L̸͟͞o̸͟͞c̸͟͞k̸͟͞e̸͟͞d̸͟͞ A̸͟͞w̸͟͞a̸͟͞y̸͟͞❀

Chapter 08

                      ༺𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔡𝔢𝔞𝔩༻

The atmosphere in the room turned icy as that furious voice echoed.

The 15-year-old stood there, clutching a bag brimming with goodies for his little friend, blissfully unaware of the unexpected visitor—one who was dangerously close to what he considered his own.

"N-Now Richard. Th-This is Liam. He's our friend's son, and we thought he and Amy could—"

"Could what?" Richard interrupted, his voice a thunderclap. "Could become friends? Get close? I made it crystal clear, didn’t I? She doesn’t need anyone but me!" With that, he seized Amy and dragged her upstairs, locking her away in their room.

When he descended, Liam was waiting, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Aren't you a possessive one?" he taunted Richard.

"Huh?" Richard shot him a deadly glare.

"Amy's adorable, don’t you think? She’s sweet. I don’t get why you’d want to keep her all to yourself."

Richard's fists tightened, the urge to unleash his fury on this kid bubbling just beneath the surface.

"Easy now, take a deep breath. I need to ask you for a favor."

"What makes you think I’d comply with your request?" Richard's tone grew more menacing.

"To put it plainly, if you help me out, I’ll keep my distance from your precious Amy. Seems like a fair trade, right?" Liam grinned.

"What do you need from me?"

"There’s this girl I’m into. She’s three years older, but age doesn’t matter much to me," Liam shrugged nonchalantly.

"And?" Richard pressed, his mind racing back to Amy, still trapped and likely in tears.

"The issue is, she seems to have her eyes on someone else. She laughs with him, gazes at him—it drives me insane. I just need to send him a message to back off."

"Why involve me?"

"Well, as you can see, I’m just a kid at 10, and I’m not exactly built to take on someone older. That’s where you come in."

"You want me to deliver the message."

"Exactly! You’re 15, so you’re closer to that age group."

"How old is this guy?"

"Seventeen."

"Alright. I’ll do it."

"Perfect!" Liam clapped his hands together. "Let’s meet tomorrow to go over the details. See you later." He exited.

'For a ten-year-old, he’s got some nerve,' Richard mused.

"Richard! Are you there?" Amy's voice echoed.

He dashed back upstairs to unlock the door. She was in tears.

"I’m s-sorry. I didn’t mean to t-t-talk to him. Your parents said that I—" She hiccupped and sniffled.

"Shh, it’s okay. I get it," he soothed, running his fingers through her hair.

"But—"

"Quiet now. You won’t have to see him again," he kissed her forehead gently.

"Why not?"

"Because I said so. Come on, I brought you some treats," he smiled, watching her eyes light up with joy.

"Where are they? Let’s go!" she exclaimed, bouncing with excitement.

Richard took her hand and led her toward the treats he had picked up.