Tearing Paper

Monster

"Ah!"

The next second, Lucio's cheek was already touching the floor, his jaw aching terribly. He groaned and got back on his feet.

"Didn't your parents teach you how to be a proper guest?" Lucio smirked at the man standing in front of him-his breath still heavy, his face red with anger. "Come in."

"What did you do to Dianne?" Nate spat at his host. "I know what you are. You're a monster. You don't deserve to find her."

"Then you must be the exact same thing of all you just said, to be desperate enough to be my guest," Lucio replied relaxfully. He led Nate to his narrow living room and threw himself on the couch. "I always thought we were on opposite sides."

"Excuse me?" Nate flexed his hands. Punching Lucio right after he opened the door was reflex. It had been days, with no sign of Dianne. Aunt Gifta and all the kind workers at the café had also searched, but although a scene of a girl running around town in a dress would be outstanding, they never found one.

"Isn't it obvious? Dianne ran away from me, Dianne fell into your arms, so clearly I should be the one punching you like anything," Lucio said.

Ironic. Nate collected every bit of dignity in him before saying, "She ran away too."

Expectantly enough, Lucio laughed like he never did after Nate said that.

"You-you what? You let her run away too? Dude, dude-here," Lucio went to his table and came back with two bottles of wine. He threw one at Nate, who caught it quickly.

"What the hell?"

"You need that. Losing somebody like her drives you crazy, believe me," Lucio said. Nate took a sip, and he used that opportunity to observe Lucio. He looked much weaker than he was when he saw him yelling at the café. The bottom of his eyes had a much darker shade, and it seemed like he had given up shaving for weeks.

"She ran away not because of me," Nate defended himself. "On one of the best nights of my life, I made a mistake."

"And?"

"I asked her about you. Mentioned your name," Nate spat cynically.

That silenced Lucio. The wine he drank suddenly felt so bitter, running down his throat, reminding every nook of him how much of a foolish, undeserving, heartless monster he was.