Mending Ryan Falls ✓

26 | in which he calls him asshole

My eyes refuse to watch you leave,
So tears will blur these memories.

.\.|./.

Ryan falls

The minute I realize who he is, everything seems to change.

Suddenly, my sleep is gone, my joy at Crystal staying over is gone, my never-ending and frankly quite confusing attraction towards her is gone. Only one thing remains: anger at this asshole, and a desire to protect Crystal from him.

Okay, maybe that's two things, but they're connected so I sum them up as one.

I take in his sight, hair like last night's snow -- yellowing and lost-its-charm -- eyes as cold as ice -- blue but not at all like Crystal's, which are as vast as the skies above -- and arms like sticks ... the man would be a human version of Jack Frost if he didn't look so creepy.

What the hell did Crystal ever see in him?

I get my answer when Jeremy's icy gaze revolves past me to meet hers, and I see a fair smile light up his face.

"Crystal, I wasn't expecting to find you here," he says, his voice dripping with honey.

Well, if he's that charming, there's no question why he had Crystal dancing on her fingers.

"I was worried you were gone somewhere," he says, reaching past me to hold a hand out to Crystal.

I almost want to slap it away.

"Imagine my surprise when I unlock our door and find the house empty," he makes a hurt face, and all I want to do is laugh. "I came here thinking of asking the kindly old neighborhood lady if she knows where you'd be."

Lying fucker.

"And here I am," he glances my way. "Finding you here, with this man, who looks like he just got out of bed."

His gaze is cold when it turns to me, and I can almost see a flash of blood in the black irises. This isn't the first time I'm seeing someone like him, but it never fails to surprise me how people can be so hypocritical. His voice charming, eyes deadly, face revealing nothing; I can't even smile at someone I hate.

"What are you doing here, babe?" he asks Crystal, slithering like the snake I have realized he is.

"I just --" Crystal breathes, and I turn my gaze on her. Her face is pale, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights. I see the fear etched into every line of her face, and my hate transforms into rage.

If this man even tries to hurt her ...

"I just came to get something," she blurts out.

If I didn't understand her perspective, I'd be heartbroken by her refusal to acknowledge me.

"What, babe?" asshole asks.

And suddenly I hate the word 'babe'.

"Just some ... sugar," Crystal makes up as she goes.

Her lies might have seemed believable if she wasn't so freaked out. Actually, no, even then they'd be too transparent. One of the things I like about her is just how non-superficial she is.

"Sugar?" asshole repeats, saying the word like he sees more into it than the mere white crystals of sweetness.

"I ... I wasn't expecting you back," she mumbles, and I see embarrassment mingling with fear now. She isn't only afraid of what he'll do. She's even afraid of what he'll think.

Why the fuck would it even matter?

"You know I'd always come back to you, Chris," Jeremy says, his hand outstretched.