Dark Desire

Chapter: 24

Eran's POV
Hunter and Ricky continued to banter about their recent extra curricular activities of how one had tripped their grandma from the staircase and how she broke her front teeth and how Hunter had once broke some John's car headlights because he was high and the shape of that certain John's car headlights had pissed him off.  I chuckled, sparing a glance towards my ohone. She still hadn't texted me back. I had started to get worried by now, because the last time i spoke to her was last night while dropping her off and now the sun was about to go down.

Excusing myself from my pals as they went on and on about their childhood shits, i went to my photos where I had saved over 100 pictures and a bunch of cute videos and screen recordings from our FaceTimes. She is a great fan of Snapchat filters,and I get a lot of selfies and adorable videos from her every single morning,which literally brightens up my day. Unfortunately this morning, I didn't receive anything from her which really did disrupt my regular routine of happiness.

I closed my eyes to feel the cold breeze freezing my face as her thoughts started to fill in my mind for the hundredth time now. I could imagine her grinning like an idiot, taking her rabbit teeth out just because she couldn't surmise the meaning of a dirty joke. I could hear her teasing me as if she's just a  feet away from me, because I lost in a funny argument of ours. Just as i looked towards Hunter to join their rambling, Ricky's phone lit up.

"It's Jessica," he said, glancing at the screen. His face immediately tightened. "I'll be right back, guys."

Hunter and I watched as he walked a few steps away to take the call. I could see the tension in his shoulders, and I knew this conversation wasn't going to be an easy one for him.

Hunter sighed. "Man, Jessica's really got him on a tight leash, doesn't she?"

I nodded not at all surprised how our thoughts immediately matched about Jessica. "Yeah, it's like she's always playing mind games with him. I don't get it. Why does he put up with it?"

Hunter shrugged. "Love makes people do crazy things. But it's hard to watch him go through this. He deserves better."

We both turned to watch Ricky, who was now pacing back and forth, his free hand gesturing wildly as he spoke into the phone. His frustration was palpable, even from a distance.

"Remember last week," Hunter said, shaking his head. "She made him cancel our plans just because she 'felt' like he wasn't spending enough time with her. It's ridiculous."

"Yeah," I agreed, my mind drifting back to that night. "We had tickets to that concert we were all excited about. Ricky was so bummed to miss it."

Hunter snorted. "And then she had the nerve to accuse him of not caring about her feelings. She's so manipulative."

I sighed, feeling a pang of sympathy for Ricky but also felt a sense of relief and pride filling in my lungs. Rose never gave off such vibes, she was always so okay with me hanging out with my friends. "It's like she thrives on making him miserable. I've seen him more stressed and upset since they got together than I ever did before."

"Exactly," Hunter said, leaning against the wall. "It's not healthy. A relationship should make you happy, not constantly on edge."

We fell into a contemplative silence, watching as Ricky continued his tense conversation. Every now and then, he'd throw a glance our way, his expression one of helpless frustration. It was clear that whatever Jessica was saying to him, it wasn't good.

"Do you remember that time we all went to the beach?" Hunter asked, breaking the silence. "Ricky was so excited about it. But then Jessica spent the whole day complaining about the sand and the sun. She made it miserable for everyone."

I nodded. "Yeah, I remember. Ricky kept trying to cheer her up, but nothing worked. By the end of the day, he looked like he was ready to throw himself into the ocean just to get some peace."

Hunter laughed, though there was no real humor in it. "He's got more bad moments with her than good ones. It's like she's sucking the joy out of him."

I sighed. "It's tough to see your friend go through that. But what can we do? We've tried talking to him about it before, and he always defends her."

Hunter rubbed his temples. "I know. It's like she's got him brainwashed. He can't see how toxic she is."

Just then, Ricky walked back over, stuffing his phone into his pocket. He pressed his palms flat on his entire face and rubbed it multiple times before turning towards us. He looked drained, his face etched with frustration.

"Everything okay?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

Ricky forced a smile. "Yeah, everything's fine. Just the usual."

Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Usual meaning Jessica being her delightful self?"

Ricky's smile faltered, and he let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, something like that."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Ricky, you know we're here for you, right? You don't have to deal with this alone."

Ricky looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and sadness. "I know, Eran. It's just... complicated."

Hunter crossed his arms. "It doesn't have to be. You deserve better, man. Someone who actually makes you happy."

Ricky looked down at his feet, his shoulders slumping. "I know you're right. It's just hard to let go. We've been together for so long, and I keep hoping things will get better."

"Hope is one thing," I said gently. "But reality is another. And from where we're standing, it looks like she's doing more harm than good."

Ricky sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "I guess I just don't want to admit that I've wasted all this time on something that's not going to work out."

Hunter put a hand on his other shoulder. "It's not a waste, Ricky. You've learned what you don't want in a relationship. That's valuable in itself."

Ricky looked up at us, his eyes a little brighter. "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime," I said, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "We're your friends. We're always here for you, no matter what."

Ricky nodded, a small smile finally breaking through his frustration. "I know. And I really do appreciate it."

"Let's change the subject," Ricky said after a while, his tone lighter. "Well," I began, grinning mischievously, "Hunter here has decided to cheat on sleep with coffee."

He laughed, feeling a bit of the tension melt away. "Yeah, but I've learned my lesson. Sleep is like a wife, remember?" replies Hunter as we all grin widely.