He nods once, turns around, throws a glare at Brad that makes the latter step out of the kitchen, then walks to the door. Keegan opens it and motions for me to leave. I swallow the knot in my throat. Keegan’s always been nice and protective, but there’s something new and raw about him. I like it.
He closes the door behind us and we make our way out of the building. The soft breeze of the night touches my hair. His fingers close around a strand, making me tilt my chin up.
“Has this fucker been bothering you?” he asks, his eyes so vivid they almost burn.
I chew on my bottom lip. Keegan’s barely here. If he goes up against Brad, then leaves, I’m set up for a harder time up ahead. Lying to your friends is awful, but I shake my head. “No. He’s okay.”
He gapes at me. Hard. As if he’s trying to read my mind. “Aleida.” And he stops, his fingers still clutching my hair. “You know you can tell me anything, right?” And those bright green eyes make my stomach flip, my knees buckle. There’s electricity in them, and they make my entire body go jelly. What is he doing? Is he... “You’re my best friend. You can tell me anything.”
It’s a bucket of icy cold water. Friend. Yeah. That’s the only reason he worries about me. Not jealous, not possessive. There’s not an inch of romance in the mix. It’s because he’s a good friend. I force a smile onto my face, shake my head, then chase another subject.
For some reason, it’s weird to think of him as only a friend now. But that’s all I’ll ever be to him. Nothing more.
2
KEEGAN
Aleida was always beautiful. I remember her enormous eyes and the thick dark hair falling down her back when we were kids. I remember how she would grind her jaw to stop herself from crying, and how she’s brave and good. There’s not a part of her I don’t admire.
There is not a single part of her I don’t love.
I narrow my eyes from my spot in the coffee shop. An older woman stops Aleida in her tracks as she’s adjusting clothes on hangers. Aleida greets the woman with a smile, and I can almost hear her asking how she can help. I already know the woman is going to enter an entitled harangue just from the way she carries herself. The tilted up chin, the twisted mouth, the narrowed eyes—as if Aleida was somehow less than her.
Three, two... And there she goes.
I watch her gesticulate with dramatic motions of her hands, stick her finger into Aleida’s face, and scream so hard her cheeks go red. Aleida keeps a smile on her face, a soft smile, one that says she’s sorry and that she comprehends everything. It’s impressive. It takes everything in me not to cross the street and punish each of those kinds of people, shivers of rage rolling down my spine. But Aleida wouldn’t like that. She’d tell me it’s part of her job, and that those people might be having bad days, etc.
I don’t give a fuck. Whoever treats her badly deserves some punishment.
Aleida is the best person I’ve ever known. She’s good, too good, and people take advantage of her. For many years, I couldn’t do a thing. I was powerless, useless, unable to help her. Things have changed. Now that I’ve learned what I’m good at, I make real money, money enough to improve Aleida’s life. Even if she wouldn’t approve of what I do.
It doesn’t matter. As long as she’s safe and happy, she doesn’t need to be proud of me. She doesn’t need to know what I’m doing to help her live her best life. Fuck, I would burn the world down to see her smile, and she doesn’t need to learn it was me.
I’ve loved her since we were kids, but we can’t get together. She’s too beautiful, too bright. I’m too rough, too full of thorns. We’re perfect opposites, and I would never allow myself to hurt her, no matter how many others I have to break.
The woman finishes her harangue, chest heaving as she catches her breath. Aleida doesn’t lose her demeanor, and I watch her offer some middle ground. That’s what she does. She’s rational and sweet, trying to find a solution for all sides. What she doesn’t see is that not everyone deserves this treatment. Most of these entitled people want to treat someone like shit because they can’t solve their own problems.
They’re cowards. Weak. Instead of standing up for themselves, they put their heads down and ditch their hatred on the first minimum wage employee they find. Ridiculous.
I finish my coffee and hope for this woman to tire herself out soon enough. Aleida’s shift ended half an hour ago. It’s a damn clothing store. Why is she still working? It’s not like there are people whose lives depend on her. I order another coffee.
Another half an hour passes, and Aleida leaves the store. Her shoulders hang low, and she looks so damn tired. I pull my phone from my pocket and order some of her favorite food. Hope the best sushi in town delivers to her address. By the time she gets home, the food will be ten minutes away, so she’ll get it fresh.
If it was any other day, I’d shoot her a message letting her know the sushi is for her and for her only. No need to share with her creepy housemate. She hasn’t told me what goes on between them, but it’s clear it’s nothing good. The fucker is possessive of her, and arrogant at that. He treats her like an object, a toy he can play with and throw away.
My stomach flips. She won’t need to share anything else with him. He won’t bother her after tonight.
A message makes my phone buzz.
Aleida: You home?
I type back an excuse, how I’m only meeting her later on, and warn her about the upcoming dinner. She’s upset I won’t join her, but tonight I have a big fish to take care of. I’ve spent too long away from her. Too long I’ve allowed people to hurt her. No more. Never again.
Following Aleida from a distance, I make sure she reaches the train station. I would let her know I’m here, go home with her, but she can’t learn about my whereabouts. Not with what I’m about to do.
Aleida is beautiful, and she has every bit of my heart, but she doesn’t deserve a broken man like me. No, she deserves so much more. So much better. And I’m going to make sure of it. I’m going to make sure she only has the best in life for the rest of her days. Even if I don’t have a chance. Even if she never feels the same toward me.
I take the next right turn and make my way to Brad’s workplace. My body already tightens in expectation, my hands curling into fists after I put my phone away. I lick my lips like a predator, hungry for my next prey. And a smile slashes across my face when I think of what I’m about to do to him.