Jaded

by Tijan

  nearly rolled my eyes at the tortoise speed, but I caught it and twisted her arm behind her back.

  "What are you so tired of? That I don't care while all you do is care? Maybe you should stop caring so much and just be yourself, Lew. You might find life a lot easier." I think it was her cry of pain as I twisted her arm again that caught Bryce and Corrigan's attention. Bryce had a hand to Corrigan's shirt, but both stopped, looked over, and immediately surged my way.

  Bryce lifted me free while Corrigan swooped to keep Becky in place.

  I didn't even fight Bryce's arm as it circled my waist and lifted me off my feet. I just laughed at Becky and said, "That was fun."

  "Shut up," she snarled around from Corrigan.

  "I'd like you a lot more if you were just honest."

  "I am being honest. I hate you," she spewed back.

  "See," I grinned. "I kinda like you now." Bryce had started to carry me upstairs, "I think this fight was good for us."

  I caught a few amused grins from the guys, but Mandy just looked resigned to what was coming next.

  Bryce locked my bedroom door behind us and set me on my feet. And I knew that meant the real fight was about to start. I backed up, hands in the air, and started, "Look, Corrigan is your best friend and he deserved to know. What do you expect? I'm not going to talk to my best friend when the guy I love is leaving me—"

  Bryce slammed his mouth against mine, picked me up, and then slammed me on the bed with him on top.

  I eagerly wound my legs around him and hung on.

  Chapter 26

  The party was in full swing by the time we emerged.

  Holster greeted us, grinning like a mad man and a beer in each hand. "That was awesome!"

  I chuckled and took a drink.

  "We should have parties here all the time."

  Evans came over and threw an arm around my shoulder, "Man, I can't ever beat that pre-party warm-up. Not only one fight, but a girl-fight too! You already made this party. It could be lame for the rest of the night and it's still going down in history."

  Chet materialized from the crowd and informed us, "Corrigan finished the alarm system stuff. It's all turned off for the night, since, you know—closed doors don't go with parties."

  Tatum pushed his way through the crowd and said, "Corrigan's downstairs with his girl. Lew took off, but she'll probably show up with her boy and Locke."

  "They dare to crash my party?" I laughed.

  "Apparently anything goes with your parties," Tatum laughed.

  Evans added, still grinning, "This party rules."

  "And some losers showed up. We kept them outside," Holster spoke up.

  "I want them to come," I murmured, suddenly somber. "I want them all."

  "As long as they're not that psycho killer, right?" Tatum laughed and scanned the crowd. At our grave silence, he looked back, saw my face and sighed, "Oh no."

  "Don't get drunk then," Chet murmured and handed his full bottle to someone passing behind him.

  "Don't get drunk at all," Bryce said instead and the rest of the guys grimaced, but handed their beer away.

  "Seriously? That's what this party is for?"

  The doorbell rang and someone exclaimed, "Food's here!" The Party Packs were taken out of Marcus' hands and brought inside where they were immediately attacked. I'd already paid, but I grabbed a five dollar bill and pushed my way to Marcus' side. "Here you go."

  He took his tip and smiled faintly, "You really are having a party, huh?"

  I nodded and glanced around. "You already missed the excitement. There were two fights."

  "I can imagine." He smiled faintly and blushed. "Thanks."

  "You can stay, if you'd like," I offered.

  His eyes narrowed as he searched my face. Slowly, he shook his head and said, "No, I'm okay. I'll be safer if I head home."

  "Okay, but really…you can come back if you want."

  "Okay." He nodded. "Thank you."

  "Yeah."

  I turned around before I saw the door close behind him. I didn't have to push my way through the crowd as I walked downstairs and found Corrigan nuzzling Logan's neck in a back corner. His hand was underneath her skirt as he straightened, lazily, and smiled with lust in his eyes.

  He was already drunk.

  "What, are you stupid?" I cried out and snatched his beer from his other hand.

  Logan melted against him and wrapped her arms around him. She nibbled on his neck and I saw that she was drunk too.

  "What?" He frowned slightly, but both his hands started to work their way up and Logan's skirt lifted, completely showing her thong to anyone who might've been watching—which was plenty.

  "You're drunk and you know what this party is for tonight," I hissed.

  "So? I'm sure you and Bryce got it covered." He turned his head and started nuzzling Logan's neck again.

  "Oh my god," I snapped and hauled him off his chair.

  Logan sat, dazed, and blinked at the open air.

  I hauled Corrigan into a back room and shut the door. "Are you demented? Is that what this is?"

  "What are you talking about?" He suddenly looked sober.

  I sucked in my breath and asked, "Was that acting? Is that your plan? I don't need you drunk and getting it on with Logan at every chance. We're not hunting snipe tonight."

  "What's the plan even? Just walk around and inspect every loser? See if they pull out a knife or something? We don't know who or what we're looking for—and I'm betting you money that the police are across the street, watching everything. You are under protection, right?"

  "This is why this guy is going to come tonight. He can get close to me without the police seeing him coming. He's coming tonight and I'm going to be ready for him. I'm tired of finding more people dead or getting notes. I'm tired of it all."

  "Sheldon," Corrigan sighed and sat down on the bed. "This isn't right. I mean—you threw me for a loop with Bryce leaving, I'm not exactly all clear-headed right now."

  "Because you're drinking."

  He cried out, "I'm not drinking! I'm just looking like I am. The guy's not stupid, whoever he is. He's going to know something's up when he comes and everyone's surprisingly sober!"

  "Logan is drunk."

  "So? Logan can drink. She's not a part of this."

  "You want your girlfriend to be inebriated when some killer shows up, looking for an easy target?" I spat out. "That's who I'd go for if I was him. She's close to our circle and she'll be vulnerable. And probably passed out by the time he gets here—where she'll be alone because you'll be hanging out with me, waiting for him to show up."

  Corrigan hissed and shook his head, "You're a little too good at this game, Sheldon."

  "It's not a game. It's my life and it's others' lives. I'm tired of this guy pushing me around. I'm pushing back now."

  "…he's trying to scare you and I'm thinking the more you scare, the more mad you are, and the more ruthless you'll get. That's what you need to survive this nightmare, Sheldon."

  I remembered Officer Sheila's words and felt nothing.

  "I'm ready for him," I only said and left the room.

  Tatum stopped me just as I walked out of the room and informed me as he glanced at Corrigan, "Yerling just showed up with his buddies. They're outside. Chet and Holster won't let them inside."

  "Where's Bryce?" Corrigan asked.

  Tatum shrugged, "I don't know. I thought he was down here with you guys."

  I found him upstairs in a back room, in my dad's office.

  "What are you doing in here?"

  Bryce didn't turn around, but opened some cupboards and exposed four video screens.

  "What are those?"

  "Video output. I wanted it installed because your last alarm system was useless."

  "Why? I mean…" Okay. I got why. I just didn't…the why didn't help keep the shivers away. Huskily, I murmured, "Bryce, I don't like video cameras."

  "Don't worry. There's nothing that'll break priv
acy or anything. I just had the guys install them on your doors, like—here's the front doorway, there's the back doorway, here's the other door, and…" He studied the screen closer and asked, "Is that Yerling?"

  I moved closer and peered at the screen to add, "And look—Mena's come to join them."

  "If her brother shows up…" Bryce let the threat hang open.

  "It wouldn't be at my invitation. Trust me. Unless he's the stalker, then he can come."

  Bryce grinned and asked, ruefully, "Did you just hear yourself?"

  I shrugged.

  Bryce chuckled and switched the screens for the last doorway. It was rarely used and it led into the garage from the street. In fact, I normally leaned tables against it from inside the garage, but I gasped as it came onto the screen. The door had been left open and I saw that no tables blocked it anymore.

  "What?" Bryce looked at me.

  "It's never open. I…tables were there, the lawnmower's in there—that door isn't used because we can't use it."

  "Would you have mowed the lawn today?"

  It only took one incredulous look for Bryce to realize the moronic value of his question.

  "Just saying…," he finished haplessly, but he refocused. "I don't get it. Anyone can walk in here through the front door, why use that door?"

  "Like someone who doesn't want to be seen here?" I suggested, rolling my eyes.

  "So…oh hell," Bryce swore. "The guy's already inside…what now?"

  "What if…the guy is coming for me, right? I mean….why don't we stay put and have him come to us? We can monitor these screens then and sees who comes in and who goes outside."

  "Yeah, but…" Of course. There was always a but. "If Yerling starts something, I'm going to have to go down there. I don't want to leave you alone."

  "Maybe he won't." And we didn't live on Mars so I don't even know why I uttered those words. I flushed and remarked, "Sorry, wishful thinking."

  "That's okay," Bryce soothed and ran a hand down my arm and around my waist. He scooped me on his lap and sat on a chair.

  Corrigan said disgustedly, "You guys are just rabbits."

  We'd left the door unlocked and I turned to see Logan, who stood rooted in the doorway, as Corrigan moved around us and studied the video screens intently. Logan shut the door behind her as I rested against Bryce and turned my head towards Corrigan.

  "Not that I mind, normally," Corrigan relented with a rakish grin. "But tonight is for other things."

  I asked, "What are you doing up here?"

  "Crowd control," Corrigan remarked and glanced our way. "Your place is overflowing now. What do you want to do?"

  "The cops are going to get called pretty soon," Logan piped up with a flush.

  I guessed where that flush came from and rested my chin on Bryce's shoulder as I mused, "You have sex with Corrigan and yet—you're too prim and proper to realize other people do it?"

  "It's not that…"

  "Then what is it?"

  "I've just…never…watched…" She blushed with each word.

  "It makes you hot, doesn't it?" I flashed a knowing grin.

  "Leave her alone, Sheldon," Corrigan suddenly said. "We have more important things to deal with."

  "Right," I sighed and stood off of Bryce's lap. "Like how you're not my psycho stalker."

  "Right," Corrigan grunted and watched the screens again.

  Bryce stood behind me and asked, "What do we do about the cops?"

  "They're already here," I pointed out. "They're parked across the street. If they were going to break it up, wouldn't they have done it by now?"

  "Maybe. Maybe not. They might just be waiting."

  "For what?"

  "For someone to scream so they can rush in and actually get a shot at this guy?" Corrigan mused. "We're doing their work for them. They're not going to break this up, not while we might actually draw this loser in."

  "Corrigan," Logan suddenly spoke up. "I want to go home."

  "No!" Corrigan rounded on her. "That's what this guy wants. He wants people to be alone."

  "I want to go home. Now. I don't want to be here. My parents are home. So is my little sister. I want to go home."

  "Where you're safe and tucked in bed?" I asked.

  "Yes," Logan said honestly. "For whatever reason, you guys think this guy is obsessed with you. Call me crazy, but I don't exactly want to be standing next to you when he shows up."

  Corrigan stiffened.

  I wasn't surprised.

  And Bryce was…quiet. He knew, just as I did, what her words actually meant to Corrigan.

  "I'm not leaving my best friend," Corrigan said softly. "You can go if you want, but you have to get your own ride home."

  "Corrigan…"

  "I'm not leaving Sheldon's side," he said swiftly and pointedly turned his back.

  Logan gaped and realized, for the first time, what target her words hit. She gaped again, but slowly, stiffly, found her way out the door. It wasn't long before we saw her on the screen leave through the front door with a friend behind her.

  Bryce moved away and I heard the door lock. He slumped onto the couch and kicked his feet on the table as he remarked, "Someone's going to end up in the hospital tonight."

  "Or dead." Corrigan turned to him.

  "Maybe the party wasn't such a good idea," I mused and sat on the far end of Bryce's couch.

  He rolled his head towards me and smiled faintly. It didn't reach his eyes.

  "I'm sorry about Logan," I murmured to Corrigan.

  He sighed, but remarked, "It's too soon, you know. We hadn't really been together long enough…"

  "Still…sorry."

  Corrigan smirked and remarked, "There aren't many girls who'll let you put handcuffs on them."

  The old Corrigan still sparked.

  I saw Bryce open his mouth and swiftly raised a finger, "No!"

  He closed it and slumped back on the couch.

  Corrigan snickered, "You had to try, though, right?"

  Bryce grinned and I knew the two were fine. They just needed to throw a few punches before all was fine and dandy.