Time To Live

Chapter 27: Blood

He stood outside yet another door that he did not want to enter, but he knew that he had to force closure in this chapter of his life. His former bandmate was the only loose end and he was going to end that relationship once and for all. There would be no more surprise visits in the middle of the night, that was for fucking sure. So, he pounded on the door to the familiar apartment and continued to hide behind his sunglasses and hoodie. Hopefully, none of the neighbors would be able to report seeing him standing here, looking guilty before he'd dropped the first punch. Oh yeah, there was going to be a physical altercation, for sure.

Ryan opened the door oblivious, but his expression quickly developed into a smarmy grin. "You."

Chris took a step forward and literally shoved the younger man back into his own apartment. "Shut the fuck up and listen to what I have to say!"

"What if I don't?" Ryan raised an eyebrow in amusement. "What if I don't give a fuck what you want to say?"

Growing more enraged by the second, Chris roared. "You're still going to, because I have some important shit to say."

"Don't you always," the other man rolled his eyes and wandered into his tiny kitchen space. "You're always so full of great proclamations and enthralling anecdotes. It's really very tiring, you know."

Chris stepped into the room, glanced around nervously, and then began to gesticulate wildly. "You are going to leave Jen alone. Do not ever come near her ever again, and do not even consider coming near my son. They are off limits. Leave them the fuck alone! If you have some kind of issue or twisted vendetta, then you come to me and not them."

"I prefer to cum inside her," Ryan smirked. He pressed a plastic water bottle to his lips and took a gigantic swallow and then smiled. "And I must say, she seemed to enjoy it."

Trying to fight for the control to not fly off the handle, Chris shifted his weight back and forth from foot to foot. "I'm here for one reason only: Jenna said that you turned up at her apartment and that you threatened her and Christian so that we'd let you back into the band." He paused and met his friend's eyes as the other man nodded. "That's not going to happen, Ryan," he continued, stone-faced. "You're done, you're gone. We don't want you around anymore, so it's over."

"Too bad, so sad," Ryan mocked.

"Before you go getting any twisted ideas," Chris continued, ignoring his maniacal little chuckle, "they live with me now. So, they're safe. Don't bother them!"

Ryan nodded slowly. "So, you think they're safe."

"They're safe," Chris demanded, balling his fists and stepping threateningly closer. "Just fuck off and leave her alone. What did she ever do to you?"

Ryan considered this for a long, painful silence and then eventually he simply shrugged casually. "Do you know what it's like to go through life always being second fiddle to someone else? That day that we met her, she only had eyes for you, Cerulli. She didn't even recognize my existence; for all basic purposes, I was your shadow. I spoke to her kindly, I told nice jokes, I held the door for her. There was not a spark of recognition in those beautiful eyes that there was anyone else in her presence save for you. Do you know how that feels?"