Best Friends Don't Sleep Together - A.H. Series #1

Chapter 33

"Chris ..." I called again, my voice lower, when I realized it was indeed him, I wasn't dreaming of it. I almost ran into his arms, realizing how much I'd missed him. Then his words finally registered in my mind. "Chris, what ... what are you doing here?"

"Being stupid." He scoffed. He hadn't changed a bit, except his light beard was a bit longer now and there was a scar on his left eyebrow. More than anything, though, his green eyes conveyed nothing but anger. "Adam called me, said you'd disappeared, said you were probably dead." He spat, coming closer. "Yet when I get here, surprise, surprise, I find you in some random dude's arms." He clenched his jaw. "It's like you just can't be alone for a minute, can you?"

"This is Detective Powell." I introduced coldly, now as ever wondering how blind I was all these years. How can someone that spent most of his life acting as lovely and sweetly as he did suddenly become so hateful? Then again, I guess the keyword here would be acting.

"Right, from a criminal to a cop, it's quite the improvement." Chris scoffed.

"You have no right to say those things." I defended. "Dylan and I are just friends. He's been great support so far and-"

"How needy do you have to be, to always surround yourself with men that do everything for you?" Chris interrupted me, his voice dripping with a venom I had never known he was capable of. "You always need someone to cling onto, like a helpless child."

"That's unfair."

"Is it? I think it's the truth." When he came closer, I noticed one thing: he couldn't walk straight. "When are you going to grow up and start taking care of yourself?"

"You're not thinking straight right now." I muttered, half because it was true, he was clearly drunk, half because I stupidly wanted to still cling onto the old image of him. The guy that would never hurt me, the guy that swore to my dad to protect me, the guy that vowed to be always on my side, against all odds.

"Oh, I'm thinking perfectly straight," Chris laughed coldly, "as a matter of fact, my mind's never been clearer."

Because I didn't want to put up a show, I discreetly turned to Dylan: "Could you give us a moment, please?"

He looked at me worried. "Are you sure?" He eyed Chris. "He doesn't look-"

"It's fine. I'll be ok." I fainted a smile.

Dylan didn't seem convinced, but eventually he nodded. "I'll be in the kitchen." He said, talking to Chris more than to me, especially considering that not only he looked right at him, but he also made quite a show of his badge, as if to remind him not to do anything stupid with a cop just one room away. Then, he left. 

The fact that a complete stranger to Chris, someone that had never witnessed our moments together could think he might physically harm me didn't surprise me. He did look like a mad man and, again, he was evidently drunk.

Standing straight, I tried to muster all the courage I was capable of, and, once Dylan was out of sight, I looked straight into the same green eyes I have always loved so much. "You calling me a needy child is unfair and you know it." I stated. "Because you're the one that always treated me like I couldn't lift a finger without your consent." 

It took me these months far from him to realize it, but in the end, Laura was right, he bossed me around all the time. I always thought it was unintentional, that it was my weakness not his willful deceit, and maybe it was. But still, my every decision was tainted by his more or less subtle attempts at convincing me otherwise.

"Don't you dare pin this on me," Chris hissed, "you're the one that's always needed a babysitter."

"Right, because I'm the one that needed you to do laundry for me, to remind me of my appointments, to act like a sister, a mother, a babysitter more than just a friend." I scoffed, unable to retain myself. "I've lived for you, Chris. I put my life on hold for you." Tears filled my eyes. "And what did I get in return? Nothing but lies."