I let out a frustrated sigh that let him know exactly what I was thinking.
"Not this again." I told him annoyed.
"Hey before you hit me again. Just listen to what I have to say." He told me firmly.
"I'll listen but I can't promise I won't hit you." I told him honestly.
"Look I'm not stupid. I get it your don't like being told what to do. You made that perfectly clear, so I am not going to tell you not to see Jared if that's what you want. I just think you should know the howl story." He told me.
"David I get it. I do, but I can take care of myself." I tell him.
He just looked back at me. He smiled as though he seemed to get an idea.
"So you don't want to know what happened between me and him. I thought you girls loved the gossip. If you're not interested I'll just leave." He said as he got up.
I had to hand it to him he knew that I wanted to know about all of the drama. He was not willing to tell me last night but he is now.
"Sit back down." I tell him as I grab his wrist and pull him back to me.
"So now you want me to stay, I thought you wanted me to get the hell out." He said mocking me.
"Shut up before I change my mind." I told him.
I looked at him eager to hear what he had to say.
"Okay well like I said before the three of us used to be friends. Jared, my brother and me. I even used to be friends with the rest of his band. Jared and I became in separable after the accident."
"What accident?" I asked him.
He looked at me for a moment, sadness over coming his face.
"The care accident that killed out parents." He told me.
I had no idea his parents where dead. I mean maybe if I was not so high last night I could have put it together but right now I just felt like a complete ideot.
"I'm sorry. I did not know." I told him.
"It's okay it was three years ago." He told me.
I could tell he was not okay. He sat there looking at his hands silently.
"I think my mom might be dead." I told him pulling him out of his thoughts.
"What do you mean?" He asked me.
"I don't really remember. I was found in Boston when I was ten. I was dropped off at a police station. I have no memories from before then. It was not until about two weeks ago I found my dad. I always thought I was just abandoned, not wanted but I found out that the same day I was found my mom's entire family went missing. I think there dead." I told him.
Finally saying it out loud for the first time. He looked back at me I could tell he was feeling sorry for me and I did not like that.
"I did not tell you to make you feel sorry for me. I just needed to say it to someone. And you were talking about your family." I told him.
He just smiled at me. I could tell he could see right through me. That I let something personal slip and now I was trying to cover it up. He went along though letting me think that I was back in control.
"After the accident I started spending a lot more time with Jared. He always would through the best parties and that's exactly what I needed at that time. Parties things to distract me. After a while that did not work. The alcohol and girls were not enough."
He posed in his story. I could tell he was trying to figure out what to tell me next.
"Jared is not just a singer in a band. He's also a drug dealer. He works for his father; you can say it's a family business." He told me.
"So eventually he started offering up more than just beers and me being an idot I listened. It was all fun and games for a while but eventually I got hooked. When that happened he stopped giving me the drugs for free. He told me his dad found out but I knew that this had been his plan the entire time. I tried to get clean but it was hard when your brother was hosting parties for the guy every day."
"So I started to buy from him. Until his prices got so high that I could not afford. I tried to buy from other dealers but his father runs the drug seen around here so no one would sell to me. But I was addicted so I started to steel money from by brother's shop to pay what he wanted. I stole so much that my brother almost lost the shop." He told me.
I could tell he was assumed and did not want to be telling me this. I was starting to wonder why he was.
"What happened?" I asked him as I placed my hand on his shoulder letting him now it was okay to tell me.
"Well Jared did what any good friend would do. He offered to pay off my brother's debt. I warned Steve not to except the money but he was still convinced that Jared was a good friend. So Steve accepted and our money problems where behind us. That's when our real problems started. Shortly after we got our feet back on the ground Jared came to collect his money. See when he gave money he forgot to tell us that there was a time limit until we had to pay him back."
I could see him fiscally starting to get upset. He was grinding his teeth so hard it looked dangerous.
"He knew we did not have the money but he told us that his dad insisted. That's when my brother finally realized he played us. But of course Jared had an idea of how we could pay him back. Basically we ended up selling drugs for him. Every dime we made went straight to Jared. Even that was not enough of him. I started to fight, trying to make some money to help my brother pay the bills. I was an actual fighter in a real MMA leag. And I was good, but of course that got Jared's attention and he found a better use for me. A way I could pay off my debt faster. Somehow he had talked me into fighting in this underground fighting ring. I hated it at first but once I was doing it for a while I just became numb to it. Not really caring who I hurt anymore."
"That must have sucked. I'm sorry." I told him as I thought about all of the times I was forced to fight to defend myself.
Even though I was not thrown into a wring and forced to fight other trained fighters but I am no stranger to have to defend myself. I reached over and lightly squeezed his hand causing him to look up at me. There was a brief moment where my eyes betrayed me letting him know that I was just as broken inside as he was. I could see his eyes flicker from my eyes to my lips.
"So what happened?" I asked breaking the silence.
"I did this for a while. Then my brother got arrested for selling. Again Jared was more than open to helping us. Offered to make all my brothers problems and debt go away all I had to do was meet with his father. I instantly knew that it was not a good idea. His dad is no joke but I was not going to let my brother rote in jail. Just cutting to the case by brothers charges were dropped but I ended up arrested." He stopped talking.
"For what?" I asked not shore if he would answer.
"Breaking and entry, destruction of property, assault with a deadly weapon, and attempted murder." He told me keeping his eyes seat on the floor.
"Oh my god David. What did you do?" I asked him.
Keeping my hand still on his to let him know that I was not scared or judging just curious.
"I was supposed to go ruff up a guy who owed some money. Break in his house scare him. You know it was supposed to be simple. Jared's dad just left out the part where he was a former hired hand like I had somehow become. He put up a fight a good one that I was not expecting. At one point I did not think I was going to make it out of that house. I don't know where I found it but at some point I found a bat. And I hit him with it. And I hit him, and hit him, until he did not get back up. The guy almost died."
I could tell he was really upset. In fact it looked like he was about to cry.
"David you don't need to talk about this." I told him.
I truly felt sorry I ever even brought it up.
"Jared's dad managed to get me off with just probation and completion of rehab. He assumes I will come back to work for him when I get off probation." He finished.
"My point being Jared is a very manipulated guy. He will do anything and use anyone to get what he wants. His dad is doing a very good job in training him to take over the family business. He's an even worse boyfriend."
I thought about what he was saying and at first could not think how someone could possibly be an even worse boyfriend. Then I instantly thought of a few.
I could not help but stiffen up. I was becoming increasingly aware of how close David was to me. I withdrew my hand from his. I placed both of my hands on my lap and turned away from him so he could not see the single tear that trailed down the right side of my cheek.
"Great so now you're scared of me. Just like everyone else." He huffed under his breath.
He obviously miss read my sudden withdrawn body language. Was I scared of him? I was instantly more aware that he was far more able to hurt me if he wanted to then I thought. The question remained. Was I scared? The answer was no. Yes he has made some very serious mistakes but people do stupid shit when there using drugs, and others have done worse than him.
I turned back to look at him. He was slouched over with his face in his hands.
"How about a smoke?" I asked him.
He just looked up at me confusion all over his face.
"What?" He asked.
"I'm going out for a smoke. Do you want to come?" I asked him.
He just looked back at me for a few moments before smiling. His smile was quickly returned by my own. I quickly grabbed my pack from my room and then ran outside. He fallowed behind me.
We were halfway done with our cigarettes before anyone spoke.
"Why aren't you scared?" He asked me.
I knew that everyone who knew about his past must have made quick exits from his life.
"If you knew about all the fucked up shit that I have done you would not be asking that." I told him. "Plus I have seen a lot worse." I told him. I quickly put out my cigarette and made my way back inside before he could ask the question I knew was lingering on his tong.
By the time he fallowed me inside I was already sitting down on the couch watching Jerry Springer.
"You want to watch?" I asked him.
Letting him know right away that I did not want to talk about what I said outside. I was being selfish especially after all that he told me but I really did not care.
He just smiled and sat down next to me. I scooted in closer to him. Just needing to be close to someone. Again I was being selfish because I knew he liked me more than I liked him.
He did not protest he just placed his arm around my shoulder pulling me in the rest of the way. Closing the space between us. I leaned into him resting my head on his chest. It was comforting to be so close to someone who was just as broken as I was. Not caring if he might read into this more then there was. I just needed the comfort.
We watched the show laughing at the idots who were fighting over a stripper. We remained in the same position as we laughed. My body moved against his as he laughed.
"Who are you?" Someone asked forcefully from behind us.
We both turned toured the voice. This being the first time my head left his chest sense I put it there. Standing a few feet away from us was my dad. And he did not look happy. In fact he looked as if he might murder David if he gave him an answer he did not like. We must have been laughing so hard we did not even hear the door open.
"I will repeat. Who are you?" He asked David directly.
I instantly thought about how this must look. The two of us sitting there like that. I looked down at myself in my sweat pants and sports bra. I mean it's more close then I normally wear but I still don't think my dad would want me to be cuddling with a guy wearing just a bra. Then my eyes found a browse that was on my arm from where Peter drabbed me the night before and my wrist from when me and David were fighting not too long ago. I silently prayed that he would not see the two clear hand prints on my body.
From his expression I could tell that he did. David was just sitting there in shock not knowing what to do as my very intimidating father gave him the death stair.
This was not going to end well. I thought to myself.