Save Me (DTRTI Sequel)

Chapter Three

"Hello?" I answered the call with my phone to my ear as I reached for the remote to turn the television down a little.

"Chresanto?" I heard a voice call back.

I froze.

I knew who it was.

I knew I should hang up.

I knew I shouldn't give her a chance to get inside my head again.

But I listened instead.

"What?" The question came out snappier than I had intended and Tasha sighed on the other end.

"I really miss you." She told me. "I'm sorry for everything I ever said to you...everything I ever did."

Her voice was soft and I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, okay."

She exhaled deeply and sniffled. "Chresanto, he put me out."

"And?"

"I have nowhere else to go." She whined. "Can I please-"

I cut her off. "No."

I could tell that she frowned. "Chresanto!"

"I said no." I snapped.

'You know you wanna say yeah.' His voice was sinister as always, making me frown and shut my eyes.

'Go ahead, tell her you still love her. Tell her she was your first love and you can't shake the feelings.' A harsh chuckle followed and I shook my head.

"Please?" Her voice was desperate and my eyebrows furrowed as the man yelled at me again.

'You want to love her.' He told me.

"N-no." I mumbled my response and she sniffled a few more times. She was crying, I knew that she was.

And I shouldn't care, not after everything she'd done...not after everything she'd said to me...not after she wasted ten whole years of my life...but I did.

"Okay...thanks anyway." She mumbled sadly.

I sighed. "Wait...I can um...I can help you find something."

"Really? You'd do that?" She asked happily, sniffling again. "You're the best Chres. I love you!"

I ended the call without responding. "What the fuck did I just do?" I mumbled.

'You done fucked up.' He snickered.

'Told you your dumb ass still loved her. Only a matter of time now before Ava and Lily are a distant memory.'

"Fuck you!" I spat. "Fuck outta here with that shit!"

That was when Ava ascended the stairs and entered the bedroom.

"Babe, you okay?" She asked me.

I nodded.

'You just can't stop lying, can you?'

"Yeah, I'm fine." I told her, pecking her lips.

"Who were you on the phone with?" She asked as she pulled her shirt over her head and began to change into pajamas.

"It was...just an old friend of mine from school." I responded. It wasn't entirely a lie. Tasha and I were friends long before we started dating.

But it was enough of a lie to send the situation flying out of proportion.

It was lie #2. And it was paired with mistake #2.

"You sure you okay?" Ava asked me.

Her eyes told me that she knew that I was lying, but I still nodded as if I could fool her. "I'm perfectly fine babe."

She stared at me for a moment. "Chresanto, is he back?"

I shook my head. "No...babe I'm fine."

She stared at me a little longer and I sent her a smile. "Promise?" She asked softly.

I smiled wider. "Promise."

"You'd tell me if he was back, right?" She asked.

I nodded. "Of course baby."

And there it is. Right there...that was the second mistake. The second fuck up.

I should've told her what was wrong.

I should've told her about Tasha.

She wouldn't have been nearly as angry had I told her from the jump.

I think...I think what broke her...what broke us...was this lie. These mistakes. They all piled up. I lied to her more than I told her the truth anymore.

They were the thing that broke my Liliana. They were the thing that killed me.

Not literally...well, not yet at least.

Figuratively.

They were killing me...eating me alive.

And to know what I know now...that all I had to do was tell the truth and I wouldn't be where I am now...that's the part that hurts me the most.

It wasn't until the next day that he fully returned.

And that's where the story is headed now.

The day I saw her person again for the first time in over a year.

That was where he came back. That was where everything started to crash and burn.

That was when I lost control of the situation...the lies.

All because of her.

I entered the café in a hoodie and jeans, my hood pulled up to cover my face.

I was pretty well known in the area so everything I did was documented. That's why I hid in plain sight.

I scanned the café for a familiar face with dark brown spiral curls that passed her shoulders and trailed down her back.

And there she was, her head down as she traced her finger along the edge of her cup and sniffled softly.

I knew immediately that I should turn around and leave.

She wasn't worth it.

She wasn't worth my family.

But then again, I didn't know that she'd cost me my family at that time.

So instead of leaving, I made my way over to the booth and claimed the seat across from her.