Part 19 (1/2)
”You asked him about the meds.”
”Oh that,” Thorne said. ”That's just...they're a...antidepressants and other stuff that his therapist prescribed. He has to keep taking them for another year at least.”
”Okay. Sorry if that was personal.”
”Don't say that,” Thorne said, finally reaching for the tea. ”We share bodily fluids. It doesn't get more personal than that.”
”Do you think he's going to be okay?”
Thorne stared at his cup. ”I hope so.”
ELENA.
It was a beautiful evening and that was why we decided to walk. Well actually it was me who suggested it; Thorne wasn't much of a walking enthusiast apparently. I on the other hand, loved the feeling of my feet on the ground, the fresh air all around me. I even liked to experience whatever it was we were pa.s.sing by, good or bad. Walking in the city could be an entertaining activity if you knew how to do it right. Too bad Thorne wasn't seeing things my way.
”You don't like doing this,” I said, trying to keep a straight face as we walked.
”Watch a dog pee on a homeless guy?” Thorne said, avoiding a puddle. ”Not so much.”
”You haven't even seen the s.e.xual deviants yet,” I told him. ”There's this one street I know, where an old man will unzip his pants and show you his p.e.n.i.s...like every time. Doesn't matter if you're a guy or a girl, he still does it.”
”No one's taking him away?” Thorne asked in disbelief. ”How could no one report something like that?”
”Well that's cause people usually just end up feeling sorry for him. He's really old and sad looking.”
”I bet that's just an act,” Thorne said. ”I bet he gets his rocks off this way and no one sees through the act.”
”So what if he is. Nudity is overrated anyway.”
”Look at you,” Thorne was actually grinning. ”You've suddenly become the wiser one.”
”Excuse me but I was always the wiser one,” I smiled back.
”Elena?”
We both stopped in our tracks to find out who had called me by my name.
The same hazel eyes that I've been trying to avoid, they were standing right in front of me.
”Nick?” I said.
He was right there, behind us, and he looked furious. There was anger in his eyes that I had never seen before. It was kind of intimidating.
”Nick,” I said, finally able to find my voice. ”What the h.e.l.l are you doing here? Were you following us?”
But instead of looking at me, Nick started glaring at Thorne for some reason. I didn't like one bit where this was going and I had that feeling inside that Nick wasn't here to just chat. But there were people around us and I felt a kind of safety in that. Of course at the same time, my mind was thinking of possible escape routes in case something did go wrong.
”You haven't told her the whole truth have you?” Nick almost spit the words out at Thorne. ”You haven't told her everything Mr. Ryker.”
I had no idea what he was talking about but when I glanced at Thorne, I knew what that look meant-confusion and being caught off guard.
”What do you want, Nick?” I tried to make him listen and this time Nick looked right at me and started talking.
”Remember that girl you saw with me?” he said.
”Of course I remember Nick,” I said. ”It was one of the best moments of my life.”
I hoped my sarcasm was obvious enough and Nick would back off but he kept going in the same vein. ”That girl,” he continued. ”You know what her name was?”
”No Nick, I have no idea and I don't give a sh-”
”It's Cyndi,” Nick said. ”Her name was Cyndi.”
I knew I'd heard that name somewhere...
Thorne.
She was at the club with Thorne, but I hadn't been able to see her face...
”Thorne was the one who sent her to me Elena,” Nick said. ”He sent her to break us up.”
It was obvious Nick was just las.h.i.+ng out, trying to find something about Thorne to be angry with him. And to make me angry. ”You think you know him Elena,” Nick said. ”But you don't. I just had someone tell me the whole story. Thorne has been after you for a while now. I don't know, he must have seen you somewhere. Whatever. And he planned to break us apart, so he could take my place. It was all planned, Elena! Every moment! It was premeditated!”
Nick has to be lying.
”And I'm supposed to take your word for it, Nick?”
Nick reached inside his jacket and produced a folded piece of paper that he had obviously been carrying around for a few days, and he handed it to me. It was a printed picture. Of Thorne. And that girl...Cyndi...the blonde Nick was talking about, that hair that I know for sure is a wig. I handed the picture to Thorne.
”What is this?” I asked Nick.
Thorne was quiet and I wanted nothing more than for him to deny this. I wanted him to tell this never happened, that Nick was making it up.
Nick wasn't done.
He produced an envelope and handed it to me.
”Look inside,” he said.