The Youngest Garza

chapter 26

“We’ll always be best friends Ris” David says

“Oh yeah, and if we both had a crush on the same woman, would we still be best friends?” I ask, smirking as I think that I’ve got him.

“Of course Ris, Bros before hoes” he says as he drapes his arm over my shoulder.

“We’re talking about being best friends as if We’re still in school. This is the damn academy for Christ’s sake” I say with a small laugh.

“Who the fuck cares? I’ve seen weird shit at this academy, so two people declaring that they’re going to be best friends forever is okay in my book” he declares.

David Garza. My best friend.

I should have known. I should have seen the goddamn signs.

“I’m just trying to protect you”

“Protect Me from what?” Chris asks as she presses the level 1 button of the elevator before turning to face David.

Hesitation is written all over his face which he immediately masks before saying “just heartbreak Ris, heartbreak”

I should have put two and two together a while ago.

“How long have you been standing there for?” I ask as embarrassment fills me, my cheeks heating up.

“Long enough to know that you’re making the wrong choices and blaming the wrong people” he says, approaching the bed slowly “You need to stop blaming yourself. It’s not your fault. It’s Michael’s. Even from the grave that guy’s brewing trouble” he says, his words being exactly the same as mine.

“We can’t blame a dead person David, the only person to blame is the one who killed him and who’s going after Elizabeth” I state.

“How do you know that they are the same person?” David asks, his question out of the blue.

“What makes you say that?” I ask him.

“I’m just saying that maybe the person coming after Elizabeth is not the one who killed Michael” he clarifies.

What a weird thing to say.

“Then that means that we have two different cases involving the same people on our hands” I tell him.

That will make everything so much worse.

“I’m just saying though, we have to see things differently, not everything is done for a bad cause” he says, surprising by his choice of words.

What’s happening with him today?

“Where is all of this coming from?” I ask.

“Uhm... nowhere. Never mind” he says, clearing his throat awkwardly.

“You’re hurting my... you’re hurting an innocent person” he says, cutting himself from what he was going to say before.

“Your what?...Your what David?” I ask again seeing as he doesn’t answer me the first time.

“Nothing. Look just drop me off here, I’ll catch a cab” he says, trying to avoid me.

It was all there, all of it. I should have paid closer attention to him.

“Listen Ris, this is your life you’re messing with. You’re not only giving up on her but on yourself too. I know you and I know just how much you love her so please stop hurting the both of you by being your usual stubborn self. She’s not a suspect that you have to interrogate anymore so now it’s time to ease up” he says, slowly removing his hand from my forehead and placing it back on his lap.