A Hater's Gamble (BxB)

TWENTY-FIVE

"And no one else can break my heart like you."

L I A M

I wouldn't tell him, but I was afraid too.

I wouldn't admit it to him, but he was the only person I'd trust with my life.

I would try hard not to let it show, but I'd protect him, over anyone.

What was happening to me? I wanted out.

                                 •••••••••••••••••

Diego was furious.

"I'm going to fucking kill him. Snap his neck!," Diego seethed in the locker room, slamming his locker door closed.

Medley broke his nose. Luckily for Diego, the nurse snapped it back into place just in time. He cried like my little sister did when my mother refused to buy her a Barbie doll.

Pathetic.

His nose was different shades of purple and red, there was even a cut on his left cheek-bone. It was a surprise to see Diego like this, especially because he always won his fights. Never had I witnessed this before.

I thought it was incredible.

"He's lucky he's still alive," Sam grumbled from the bench.

I turned my attention to him. "Is that so?," I inquired, glaring at him.

Sam looked startled. Frank scratched his head.

Sam cleared his throat. "Yeah. Where are you trying to get at, Coleman?"

I stood up and shouldered my sports bag, shaking my head at him. "I'm just surprised to hear you make those kinds of threats, considering you stood by and did nothing as Medley ripped him apart."

"Woah, woah. He did not rip me apart, all right?," Diego said, looking offended. "That twink doesn't know what's coming his way."

"And what might that be, Cervantes? You're gonna dump more water on him?," I scoffed, crossing my arms.

Diego threw his arms up in the air, his eyes shined. "Hell, I don't fucking know, Liam. Something. Maybe I should fuck his sister."

Sam and Frank laughed hysterically, like it was even remotely funny. A couple of idiots.

"Maybe," I rasped. "Or maybe you could just leave it alone."

Diego's brown eyes flashed at me. "You're serious? You're defending that son of a bitch? Just because he's your tutor now—."

"Maybe you fucking deserved that beating, have you ever considered that?," I growled, throwing my things on the ground. Medley's face flashed through my mind, and all of a sudden, anger thrummed in my fingertips, my throat.

"What does that mean?," Diego said, more quietly this time.

"Because you, Diego, lied to me. This whole fucking time," I stated, letting all the anger release through my words.

He stilled, then he drifted his eyes away from me.

Diego wasn't ever my real closest friend. It was Miles, but that was years ago. Different people.

"You let me believe that Miles didn't try to come back for us that night, you told me so. You told me he went home to save his own ass, but he didn't and you knew that," I continued.

"Liam, it was a long time ago—."

"Was it?," I raised my voice. I could hear the dripping of the locker room showers.

There are other things to worry about. Death. Survival. Carl.

Leave.

"Yes," Diego pleaded. "We were kids."

"Now you're getting it," I voiced. "Kids is all we were. There's no need to punish Medley longer."

"So you're going soft for him?," Diego asked incredulously. "Has he got you wrapped around his traitorous finger? Are you guys friends now?"

"I never said anything about that," I barked. "All I'm saying is, this needs to end. Now."

"And what if I don't want it to?," Diego said, defiance in his eyes.

I laughed bitterly. "Do whatever you want. Just know that next time, I'm not going to pull him off of you. I'm going to let him rip you to shreds. And who knows, I might even help him."

I turned on my heel and loosed a breath.

"Liam, where are you going? This isn't right!," Diego shouted.

I kept moving, knowing he'd call me tomorrow. I'd decline it at first, then he'd call me again, and I'd answer. We'd go to a party, and this would all be fixed.

Now that my days felt more limited by the day, I realized I didn't want to fix it. I didn't know what I wanted anymore, but I sure as hell knew I wanted to be true to myself.

When it came to Miles, I felt like my world was crashing, hitting the ground too hard. I could barely think. It made me hate him, just not enough to let anyone hurt him again.