Take Me

Chapter Nineteen

"I always fall for the wrong guy. Things that are bad always taste nice." 

- Lana Del Rey

♔ Chapter Nineteen ♔

"I wish you hadn't hit him."

"I wish I'd hit him harder," Darby sassed. "I fucked him up good, though, didn't I? I mean, for a queer, I'm pretty damn manly." He seemed so proud with himself, with what he'd done to Isaac. He was strolling through the school hallways with his head held high, wearing the bruise that ran along his cheek like a badge of honour.

I groaned and walked away from him. He followed behind me anyway, running to catch up. I couldn't ever seem to get away from Darby, he was always a few steps ahead of me.

"Wait up, Tom, what's wrong?"

It was stupid, but I was mad at him for what he'd done. I specifically told him to keep his nose out of my business, and what does he do? He sticks it right in. He seriously hurt Isaac. I'd been afraid to even message him, in case he was mad at me, but I just wanted to help him. To see if he was okay.

"Well, I asked you not to do anything, and you go and beat him up!"

"You should be happy, I was defending your honour!" he pressed on. He'd ran up ahead of me in the hallways, and was walking backwards so that our eyes met. He could see me clearly, and I could see him.

"I don't need you to do that, though," I insisted.

"Well if I don't, who else will, Tom?" He stopped in the hallway, folding his arms tersely. I hadn't realised he'd stopped until I bumped right into his chest and looked up at him. I hated people who were taller than I was, and Darby was definitely on that list. It was a long list.

"And what does that mean?"

"I don't want to offend you or anything, but who else is going to defend you, Tom? Isaac hurts you, he doesn't defend you. I'm the only person who was willing to do it for you, so I did, and I don't even get a thank you."

"I'm not going to thank you for beating up my boyfriend!"

"Boyfriend?" His face flashed in annoyance, his eyes hiding something. "When the fuck did that happen?"

"I dunno. It's not official. But still."

"Look, Tom, you don't need him. You don't have to be with someone who treats you like that, you can have someone better, someone nicer. There's going to be a guy out there who wants you for you, who doesn't want you to change, who won't fuck you so hard that you bleed. Sex is supposed to be amazing for everyone, the bottom especially. Trust me, I know this. There's a guy out there who's waiting to treat you fine."

"That guy doesn't exist," I clarified. I wasn't sure if I believed it, but it was too late to take it back now. And if that guy existed, where was he? I wasn't just going to sit around like a princess in a tower, awaiting to be rescued by her (or his) prince. Fairy tales like that just weren't real, and Darby knew that.

He sighed melodramatically, throwing his hands up in diva defeat and turning away from me.

"What now?" I asked, frustrated at him. He was always like this, and I was getting tired of it. His melodrama, that air of mystery he always kept around him. He was always so happy, and even when he wasn't, he still sorta was. I hated it. I hated him.

"If you're too blind to see it, especially when it's literally staring you in the fucking face, I'm not going to spell it out for you, Tom."

"What are you talking about now, Darby?"