Page 17 of The Villain

“Really. No more delaying. What’s wrong?”

“Shade wants to meet up with you.” She sounds very hesitant about it.

“Why?” I can’t think of a single reason for it. He told me to stop.

“I think he misses you.”

I stare at the screen on the dashboard for a full minute. I miss him too. But, I’m psychotic. What’s his excuse?

“That makes no sense.”

He’s having regrets? I don’t mind it but it’s not a normal pattern of behavior. Another little puzzle piece to my statue.

“I don’t think he really wanted you to stop following him when he said it. He was just acting like a jerk and you actually listened to him without arguing. He’s not used to that.”

“I can imagine.”

How he fell for two assholes without seeing the millions of red flags I’ll never know. Now she thinks he misses me? It sounds far-fetched. Even if I want it to be true. This is another Tera on a happily ever after mission. I can practically smell it.

“He needs therapy.”

“He needs social interaction,” she protests with a frustrated sigh.

“Group therapy then.”

A masculine voice interrupts with angry frustration, “He’s calling her at all hours of the morning and giving her shit because you aren’t following him anymore. Meet up with him so he’ll fuck off!”

An argument erupts between the three guys as Tera apologizes to me over and over about Max not keeping his mouth shut.

“How many times?” My tone may not be able to change but my voice gets gritty with emotion. Namely rage. I can’t catch my breath. My foot gets heavier on the pedal as the need to get back to her rises.

My statue thought he could treat her like shit and Tera was hiding it from me? No fucking chance. I’m not sure which one of them has irritated me more but I’ll have it figured out by the time I get there.

It goes quiet on the other side of the line.

“I know you’re mad,” Tera tries to soothe. “Pull over before you get a speeding ticket.”

I pull off into a truck stop and try to breathe my way through the anger. How dare he misbehave like this as soon as I leave. What is he thinking?

“Ok, so he misses you.”

“I won’t miss,” I assure her grimly. I have to clear my throat to keep my voice going.

Is this how he normally behaves? If so he has a serious conversation coming his way. I can tolerate a fuck ton of things but not anyone harassing Tera. If she starts her smile/cry shit I will lose my control.

“No killing. He wants to meet up.”

“I’ll meet up with him.”

“No hitting and no breaking.”

I stay silent on that one. I’m angry of course. My one vibrant emotion kicking everything else out for the moment. I’m saying all the things I would normally, but for some reason I’m not feeling them like I would before.

He’s broken me. I’ve seen real colors now that I know he exists and my mind was warped by the intensity of it.

“I’ll be very upset if you hurt my big brother, South.”

I’m starting to think I couldn’t even if he earned it. I feel odd at the knowledge. An emotion I’ve never had before trying to build up. What is that?

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