In the wise words of Ozzy Osbourne;
'Some people say my love cannot be true. Please believe me, my love, and I'll show you. I will give you those things you thought unreal. The sun, the moon, the stars, all bear my seal.'
I want to give you those things, Steve. Anything you want, anything you need. People like Billy, he said my love was never real, and maybe that was true. But it is real for you. And now you've gone away. You're scared of what we could have.
'Follow me now and you will not regret. Leaving the life you led before we met. You are the first to have this love of mine. Forever with me till the end of time.'
Metal gets a lot of hate, but really, they were poets. People just need to listen to the lyrics to understand.
It's been two weeks since our break up.
Was it a break up?
You don't message me, but you text Tommy plenty.
Stevie - [08:19 AM]
Hey, call me when you get this.
…
Stevie - [10:32 AM]
I'm not kidding around, Tommy. Call me.
….
- Missed Call [01:05 PM] -
…
Stevie - [06:52 PM]
Jesus fucking christ. Are you ignoring me?
I called it off with Eddie. Happy now?
Pick up the phone.
…
- Missed Call [08:12 PM] -
- Missed Call [12:11 AM] -
- Missed Call [07:57 AM] -
…
Stevie - [07:59 AM]
Fine. Be that way.
Don't expect me to forgive you when you crawl out of whatever fucking crack hole you're in.
I won't lie, it hurts, Steve.
You're clinging on to this deadweight like he gives a fuck about you.
You don't love him. He certainly doesn't love you. Why do you think it will ever change?
The only thing Tommy wants is his drugs. Two days ago, he finally caved and told me his password. It was his birthday. Not Carol's, not yours, his own. What a fucking narcissist. His background is a picture of his abs. Ugh. You're attracted to this?
It's finally time to message you back.
Tommy - [03:21 PM]
Hey.
You don't respond straight away. You must be seething, or maybe you're too busy living your life and forgetting this asshole. It's three hours later you respond.
Stevie - [06:30 PM]
Where the hell have you been?
Carol is going crazy. Why haven't you text her back?
I send your call to voicemail. Sorry, Steve, Tommy doesn't want to talk.
Tommy - [06:32 PM]
Can't talk. Busy.
Stevie - [06:32 PM]
Fuck off.
This is a different side to you. You're feisty. How much would it take to make you cut this loser off? Instead of responding to you, it's time to talk to the girlfriend. He has her listed as Babe on his phone. Kill me. She hasn't sent any texts but calls Tommy religiously every day. It's a wall of red.
Tommy - [06:35 PM]
Hey babe.
I miss you.
I'm sorry.
Tommy is a typical fuck boy. Always apologising and begging for forgiveness. It's a shame she always caves.
Babe - [06:36 PM]
OMG, Tommy!
Where have u been?
Come over already.
Oh god. No wonder he prefers to call her instead of text.
Tommy - [06:40 PM]
Can't. Still got the shakes.
Need to lie low for a couple of days.
He does too. I gave him what he wanted when he gave me access. He's sat in the cage trembling through a high and staring at the singular lightbulb overhead, transfixed. At least he's a quiet junkie.
Babe - [06:41 PM]
Oh no :(
Want me to come over and help you feel better?
She sends a string of emojis that make me want to bleach my eyes out. Definitely too much information, and thank god she didn't send any nudes. I lock the screen. Tommy is always ignoring her anyway.
I tap on the glass, and he jumps. "Hey, you okay in there?"
"Eddie, my man, am I dead?"
Jesus, it's too early for this. I rub my forehead and grab his food and water to put into the vestibule. He yanks on the handle in frustration. "You have to wait until I close my side, remember?"
He nods and waits like a toddler, yanks on the handle as soon as the door closes. He tears into the takeout like it's his last meal and moans. Who knows, maybe it is. "Thank you."
This motherfucker is actually thanking me for feeding him, Steve. I've locked him up, and he says thank you. Those drugs he snorted must be strong.
I wait until he's done and licked the container clean to speak. "What's the deal with you and Steve?"
He pauses, caught red-handed and then smiles. "You spying on us or something? We don't talk about it over the phone, so you didn't get it from in there."
I say nothing, but he knows, and he laughs.
"You're such a fucking creep! So you've not only locked me up, but you're watching him too? Steve always knew how to pick them. I told him he would get us into shit one day if he kept sleeping around with rats like you, and now look, I'm in a fucking cage!"
"You want out, right?"
That gets his attention, and he sits up straighter.
"Tell me about Steve."
He does, but he's got it all twisted.
You have been sleeping with him since high school. Tommy confirms that. He can't tell his parents about his sexuality. Not without losing his money and status. So he started dating Carol, and you were his side piece. Six years later, it's still going on.
Tommy talks about you like you're his. Like you're something he owns.
Why are you so attached to him?
"Look, if you want Steve go for it, man. See if I care. But I'm telling you now, he doesn't give a shit about you. Give it a week, two tops, and he'll dump your ass. You think I'm the bad guy? You don't even know Steve."
And it must register on my face; the confusion, the hesitation because he smirks.
"Go on, have a look." He nods at the phone in my hand. "Search up scoops. I even have it bookmarked."
"I have to open the shop."
"You don't know him! You're ruining your life over Steve goddamn Harrington!" He yells after me, but I ignore him.
Upstairs it's mercifully quiet. Tommy is silenced for now.
The day passes slowly, and all I can think about is scoops. What the hell does it mean? I can just look, but it feels like opening Pandora's box. Still, what choice do I have?
Gareth gives me a bracing smile when he leaves. "I know it's kinda shitty about Steve, but cheer up, man. Will told me he's planning on getting the rest of the club together at the end of the month, and they would love a one-shot to play."
That does sound fun. "I'll figure something out."
"Nice! I'll let him know. See you tomorrow!"
"Bye."
As soon as the door closes behind him, I have Tommy's phone out. He does have scoops bookmarked.
It's fucking porn.
Some dude in a sailor's outfit getup with his face hidden off camera. Honestly, I really don't care what kind of shit Tommy is into. Why the fuck is he getting me to look at this?
But then I realise.
It's you.
The chest hair, the arms, the fucking moles. There's no way it isn't you.
What the fuck, Steve?
Why do you have an OnlyFans account when you belong to one of the wealthiest families in the state? Scratch that. Why are you riding dildos and moaning for your 'daddy'? Is that what you're into?
I'm hard, and it's uncomfortable. This is not how I imagined you. It's a lot to process.
I close the page. I don't want to see you like that because it can't be real. Whatever your reasons, that's not the real you, and I know it. One day, you'll tell me why. But first, you need to come back to me, and Tommy needs to go. He's poison.
He's asleep in the cage. Tired out from a day of drugs and deception. Did you put on that outfit for him and call him daddy? Is that why you like him so much? It's too much to think about, and he's out cold—no more questions for today.
Home is no good either, so I go to the one place I can find solace, yours.
And there you are, sitting cross-legged on your couch and typing at a furious pace. It's good to see you with your head on straight, no distractions. I almost feel bad for texting you, but you're angry with Tommy, and I don't want you to forget it.
Tommy - [07:44 PM]
You still pissed?
It takes you five seconds to glance at your phone but over ten minutes to respond. You don't type in all that time. You stare blankly at your screen, and then Tommy's phone pings.
Stevie - [07:59 PM]
What do you think asshole?
You blew us off for two weeks and just rock up expecting us to ignore it?
Tommy - [08:02 PM]
I was watching your scoops videos earlier.
I miss you.
Stevie - [08:02 PM]
Fuck off, Tommy.
You're such a dick.
And you toss your phone aside like a good boy, only to stare at your laptop again. You still don't write, but at least you're ignoring Tommy.
Carol is calling, but I send her to voicemail. The sooner you two give him up, the sooner I can kill him. I don't want to, but what choice do I have? You'll never speak to me again if I let him go.
Eventually, to start to type, but it's not long before you get up to pace around the large room. Are you worried or annoyed? At this distance, I can't tell. Maybe I should invest in some binoculars, all the better to see you with, my dear.
You snatch up your phone, and it's not Tommy you're texting. It's me.
Steve H - [08:25 PM]
So about that second date?