Promise. (Manthony)

Thirty-Nine

I aggressively run my hands through my short hair. How could Mitchel be so dumb? How did I not notice? There were so many different times when I should have figured out that something was wrong.

I needed to know everything before Mitchel and I could move on properly, but the minute he had finished, I wasn't sure if we could move on.

"Are you insane!?" I screamed at Mitchel when he was done explaining everything that had occurred between Elijah and him these past three or so months. He remains silent, looking ashamed of himself.

"Holy fuck, he's a stalker!" I shout with a nervous smile on my face. I was disgusted by what I had heard. "I met him at that fucked up party, but then he was at IHOP when we went together? No, no, that wasn't enough for him, so he followed us on our date and sat in the same fucking restaurant, and you said nothing?!" I continue yelling.

I scoff and catch my breath. I was utterly distraught.

I rest my head in my hands as I re-think my previous interactions with Elijah.

"I know none of what I have done makes sense, but I promise I did it to protect y-"

"I don't need you to protect me, Mitchel!" I yell at him. "I am a grown man. I can fight for myself!" I add. Mitchel sighs and looks away from me.

"I never meant to hurt you," Mitchel tells me again.

"I find that very hard to believe. Look at everything that has occurred, Mitchel." I shake my head and get up from my seat.

"And what if you had never leaked that video? Then what? Would you have sat there and done nothing? Huh? Is that it?!" I scream at him. I cross my arms and lick my lips harshly. They felt so dry.

"Answer me!" I press. Mitchel begins to play with the skin surrounding his nails. A nervous habit he seemed to develop recently. I shake my head disapprovingly.

"I would have told you," Mitchel says with sad eyes. "I wanted to tell you many times before, but after fucking up, again and again, it started to feel too late,"

"No, it was too late when Elijah gave me cocaine, and I became addicted!" I tell Mitchel once again. He gives me a look of pity.

"Don't give me that look!" I snap.

"I didn't know he was going to give you drugs! He told me to get in a fight with him. The minute I noticed you were on something and Elijah came over looking proud of himself, I knew he had something to do with it. I never said to give you cocaine," Mitchel explains, looking desperate for me to understand. But, it was difficult for me to understand any of this.

"You know him. You were with that fucker for six months," I say to Mitchel through gritted teeth.

"You fucking sat there while everyone attacked me for ruining what you fucking ruined!" My voice cracks from attempting to hold in tears.

"I was drunk, and you allowed him to sit there and take advantage of my vulnerability!" I cry out.

"I didn't know he was going to give you that, Christian! I promise,"

I put up my index finger, signaling Mitchel to stop talking.

"Don't promise me shit," I tell him angrily as a tear falls down my face.

I hear keys enter the front door. I take in a deep breath and walk away from Mitchel. I needed a second to breathe before seeing whoever was about to walk through that door.

I lean my hands down on the counter and count to ten. The front door opens, and people walk in.

"The food was so good!" I hear Clinton exclaim. I glance over to see Pat, Jesse, Clinton, and Amber walk through the door. Amber was holding a few bags of what I assumed to be leftover food they had ordered.