by C. E. Wilson
“He said he did.”
“Men lie. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Then I’ll listen to him patiently and try to understand.”
“Listen to you!” Ellie said, grabbing her shoulders. “Are you kidding? You don’t want to try and understand a man like that! Why would you want someone who treats you like this? Don’t be one of those girls, Dev.”
“What kind of girls?”
“One of those girls who always forgives her man, no matter what. Please don’t be long and call me if there’s anything wrong.”
“It’ll be fine. You’re just being dramatic.”
“I don’t think I am. I didn’t like the look in his eyes. He looked like he would kill someone for looking at him the wrong way.”
“He’s fine. By the way…did you see Lucas? He’s looking good.”
“I’m not interested. I have a boyfriend.”
“You deserve a better one.”
“So do you, Dev. You really do. Maybe you should be the one to ask out Lucas.”
“Never. I’m with Orion and I want to stay that way. And I’m not turning into one of those girls. Orion’s never hit me, and he’s never hurt me, even accidentally. He’s hardly laid his hands on me.”
“Hardly?” Ellie scoffed. “Abuse always starts somewhere.”
“You’re being paranoid,” Devony said. “He wouldn’t hurt me. He can’t stand to see me cry.”
“Are you sure that version of Orion exists anymore? I don’t see him and haven’t for the past few days.”
“You’re exaggerating. He seems reasonable again. Before the tournament starts, I’ll be sure that he knows I would never cheat on him. I never have and I never will. Can you imagine such a thing?”
“You wouldn’t be the first. What if Orion grew up seeing a lot of men cheating on their wives – maybe he assumes that any woman can cheat on her man.”
“You wouldn’t do anything like that, would you Ellie?”
“If the right man came along.”
“You’d cheat on Archer?”
“I thought you didn’t trust him.”
“I trust him, but I just don’t like the way he talks to you, joking or not. I still wouldn’t want you to cheat on him.”
“I would, though. He’d deserve it. He accuses me of it often enough.”
“I don’t think you could do that. Not even to him.”
“I could,” Ellie said strongly. “I wouldn’t do it for money, or even on a dare, but I would do it if I felt a real connection. I love Archer but I don’t believe he’s the best guy out there for me. I think there’s someone out there who’s perfect for me, so why would I pass that up to stay with him?”
“You could break up with him first.”
“I’d want to know if the connection was real before I lost Archer.”
“I could never do that.”
“That’s because you’re a goody-goody. And that’s fine. I’m just saying what I would do. If I cheated on Archer it would be because I thought something better was out there, not because I was bored. I’d only risk my relationship with him if I knew there was something better for me. Otherwise it wouldn’t be worth it. You know how Archer gets! He thinks I’m sleeping with the whole male student body! He doesn’t care about how I feel when he spreads rumors and accuses me. I put up with him because he’s the best one for me right now.”
“He shouldn’t do that to you.”
“No. He shouldn’t, but in a sick way it shows that he cares. He cares enough about me being with other men that he spreads rumors.”
“That’s a sick way of thinking about it.”
“Archer is sick sometimes, but that’s why I love him. Plus, he’s amazing in bed.”
“I don’t want to hear about that!”
“He’s my weakness, Dev.”
“And Orion’s mine,” she said.
“Is he really your weakness, though? He won’t have sex with you until you’re married, doesn’t that bother you? Don’t you want to be lusted after? Don’t you want a man who feels things?”
“He feels something, otherwise he wouldn’t be acting like this. Ellie, you’re talking in circles. Why are you allowed to be turned on by Archer’s jealousy but I’m not?”
“Archer’s jealousy is harmless, he wouldn’t hurt me.”
“And Orion would never hurt me. You just don’t like him because he’s—”
“Don’t say it. You know I don’t care about that.”
“So what’s your problem?”
“I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“And I won’t,” she said. “I’m going to take Orion back to my house and by the time we come back this will all be sorted out. You’ll see, Ellie. Deep down, Orion knows I would never do anything to hurt him, so I all I have to do is remind him of that.”
“Be careful,” Ellie warned.
“I’ll see you tonight. You should really talk to Lucas.”
“So should you!” she called out, quickly covering her mouth as Orion came out from the school and started to follow her. She didn’t like the way he looked at her. There was something wrong with his eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Orion’s reasonable,” she tried to reassure herself. “He’ll listen to what she has to say.”
Act Five
Chapter One
The short trip to Micah’s house had taught Archer a valuable lesson – Roderick did not drink often and had no tolerance. One of his special cocktails had been more than enough. The poor guy swayed back and forth as they stood in the bushes next to the pool house where Micah was ‘discreetly’ hooking up with Bentley, the loud moans filling the air causing Archer to scrunch up his nose with distaste.
“What the hell was in that drink?” Roderick slurred, shaking his head.
“Liquid courage. Now stand here,” Archer instructed patiently. “He’s in there now. You can hear him and that girl. Don’t put your knife away because you’ll need to be quick. When he comes out the door, you stab him. Don’t waste time thinking about where to hit him, just jab wherever you can.”
“I thought I said I wasn’t killing him.”
“And you won’t,” Archer said. “You’re just going to poke him a few times. We’re sending a message.” As he started to walk away Roderick reached out and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, pulling him back.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Roderick said. “You need to stay here like you promised.”
He cleared his throat loudly. “Y-yes…I’m right here. I’m right beside you.” Suddenly he realized that the night was silent again. “They’re finishing up. It’s about damn time. Hold up your blade!” he hissed.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” Roderick said incoherently.
“He’s given you plenty of reasons.”
“I’m still not going to kill him.”
“Then don’t,” Archer said, still watching him carefully. Maybe he had given him too much to drink. Maybe the drugs hadn’t been necessary. He didn’t really care if Micah lived or died; honestly the whole thing was starting to bore him. He couldn’t give Roderick the money back, there wasn’t a chance in hell. He needed that money because his father had cut him off for not getting into a university. Roderick annoyed him. Maybe he should have given him more to drink.
“That was amazing,” Micah said, opening the door to the pool house. He pulled Bentley closer to him. “You’re amazing.” After a moment she laughed and pulled away. They exchanged a few words and she started walking towards the main house. Micah watched her go.
“Wait until she leaves,” Archer whispered.
“I don’t think I can do this,” Roderick said. “I can’t see. I can’t focus.”
“You have to!” Archer hissed, keeping a steadying hand on Roderick’s shoulder until Bentley was out of sight. “Do it!” Micah started strut back to the pool house toward their hiding spot. “Do it now!”
“What the hell…” Micah yelled when Roderick j
umped from the bushes. “You? I remember you! What’re you doing on my dad’s property?”
“Stay back!” Roderick yelled, too hazy to focus properly. He wildly slashed his knife through the air and Archer tried not to roll his eyes.
“What are you doing with that thing?” Micah asked, jumping back. “What’s wrong with you?” Roderick sloppily lunged forward, plunging the knife into Micah’s shoulder. He bellowed in pain and surprise. “What! What are you doing?” he shouted, stumbling backwards. “Stop! Who are you?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Roderick said, advancing on Micah. He raised the knife for another strike. His arm froze for a moment in indecision, and suddenly Micah lashed out with a desperate attack. He knocked the knife from Roderick’s hand with his good arm, sending it flying into the bushes next to Archer’s hiding spot.
Before Roderick could react, Micah struck him across the jaw with the back of his hand. Roderick fell to his knees, and with a loud grunt of pain Micah kicked him squarely in the ribs. Roderick rolled limply into the bushes next to the path and Micah fell to one knee as he clutched his injured shoulder.
Swearing under his breath, Archer went to reach for the knife but his fingers stopped inches from the bloody blade as he had a sudden idea. He soundlessly picked up the pole of a nearby pool skimmer and moved up the path a few yards.
After a moment Micah staggered to his feet and began to stumble up the path towards the house. Archer waited until he had almost passed, then suddenly thrust the pole between Micah’s feet. He fell heavily forward and his head made a dull thudding sound against the flagstones of the shaded path. Archer watched impassively as he rolled slowly onto his back. A sound from the street forced him to look up.
“Shit,” Archer whispered as he saw a car coming up the street. “That looks like Orion’s car. What the fuck’s he doing here?” He slipped further into the shadows.
“Help me!” Roderick said weakly from the bushes. “You said you’d help!”
“Who’re…talking to?” Micah groaned.
“Damn,” Roderick said, looking at his hand in a stray beam of light. It was covered in blood and it shook wildly. Had he really stabbed somebody? He felt sick and hot and he couldn’t see or breathe properly.
“What’s going on here?” Orion’s voice shouted from the driveway.
“Orion!” Micah shouted, grimacing. “Orion! Over…here!” Footsteps trampled down the path and Orion appeared.
“Here you are,” he said, kneeling down in front of him. “Why are you on the ground? I stopped here for a moment to have a talk with you before I take Devony home. I’m not a fool—” his wild red eyes suddenly noticed the pain in Micah’s face and he looked around. At the sight of the blood on the path, Orion’s eyes widened in shock for an instant but quickly hardened. “Fate has given you what you deserve, nothing less.”
“What…you…talking about? Help…me. Get my…phone. In…pool house. Call…the…police.”
“You’re kidding. For what you’ve done to Dev, you deserve to suffer.”
“What…for? I said…sorry…for fighting…for…drinking. I’m sorry!”
“That’s not what you need to be sorry for.”
“Then what?”
“You know what!” he roared, grabbing him by the shirt collar and yanking his body off the ground. “I know you were with that whore.”
Micah’s eyes widened in surprise. “What…do you care? She’s not…your woman.”
“No,” Orion said, releasing him slowly. “She’s not anymore.”
“W-what? What…what you talking about?” Micah moaned. “Get…my phone…call help.”
“No.”
“How can you…say that? Please…help me.”
“You both deserve to die for what you’ve done to me.”
“W-what does she have to do…with you?”
“She has everything to do with me, you asshole!” Orion shouted into his face, spittle dripping from his mouth. “I should kill you with my bare hands but I would rather you suffer like I have.” He stood up and stared down at him. “See you in hell.”
“Orion…please,” Micah croaked as he began to leave. “You can’t…leave me here! Just give me…phone.”
“You want a phone?” Orion asked, turning around. He took out his own phone and tossed it into Micah’s face. “Take mine. I have no reason to call anyone anymore. I’ve been betrayed for the last time.” He stormed off, leaving Micah to grope for the phone. He called the first number on the list.
“Hello?” Lucas’s voice grunted. “Orion, where are you? We need the signed permits before these vendors can set up and you have them. I’m driving around looking for you now.”
“Help…me,” Micah grunted into the phone.
“Who’s this? Orion?”
“Who is it?” another voice said in the background. “What’s going on?”
“Dammit, Gavin, I’m on the phone. I hear voices,” Lucas said. “It doesn’t sound like Orion.”
“It’s not,” Micah said. “L-Lucas…it’s Micah.”
“Micah the headmaster’s son? What’s going on? Are you okay?”
“N-no…please…help…me,” Micah said.
“Where are you?” Lucas asked.
“P-pool…house.”
“Are you drunk?” Lucas asked. “You sound horrible.”
“Please…come over…now. Call police.”
“Calm down,” Lucas said. “I’ll be there in a couple minutes. I’ll call the cops if you still need them then.”
“Cops?” Gavin asked.
“These high school brats drive me crazy,” Lucas said. “Orion’s missing and Micah just called from his phone.”
“Why isn’t he using his own phone?”
“I don’t know,” Lucas said, looking at the phone. “But we need to find Orion. Why would he be at the headmaster’s house? He said he was going to Devony’s. Oh well, as long as he has those forms with him. The turn is right up here.”
Chapter Two
“I bet my car is the only one in this neighborhood without leather interior,” Lucas joked as he stepped out of the car. “I don’t see Orion’s car anywhere.”
“Is anyone here?” Gavin called out.
“H-help…” Micah grunted in response. “For God’s sake! Someone…please. Help…me.”
“That’s Micah’s voice alright,” Lucas said. “Dammit all, he must be seriously drunk. These kids don’t know their limits.”
“But where’s Orion?” Gavin asked.
“What’s going on here?” Archer asked as he casually walked toward them from the street. “What’s that horrible sound?”
“I’m…h-here!” Micah groaned in agony. Archer hurried towards Micah as the other two stared at each other with worried looks on their faces.
“My god,” Archer said as he quickly fell to his knees, looking over the carnage with apparent surprise. “What…what the hell happened?”
“That guy…stabbed me. Still here. I don’t know.”
“Why would anyone stab you? Lucas! Gavin! Get over here!” He took a few steps toward the pool house and spotted Roderick huddled against the wall around the corner. As Lucas and Gavin started to make their way into the backyard, Archer reached down into the nearby bushes and retrieved the bloody knife. He advanced on Roderick, speaking softly for insurance. “You! I knew you were involved! How could you hurt my friend?”
Roderick looked incredulous. “Archer, what the hell are you talking about—” He let out a pained cry as Archer stabbed him in the stomach. “Y-you!” he grunted, withering against the side of the pool house. “You…fucker!” Archer stabbed him again under his ribs. “Stop! You…won’t get away with this!”
“What the hell?” Lucas asked when he saw Micah stretched out on the ground.
“Lucas?” Archer asked, smiling as he sunk his knife deeper into Roderick’s chest, twisting it. “Is that you?”
“Yes. What’s going on?”
“Someone
stabbed Micah,” Archer called out, covering Roderick’s mouth. His body started to slack and he slid down the side of the wall. Archer patted his head and quickly rinsed the blood off his arm in a nearby hot tub.
“Stabbed?” Lucas asked stupidly. “We thought he was drunk!”
“He’s hurt,” Archer said as he reappeared around the corner. “Look at him.”
“Dammit, Micah,” Gavin said, kneeling down. “What happened?”
“Some…crazy...I don’t even know. Please…call police. Call 911.”
“It doesn’t look that bad,” Archer said, picking up a towel from the ground. “Take this and try to stop the bleeding, Lucas.” A sudden scream pierced the air and the men turned around to see Bentley standing on the path with a look of horror on her face. “Stop that screaming, bitch,” Archer roared. “Are you trying to wake up the whole neighborhood?”
“What happened?” she asked as she stepped closer.
“Stop!” Archer shouted. “Do you know anything about this?”
“I just went inside to use the bathroom and get a drink before I left, but then I heard shouting,” Bentley said. “What’s going on?”
“Ahh, a thief and a slut,” Archer said. “How convenient. Micah, did she do this to you?”
“Don’t…think so,” Micah said.
“You can barely think – you’ve lost too much blood,” Archer said, wrapping the towel around Micah’s shoulders. “Will one of you please call the police? And call my girlfriend and tell her to come over here. And you,” he said, looking at Bentley. “You don’t go anywhere.”
“Why? I didn’t do anything!”
“Going in the house for two things you could have easily done in the pool house?” Archer scoffed. “I highly doubt that! Just try to stay strong, Micah, we’ll figure this out.”
“I found something!” Lucas called from the side of the pool house.
“What is it?”
“It’s…I don’t know who it is,” Lucas said, looking at the mangled body.
“I know this guy,” Archer said as he joined Lucas. “That’s Roderick. He’s a friend of mine! He must be the guy who Micah was talking about.”