*vicious*, eddie roundtree

iv.

. . .

INTERVIEWER: How much did you know about Christine's life in Pittsburgh?

RONNIE: I thought I knew everything, but how much could I really know if I didn't know about Eddie?

. . .

Ronnie didn't even grab a drink the entire ten minutes she was out there. He waited for the mystery man to pass him before making his way to the door. His gossipy ass had his ear out the door the whole damn time.

When Ronnie saw the guy walk back inside without so much as a glance at the man so obviously listening in on his conversation, he knew Chris would follow shortly after. He sped over to the bar before she caught him eavesdropping.

Sure enough, Chris strolled back into the bar a minute later. To the untrained eye, she may have looked totally unrattled by the entire situation, but Ronnie knew better. There was a stiffness in her face that suggested she was either terrified, pissed off, conflicted, or all three. Ronnie guessed the latter.

As she approached, Ronnie debated bringing up the encounter at all, but even Chris knew Ronnie was too curious to abstain.

"Who is that fella?" Ronnie said casually with a hint of excitement in his voice.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Chris sighed as she went to flag down the bartender they'd come to know fairly well within the past few months.

"Babe, you're gonna have to. I had to watch you throw up on the fucking curb, it's the least you could do. That was disgusting," Ronnie pushed. He knew if she kept this in for too long, she'd explode. Chris bottled up her feelings more than anyone he knew. Ronnie wasn't convinced he ever even saw her cry. Chris maintained a strong front most of the time.

She paused for a while, Ronnie giving her time to collect her thoughts. He'd never seen her so shaken up.

"He's just someone I knew in Pittsburgh. A friend of Graham's." She exhaled.

"Nope," Ronnie said.

"What do you mean 'nope?'" Chris commented, confused.

"There's more to that story." He knew there was no way that's all he was to her. She wouldn't have literally thrown up upon the sight of him if all he was was one of 'Graham's friends.'

Chris was already exhausted from this conversation. "Fine. He's probably the closest thing I have to an enemy." She looked up at Ronnie carefully, knowing he was going to enjoy this.

"You have a mortal enemy and you never told me?" He said softly, bursting with delight.

"Oh, I just knew you'd enjoy this," Chris said annoyed, taking a sip of the drink that had just appeared before her.

Ronnie paused for a moment, considering all of this new information.

"How come you've never told me about him?" He questioned.

"He's not important, that's why," She defended.