The Teased Mate (𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 #1)

Chapter Fifty-Six

We drove three hours more and found a small family dinner. It's a bed and breakfast, kind of like the one we went to when our apartment was smashed. He ordered a beer, fuck I have never had a beverage like that before. I order a coffee, nine months without them has made me realize I don't like it that much. It just makes me feel less like a kid, even though I want chocolate milk.

I pull out a new book I have just started.

The streets are cold and last week was the worst, possibly the worst ever. My best friend broke up with his girl, I mean his ex-girlfriend. She was the absolute worst to him and also to me. She may have had good intentions, in the beginning, but it ended up with her. She was back to her old ways again. Honestly, one way or another we end up back to our old ways, even if it is good and or bad.
Our small town province, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, only had one girl like that, of what we know of, and they lasted together. They had only been together a few months before, and she went back to her old ways, honestly, it was a big shock. Now it is my job as his best friend, to accompany him back and make sure he never returns to his old ways.
I have been picking up his slack, on the job and now at home and it's taking a toll on my life. I haven't slept well in two days, and I feel like death itself has consumed me whole. I don't know what to do about it at the moment, but what do you do when the guy you are in love with heart is damaged? Or maybe completely ruined? I didn't realize how much I depended on him until he started slipping away. His old ways were terrible, he was the biggest player and lush which made us almost break apart, as friends. I dealt with him and took care of him, he is all I have left. Through thick and thin, he helped me through the loss of my parents. I mean, the unsolved murder of them; my Parents.
In my small town, it was a significant deal, the way they died was remarkably brutal. It is still the gossip of the town, and it has been five years, five agonizing years of everyone still discussing every single detail that was released. I have studied the whole case, front and back, and yet to have find any reliable leads for the case. But now, I am walking down the cold misleading streets they were killed on. It has me trying to put together an understanding of what happened to them. My head spins thinking about, how I had left them. I was not anything they wanted in a daughter ever, my father was the only pleased one, they wanted me to be a cop, I wanted to do what I do now, but I had to come home eventually.
I make my way down the street, miles away from where we lived at the time, but minutes away from where I live now. Now, I have this as a continuous reminder to continue my job, which is mostly paperwork in a town full of less than three thousand people. All we ever get is a few TC/TC D's or a B and E once in a while, between couples like Mr. and Mrs. Frank and Sara the two people. I always see them in our cells, unless someone transfers. I have done some out-of-state cases and I have traveled, but it is still, not enough. My parents' case still eats at me every day. How can I be good at my job if I am drowning in my work to stay afloat from putting myself through the pain of not being able, to solve my parents' case?
The cold nips at my face, as I reach my car ready to head homeward. It was not a long journey, but I always pay my respects to my parents on my birthday. They were here at an assembly trying to keep things calm and imposing peace there. There was a sharpshooter, and only two people had died, the cops on duty, a.k.a my parents. I remember the exact moment, I got the call because, it was my last week at the academy, I was going to go home. I had not seen them in over a year. I can picture them waiting for me to come home for Christmas or Thanksgiving. It was all my parents had that kept them away from work. I left my home to pursue law and get on the force, but then it was all ruined by their death. I couldn't continue school the way I wanted to. In the beginning, I wanted to train to be in the FBI, but I had to quit training.
Everyone on both sides of the family was a cop, even my auntie, who lives in the downtown area. She is rescinded and the only one besides her husband to not get shot or murdered on the job. Which gives me no hope. What if I am just another case?
I park the vehicle close to my flat and then, I walk in to find it utterly trashed. I don't have the stamina to clean let alone the will to. Octavius has trashed my house again. I huff out a rather annoyed sigh and find him on the sofa, cradling a bottle of gin. He looks so cute, but at the same time, he has garbage all over him. But he has seen me in even worse circumstances. He stirs in his sleep and then, his big brown orbs open up to look up toward me. How can a man look so damn good covered in the garbage? But that is just Octavious for you he is perfect without even trying, damn him!
"Amanda, how was work?" I shrug my shoulders; while also attempting to eliminate most of the trash so, I can unwind alongside him. I want to scoot closer but, decide not to want to burst his bubble, even though I long for it. Octavius moves closer and I can feel goosebumps, rise where he is not touching. I shiver not from
"Work was okay, now get your sorry ass off my couch! You were with her for three months and she cheated on you multiple times, you kept stating she would change. When she didn't, she found out she was expecting and it, WAS NOT YOURS! So she broke it off, with you. It has been longer than three months now! So what if she is happy, she will slip into her old ways again. At least you will not have to deal with her ass anymore." I had to tell him, the cold unrelenting truth or he would have considered all the wrong things from these dehumanizing circumstances.
"But, I was ready to settle down you don't know how stupidly wanted to settle down, to finally have a family! You don't know what it is like to find out the woman you believed you loved, expecting and it wasn't yours after, you realize that under the circumstances, you were ready!"
"Well, tomorrow we are going out and having fun, I hate to see someone I love like this. If it were to make you satisfied last year my relationship ended because of nonsense. He dumped me on my birthday for a person with more assets, and then, I took him back for him than to continue the game." I understand it is not the same, but it is pretty damn close if you ask me.
"Fine since we are both single, then let's make a pact, if we don't find someone suitable for us, then we have to grant us a try." I debate it, for approximately a millisecond. There has always been some kind of chemistry between us, and it might be suitable to grant us a try.
"Fine." I lean on him and say,
"dude shower now you smell like a hot Cheeto."
I push him away, and he smiles standing up dusting off the Cheeto dust all over my snow-white carpet. I roll my eyes knowing I have to clean that up later.
"Six months until you are mine!" He laughs and grabs a set of clothes, he then heads to the shower. He practically lives here, at this point. I throw my head back doubting why I can't just have two normal friends, not one that I am already madly in love with.
I turn on the TV and begin taking off my uniform, piece by piece. Resting on the couch in just a dull white tee, and a pair of underwear, it is completely comfortable. But he is taking the longest shower. So, I will have to take a freezing one, just like the academy, except for this time, I have my brand new piece that, I have been dying to use.
He gets out and clothed making a bunch of ruckuses, causing me to get distracted from the episode of 'Star Trek'. I turn off the TV and start to feel as if someone is watching me from outside of the house. I hear movement outside my doorway.
I grab my piece and hear someone pacing around. I don't move until someone screams rather loudly and long shrilling scream.