Control Freak ✔️

41 goodbye

"Caleb, remember when we first officially met?"

He had his hands on top of his head, and the barrel of a gun digging into his hair. All he could do was look in those glistening eyes of somber evergreen as her pouting lips lamented.

"You worked up the courage to finally ask me to sign your yearbook. We were alone and everybody had left for summer vacation already. I told you about this dream I kept having, remember? That faceless person, that really special unknown someone, who I knew would be waiting for me. Somewhere, someday, I'd find them. But I was wrong. He found me," she crooned with a smile soft and sweet. "My daddy came back for me."

"But— but what about me?" Caleb whined. "Why'd you have to string me along?"

"As you're findin' out now, the world is a cold and unfair place, kiddo," Clark chimed in. "The rich get more than enough to eat while the poor starve to death and wither away. We were penniless. I turned to crime just so I could put food on the table and it cost me my freedom. When I got out of jail, I vowed to make a life for me and my daughter, no matter what it took. That's when I learned some big-shot CEO had a son who went to school with my daughter. It didn't go quite the way we expected. We had planned to stage a kidnapping, hoping to get some extortion money out of your dad. But as it turns out, he didn't give much of a fuck about you, did he? So, we went on to plan 'B.' I had complete faith that Ivy would be able to pull off enough robberies for us to be able to live comfortably for the rest of our lives, but that you were so eager to help was definitely a plus. You must be head-over-heels for her! HAHA!"

"Is this true? Was none of this real?" he dejectedly murmured.

"Of course it's true, kid! You think my daughter could ever really love you? We've struggled our entire lives! We detest rich little snobs like you!"

"I didn't ask you," he hissed. "I asked her." Clark was taken aback by his sudden boldness. A smirk crept over his face.

Caleb looked her hard in the face as her eyes grew wide and she appeared to shrink away from him. It was then that he recognized that look— that wide-eyed stare and lips that remained buttoned shut as she watched him, with little more concern than for a small rodent she had dropped in a cage and delivered to a snake. Though he didn't realize it then, he realized it now. It was the same look she had that day at the train station.

"Quit standing there with that innocent look on your face like none of this is your fault. Ivy... did you ever care?"

There was nothing but silence for a while, as if she would not dare to speak.

"C'mon, Caleb," she whimpered softly once she could finally answer him. There was sadness in her voice, and pain in her eyes. She shook a falling tear away as she feigned the cheapest grin she could muster up. "Do you think I could've ever really loved you? There's really no way." Her lips were quivering. 

"But I will say we were good for each other. We both got what we wanted for awhile. You got to be the coolest kid in school with me on your arm, and I needed some pathetic rich boy who would cling to me like a puppy. Admit it, we used each other. If that wasn't the case, none of this would've ever happened because you would have just told the police from the very beginning. In the end, you're really no better than all those other guys."

"Ivy, no," he whimpered, shaking his head.

"It's all about figuring out what a boy wants and then picking out the mask that'll do just the trick. I've really gotten quite good at it. What's his idea of perfection? The girl he believes he deserves... Is this her?" Her face softened, and her eyes were bright and beaming as she smiled at him with giddy admiration.

"Caleb," she whined.

"Caleb!"

"Kayyylub!"

"Enough!"

"You wanted Ivy, your perfect trophy," she continued.

"No."

"You didn't love me."

"I did."

"Caleb, stop."

"I think you've got your answer, kid. I'll be merciful," Clark said, preparing to pull the trigger.

"Just please," he cried. "You have enough money. Please just use some of it on my mother's cancer treatment, I'm begging you!"

His words struck Clark like a lightning bolt.

The door burst open with a crackling bang, and a shot pierced the closet door behind Clark as he returned fire. A swift crash sent him back into the door. His chin peeled over his chest. His palms were numb beside him. He couldn't grip his gun. On the other side, when the smoke had cleared, there was Seguerra, collapsed over his bloody palm as he clutched his chest, wincing in pain before falling to his knees. Now free to move as he pleased, Caleb boldly stood up, pausing to stare Ivy directly in the eye. Then, he turned to the front door.

"What are you doing, Caleb?"

She had her gun drawn now, and it was pointed at Caleb's back as he hovered over Seguerra's body and prepared to scoop him onto his shoulder.

"I'm taking this man to the hospital," he stated bluntly. "And then I'm going home and turning myself in."

"Why wouldn't you just stay at the hospital, then. They'll come get you." The gun barrel was shaking.

"There's something back home I need to take care of first."

"But why would you help him, he's a cop!"

"Because he helped me. He's a good man." He hoisted Seguerra to his feet as he clutched his bloody chest, barely conscious and panting heavily. "Take care of your dad. I see how much he means to you."

"Caleb!" she shouted.

"Don't worry, I won't tell on you or your father." He waved over his shoulder, not even bothering to look her in the eyes as he marched on. "Goodbye, Ivy."