Broken Love //joshler [✔️]

16. Chimera

chimera
[chi·me·ra]
noun
a thing that is hoped or wished for but in fact is illusory or impossible to achieve.

(Hi there's weed in this chapter just so everyone knows.)

Tyler hadn't been to Elsa's house for the longest time; they usually always hung out at Brendon's. It looked the same as he remembered, except a girl with bright blue hair was sitting in the living room when they'd arrived. He hadn't hung out with Ashley and Elsa in forever, either. He felt bad.

"Oh my gosh," Ashley gasped upon seeing the poor boy. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Tyler sighed, joining the girls on the couch.

"Tyler! There are bruises around your neck!"

"I said I'm fine," he grumbled.

"He won't tell me anything," Elsa explained, looking between her girlfriend and her best friend with concern. "But I know it's Josh."

"No-" Tyler started, but interrupted himself with a sigh. "I deserved it, okay?"

"Tyler," Ashley frowned, twirling a ring around her index finger. Said boy blinked, eyeing the jewelry. Elsa must have gotten her that. God dammit, why didn't Josh love him like that?

"You don't deserve anything bad," Elsa finished for her, taking the brunette's hand and observing his knuckles. "Did you punch him?"

Tyler nodded, chest heavy despite the small curl of his lips. At least he got one good hit in. "Yeah, I punched him. And then he got mad. So it's my fault. Really."

"For some reason I don't believe that," Elsa muttered.

"Me neither," Ashley agreed.

"It's true," Tyler urged. "God, I don't even remember why I hit him. I think I blacked out. Is that bad?"

"You don't even remember why you were fighting?"

Josh's yelling woke Tyler up... Tyler said he hated Josh... Josh hit him...

Oh, right. Josh fucking hit him. Again.

"Nope," Tyler lied, picking at his bruised knuckles. "Can't remember."

"Ty, listen to me..."

Great, he was going to get lectured.

"I'm scared for you. Ashley is, too. And so are Brendon and Dallon. We hate to see you like this. Josh is no good for you. I know he was different in high school, I know. I remember. But that was a totally different person. The Josh you're with now is not the Josh you fell in love with," Elsa said, all while Ashley hummed in agreement.

"So?" Tyler mumbled, not wanting to listen anymore. He didn't care. He wanted his Josh back and he wouldn't stop until he returned.

"So, you need to break up with him. You can come stay with us. Or Brendon or Dallon. You have other places you can go, so you aren't stuck-"

"No," he cut her off, teeth clenched together. "Don't say that. I'm not leaving Josh."

"But-"

"I'm not. He can change. I can help him get better."

"But Tyler-"

"I'm done talking about this," he said rather harshly, standing from his spot on the couch and leaving the girls alone as he headed for the bathroom.

With the door locked, Tyler ran his knuckles under cold water from the faucet. He gathered water in his hands and splashed his face, hoping to soothe the burning scratches on his cheeks.