The Suspect

chapter 35

Tatum's pov:

I find myself standing right outside Willow's apartment. Why am I here? Well...I guess we'll find out soon enough. Willow is still sound asleep in my bed, given that it's only seven in the morning and that she had a rough fucking day yesterday.

I'm here to have a little chat with her so-called best friend. I've had my own share of best friends to know when I'm being treated like shit by one. Not that I'm saying I don't have best friends now...sure I do. They're just busy doing what they do so I just have not spoken to them in a while but I know they're here for me. Right?

I shake away those thoughts and knock on the door once. Twice. Thrice. This time I knock louder when a string of curses and a very bedhead-ridden ginger greets me at the door.

"What do you want, fuck face?"

Ah, the little spawn of Weasley, ladies, and gentlemen.

"Well, aren't you just dapper this morning. You sure I'm the fuck face, given your—" I wiggle my finger in the direction of her head, "Appearance....or lack thereof?"

"It's way too fucking early for this," she yawns and proceeds to slam the door right in my face.

No wonder they're best friends.

However, before the door closes my hand reaches out, stopping it.

"What. Do. You. Want?" her words are short and crisp as she scowls at me.

"I'm here to talk," she scoffs at my words as if I told her unicorns are fucking real, raising an eyebrow at me as if I'm full of shit, "About Willow."

Now that gets her. A look of....guilt? Panic? Sympathy? I'm not quite sure what it is but a pained expression plasters across her face and I tilt my head at it. As if she realizes what she's just done, her scowl returns and so does her smart mouth.

"Whatever happens between my best friend and me doesn't concern you. Now, leave."

"You sure you should be calling her that?" I pipe up, knowing very fucking well I'm playing that card, "As per your words, am I not right?"

"Of course she told you. I should've known she would have," she spits out with so much remorse I actually feel bad for Will for a moment, "Look, even if she told you everything, you're the last person I would want to talk to right now."

So fucking stubborn. Most of my time is taken up by one stubborn woman already. What the fuck did I do to deserve two?

I chuckle at her words, "Don't flatter yourself. You really think I woke up at the ass crack of dawn on a Sunday, and merrily strolled down the street to be greeted by....whatever the fuck this is? Yeah, absolutely not. Just hear me out for five minutes and I will gladly leave."

She sighs, finally, a look of defeat replacing her scowl, "You're not going to give up are you?"

"Nope," I reply without hesitation and her shoulders drop.

"Your five minutes have begun. Speak as you may."

Sarcasm drips out of every word but I choose to ignore it for now. Time is precious, isn't it?

"I don't know all the details about your friendship with her of course, but I know a shitty friendship when I see one," I say as she opens her mouth to retort but I don't let her, "Not that your general friendship is shitty, I just meant...at the moment."

Nice save, dickhead.

"Look, while you have been doing, well, whatever it is you have done these past few days, Willow has been through shit. And I mean really deep fucking shit. I'm talking about getting stabbed and technically getting kidnapped. Oh, and then there's her mom. I take it you didn't know her Mom is fucking your boss. And to add the perfect cherry on top, she's got a ring on her."