

Jeriah pressed her against the counter and smashed his lips onto hers. She tried to shove him away, but he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground mid-kiss. He didn't stop kissing her until he plopped her onto the ground.

As she looked around his less than pristine bathroom, she scampered for the bathroom door. But by the time she got there, Jeriah had already shut and locked it. She pounded against the knotted wood. "Jeriah! Open the goddamn door! You are not doing this! I won't let you!"

It was quiet on the other side of the door as she stopped pounding to listen for him. She heard a soft thud against the door. "I'm sorry," he whimpered. "I never got to tell you. But I love you, Shaye Fallon. A lot more than I should, and I'm sorry I got you into this mess. I'm sorry you got involved with me in the first place. I'm just-" he took in a breath. "I'm just so very sorry for everything."

"Jeriah, I forbid you to do this," she stated. "You cannot give me a sappy speech about love and go off to die. I won't let you!"

"It's not sappy it's the truth!" He yelled through the door, making her impulsively flinch. "I've loved you for years and kept it quiet!" He gave a heartbreak sob, and she felt her eyes stinging with tears, hot tears running down her face. "I love you more than life itself, and always will."

Shaye went quiet. Stunned by the truth he so plainly stated. Jeriah just made a love declaration, right before he had decided to go die. "Good-bye, Shaye." He said into the door before she heard his heavy footsteps running down the stairs.

"Jeriah..." but it was too late, he was already gone.