Page 105 of One More Time

“I can and I will!” Ollie shouts. “This is my right as a tenant! It’s in the constitution!”

“What the fuck are you talking about? I’m your goddamn landlord. We don’t have a constitution!” I reply just as an eggplant hits my chest. That one hurt. Goddamn thing.

“Grovel, you sonofabitch!” Ollie shouts just as Lucas appears beside him, Jai peering over his shoulder. Why the fuck is Jai here? Comforting Jude probably. Jesus fucking Christ. I’m so fucking fucked.

“Who’s that?” Lucas grumbles and then as soon as his eyes land on me, he scowls and rapidly disappears. This doesn’t bode well for me, I know it, and just as I thought, a minute later, Lucas comes running out of the garage with a chainsaw in his hand and a cleaver in the other. He looks completely insane.

Oh god. Jude’s roommates are gonna chop me up and bury me in their backyard,I think as an unhinged laugh-sob exits my mouth. It’s what I deserve anyways. I deserve to be cut into pieces, like I cut Jude down with my fucking immature games.

“I just want to see him again,” I shout, trying to plead my case. “Please. I’m not gonna hurt him!”

“Murderer! Thief! On your knees,” Lucas shouts, kicking me in the back of my legs and making me crumble. God, this is where I meet my fate. In front of the house I own, beheaded by a man with a chainsaw.

My knees hit the pavement, and I hang my head, feeling like I’ve lost my goddamn mind. They’re gonna chop my head off and put it on a spike. And it’s what I deserve.

I deserve all of it.

But just when I think it’s all over, that they’ll never let me see him, never let me plead my case, Jude’s rushing toward me.

“Guys, what the…what the hell?” he cries out, falling to his knees before me and swiping at vegetable juice on my cheeks. “What the hell, Lucas, put that saw away. And why are you wearing a mask?”

I glance up and see Lucas peeling off a Leatherface mask in his hand. God, they’re fierce.

“Oh my god, I cannot with them,” Jude says and then brushes a piece of lettuce off my head.

“It’s fine. Just remind me never to mess with them again,” I say, and Jude lets out a soft laugh, picking more rotting vegetables from my hair.

“Oh god, Alec. I’m so sorry. I was in the shower when you showed up. I didn’t know what they were gonna do.”

“No, it’s fine. And I’m the one who should be sorry. I’m so goddamn sorry,” I reply, reaching out a trembling hand and touching him tentatively. He feels warm and alive and fuck, I’ve missed him.

“Me too. God, I’ve missed you. I meant to come by so we could talk, but got waylaid by my sister. Jordan went to the urgent care two nights ago for a fever, so I was with her for the past few days just helping. I should have contacted you but I didn’t know what to say…”

I blink up at him. Oh god, he was going to come by. Relief floods through me.

“I…I was such a shit back in high school. I was so afraid and just a downright terrible person because of it. Can you ever forgive me?”

“Yeah, baby, I can but?—”

“Let me at him! Let me kill him!” Ollie shouts again, and I peer over Jude’s shoulder to see Jai struggling to hold him back.

Jude swipes at his eyes and glances at his roommate. “Ollie it’s fine. I…hurt him too. I deserved this.”

“No, Jude,” I say and then shake my head. “You didn’t. At all. I was immature and dumb and thought getting back at you would make me feel better, but it only made me feel worse. God, I suck. Please, tell me what I can do to make it up to you. I really want to fix this.”

“Make a whole fucking list! Write out his crimes! Let’s put him on trial! Death to the traitor!” Ollie shouts, his voice turning slightly British. Sounds a bit like an angry Lily Mayne at the moment.

Jude huffs a laugh as he looks back at me. “Why are you on your knees?” he asks.

“Lucas was gonna chop me apart. He went full-on crazy.”

“Oh my god. Well, I wouldn’t have let him. But I think Ollie’s onto something,” Jude replies and then scoots on his knees so he’s closer to me. His hands move up to cup my tomato-ridden face. “We should each make a list of things we can do to make it up to the other.”

“To grovel, you mean?” I ask and then nod. “I can totally grovel. Whatever you want me to do. I’ll do it.”

He nods and then sighs. “It might not solve anything though. We might never be able to fix this. Maybe we’re too broken. Maybe we were doomed to begin with.”

I shake my head almost frantically. “I don’t think we are. I think we can come back from this. I know we can.”

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