Page 5 of Broken Butterfly
“Fallon, thank God. Have you heard from Elizabeth?”
“Hey, man.”
Ryder has always been that guy for me. Even though he’s a year younger than I am, I look up to him like a reverent little brother would an older brother he idolizes. Ry’s had my back far more times than I can count. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him. I know Jayson, Julien, and Elijah have never understood why we’re friends. It’s none of their goddamn business.
“Elizabeth is missing. Please tell me you’ve seen her.”
I can hear the panic in his voice. The worry. My boy has always loved Elizabeth. I hate what I’m about to do to him.
“Ry, I’ve got her.”
“Thank fuck! Where are you? I’m on my way.”
“Nah, man. That’s why I’m calling.”
“Fallon, stop messing around. I’m worried sick. You don’t know what has happened.”
“I know what happened,” I tell him.
“What? How?”
“She’s messed up. She needs time.”
Elizabeth thinks she’s broken. She thinks I can help fix her. She doesn’t realize that I am as broken as she is. In a fucked-up way, we’re perfect for one another right now.
“Fuck that! She needs me,” he shouts into the phone.
“Not yet,” I calmly tell him, hoping he understands. I hear a loud exhale on the other end of the line. I wait.
“She ran back to him last night,” he says, and I can hear the defeat in his voice.
“No,shedidn’t.” Her past ran back to Jayson, not Elizabeth. I never could stand that pompous asshole.
“Fallon, I just got her back. I can’t lose her again. I love her too damn much. I can handle what happened last night with Jay. I can accept it. What I can’t handle is losing her. I just want her back,” he states with desperation.
He’s not going to like what I say next.
“I’m taking her away for a while. She needs time away from you, Jay, and Jules. She needs time to decide what she wants.”
“I swear to God, Fallon—”
“Ry, listen to me. Deep down you understand what I’m trying to tell you. I won’t let anything happen to her. I promise. I’ll protect her with my life.”
“Shit! Fuck! No way, man. You’re not taking her away from me!”
“You need to trust me.” He’s silent for a long minute.
“What about her classes, Fallon?”
“I’ve got it covered.”
More silence.
“I want to talk to her. Put her on the phone.”
“No,” I tell him.
“Then I’m coming over.”
