Ever Since

Bradley

I open the door to my room quickly and find it just as I left it. I head over to my closet to put on a some clothes and when I look down something strange catches my eye. On the floor, I see a tiny plastic bag.

"What the fuck?" I whisper to myself as I bend down to pick it up just beneath my closet.

It takes me a few moments to realize who was most definitely in my house. In my fucking room. The only person who carries around drugs like this, is the same person who is probably at the party.

I punch the wall and feel my blood burning like lava. I throw the rake and shoot down the flights of stairs to the party with only one thing on my mind.

Ben. Ben is here. Ben is fucking here.

I sprint out the backyard, down the stairs along the beach. I almost have this hyper focus on the people around the fire that I can't explain.

I look around like a madman, scanning the drunk faces scattered around to try and find Loren first.

I spot Andrew's sister Julia. Her red hair shines bright.

"Julia!" I call out the second our eyes lock. "Where's Indie?"

She stumbles onto me but I manage to catch her. "I don't know"

"Fuck!"

"But I saw your step brother with some girl" Julia slurs and my heart drops.

"What girl? When?" I ask making her face me.

"Up at our house? Maybe? I don't remember shit" Julia slurs but I take the risk and trust her word.

I push past everyone to get to the stairs leading to Andrew's house. I storm into the kitchen and see a few people doing lines on the marble tables.

"Underwood!" One of the guys calls.

"Did you see Ben?" I say livid. "Is he here?"

"Uh... yeah I think he's upstairs fucking some chick by now"

I swear to....

I run up to the second floor. I feel wild and ready to kill this kid. I swear to god if I see Loren there and he has even a finger on her, I'll end him.

I open door-door, making it slam hard against the wall each time I do it.

"Ben!" I yell and it echoes through the walls of the house. "Ben! Get the fuck out here!"

The forth door I open catches me off guard when I see Ben dealing his drugs.

My chest pumping up and down. I can feel a huge weight off my shoulders when I notice right away that Loren isn't here.

"Hey, Underwood" one of the guys says nonchalantly and I nod at him as Ben seems unfazed. He only lifts his eyes to me, expressionless, while I'm fuming.

Motherfucker...

"You found me" Ben finally says smirking and I shut the door behind me. "You look like shit, man. Do you need a little something to calm your nerves?"

Punching you in the face can do the trick.

I clench my jaw. "Can you give us a moment, guys?" I say to the few people here buying expensive drugs from Ben.

They look between me and Ben awkwardly and leave the high tensioned room.

Ben laughs and takes a pill down with his beer.

"This won't be long" Ben says to them before they close behind them.

We're both standing on opposite sides of this girly bedroom. The walls are pink and we're both illuminated by tiny fairy lights that are set all around the room. A pleasant scene for such a tension fueled energy.

"Are you going to stand there and watch me for much longer? I have business to take care of downstairs" Ben says and lights a cigarette.

My fists are clenched so hard, I feel a trail of what is definitely blood running down fingers.

"What the fuck is going on right now?" I growl not containing my anger. "Why are you here? What is this?!"

Ben takes a long drag out of cigarette before answering which is driving me mad.

"You have to always know everything. Always be in fucking control" Ben says. "Just liv—"

"Fucking stop!" I yell and punch her lamp, leaving it in pieces on the floor and my fist bloody. Ben takes a step back and I actually have his alert. "Don't bullshit me, don't baby talk me! Don't act like I'm a fucking idiot"

Ben is cornered with his back to the wall and as I step closer, losing all my temper. All this anger I have is erupting. I take a chair and throw it just inches away from his face.

"Calm down..." Ben says.

"Don't fucking tell me what to do!" I yell and grab Ben by his black t shirt. "Why are you here right now?"

Ben's head is facing away from me in fear. "It's not just me"

"What the fuck does that mean?" I ask inches from his face.

"You'll find ou—"

Just as I'm about to punch him right in the jaw, a door inside the room clicks open.

I turn to the door half open to the left and and see my worst nightmare peaking out just as things couldn't get any worse. I let go of Ben's shirt slowly and he runs away to the other side of the room while my jaw drops.

"He's all yours, Steph" Ben says quietly and leaves the room.