Moths and Butterflies

Chapter 12 - Addie

A/N: Hey guys, guess what? It's your friendly neighborhood writer, @saltandpepper666 subbing in for this chapter ;) Enjoy!

One Month Later

   "Are you fucking. . ." I tossed my phone into the glove compartment of Sawyer's car and slammed it shut.

   "Babe, you okay?"

   "Yeah, I just. . ." I stared at the house looming over us. "Are you sure this is where Darius went?"

   "According to his iPhone's location services."

   I buttoned up my winter coat and stepped out of the car into the cold. Sawyer rolled his window down as I furiously closed the passenger's seat's door. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

   "I'm sure."

   "I thought you and Elliot were friends."

   I banged my hand on the side of his door. "Whoa, babe!"

   "I'm sorry," I murmured. "I just don't know what he's trying to do right now."

   Sawyer took my hand and brought it to his lips, kissing me in a soothing way. "Promise me that you won't go crazy in there."

   "I promise."

   "And that you'll keep your hands to myself."

   "Oh, it's not me you have to worry about."

   I walked to the front door and jiggled the handle, not even bothering to ring his doorbell. It was unlocked, letting me enter Elliot's house without resistance.

   There he was: a boy that I had maybe-kinda-almost fallen in love with but then he sorta-really-kinda ruined it. Darius. And after all of that. . .

   "Welcome!" he slurred with Elliot from the couch. It didn't take me long to figure out what was going on; sluggish speech, red faces, and a bottle of wine laying next to him on the couch, the cork precariously nudged in between a throw pillow trying to keep the contents inside. Darius was drinking with Elliot.

   "Are you kidding me?"

   Darius stood up and leaned on an armchair for support. "Adds, since when do you wear high heels?"

   I looked down at my attire. "It's date night. And right now, you don't really get to judge me," I snapped. "Why were you drinking?"

   Elliot rubbed his eye. "Is she always like this? Are you always like this?" Darius giggled like it was the funniest thing in the world and swept a lock of Elliot's curly brown hair out of his face, nuzzling him on the neck. 

   "I'm sorry that I can't help getting frustrated when my friends interrupt date night by leaving my boyfriend voicemails. Seriously, what's the matter with you two?"

   "Chill out, Adds. It's just a prank," Elliot drawled. 

   "Don't call me Adds."

   "You got what you wanted," Darius said. "Right? Now Sawyer is yours and you can live happily ever after in your unicorn island rainbow magic sparkle palace." He wobbled and sat down next to Elliot again. 

   "Yeah, it's pretty amazing. Darius, when I'm upset about something, I don't get wasted and start pissing all over everybody else's happiness. Maybe that's why I actually have a significant other."

   Darius hunched over. "I get a happy ending, Adds. After what I've done, I deserve a happy ending."

   "You couldn't get along with Sawyer, okay? So maybe I had to make some executive decisions." 

   "You cut me out. Picked some pretty boy over your best friend."

   "Elliot's my best friend." He waved at me and smiled drowsily. 

   "Well, then I was a very good friend, Addie. He knew you for two weeks, started hitting on you, and you're dating. You picked a pretty boy over your really good friend."

   "You wanted me, Darius."

   "Did not."

   "You wanted me and didn't make the right moves at the right time. You and Sawyer may not see eye-to-eye on things, but I'm dating him because he knew how to be a man."

   Darius glared at me. Five seconds of pure hatred spewed over the top, taking over Darius' body. He reached for Elliot and kissed him, devouring his lips like they were candy. When he finally pulled away, Darius giggled. Elliot pursed his lips and stared wistfully into Darius' eyes.

   "Could you stop, Darius?" I asked him.

   "Leave. Go enjoy date night with your boy toy."

   "Maybe I will. Maybe I would've if you weren't being such a dick right now."

   Darius scoffed. "Is that so?"

   "You may not know it, but Elliot's human too. He has feelings, and it's clear that he's falling hard for you. Why are you treating him like some toy? He's getting attached, and-"

   Darius drunkenly picked up the wine bottle and made an attempt to lurch it at me. It powerlessly fell onto the ground and shattered, spilling inky red all over Elliot's carpet. "Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up shut up!"

   "You're immature. You are broken," I hissed. "I'm sorry that you can't handle the fact that I'm not yours, Darius."

   "You don't know what I feel!"

   "I know that you're a child. I know that everything you've done tonight just proves to me that we never had a shot." Before Darius could respond, I swiveled around on the ball of my foot elegantly. I wasn't leaving broken. I wasn't leaving with more missing pieces of me just waiting to be fixed up. "By the way, that wine stain's gonna be a bitch to clean out in the morning. Club soda and baking soda. See you tomorrow."