Fuck me.
Fine.
I walk over and lock the door. Then I pull the blinds down as instructed. When I’m done, I turn to face her. “Happy now?”
“Give me your phone.”
“Doubtful,” I say, not moving.
“Go and get the phone or I start shooting all this expensive shit you’ve got in here. I’m sure you don’t want to lose any of it.”
She’s right, I don’t.
I have some wicked antique stuff I don’t particularly want to be destroyed. Insurance might cover it, but I can’t get that stuff replaced.
I exhale and walk into the kitchen with her right on my tail. I pick up my phone and spin around, handing it to her. She takes it, glances down at the screen, and then shoves it into her pocket.
“Now, are you going to tell me what you want or do I have to start guessing?” I ask, leaning against the counter.
If this bitch pulls anything, I’ll grab the knife that is within reaching distance and stab her pretty face.
“You and Riggs think I’m stupid, don’t you? I know exactly what you two are doing. You’re trying to lure me out with your fake break up.”
I grin at her. “Funny that you say that because here you are. I guess we’re not as stupid as you first thought.”
Her face scrunches.
Oh, she didn’t think of that, did she?
“Nobody will know I’m here,” she throws back at me.
“Are you sure about that? Riggs calls me every night, he’s going to figure out when I don’t answer that something is wrong and he’ll come over here.”
She looks like she didn’t think of that, either.
“Well, then you’re going to answer him and tell him everything is fine.”
“Yeah, no, that’s not going to happen. Great idea though.”
She glares at me. “Your humor won’t get you out of this situation, Eve.”
“Here’s the thing, Carmen. I’m not afraid of you. You’re not going to shoot me. I have cameras all through this place, and you’d be arrested and locked away for life. You’re stupid, but you’re not that stupid. So, whatever it is you’re here for, can you get it over with so I can go home?”
She looks a little shocked and surprised, mostly at how calm I am considering she’s aiming a gun right at me. I don’t believe she’ll shoot me, though, and I hope I’m right.
“I want you gone.”
I exhale. “We’ve been over this. He’s not interested, Carmen. If you think I’m the reason he’s not taking you back, then you’re seriously delusional. You tried to kill him. I don’t know about you, but that’s enough to turn even the best of us off.”
“Shut your mouth,” she snaps, “I might not kill you, but I can shoot and injure you.”
“Yap yap,” I mutter. “Get to the point. Tell me your grand plan. You want me to leave, and suddenly Riggs will fall back in love with you? He’ll just forget everything you’ve done wrong and the two of you will skip off into the sunset together? Is that it?”
She makes a frustrated sound. “Shut up!”
I cross my arms. “I’d like to hear how you think this is going to go? I’m truly interested.”
“We have a connection that your pea brain couldn’t understand. You have no idea what the two of us have been through. I am the love of his life, and while he might be hurt and angry, time will change that. I know it, even if you don’t. He loves me so much more than you could understand.”
I shake my head. “I might not know what you’ve been through, but I do know Riggs is smart and he’s not going to take you back when you’ve done so much harm to him. He’s not that desperate.”
“You have no idea!”
“Listen, Carmen, if I might make a suggestion...I think you should seek some help. Maybe some therapy, go on one of those journeys within yourself at a month-long spa in the wilderness, try a few other dicks, I don’t know. Just try something to help you move on because quite frankly, you’re embarrassing yourself.”
Her eyes flare. “If you don’t shut up, I’m going to do something we’ll both regret.”
“What happened to you?” I go on, ignoring her. “Was it something when you were a child? Bad parents? A shitty boyfriend? Did someone steal your make up? Did you get rejected? What? What was it? Because something had to happen to you to make you this crazy.”
“I’m not crazy!” She screams.
“Says the woman who is currently waving a gun at me,” I point out.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up!”
I exhale. “Look, I’m not here to tell you what you need to do. I’m here to tell you that Riggs is never going to take you back. I’m saving you thousands in therapy bills because they’re going to tell you the same. He’s done. He’s moved on. Maybe you should, too. Go now and we might just let you disappear without going to the cops.”
“I’m not leaving,” she seethes, “not until you’re gone.”
“Where are you going to send me, Carmen? Have you even thought this through? What do you want me to do? Just close my café and run away? I own a business, I have family here, I can’t just disappear.”
“Then you break up with him and stay away. Don’t go near him again.”
I roll my eyes. “We live right next door to each other.”
“He doesn’t want you!”
“Funny, that wasn’t what he was saying when he was deep inside me a few nights ago.”
She slams the gun over my head.
I didn’t think she had it in her, but I guess I pushed her a little too far.
The pain shoots through my skull, and quite frankly I’m sick of people hitting me over the damned head.
I clutch the side of my face and I can feel the warmth of blood as it trickles down my cheek.
“Are you happy now?” I grind out through clenched teeth. “Do you feel better
