{Cason}

 

Dustin is the first person with whom I need to make things right. It’s been days now, and I go over at his house. Of course, I hadn’t told him this prior.

“What are you doing here?” he gives me the once over as soon as his household lets me in.

“I’ve come to apologize.”

“Wow, you’ve got some nerve coming here, you know that? Why in the world do you think I won’t knock you down until you beg for mercy?”

“You’ve got all the rights to do that. Man, what I did was stupid, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever know how to fix it. But you’re my brother man. And I love you. And I want you to always know that.” It’s really hard for me telling him this. And I’d rather he came and hit me, than standing over there making me feel like the most pointless jerk on earth.

“I didn’t know you were into her.” He says quietly, and there’s some glint on his eyes that is so familiar. The scowl that I’ve found him with where I came here is starting to disappear. “Fuck that, you told me you loved her? How could you keep this from me?”

“I wasn’t keeping it from you. I was keeping it from myself.”

“Wow, you’ve really changed haven’t you?”

“But I’ll always be your brother, this will never change.”

“Why do you think I’ll ever take you?”

“I—I don’t know. I guess that’s up to you. But I hope that someday…probably…maybe you will—”

“I’m just kidding with you,” he guffaws and scuffles closer. “I deserved that, I messed with the very first girl that my mate has ever admitted to love.” He’s standing close to me now. “Now what do you say? Do you forgive me?”

I contemplate, trying to realize whether this is a tricky question. I open my arms and he comes in.

“I love you man,” he tells me, and sure, after that, I didn’t expect the crunching kick on my stomach. “You deserved that,” he draws back, and smiles, while I’m barely catching my breath.

He grabs his glass of champagne he’s left on the desk and takes a sip. My phone rings. I don’t recognize the number.

“Aren’t you gonna take that?” he asks.

Well, I didn’t want to ruin the moment here, but while I’m at it, I can, you know, answer the call.

“Hello.”

“I’m sorry, am I taking to Mr. Cardenas?” wow, so formal.

“Speaking.”

“You probably don’t remember me. We’ve met once at a nightclub. My name is Maelis and I’m a friend of Keira’s.”

“Is Keira alright?” I ask, concerned.

“I don’t think so. I called her, and she didn’t respond, even though she took my call. I heard some very troubling things. I didn’t know who else to call. I think she’s with her ex.”

“What? Do you know where they are?” I don’t like the sound of that.

“I—I don’t know. He took her away, but I don’t know where they went.”

“Okay, thanks for telling me.” I hang up and dial Cody’s number.

“What’s wrong?” Dustin asks.

“I’ll explain later.” I tell him, while Cody answers.

“Cason. I knew you’d call me again, but I didn’t think it’d be that soon.” He smiles.

“Well, I need your help. Keira’s in trouble.” I look at Dustin’s face taking a scowling halo. I’m gonna need you to track down her phone and tell me where she is exactly.”

“I’m getting right into it,” he tell me and I hear him through the phone typing on his laptop.

 

 

I had Dustin file a report. The police are too fucking slow anyway, so I’m headed toward the direction Cody texted me.

I’m standing in front of some enchanting mansion, and I sigh.

“Keira, why the heck do I not like this?” I mumble to myself. I’ve got a bad feeling for this. And I don’t want her anywhere near that lunatic.

I get out of the car and walk toward the porch.

Oh, my God! Is that smock coming out of the winding?

I run. When I’m near enough the house, I take a look. There is fire inside.

What the fuck happened here?

I knuckle the closed door down with some mallet I find, and I go in. I take my shirt off and cover my nose so I don’t have to keep coughing anymore.

I walk past the flames and scan the rooms for Keira. A woman, who looks like a household, runs down, crying. She’s trying to find a way out. She’s horrified.

“Where the fuck is she?” I howl.

“I don’t know,” she cries.

“Where would he keep her? Where is the master bedroom?” I sort of realize that if he’s keeping her stranded somewhere in this house, it has got to be his bedroom. After all, she’s been having some creepy interest on her.

“The fourth room to the left,” she cries out, and I release her. She runs away.

I run to the room, trying to avoid the flames that are growing bigger and bigger any moment. I look at her and it’s unbelievable. Her mouth is covered with some weird piece. The room is filled with so many candles. It’s creepy.

It smells like gasoline, but somehow the flames have not managed to sweep here anyway. I have to work fast, before both of us burn to ashes.

She’s crying, but there’s something so beautiful in her eyes when she seems me. It’s tormenting seeing the woman you love on the fucking demented circumstances.

I want to kill that fucking Kyle right now.

I move the candles away and bend down at her feet. I untie her. One foot at a time. After that I go over at her hands. I don’t have time to run in circles through the bed, so I just stretch forward to reach her other hand. She takes that thing from her mouth and looks at me desperately. She holds my face with her hands and cries.

“You came for me,” he mumbles and looks at my eyes as if she sees the world in them. It’s excruciating seeing her like it. Crying and desperate. And I think of the times where I made her feel like this.

I won’t ever, ever make that mistake again!!!

“I did,” seeing her so crushed, I can barely hold myself from crying.

“I thought you hated me?”

“Did that too,” I force a little laugh through my tears. “But I hated you with passion. And though it was hate, it occurred to me that I’ve never done anything so passionately and vigorously before. It makes me feel alive and, it's weird but it makes me feel excited. I love you, Keira. And I won’t ever, ever let you go.”

I pick her up on my hands and try to get out of the house. Now that the flames have taken their tall it’s harder than when I came in.

But I won’t give up now. I won’t give up now that the woman I care about the most is literally on my hands.

When we make it to the porch, there are policemen and firefighters everywhere. The house is starting to crumble behind us. I get as far as I can and put her down.

Tears are shedding from her eyes, as she looks at me, and says, “I do too.”

“Hmm?” I hold her hands and can’t let go.

“I love you too. Just as vigorously.”

Our faces our dirty and black from the smock, but that won’t keep me from kissing the only woman that I ever loved.