A Tragic Hero

Chapter 10

"He's not gonna be happy. My bills are way passed due, weeks ago."
Sky sat in the passenger seat of Ryder's truck, staring out the window, thinking about Peter West's last message he had sent her just minutes ago.
She had told Ryder she hadn't wanted to leave the hospital but she had signed a discharge paper and had been forced to leave. She had figured that she didn't have a car anymore, that guess being confirmed by Ryder shortly after, so the only way she would have been able to get back to her apartment was by catching a ride with Ryder in his red pick up. He had walked her out of the hospital and helped her into her seat when they finally did arrive at his truck. Together, they had headed out, away from the hospital, away from Jake. Ryder had promised that if he got any news about Jake from one of his colleagues that he would immediately turn the truck around and head back. This had obviously helped her calm down some and not feel like a total traitor to her son. She didn't want to lose their  apartment. So, she had to leave and pay her bills. She would be back. But still, she felt as if she was in a way turning her back on her son.
"Don't worry," Ryder spoke up then without looking at her, focused on the road ahead,"if Mr. West has any problems with you and would like to discuss them openly, he can talk to me."
She almost corrected him about saying Mr. West, but held herself back. Why did that even matter? Peter would not be happy to see her.
"He's really not gonna like seeing you with me."
She stopped staring outside and slowly brought her gaze to Ryder.
"Why's that?" He shot a glance at her.
"Because, he likes me. I'm pretty sure if a guy who likes you sees you with another guy, there is most certainly gonna be a great, big problem."
"Well, I'm not worried. I'm actually really good at handling great, big problems," Ryder exclaimed, grinning as he sent her a wink.
Sky rolled her eyes but couldn't contain a small laugh that escaped from her.
"Alright, Mr. Big Shot, don't say I didn't warn you."
The rest of the ride was quiet, each of them thinking about what was to come.
When Ryder finally did pull up to her apartment complex, her throat contracted and her eyes began to fill with tears. The front door to her apartment lay ajar and most of her furniture and belongings were outside on the dirty ground, tossed onto the street.
"What in the world?" Ryder muttered beside her.
She could barley make out a shadowy form inside her apartment, lurking just beyond her watery sight. The height and build could not be mistaken though. It was Peter who was inside her house. Plus, his car was parked a few feet away from the building and nobody else but he had the keys to her apartment. How could he have thrown all her stuff outside to go to waste or be taken?
Ryder opened his door and was about to step out, but she quickly reached over and stopped him.
"Wait," she placed a hand on his upper arm, feeling the tense muscle beneath his sleeve. He gazed back at her, halting his exit.
"Don't go. Stay here. I'll be right back, okay?"
"Sky, I want to go with-"
"No," she pleaded,"no, please I need to go alone. I'll be back in 10 minutes, okay?"
Before she could hear his protest, she swung open her door, hopped out, and started to make her way across the road in a rush. She didn't really know if leaving Ryder was the best option, but she really didn't want Peter to see her with another man, even if she wasn't in any kind of relationship with that other man.
Sky chuckled nervously at the though. Timothy was right, she had sworn off any romantic relationships. And she still did. Nothing had changed except that now she had a very close...gentleman as a friend. She shook her head and cleared her mind of all her many wandering thoughts. She need to stay focused, think of something to tell Peter when she confronted him. But she never did get the chance.
After a 3 story climb, she stopped directly in front of her open door, her eyes going wide at what see saw before her.
Peter West stood in the center of her now empty living room, his back facing her, smoking a cigar. He smoked? His clothes were wrinkled and dirty, as if he'd been hard at work all day. She couldn't believe it. He had completely cleared out her apartment.
"Peter?" She spoke up, reveling her location. Her voice held an obvious quiver. Was this really the smartest thing to do?
Peter West spun around like a whirlwind, almost toppling over in the process. No turning back now.
"Sky?"
Peter looked horrible. She studied his face with disgust. His hair was ruffled, shooting in all different direction like a mad man. His eyelids drooped some, making his dark eyes appear even more sinister than usual. He looked as if he hadn't shaved in days, the pricks of bristled hair on his face uneven and very unattractive. The front of his shirt was ripped a little around his collar and his blue jeans had dirt smears on them. What had happened to him?
A glint caught her eye then from behind Peter. She took a quick look beyond him and saw that on the floor were 3 bottles of alcohol. Alcohol? She didn't know he drank either.
Peter flicked his cigar onto the floor and stepped on it before it could light the entire carpet. His black eyes traveled down her body then back to her face. She hated when he did that. He truly looked like a crazy man. She shivered as a cold sweat travelled down her back. What was going through his mind as he stared at her? This would not end well.
Peter smiled, a terrifying thing that made her want to flee to the closes safe house. Why hadn't she just let Ryder come with her?!
"Sky, I've been looking for you. You didn't answer any of my text. You never once called me. Your bills are way, way due, and I couldn't keep your stuff here anymore. I had to tear you house apart. Maybe you were trapped in here or lost somehow. I had to find out. You look amazing right now. You have my money, right? We can fix this, we can fix all of this."
His voice was low and his left eye was beginning to twitch, a very frightening sight. He kept rubbing his palms together and his entire body was trembling. She froze, not knowing what to do or say.
"Answer me, Sky. I need answers."
She couldn't get her words to come out. Peter looked...insane. Probably a side affect from the drinks and whatever he had been smoking combined.
For a long minute, neither spoke.
Then, Peter stopped shaking. He dropped his gaze and started walking towards the kitchen, as if he had completely forgotten she was there. Maybe he had.
She stood still, not daring to follow him, not while he was sounding and acting like a nut case.
Clanking sounds came from her small kitchen then the shutting of the refrigerator door. She scanned the living room again and realized even more. A blanket lay in the corner of the room, close to her son's door. A pack of cigars and a pocket knife had been placed on the blanket. None of them belonged to her. So then, they were Peters.
"I've been here all day," Peter said as he re-emerged from the kitchen, holding another bottle of whatever in one hand.
"I haven't stopped thinking about you the whole day. The way you look, the way you first smiled at me when you moved in. I always loved when smiled at me. How I always bailed you out when you couldn't fully pay your debt. Well, not anymore."
She watched in fear as his face changed from mellow to livid. If he could shot daggers with his eyes, she would be dead by now. She took a step back.
Peter swore, chucked the bottle at the wall, and lunged towards her. Sky wasn't fast enough to side step his reach.
Peter caught her around her waist and pulled her into her demolished apartment, slamming the front door behind her. She screamed, but he clamped a hand down onto her mouth.
"Oh no you don't. I'm sick of hearing your voice. Sick of you messing with my head. Since the first day I saw you, you've been on my mind. Then you just hop up and vanish on me? After all I've done for you? I don't think so. I hate you, Sky. I hate you! I offered you my heart and you stepped all over it!"
His grip became tighter, the stitches on her side jabbing her. Her casted arm was the only thing that separated her from Peter's filthy shirt. How had things changed so suddenly? She needed to get out of here!
"Now, you'll get what you deserve."
He whispered angrily into her ear.
"Somebody needs to teach you a lesson before someone else gets their heart destroyed by you."
"Please," she pulled back, trying but failing to twist away from him.
"Don't do this."
"No. I'm done playing the fool."
She cringed as he leaned closer and kissed her forehead.
"It would have been great, me and you."
He yanked her head back by pulling her hair, immobilizing her from looking away.
"But you didn't want me like I wanted you. You never will."
He dropped his eyes from hers to her lips. She couldn't escape. He inched closer.
Lord, save her!