Enemies

by Tijan

I hated meeting people. Like, truly hated it. I was what you’d call an introvert extrovert. I was chatty once I got to know someone, but let’s be honest here, because of a certain incident, I was very peopled-out.

He had no idea what I went through because I knew him, because the wrong person found out I knew him. I was here because of that sick and twisted someone.

There’s a pocket in your mind where you go when you feel unsafe, where you can’t handle whatever is happening in real life, and you lock yourself in there because you feel protected. Self-preservation.

“I’m not Dust to you. That died a long time ago. My mom died, Stone! Your father fired mine so he didn’t have to pay the medical insurance and my mother died so your dad could keep more money in his pockets.”

“She’ll stay with me. I’ll drive her there.”

“Shit. There you are. Still fucking fighting while you’re literally bed-ridden. I have no clue why I’ve stayed away.”

“I don’t give a fuck. You want to know about the costs? There are none. Wanna know why?”

“Because I fucking paid for everything. Hospital, too. No. Not my parents. No, not your aunt. And goddammit, no way in hell, not you. Because after you lit all that shit up for me about what happened, I did my own digging and found out what my father did to yours. And I’m sorry, okay?!”

“You’re the most stubborn bitch I have ever dealt with.”

“Do not fucking fuck with me, you fucking twit.”

what I remember the most about growing up was that you guys laughed.”

“You’re good. You look hot anyway.”

“I care. Fucking hell. I care, okay? I wouldn’t be doing any of this shit if I didn’t still care about you. Those people didn’t give a fuck about you, except the one girl. Not a goddamn one of them, and you’re asking me to look away from that? I can’t. Me being a guy and caring about a girl, I can’t do that. It’s not how I was raised.”

“I would give you up in a heartbeat to get them back.”

The hole inside me was there. His words, my words, had punched a fucking fist through it and I felt as if the roof was caving in.

Stone’s own eyes narrowed, but they

“I love you and I want you to let me love you and I want to make you mine. My woman. Just mine. All mine. I don’t care what you want. I can’t let you be someone else’s. Mine, babe. Mine.”