Yellow Lines

Chapter 14 - Stressed

I stood. "Marko."

He darted towards me with his knife. "You dirty bitch, where is she?"

"You need to leave, Marko."

Ignoring me, he yelled Cara's name, moving about my apartment.

I made a step towards him but Jerry ran towards Marko, gripped his soiled yellow t-shirt from behind, twisted his arm, and gently disarmed the knife from his hand. It happened so fast that I didn't know whether to be shocked or turned on by what he just did. Marko fell to the floor after Jerry kicked him behind his knee.

"What the fuck, man," Marko groaned when Jerry used his free hand to press his face against the tiles.

Was Jerry a cop or something? I took moved towards them. "She's not here."

"You lying whore," he spat. Jerry flicked him on his face and told him to watch his language. "I checked the hospital records and they said she checked out with you."

I stared at his bloodshot eyes. Marko wreaked of alcohol and his clothes looked as if he'd been beneath an old car. Jeez. "I don't know where she is," I lied. If he didn't know now, then he wasn't supposed to know. And how did he get access to her records, anyway?

"You bitch." He attempted to reach for me but Jerry held him on the floor. "Let me go. I said let me go you asshole!"

"Not until you play nice," Jerry said.

I folded my arms. "If you don't know where she is by now then you don't deserve to know."

"Tell me, please? I'm lost without her." Marko's face sagged into a dejected smile but I knew that fucker. I knew him well.

"If you think I'm going to fall for that look, think again." I unfolded my arms. "You abused my friend. You made her try to kill herself. You're sick."

"I've never laid a hand on Cara. That's all in your stupid head." He smirked. "Luke's mom was right."

Jerry smacked him on his face again, reminding him he was still on the floor.

I glared at him, refusing to let his words get to me. He'd been in the right position for me to jab my bare heels into his face.

"What do you want me to do with him, Lei?"

I looked up at Jerry, "Nothing, let him go. He's too drunk."

Jerry eyed me for a second but still held Marko down. "Are you sure? He came at you with a knife. He burst down your—"

"Lei? Lei? So, y'all on a nickname basis now?" Marko interjected. "So you're fucking this dude while your fiancé is in a coma? Not dead, but in a coma?" He shook his head in disgust. "That is why you'll always be a fucking whore in my book."

"Shut up."

"You don't even bother to check in on him. You couldn't wait, couldn't you?"

"I said shut up. That's not true." But every word he threw at me sounded right. I did start to hang with Jerry after and I barely checked in on him. God, what kind of person was I? This wasn't me. I loved Luke. I cared about him.

"Don't listen to him, Lei," Jerry said.

"I've been there every day and I haven't seen you since. He should have left you when he had the chance," Marko continued.

What? Leave me? "What?"

Marko smirked. "Let me go." He wiggled enough to release himself from Jerry's grasp and then ran to what was left of my door before disappearing outside.