Find You in the Dark (Find You in the Dark #1)(53)
Author: A. Meredith Walters

“Man, just let it go.” Clay said, trying to pull Daniel back. Rachel had started to cry. “Yes, we’re friends! But damn you Daniel! I love you! I’m tired of you hurting me!” She sobbed. I pulled her into the crook of my arm and let her cry into my shirt.

Daniel looked dumbstruck. He looked at me in confusion. “She loves me? What the hell is she talking about?” I just shook my head. Rachel pulled out of my arms and ran down the hallway, slamming the door to her room.

“What the f**k?!” Daniel yelled and turned to punch the wall. “Stop that shit, Daniel!” Clay roared, pulling the other boy back. Daniel pushed passed Clay and me and slammed out the kitchen door. “Well, crap.” I said tiredly. I looked out the window, trying to find Daniel in the darkened night. “I should probably go find him.” I said, pulling on my coat and putting on my shoes.

“Just let him be. He’ll calm down.” Clay said, pulling me back from the door. I turned on him and gave him a dark look. “Look, Clay. Daniel is my friend. He’s pissed off and drunk. He needs me right now.” I found my gloves in my coat pocket and tugged them on.

Clay grabbed my arms. “Well, I need you too. Doesn’t that count for something?” He asked me angrily. Was he serious? How can he make this all about him? I wrenched away from him. “Stop being a selfish prick. My friends need me right now. I would hope you’d understand that. But if you don’t, well f**k you.” I grit out, before leaving him to find Daniel.

Chapter Sixteen

I found Daniel down by the lake, sitting on a bench as the snow fell around him. He hadn’t put on a coat, so he was shivering from the cold. “You’ll freeze out here, you idiot.” I said, coming to sit beside him.

Daniel was still a little wobbly, but he moved over to make room for me on the bench. “What the hell was that? Was she serious? Because I had no clue she felt that way.” He bit out angrily. I touched my shoulder to his in support and took his hand. “Danny, Rachel loves you. I mean loves you loves you. I’m not sure I should even be telling you this, but I can’t stand aside and watch the two of you hurt each other over and over again. So now you know how she feel. What are you going to do about it?” I asked him.

Daniel hung his head. “I don’t know. This is insane. I’ve known Rachel since we were babies. I just never thought she felt that way about me.” He shook his head. “Well, I guess the question is, do you feel that way about her? I know she’s your friend. The three of us have been attached at the hip for a long time. But there sometimes comes a point when things change. And that can be a really good thing, Daniel.” I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and hugged him close.

“I’m really messed up right now. I can’t think.” He gripped his head with his hands like he had a headache. “Our friendship is really important to me. I don’t know if I can ruin that.” He sounded vulnerable and I leaned over to kiss his cheek.

“Well, maybe for now, you just need to go in there and talk to her. Sort through your shit. Because I can’t play middle man between the two of you much longer. It’s exhausting.” I rubbed the back of his neck, trying to soothe him.

“You’re pretty damn fantastic, Mags.” Daniel said, smiling his sad, drunk smile. “Yeah, I know.” I quipped, letting him pull me into a tight embrace, his hand coming up to stroke my hair. We stayed like that for awhile, hugging each other. Daniel seemed to cling to me like a life line. He pulled back finally and patted my cheek. “You’re right. I should go talk to her. This has gotten out of hand.” I grabbed his other hand and squeezed.

I gave Daniel a nudge. “Okay, well go on.” I urged. Daniel got to his feet. “Wish me luck. If you hear my screams, know she’s trying to kill me and come help. Okay?” Daniel was joking of course, but I could see how nervous he was. “Sure.” I said, smiling.

After Daniel left, I sat on the bench awhile longer. It was then I felt a strange prickle at the back of my neck. Turning around I could see Clay’s dark form in the shadow of the trees. “Clay?” I called out. He didn’t answer me, just stood there watching me. I got up and walked toward him, my stomach dropping at the look on his face.

Great, he was mad again.

“How long have you been out here?” I asked, shoving my hands into my pockets. His eyes met mine. “Long enough to see your touching little interlude there.” He spat out with disgust. I lifted my hands in the air and huffed. “Of course you’d say that. Because apparently all I do is go behind your back with other guys. I mean, that is what you’re accusing me of, right?” I said bitterly, moving around him to go back in the house.

Clay grabbed my arm. “Well, if the shoe fits.” Clay said coldly. I whipped around and got in his face. “Well, I’m not the one out here like a damn stalker! Daniel is my friend, you moron! I’m through explaining myself to you!”

I ran back into the cabin and went straight upstairs.

Clay was right on my heels. “Maggie, stop. Please.” I could hear the change in his voice. He sounded worried, panicked even. “If it wasn’t snowing, I’d tell you to take me home. This if ridiculous! You’ve been an ass**le all evening. I’ve had enough of your irrational insecurities.” I yelled at him as I ripped off my coat and threw it on the floor.

“Maggie! God! You know how I am. How hard it is…” I cut him off. “Stop with the goddamn excuses! I have been nothing but loving and supportive of you. But your shit will ruin us. You need to get it under control!” I could tell that was the wrong thing to say as Clay’s eyes lit with a sudden anger.

“Nice, just throw my issues in my face, why don’t you?! I’m trying here! Which is more than I can say for you. I think you’re just looking for an excuse to get rid of me. Well, I’ll make it easy for you. Get the f**k out!” He screamed at me. “You bastard.” I breathed, hardly able to believe he had just said that. After everything we’d been through. After all the times I had shown him how much I loved him. Well, if he wanted to act like a baby, I was getting off this rollercoaster.

Clay’s eyes flashed at me. I shoved Clay solidly in the chest. He wasn’t expecting it so he stumbled back a bit in surprise. “Fine. To hell with you!” I was out of breath as I shoved past him.

The rage drained from Clay’s face and he looked stricken. The realization that I was leaving him sinking in hard and fast. I knew in that moment he hadn’t meant what he said, that he was just trying to hurt me. But who does crap like that? I would not stand there and be his whipping post a moment longer. “Mags, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was saying.” He tried to reach out for me and I slapped him across the face. Hard.