"You sure you okay to go out? We can just sit in and smoke the rest of this." Tara was doing a terrific job of keeping my mind off the thoughts plaguing it. That is until just now of course.
Despite the fact that yet another week has gone by and Billy is still acting as if I don't exist, my boss, a customer of the asshole, as I've taken to calling him, is still terrified of disappointing the man. So to save himself from any backlash one would receive from upsetting the asshole, he lets me get away with anything. This includes paying me for hours I'm not actually at work. I guess I didn't come out completely empty handed.
"Why wouldn't I want to go out?"
"I don'know because Bi- I mean that asshole broke your heart and is notorious for showing up at these type of events.
"First, he didn't break anything. You have to give someone your heart before they can break it. I didn't give him shit, secondly, what am I supposed to do, avoid everything because there's a chance he may be there.
Tara stares at me silently for a moment.
"I guess not."
Secretly and I'm positive Tara knew this, I was hoping he was there. I was fucking wishing he'd be there. Why? I think the reason is quite obvious, though I never got the chance to bring out the jealous side of Billy Darley, the prospect of doing so hadn't come at a better time. I'd make him sorry for the day he'd ever imagined dropping me like that was a good idea.
It was around 12:30 when Tara and I arrived at the party. The party was at a friend of a friend of Tara's who also happened to be fucking Bodie. I'd be surprised if the whole motley crew didn't come being that Tara was going to be there as well. And if Joe didn't trail after my friend like a lost puppy then I have no clue what to call it.
Anyway, we got there and were immediately swarmed by the crowd of men standing idly outside the rickety old town house. They all had beer or a red cup in their hands and were visibly inebriated. As we make our way up the walkway I ignore the initial cat calls and filthy comments until a voice calls out my name.
The moment I hear it, my mind of course grasps at the idea of who I wanted it to be the most. But I realize, I recognize this voice, and it's definitely not Billy.
I stop walking and snap my head to the right. Standing about a foot away is my dear old "friend".
"Collin?!" Tara exclaims, rushing over to him and wrapping him in a tight hug.
I almost forgot how his smile affected me. All of a sudden a life I let myself forget about comes flooding back like a tidal wave. My eyes go wide and I stand there completely still as he exchanged short pleasantries with my friend, his eyes flickering back over to me every few seconds.
He sits there on the rail beside the walkway, his dark jeans hanging of his hips, the white wife-beater he's wearing clings to the new expanse of muscles that is his torso. My eyes trail up and down his shoulders, seeing more tattoos littering them than the last time we saw each other.
"Reese! Say hi to the kid!" Tara says nudging me.
I remain still until he reaches out and grasps my hand. He stands up, plucking the toothpick from the corner off his mouth and tossing it on the ground.
He pulls me closer, his grip remaining gentle the entire time until I was close enough for him to wrap his arms around me.
I stand there perplexed still until his lips meet my cheek.
"Hey baby." He says directly in my ear.
Something breaks and the shock wears off, I wrap my arms around his neck and hold him closer.
"Collin?" I whisper still a bit confused at seeing him.
"Yea." He chuckles as his open hands rub up and down my back.
"Oh my god, you're here."
"Y'happy t'see me?" he asks as we continue holding each other.
I kiss his cheek and reply, "Of course I am." I whisper.
He hums and sighs and I squeeze him tighter.
"I'm sorry, I just can't believe you're here. I'm gonna hug you for a while."
"It's okay." He laughs heartily.
"I'm going inside," Tara says laughing, "Collin you and I are gonna catch up before the end of the fuckin' night boy!" She exclaims before I hear the click-clack of her heels retreating.
"You got it T." he says to her.
A few minutes pass by and I find it in myself to let go. He holds me by my waist and me by his shoulders as we examine how we've each changed over the years.
"Damn Juliet, you grew up huh?"
Juliet, I haven't been called that since he was sent away. It was an ongoing thing for us since high school. He was supposed to be my Romeo.
I smile and shake my head, "Yea, so did you. Last time I saw you, you were about 50 pounds less muscle."
He smirks and nods, "You know…" he says with a shrug.
Yea, I knew. It was surreal seeing him, we were all sure we'd never see him again. We as in Tara, my mother and my old friends. Seeing him here, now, reminds me of the life we used to live. Just how grown up we pretended to be at 15 and 16.
"What are you doing here? How are you even-"
"Later" he says stiffly.
I swallow a lump of spit and stare into his very dark eyes.
"Okay." I nod meekly.
"Come here." He says opening his arms again.
I smile widely and he hugs me tighter than before.
"Would ya fuck-er already, damn!" One of the men standing around yells out loudly.
Collin ignores him and whispers he missed me.
"I missed you too."
He pulls away and promises to talk to me in a few minutes.
"I just gotta talk to an' old friend first. I'll be in there soon." He says nodding to the loud party I was no longer interested in.
"Okay." He holds my hand until the space makes us separate. I can feel his eyes on me, going up the steps until I get inside, sparing one last glance at him before I disappear behind the front door.
Tara bombards me the moment I step inside. Joe, who had been on her arm gives me a polite wave and I do the same.
"What the fuck is happening? I thought he had ten fuckin' years!?"
I shrug and shake my head, "I know, he didn't tell me ye-"
"Who had ten years?" Joe asks stepping beside Tara and wrapping his arm around her.
"Collin. Ya know him?" Tara asks looking over at him.
Joe takes a gulp from his Styrofoam cup as he nods.
"Yea, I know 'em. Somethin' about some evidence they didn't bring t'court when he first got charged. He lucked out."
I bite my lip and shift my feet a bit, taking a glance out the window beside the front door to see if he was finished outside yet. I catch a glimpse of him with his hand on his chest as he laughed at something someone said. I can't help but smile myself as I watch him.
"You tryin' to fuck him or somethin'?" Joe asks grinning widely.
"No! Of course not I…he's…we-"
"They got history is all," Tara explains.
"Hmph, well any way ya put it Billy ain't gonna want to hear about any history." Joe says taking another gulp of his drink. Tara immediately whacks his chest with the back of her hand.
"Idiot!" she snaps giving him the stink eye, "I distinctly told ya not to-"
"Your brother can suck my dick," I say crossing my arms over my chest, "Where's the vodka?"
Joe points across the house, I'm guessing toward the kitchen. I follow his finger, listening to Tara chastise Joe's lack of tact.
I manage to forget all about Billy and my worries in sharing a bottle of peach vodka with this other girl who was adamant about out drinking me. We were on our fifth shot when the poor girl's face turned green. As she runs off to find a bathroom with her hand over her mouth I hop up on the kitchen counter with the bottle between my legs.
I close my eyes as my head lolls to the side, the early onset of inebriation is setting in.
"Havin' fun?"
I open my eyes to see Collin standing in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest, a smug look on his face.
I can't contain myself, smiling brightly at him I hop off the counter and wrap my arms around him again.
"It's so good to see you, you have no fucking idea."
Chuckling he hugs me back just as tightly as before.
"I needed this," I sigh.
"What's wrong?" he asks pulling away to look me in the eyes.
I look away and shake my head. I couldn't possibly tell him the truth.
"Nothing, I just, I missed you."
"I know, I missed you too."
"Will you tell me now how you're even here?" I ask crossing my arms over my chest now.
"Yea, I guess I should uh?"
I just give him a look. He snorts and shakes his head before simply shrugging.
"I don't even know, honestly. The guards came to my cell one mornin' and said I was gettin' out. I thought they were fuckin' with me but. Warden had em' give me a letter from signed by him and my judge. Said…due to new evidence, I was to be released immediately. Couldn't call nobody so I just hitched a ride home. My ma almost caught a heart attack when she saw me."
I smile at the thought, the last time I saw his mother she was clutching my hand, wailing in tears as her son was being taken away in handcuffs. She moved a ways south almost right after he was sent to prison.
"That's amazing Collin, where are you staying then?"
"Remember my cousin, used to live near ya?"
I nod, "Yea he's got a new place over on Franklin."
It wasn't long before we were all caught up. I told him about work, how big Jason got, my mother. He didn't tell me about jail, I didn't expect him to. He of course, as everyone who's known me for a long time, asks about my mental state. Proudly I tell him I've been fine. Not soon after we're clutching each other laughing, reminiscing about the years when we used to run the streets rampantly.
"Ya mother nearly killed you for chippin' her favorite heels!"
My head falls on his chest as I laugh harder. I put my hand on his chest as I lift up and am interrupted by a voice. Another recognizable voice, but one I wasn't at all ready to hear.
"Collin fuckin' O'Malley."
Collin turns to look at who's called his name. I don't, I drop my head as the smile slowly dissipates from my face.
"Darley!" Collin exclaims happily, turning toward this asshole to clap their hands and bump shoulders in a manly form of greeting.
"I thought you'd be dead by now bro." Collin says jokingly, although we all know the notion isn't at all an impossibility.
Billy flips Collin off and says, "Could say the same for you," I see his eyes wander to me from the corner of my eyes. I cross my legs instantly, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze.
"So you know my girl huh?" Billy asks stepping closer to me and putting his arm over my shoulder.
I freeze. My eyes go wide as Collin looks at me, confusion written all over his face.
"Is that so?" Collin asks staring at me.
I shrug off Billy's arm and glare at him as all the nervousness I feel turns to annoyance.
"No, not at all."
Billy raises his brows at me and his stony blank face is too much to bear looking at.
I look back to Collin and am met with his hard accusatory stare.
"Well that's not what ya said the other night Reese."
Before he could finish his sentence I hop up off the counter and brush past him harshly as I leave the kitchen in a rush. I feel my throat tightening as I push past the crowd of people in the crowded living room.
Tara calls my name but I ignore her, shaking my head and continuing on my way.
She follows me hastily, telling Joe she'd be right back.
"Where you goin' girl?!" she yells following after me as I storm back down the walk way, all I can see is his stupid face smiling, mocking me.
"Home." I yell back.
She follows me down the street and grabs my arm when she catches up to me.
"Talk to me, what happened?" She asks stepping around in front of me.
"He's such a fucking asshole. I hate him."
"Who? Collin?" she asks with wide eyes.
"No, fucking Billy."
"What did he do?" She asks glancing behind me.
I follow her gaze to see Billy strolling out of the townhouse with his hands in his pockets. Standing on the porch he looks down the other end of the street, before he can see us at the opposite end I start walking again dragging Tara with me.
"He basically told Collin we slept together, for no reason."
Tara shakes her head, trying to be that understanding friend she's meant to be. But I can tell her mind is on other things, namely Joe and that party.
"I'm goin' home. You stay." I sigh shaking my head when I hear the rumble of an obnoxious engine back near the house.
"No, I'm leaving too."
"Tara, I don't want to ruin your night. Just stay. I'll catch a cab or the bus."
"Want me to wait?" She asks.
I shake my head again, "No, I'll be fine. I'll text when I'm home."
We say our goodbyes and make our way in the opposite direction of each other. I wasn't even a block away before that engine creeps up on me.
"Need'a ride baby."
The uncontrollable, yet I suppose controllable urge to smash his head in with a crow bar. It takes everything I have to ignore him and keep on walking.
"C'mon Reeses Pieces, its fuckin late y'shouldn't be walkin' around by yaself."
I glance at him quickly, he's almost hanging out the window, one arm hanging down the outside of the door. He has this stupid grin on his face and I want to smack it off. Closing my eyes I inhale deeply and exhale slowly. Just ignore him Reese, just ignore him.
He continues to follow me when I cross the street and, driving down the wrong side of traffic without a care. The cars that noticed his tribal marked heap of crap would immediately divert their direction around to the other side.
"Get in the fuckin' car," he says sternly, his voice losing that assholish, smug edge to it.
"Quit fuckin' following me," I spit.
"Ladies an' gentlemen she speaks!" he exclaims sarcastically.
"Billy I'm serious, leave me alone. You got what you wanted, stop twisting the fuckin' knife now."
"And what did I want?" he asks becoming serious again.
I don't even look his way but speed up a bit more and extend my right arm to flip him off. The moment I do it he slams his foot on the gas. The car peels off leaving only a plume of smoke in its wake.
I sigh, my body relaxing when his car is out of sight. I make it another block alone before I hear the rumble of the engine coming from the block to the left as I come up to another corner. Before I can really react or do anything to get away he's pulled up in front of me.
The car screeches to a stop and he hops out of it in lightning speed. I start to step back, my heart racing when I see his determined face. This is how I found myself in the cross hairs of a very pissed off Billy Darley.
A/N:Hope you liked! Thanks to those who are favoriting/following/reviewing(Lauraxxx lol) I appreciate it, but would love more feedback.
I'm on a bit of a roll and already have the next chapter and a bit of the one after done. I'm iffy about chapter 12 so I'll be more hesitant to post.
Anywho, thanks again dudes!
BTW I just felt the need to tell you all that the character Collin in my mind is portrayed as Tom Hardy. He just plays those hard edged urban characters so well and wrote it based on that.