Pay Off

My knight in shining Armour

“You know you shouldn’t be here right Amelia?” the sneer he was throwing my way sent shivers down my spine. “You didn’t see sh!t that night and my father pays for you to go here. He shouldn’t have done that and you know it. Your word that night meant nothing.”

“You know if I could go back in time and have a choice, this college or keeping my mum the way she was? I’d probably be in a community college right now working two part time jobs. I didn’t choose this. You did, when you got in that car that night. And you may think you scare me, but you don’t? What more can you do to me really? You already took away the most important person in my life!” I practically screamed the last part at him.

He had the audacity to laugh at that. “You think I can’t do worse to you than that? Do you know what you did to me Amelia? My dad practically cut me off. Sure he pays for my apartment and my bills, and he arranges for my fridge to be fully stocked every week. But he took my cars and my bikes. He wiped every penny of my account and refuses for more to be put back in until I ‘grow up’ as he calls it. I want my life back Amelia. And you can bet your ass I want revenge on the person who did this to me. You.” The way he said ‘you’ sent shivers down my spine and the look on his face was menacing as he kept edging towards me.

“A fine job you’re doing of trying to ‘grow up’. You need to take responsibility for that night and you know it. Now get away from me Jenson and leave me alone. The sight of your face walking around free, knocks me sick to my core.”

I turned to walk away from him, to head back inside, but he grabbed my hand, pulled me back and pushed me against the rails of the patio, then used his arms to cage me in. I tried so hard not show him fear, but the dread was making my stomach feel heavy.

‘Wh-What are you doing?” I nervously asked.

The smile he gave, had so many similarities to Cole’s, but on him it seemed so menacing. How could two brothers be so different.

“Well, Amelia. I’m starting my revenge, I think it’s pretty obvious, don’t you? Hey, am I going to be your first? - be quite poetic don’t you think?”

I genuinely thought I would throw up at that, but luckily the patio door slid open and Cole popped his head out. By the look on his face, I’m sure he could see the fear on mine but he quickly schooled his features as he looked to Jenson.

“Hey Bro, I see you met my little Lia here?” He quickly grabbed my arm, moving Jenson out the way, and pulled me under his arm hugging me tightly to him. He quickly pecked a kiss on my cheek, slightly lingering a little, helping to calm my heart that was beating out of my chest.

“Ah, C Man, I didn’t know she was with you. We was just having a little chat about her connections with our father. We’re old friends, go way back right, Amelia?”

I didn’t want to talk to him anymore so I turned to Cole, “I’m going to go home now if that’s OK? Thank you for inviting me, I genuinely did have a good time at first” I tried a smile to him, but I’m not sure it managed to break through the fear, “ but I’m pretty tired now and I’d like to go to bed.”

Without letting me go, Cole smiled “Sure, I’ll come with you. I’m over this party now anyway. The companies not want I wanted anymore. Later Bro!” With that he turned us both towards the side gate out of the garden and started walking. Keeping me tucked tightly under his arm.

Once we were out of sight of the house I quietly spoke, “thank you for helping me back there. But those things Jenson said, please don’t ask me any more about it. I can’t tell you, and I don’t want to lie to you Cole.” I stopped walking and jumped in front of him to face him. “I care about you so much, I honestly didn’t know you would be my roommate and I want nothing more than to be your friend. But this thing, it’s bigger than me Cole. And my family needs this. They need me to be here.”

I didn’t realise I was crying, but Cole reached a finger out and quickly wiped my tears away.

“I don’t know what this is Lia. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to know. Because I do. I want to help you. I want you to trust that I could help you. But I’ll let you get there in your own time. In the meantime, I promise to be the best BFF you ever had. Okay?”

I left out a sniff, and then a giggle. How did this man become so amazing? He tucked me under his arm again, squeezing me tightly in a kind of side hug. “Smokey Bean?”

My face lit up “oh you know how to cheer a girl up Cole Talbot. I’ll take one giant cinnamon latte.”

Cole went to start walking again, but I pulled him back. “You know Tracy is my BFF though right? Maybe you can be my reserve BFF?” I smiled at him.

Without missing a beat he tugged me along saying, “Tracy can go suck a giant toe, it’s me and you Lia, BFF IDAT”

“IDAT?”

“If destroyed always true - now come on lets go get caffeine at this hideous hour to keep us up all night - I honestly couldn’t think of anything id rather do more right now” His statement dripping with sarcasm.

I threw my arm around his back and squeezed him tightly. I don’t know how I got so lucky to not only have him back in my life, but also to have the opportunity to see just how amazing a person he truly is. He was a unicorn. Beautiful inside and out. Magical and mythical yet standing right here next to me.