MAD LOVE

Chapter 33

Author

"Mike, chill out. Don't push her," Alex put his hand on his friend's shoulder in a soothing gesture.

"I want a drink," Norton breathed, kneeling down. "But not there," he said as he pointed his head in the house's direction. "Otherwise, I'll kill that scum."

"Let's go to a bar..."

"No," Mike interrupted Alex and got to his feet. "I want to be alone."

Watching Norton's car, the guys didn't know where to put themselves. And Alex's idea of visiting the nearest bar didn't seem so bad. They needed a drink. Urgently.

"Did you see her eyes?" Jessica sat perched on a bar stool. "I've never seen so much anger and despair in one person."

"I'm more interested in what was she doing there at all?" Alex turned the glass of amber liquid thoughtfully in his hands.

"Wood will stop at nothing to get Alana back... I think this is another setup on his part."

"I agree. Besides, this Miranda appeared out of nowhere and hung on Mike like a monkey on a branch as soon as we entered that apartment. Apparently, for greater effect."

"I can't sit here and do nothing. Alex, we need to find out what happened there and why Alana hates the whole world. I will not lose a friend because of some freak," Jess said as she slid off her chair and headed for the exit.

Entering the apartment without warning, the couple overheard a very disturbing conversation, which shocked them to their cores. The corridor from the living room was blocked by a wall, so the newcomers were not visible.

"What did you like more, Mark? The violence in the school toilet, or your BDSM marathon?" a voice on the other side of the wall asked.

"Shut up!" Wood hissed. "That's none of your business, okay?" Mark glowered at his friends and continued: "Don't any of you even think of mentioning her name."

Jessica's eyes widened. She had to cover her mouth with her hand so as not to give herself away accidentally.

"Are you still counting on her returning? That's funny, Wood. Hilarious, especially after the shit you've heaped onto her," another participant chimed in.

"Do you think she'll go back to Norton? Lana can forgive physical pain, but the emotional... Who would enjoy knowing their feelings are being played with and, having achieved love for the sake of an argument, will be thrown overboard like a black sheep?"

"How did you do that? What did you tell her?" a third voice asked.

"In the summer, I was at the resort and wanted to congratulate my beloved on her birthday. There was this asshole constantly hanging around her, so I just sent over some flowers. How they met in the first place remains a mystery to me..." Mark grumbled with a note of contempt. "I knew she enrolled at Harvard, but Norton went there too. Therefore, taking advantage of Farrell's absence, my man installed a wiretap in their room. I needed to know that, other than a fleeting romance, Mike would not go any further. However, when he returned to campus, I recorded a very interesting dialogue, one I used to my advantage."

"What facts do you have against his oath? You're losing, Mark," the second guy continued.

"I doubt she'll even let him open his mouth to defend himself. Alana is a real cat." Wood was lounging on the couch and sipping a beer. "You forgot about my bonus! Moore is pregnant, and there's a good chance I'm the father. When this is confirmed, she'll never get rid of me..."

Alex and Jess seemed to have stopped breathing. Pregnant? Why didn't anyone know about this?

"Mike will kill you," Miranda said nervously. "You shouldn't have started all this. Honestly, I don't know why I let you talk me into this. You shouldn't have interfered with their relationship at all."