The Hurt Game

❧ twenty-five

You're being stupid. Worried, but stupid.

This is ridiculous! Friends do fight. It happens and then you make up, like we will. That's why I'm here.

It's not stupid. Just...

A groan left my lips and I ran a hand through my hair. My eyes shifted down the hallway, but it was silent. I doubted anyone would be awake. It was barely past nine in the morning, and on a Sunday morning.

A yawn escaped my lips and I turned around and slid down to the floor. My head rested against the wall as I stared ahead of me.

After a night of tossing and turning, I woke up early and decided to get some truth out of Royden. I wanted the simple and plain truth, and I wasn't going to care if it would hurt or not. I couldn't continue living my life with questions about him, and what he wanted.

He cared. Royden cared more than I could have imagined in the beginning of our friendship, but that didn't mean I was questioning some of his motives or his behaviour. He was confusing, with his mixed signs and secretive attitude. Things ran a lot deeper than I could have dreamed of. If I only could look within...

Footsteps came from down the hallway. I looked up, but I didn't see anyone. Could be coming from the elevator, around the corner.

I stood up, not wanting to look like a desperate girl who couldn't get her crush to answer the door. Again, I knocked on the door, pretending I had arrived a second ago as a man in a suit walked around the corner.

I glanced at him once, smiled politely before I focused on the still closed door in front of me. This was the third time I had knocked and there was still no answer from him.

He might not be home. He might still be asleep. Hell, he might be in too much pain to get the door, or simply not care at all.

The man walked closer towards me and stopped a door down. His eyes were on me, fixed on me as if I was going to cause trouble. I shifted uncomfortably before hesitantly looking over my shoulder, meeting his grey eyes.

He raised an eyebrow. His eyes flickered between the door and me. When they landed on me, they travelled up and down my body. My stomach churned and my palms grew slightly sweaty.

"Are you lost?" the man asked as he turned to me.

I forced a smile on my face and shook my head. "No, I'm waiting for my friend to open up the door," I explained to him. My thumb jabbed to the apartment I was referring to.

"You're Connery's friend?"

"Yes, I am."

The man looked me up and down once more before glancing over his shoulder. I released a slow breath and turned back to the door, knocking once again.

"Connery's friends, the ones who usually show up... they look different. They're all men, you see," the stranger spoke up. He was walking closer to me. I wanted to close in on myself.

Royden, you fucking twat. Open that goddamned door.

I didn't know what to reply to him, so I nodded my head. I had never met any of Royden's friends. I didn't even know he had one, except for his colleagues and he never talked about them.

"So, what are you doing here then? Showing up at his door?"

I breathed out slowly and turned my head to face him. "Like I said... I am waiting for him to open the door. We're friends."

"A pretty girl like you cannot be friends with an arsehole like Connery."

"Royden is no arsehole," I spat out. Even though Royden could be a pain in the arse or totally frustrating, I didn't like to hear it from other people. He must have had a reason to show this kind of behaviour.