CHAPTER 5

“Shit,” Kevin murmured. “Oh, shit…”

Steve’s face was solemn, his eyes underlined by dark circles, as he gave a weak nod. He’d just told Kevin about the horrendous happenings of the previous day.

Kevin flicked his eyes towards him, before looking back at his drink and shaking his head in a gesture of dismay. “Jesus. I’m so, so sorry. This…” A disgruntled sound escaped his lips. “This is terrible, man. I can’t imagine how horrible it must’ve been for you.”

Steve took a sip of his bourbon, his face scrunching up in a grimace as the fiery liquid burned his throat. Drafts of shame blew through his body. He tried to speak, but was afraid tears would seep through his voice.

They were at Kevin’s apartment on Cod Street, sitting at the table in his small living room.

Steve was dressed in a brown sweater and corduroy pants, while Kevin sported baggy pants and a black hooded sweatshirt.

The single window allowed weak light to filter through, while small raindrops struck it.

Kevin’s strong hand grasped Steve’s arm firmly, almost hard enough to hurt. Like Kevin, Steve was twenty-two, although Kevin was much stronger because of all the workout. He worked at a gas station and always went straight to the gym once his shift was over. “Hey, look at me.”

Steve raised his head and met his friend’s brown eyes.

“You did the right thing.” Kevin was looking at him sternly. “You hear me?”

Steve released a long sigh. “I could’ve done something to help him. I could’ve taken him to the vet. I could’ve–”

“Hey! You did what you had to do, the only thing you could do. That bitch, that crazy, evil bitch wasn’t going to let you leave with it.

If you’d just walked away and done nothing, that poor thing would probably still be alive, and she’d still be torturing it.

” He pointed at Steve with his hand for emphasis.

“But you helped it. You put it out of its misery.” He narrowed his eyes at him.

“And that makes you a wonderful human being. Okay?”

With his head bowed, Steve let out a quiet breath through his nose. He gave a slight, uncertain nod. “Yeah,” he breathed, not sounding entirely convinced.

A minute of silence strolled by. Then, Steve said softly, “You should’ve seen it. That poor dog.” His eyes were welling up.

Kevin lowered his head and said nothing.

“How could she do something like that?”

“Because she’s crazy,” Kevin whispered. “Sorry to break it to you, but there are plenty of those out there.”

“I have to leave her,” Steve said suddenly, and when he blurted these words, he felt surprised. It was the first time he’d said this. Hell, it was the first time he’d thought this. He was also surprised by the determination in his tone.

Kevin gave a single nod. “You bet your ass you do.”

His eyes fluttered closed as Steve brought his hands up to massage his aching temples. “God, how can I have been so stupid?”

“You were not stupid,” Kevin said as he scratched his short black hair, “just in love. That shit blinds us. None of this is your fault.”

Steve let out a shuddering breath. “I don’t know how to leave her, man.” He lowered his head, feeling more ashamed than ever. Then he said very quietly, “I’m afraid of her. I know it’s pathetic, but it’s the truth.”

“It’s not pathetic. Hell, after what you’ve just told me, I would also be afraid of her. But you’ve got to leave her, man.”

“But how?” Steve asked desperately. “How can I do that? Right now, I want her as far away as possible. I don’t have the strength to see her, let alone break up with her. I don’t have the courage to do this, man.”

“You don’t have to tell her in person, just send her a text message and tell her it’s over.”

Steve shot him a glare, a dismissive snort escaping his lips. “Do you have any idea how cowardly that would look?”

“Do you think I give a shit about how it looks? Well, I don’t, and neither should you. Let that bitch think whatever she wants. End it. Now. This very second.”

Steve met his gaze, uncertainty clouding his expression. The prospect of doing what his friend suggested terrified him, though he knew Kevin was right. It was the best choice. But fear had taken hold of him.

His palms began to sweat as he withdrew his smartphone from his pocket, the weight in his stomach growing heavier with each passing second he stared at the screen.

He shook his head, his shoulders slumping with defeat, and placed the phone down on the table.

“I can’t do it. Yeah, I’m a fucking coward, I know, but I just can’t. ”

A cold determination settled on Kevin’s face. “Then I’ll do it.”

Steve looked at him wide-eyed as he took his phone and began tapping on the screen. Steve was about to stop him, but he realized it was better this way, letting him take care of the dirty work, if he was willing to do that for him. So he watched with bated breath as his friend wrote the message.

When Kevin finished, he said, “Here, take a look. I haven’t sent it yet.

” He handed him the phone, and Steve read it: Hi Alisa.

What happened yesterday has affected me a lot.

I need some time to be by myself and reflect.

I’ll let you know whenever I’m ready to see you again.

In the meantime, please don’t call me, please don’t text me. I need some time alone. Bye.

Steve looked at his friend, and Kevin said, “Clear and to the point. You don’t need to say anything else.”

Steve’s face was a mask of utter despair. “I can’t send this, Kev. She’s going to be furious.”

“Good, let her be furious. Let her bawl all she wants.”

“I’m afraid of her, Kev.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. She can’t do anything to you. Please, I beg you, man, tap the send button. Just do it.”

Steve took a deep breath, his heart hammering, and sent the message, then left the phone on the table with a loud thud. He brought his hands to his face, the air leaving his lungs in a rush.

“This had to be done,” Kevin said reassuringly. “You know it.”

“Yes,” Steve mumbled. “I know. But I only hope things don’t get ugly.”

“What can happen? What can she do to you?”

Steve gazed at his stiff hands.

“Are you afraid she might hurt you?” Kevin asked. “Because she can’t. And if she does, you go straight to the police. Or, better still, you hit her back twice as hard. That would be self-defense.”

“I’d never do that; I would never hit a woman.”

“Okay, so you tell me instead, and I’ll beat the hell out of that bitch. I’ll be more than happy to.”

Steve looked flurried. “It’s something else that worries me.”

“What is it?”

“It’s her parents, especially her father. He’s–”

“I know who he is,” Kevin interrupted. “What about him?”

“He’s an influential man. If Alisa reaches out to him, or even if she doesn’t but he wants to punish me for upsetting his daughter, we both know he’d have the means to do it.”

Kevin opened his mouth to speak, but then clamped it shut, likely because he knew Steve was right. Jeff Dowling could find the right people to drive over to Chase’s auto repair shop in the middle of the night and vandalize it; or to pay Chase and Steve a visit with baseball bats.

Kevin wanted to reassure his friend so, after mulling it over, he said, “Listen, I don’t care who that bastard is, or how wide his influence spreads.” He took a sip from his drink and looked at Steve. “I know people too, you know.”

Steve nodded, looking at him somewhat disapprovingly.

“Yeah, I do know.” Steve wasn’t fond of the gang Kevin hung out with now and then.

Steve didn’t know what they were involved in, and he didn’t want to know, but he’d heard some rumors which kind of justified his father’s misgivings about Kevin.

Rumors involving violence and breaking into expensive homes and stealing jewelry.

Even drug dealing. Mostly Kevin stayed out of it, though. Or so he said.

“So,” Kevin went on, “if things get ugly—which they won’t—I won’t let anything happen to you, man.”

Kevin’s words resonated with Steve, reassuring him. A sliver of relief settled over him. “Thanks, Kev.”

Kevin pointed a finger at him. “I’m not letting anything happen to you, you hear me? Fuck, you’re my best friend. I started saving your ass when we met in seventh grade, and I ain’t stopping now.”

Steve couldn’t hold back his laughter. Kevin was helping him feel better about this situation; he had the ability to do that.

But Steve’s smile vanished when his phone buzzed. He glared at it, his flesh crawling.

“Don’t answer it,” Kevin said sharply. “Don’t you even read it. Just delete it.”

When Steve took the phone, it felt heavier than it should. His body was coated in sweat. He felt as if he were running a fever. “I have to read it,” he muttered. “If she’s being aggressive, if she’s threatening me, I need to know.”

He opened the message, his hands freezing and throat dry, and read it: What the fuck?

? I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.

You selfish, miserable, ungrateful piece of shit!

Who do you think you are? How can you do this to me?

What we did yesterday (yes, we, as you also took part, in case you forgot) was a game.

A goddamn game. If I’d known you were going to be such a pussy about it, I wouldn’t have invited you over.

So you will let me know when you’re ready to see me again, huh?

Well, excuse me, smartass, but that’s not how it works.

You are such a coward. I want you to call me RIGHT NOW and apologize for your ruthless behavior, or else…

Steve noticed his breath hitched and his body began to shake. His guts were melting.

Kevin must have seen the look on his face, as he reached out a hand and said, “Let me see.”

Kevin snatched the phone from his grasp, read the message, and his features contorted into a grimace. “Fucking bitch.”

Steve’s face was a picture of distress. “What am I going to do, man? I have to call her. I better call her, or she–”

“Fuck that. You don’t have to do shit. You owe her nothing.” He tapped his fingers on the table, pondering, then said, “I’m going to block her.”

“Kev, no, don’t do it, you’ll only make things worse.”

“That bitch has no right to treat you like this. I’m blocking her this very second.”

Kevin did, and then, setting the phone down, he stared at Steve, his eyes unmoving. “There you go. Now you can relax. You’re free from her. She tries to text you or call you from someone else’s phone, you just block that number too.”

His arms crossed and his body taut, Steve’s gaze was fixed on his phone. Instead of making him feel better, blocking her number was having the reverse effect. A bad feeling was flowing through his body.

“Everything’s going to be all right, man. That bitch won’t bother you anymore. Now it’s time for you to move on with your life.”

“Yes, I guess you’re right,” Steve said, although the uncertainty in his tone was tangible.

He had a gut feeling that Alisa wasn’t done with him.