It’s not like I’m jumping right into a relationship with Raiden anyway. We have things we need to work out and I wantto properly date him. To show him how he deserves to be loved after he’s had to put up with that asshole Josh for so long.
“Did you hear me, Jericho?”
I flinch, my thoughts getting ahead of themselves and worrying that I’ve somehow spoken my plans out loud. That would be awful.
“No, sorry. I didn’t. Can you repeat it?”
Liam looks at me weirdly, his face skeptical as he turns to face me more. The gold glitter on his cheeks contrasts nicely with his dark skin and he looks pretty. That stupid pang thumps through me again as I stare at him.
“I asked who all is going to be at your parents’ tonight.”
Oh, so I didn’t accidentally confess my plans.
“Raiden, Sophie and her son Damon, Hollis, Connor, Ace…” I trail off trying to remember who else. “And obviously Ema and Rodney, but I think that’s it. It’s supposed to bequaint,as my mom so politely put it.”
“I don’t know how I feel about Raiden,” Liam says, dropping his gaze from mine and I pause. I wait for him to say anything else, but he seems content for me to pick up the conversation from there.
“Can I ask why?”
Liam blows out an annoyed huff, and avoids the conversation as a group of kids come up for candy. I try to wait patiently, a prickle of irritation starts at the base of my spine as he keeps avoiding me.
When there’s finally a break from kids, he sits down on the chair beside me. The sun has gone down, the residual glow of the day leaving as the night begins to take over.
“I just don’t know if I like him. I mean, Jericho, you remember how he was.”
“I do, but he’s also been my best friend for the longest time.”
“I know that, I’m not trying to set you off but you have to see it from my perspective. He treated you like shit, and as soonas he starts coming around again, you drop everything for him.”
Anger sparks and I stand up, glaring at Liam as he tugs on the collar of his costume. “You don’t know him like I do.”
That doesn’t help the problem any, because in the next moment he sets Jojo on the ground and lets her run around the yard as he stands up to look me in the eyes. “I don’t need to know him, Jericho. I can see, I have eyes. He treats you like shit, but you keep running right back to him. I don’t know why you can’t see for yourself that he’s using you,” Liam spits out and my heart drops. Because he just confirmed that he can see all my fears, even if he doesn't know it. Isn’t that the same thing I’ve been worried about? Raiden using me and tossing me to the side. Raiden not being as serious as I am about this.
I take a step back and whirl around to walk down the sidewalk. Anything I say now will be spoken in anger, and no matter how mad I am at Liam for shining an LED light on my biggest insecurities, he doesn’t deserve my wrath.
“Wait, Jericho, I’m sorry. Please don’t go.” Liam catches up to me, grabbing me around my upper arm and I breathe through the need to push him off. Not because he’s done something to warrant it, but he knows I hate when people grab me with little to no warning.
“I’ll see you at my parents’ house, I just need to cool down.” This is when I would normally kiss him or offer a hug, but I can’t do it today. Not when my insecurities and the lies are weighing this heavy on me.
I get in my truck, and back out his driveway, watching carefully for the Trick or Treaters as I make my way down the populated road and out to the more sparse areas.
My phone rings as I get on the interstate, pressing the gas pedal down and feeling the roar of my truck engine as it gains speed to merge with the rest of the traffic.
I contemplate ignoring it, but when I see his name, I know Ican’t. And isn’t that the fucking cherry on top of all of this? The one person that I want more than anything also has the possibility to be my downfall. The one thing I can’t live without but also the only thing that can kill me. My ambrosia and kryptonite.
I click the answer button on my steering wheel, and wait for him.
“Jer?” His voice is sweet, and I can picture his lips forming the sounds of my name. “You there?”
“Yeah,” my voice is gruff and I clear my throat.
“Where are you? I thought you would be back by 7:00?”
I check the clock on my dash, and I realize I spent more time driving the backroads than I realized. The numbers are mocking me as I see it glaring a neon 7:09. Raiden called because I’m nine minutes late. Nine minutes. It doesn't seem like a lot, but plenty of life changing things can happen in less time.
“I’m out driving,” I answer simply, checking my rearview mirror so I can change lanes to pass by a slow car. It’s a grandma, so I feel bad for a minute that I passed her, but at least I didn’t throw my hands up in agitation because then I would really feel like an asshole.
“Where? Are you not coming to your parents’? Not everyone is here yet, but your mom is already asking where you are.” The unspoken part is that my mom is asking where me andLiamare.
