Save Yourself from Me

Chapter 7

Riley's Pov

I don't know what I was thinking of bringing him up here, but this is one of my favourite spots in this decrepit little town. When I saw the look on his face in the store, I could almost see his pain. Maybe that is why. I figure this is better than drinking the bottle alone at home anyway, since Tracey's staying over at Dean's place again.

When he looks out over the black water of the meadow, I take a moment to study him. He's got a beautifully defined jawline, the pinkest lips I have ever seen, made more prominent by the silver ring in the corner, the most beautiful ocean blue eyes that you would just want to get lost in forever.

His strong delicate features stand out with his black hair that's a bit longer than I'm used to seeing. The tattoos on his neck peeking out of the shirt he's wearing. I rolled up my sleeve and slowly trailed my hand over the black lines that wrapped around my skin.

"He wasn't always like that you know." I sighed and I looked at Andy, I picked up the bottle and took a few gulps before I set it down, the buzz of the alcohol has me feeling very open. "Jason, he wasn't always like that." I clarify when he looks at me with confusion distorting his beautiful features.

He cocks a perfectly arched eyebrow challenging me but remains quiet, so I continue sharing, "He was a good guy when we started dating, we were together for 2 years. I was a very troubled girl, I guess I still am, but he used to help me keep my demons at bay. I just didn't know that he was taking them on himself." I sigh as I tuck my hair behind my ears and keep my eyes on the ground as I try to keep my emotions in check.

"When his gran who raised him died in a robbery, he changed, he became darker. I tried to take away his demons like he did for me, but he just had too many." I take a deep breath as the words that have been locked away come rushing out, as I struggle to keep control of myself.

"I used to tell myself that he's still the good guy I fell in love with that, that he was just hurting and that's when he had started lashing out. One night he hit me and I took it, convincing myself he was in pain. When it became more frequent, I knew it was only going to get worse, so I left him." I risk a glance at Andy and see his jaw ticking as his eyes bore into me.

"I guess he snapped after that, he went crazy and got more and more unstable. I lost my apartment, my job, most of my friends and him. I guess he's never been the same since. It's been nearly a year since we broke up." I let out the breath I was holding before taking another drink.

Andy remains quiet and nods his head, absorbing the information that I have just dumped on him.

"So, oh mysterious hero of mine, what do you do?" I couldn't quite figure him out. There was an air of mystery that surrounded him and I wanted to find out what it was that made him tick.

He raises an eyebrow and looks across the lake, "I'm a writer, although I prefer calling myself a story-teller, it sounds better." He smirks as he rubs the back of his neck.

I nod my head, taking in the information and look across the water, "What, pray tell, is a storyteller doing in this dump of a town?" The look on his face tells me that he wasn't about to answer, so I try a different approach.

"Of all the places in the world, why come here?" His sigh is heavy and I watch his shoulders sag under the weight of whatever brought him here.

"I heard about a town that was so small, it wasn't on any map and I thought I could do with a break to write and maybe finish my book." He offered a small smile and even that was dazzling, but I wouldn't believe it, even though it would qualify for a commercial.

"You got the small town, not on a map part right, but I don't know if I would necessarily choose here to write a book, nothing happens in this town." I take the bottle and tilt my head back, feeling the burn slowly spread through my body, leaving a slight tingle of numbness in its wake.

"I don't know, maybe it's the nothingness I need to clear my mind and finish off. My editor is on my case about the book. It was actually his idea, although he doesn't know it yet," just then he offered a devilish grin and I nod my head and hand him the bottle, a smile playing on the corners of my lips.

"Fuck, that is depressing and I should know." I choke out a laugh and pull out a box of cigarettes, before putting one of the sticks between my lips, offering him one and watching as he struggles to decline it.