My friend, Demise

Chapter 33

We got Demise feeling better and sat him down. He wasn't saying much but I already missed his excitement. I'd gotten so used to his personality that I forgot how distant he got when bad things happened.

"I'm sorry I lied to you."

He doesn't look mad but I know he is. I watched him stand up and reach for his phone. "I'm gonna go."

I grabbed his wrist, which he only pulled away to glare at me. "Dude, don't touch me."

"Will you sit and listen to me?"

"No. I won't."

"But-"

"Look, all I've done is listen to you. What you need, what you feel, what happened to YOU. I love you but all I know is how to listen. I need to protect myself and I haven't because all I care about is you. Everyone you care about would do anything for you. If I asked the people I care about for anything, you know what I'd get?"

"Hey. I care about you, don't I?"

"Because you grew up with a loving family. You're the first son of a bitch who cares back and that made me desperate not to lose you. So I can't do this right now, I can't listen to you because all I'll think about are different outcomes to make you happy and it's not fair to me."

"I know you're mad but don't blame that on me."

"I'm not. It's just that being around you made me too self sacrificing and that's dangerous for someone with a life like mine. So I'm gonna gonna confront my dad and then end this." He scrolled through his phone before pressing a contact and holding it to his ear. "Now, excuse me."

'Are you ready to leave?' Caine tapped my shoulder to get my attention.

"I'm not going after him."

'We have to. He will get hurt.'

"I don't care, I have other places to be and I can walk."

"Your deaf ass is gonna get mugged."

I did get mugged but they didn't really find anything to steal other than my phone so all I got was beaten up.

I sat against the back of a grocery story, kicking my feet together as I stared at the stars above me.  I used to like being alone like this but now I'm not so sure.

The feeling in my chest is pretty foreign but I know it's only fair that I endure it. How long has he felt like that? I trace my fingers over the dried blood splattered in the snow, my hands starting to grow numb. And why didn't I know anything about it?

My head hurts.