Chapter 141

" I brought you guys something to drink as you chat, " Khloe cheerfully said as she walked in. Holding a tray of mango juice in her hands with a bright smile on her face. She set it down on the table, and I impatiently waited for her to walk out before I dealt with Chris. Kyle was standing by the door, the shopping bag carefully placed on the floor beside him and his hands tucked into the hoodys' pocket. And his entire focus was on Chris, this razored look of pure dislike splayed all over his features. He was not being subtle about it one bit. And Chris was staring back, but his expression was more conniving and malicious. Not the stressed out and beat up version I had become used to. He had the same look he always had back home, the one which suggested he was about to spark some mischief. 

And his idea of mischief was never anything light and silly. He always aimed big. 

" If there's anything else you boys need just call me, I'll be right over, "

" Thanks so much, " Chris said as he smiled at her. Back in Phoenix, he had always wanted to go over to my house and chill,but I always said no. One, because I didn't like being in the same place as my dad, and two because I never had any intentions of making our relationship out to be anything more than it had been. But he had always kept on asking despite knowing what my answer would be. 

" How'd you know where I live?" I asked the second Khloe was out of sight. And I was ready for his reply, whatever it was gonna be. But when he actually gave it to me I started to realize that I had perhaps made a huge mistake when it came to my decision to help him out. 

" I have my ways, you know that better than anyone, " he said. And I had some flashbacks of when I had discovered that one of his pastime activities was breaking into rich people's houses and grabbing some stupid item to keep as a souvenir. It was never anything useful or pricy,he just did it because it was fun. One time he had stolen a mug. Just a plain old white mug that had nothing significant or outstanding going on with it. But I had been just as bad and reckless so I had never considered what he did to be abnormal. He said it helped him to relax, the same way I smashed things whenever I was stressed. And to me, that had been a pretty reasonable explanation. I had never joined him in his expeditions, but I had been cool with him doing whatever he wanted. 

" Aren't you supposed to be hiding from the cops? This isn't exactly how staying low-key works, " Kyle commented. Chris smiled at him, I wasn't even sure whether the smile was real or fake....I just found it unsettling either way. 

" I realized that I'm miles away from home. No one knows me here, so there's no reason for me to stay cooped up in that crappy motel room anymore. "

" Your survival instincts are rotten, " 

The words from Kyle weren't enough to make that smile of his disappear. He looked around the house once more, then back at me. 

" This is one hell of a crib you guys got here. How many rooms does it have?" 

" What do you want Chris? Are you trying to get yourself arrested?" 

" I told you not to bother with that. I know you're worried about me but I'm fine. "

" Sweet Lord, " Kyle mumbled. 

" Just go back to the motel and we'll talk later. "

" I don't want to. And why should I when there's so much room here?" 

He stepped back and propped himself down on the sofa once more. Then he proceeded to take one of the juice glasses and take a leisurely sip. He was off. Just everything about him seemed to have been flipped over. But I wasn't as fazed as one would expect me to be because I had known him for quite sometime. He wasn't completely normal. It was why I hadn't been too shocked when he had told me about what he had done back home. Because ever since he and I got close,I had come to discover that there was just something about him that wasn't as it should be. 

And I always felt like an alien myself so we had gotten along. But this time, I was the one being affected directly by his behavior and I wasn't going to stand it. Because Kyle was being forced to be a part of something he didn't want to be a part of, and he couldn't walk out because of me. 

" Leave Chris!"

" Calm down, it sounds as if you're kicking me out, "he said and chuckled. 

" That's coz I am. What the hell were you thinking even coming here?" 

" We're friends. Friends help each other out!" 

He was talking to me as if I was slow in the head, like I was some little child and he had to carefully explain it to me because I wouldn't understand him otherwise. I felt Kyle beside me and I turned to find him looking at me with raised brows. And he still looked tired, I didn't want him to have to deal with any more stress. Or for anything to happen that could potentially make him mad at me. 

" So you two, you're really inseparable huh?"

None of us responded. I was clueless as to what I was supposed to do and Kyle just looked pissed off. And I wondered what would have happened had him and I not gone home,I mean,how had he even known we'd be going there? There were so many unanswered questions and I was literally getting freaked out just thinking about all of them. 

" It was always him, wasn't it?" he humorously

asked, his voice reduced to an almost whisper and his head hung. It seemed more like he was talking to himself. 

" Don't make me throw you out, you know I'm more than capable of doing so."

" Always him, " he repeated. 

Kyle held my arm, and I reached for his hand and held it without really looking at him. He was the one being referred to, and knowing that Chris was putting him in such a spot angered me. There was only so much I could tolerate, but if Kyle was involved then I was willing to break down all the walls and burn down all the damn bridges. In other words, if anyone messed with me there was a narrow chance of me being considerate, but if Kyle was targeted then I would have no choice but to turn feral. Even if I didn't necessarily want to, my instincts took over and demanded that I do something to make whoever was responsible pay. It had been like that since we were kids and nothing had changed. 

" Is that why you moved here? Because of Kyle?" He asked me. I was just trying to figure out how that entire conversation had shifted to be about me and Kyle. And I was reluctant to face Kyle simply because I didn't want to have to see the legendary ' I told you so ' look on his face. 

" And what if he did move here for me? Does it make you feel bad? Tell me Chris, are you mad?" 

Of all the times Kyle could have chosen to taunt the guy. And since when did he even care about such things? He was more of the type that walked away silently and complained to me in private later on. Was it the drowsiness that was making him act up? 

" If you don't leave I'll call the cops on you myself, " Kyle added and I just stepped forward and held Chris's arm ready to lead him out. But he shrugged me off, then he said he could leave on his own. But before he did he turned to Kyle and gave him the most complex and unreadable look, then he turned to me and said, " He's not good enough for you. He never has been, "

I was so mad that I asked him never to show his face or try to contact me ever again. It didn't make sense, him and I had been over for a long time. He was well aware that I had never even loved him in the first place. So why all the resentment and anger? He had more serious issues to worry about but he was trying to start up some drama concerning his hurt feelings! There was no point in me trying to help out someone who couldn't even help himself. 

Kyle went and sat down, leaning back against the seat and closing his eyes, then he ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. 

" The fuck just happened?" He asked but I was just as confused as he was. And I wanted to reassure him that had nothing to worry about. Whatever Chris has said was pure bullshit. Kyle was more than enough for me, he was the only one that had the ability to make me feel alive and meaningful. I walked to the sofa and sat down beside him, and as soon as I did he lay his head on my lap and asked me whether I was okay.

Now how did that qualify as 'not good enough '? He literally put me first every single time. And I hoped that we'd never have to see Chris again.