AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He held up his hands. “If we are, I wouldn’t know. Levi still hasn’t called me back.”
“He’s probably mad, and this is our ‘punishment’ to see what it’s like to not have a manager.”
“Whatever. I hope he’s taking a vacation and shuts the fuck up about all of this when we get back.”
“No kidding.”
Dean again tried to butt into our conversation, but we iced him out and it felt like I had my best friend back for a little while.
But as soon as we got back to the bungalow, he was ice cold again. He’d become the phantom ice wall at the south pole. Giant, cold, and fictional. He slipped further from me with every passing day.
At first, I was numb.
I thought I’d use our interaction to jack off, but I couldn’t bring myself to. My cock seemed to have no interest in my hand. The dissociation divided my body from my mind, and pleasure became a far-off notion.
And then the anger set in.
I wanted to burn down everything we were, so I didn’t have any memories of the good. I wanted to tear our friendship limb from limb to punish him for the hurt festering in my chest. I wanted to make it so he could never look at me again.
And I knew none of those were healthy inclinations.
Did I talk to my therapist about it in our daily sessions?
No. I let it grow until I snapped.
Our friendship was over. I didn’t want to leave here with the ashes of us. So I’d light the memories on fire and burn this whole mother fucker down.
SIXTEEN
Royal
We’d barely interacted for a week, but today, when we walked back into the bungalow, he was different. Something had come over him, and it was like I’d woken to a demon in Aspen’s body. Even the way he carried himself was different. If I believed in aliens, I would have thought they’d kidnapped him.
We were done for the day, and our normal routine was to go eat together in silence, catch a class, or sit in silence while we read, but nothing prepared me for the skirt he walked out in. He’d gone back to the little forest green one from that first night.
“I’ll be back later.”
I understood the shift. This was war. I knew in the back of my mind the truce had been temporary, but I foolishly thought maybe we could repair our friendship or something. He’d done his makeup, and sweat glistened on his skin.
“Where are you going?” I said through my teeth when he didn’t engage me.
“To the bar.” He hadn’t shown interest in that place the entire time we’d been here, and now he was going looking like that?
“Why?”
“You don’t want me. Someone will.” He moved to shove past me, but I slid with him, not letting him pass.
“Here? Another patient?!” I couldn’t believe what he was saying. Was this another way to push my buttons? Or was he done?
“Or staff member. I’m not picky. I need to blow off some steam.”
Rage took ahold of me, and I was not responsible for my actions. Maybe I needed the anger management, but that thought was fleeting because I wouldn’t let him leave this goddamn bungalow.
I didn’t know what was going to happen, but it wouldn’t be out there. I couldn’t bear it. I’d burn this entire island to the ground before I let anyone else touch him looking like that.
Mine.
As insane as it was.
