Oliver
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed loudly in my hand.
William.
My heart jumped, if I managed to answer, maybe he could help me get out of this situation.
I fumbled for the answer button with trembling fingers, but Keiran was faster. His hand shot out like a viper, snatching the device before I could even click on it.
"William calling… So many heart emoji" he read from the screen, his voice dangerously low. Those gray eyes lifted to mine, and something dark flickered in them, something that made my blood run cold.
"I heard you're into guys, are you two dating?" The question came out like in his usual cold terrifying tone.
"What? No, we're just. . ."
CRACK.
The sound of my phone shattering against the wall made me flinch. Pieces of glass and plastic scattered across the floor.
"Keiran!" I gasped, staring at the destroyed remains of my phone. My mom is going to kill me!
He turned back to me, and that's when I saw it, a mysterious glint in his eyes that I'd never seen before. I couldn't even name it, I had to guess what it was. Predatory, and utterly terrifying.
"Just what, Oliver?" His voice was like silk wrapped around steel. "Just friends? Like we used to be?" He spat like the word was a curse itself.
I looked into his gaze for any trace of remorse, hoping I could perhaps see a glimpse of my childhood best friend. The one person I missed so much. It wasn't there. This was a totally different person, and all I could manage to find in those gray eyes was hate, disgust, and something else… something that felt like a twisted obsession.
"Let me go!" I gagged out in pain when he tightened his finger around my jaw until I nearly heard the bone crack, but his attention was still fixed on the broken phone.
"You didn't answer my question." His voice was eerily calm now, which somehow made it worse. He steps a foot forward, crushing the phone pieces under his shoe with deliberate slowness.
"Does little William make you feel safe, Oliver? Does he hold you at night? Kiss away your tears?" Each word was laced with venom, he seemed more angrier now which I didn't think was possible.
"Stop it," I whispered, wanting to back further against the wall, away from him, but there's nowhere else to move.
He released my jaw but his hands slammed against the wall on either side of my head, caging me in.
"Let me go!" I said again, louder this time.
I stared into his hate-filled gaze, but now there was something else there. . . Unfathomable. Unhinged, that made my stomach twist with fear.
"It's been eight years. Hurting me w-won't bring her back…" My words trailed off in fear as his jaw flexed murderously. I could feel the tension radiating off him like heat from a fire.
"Don't mention her!" he growled in my face, his breath hot against my skin as he grabbed my shoulders.
His fingers dug deeper into my flesh, and I was sure they would leave bruises. The mysterious glint in his eyes grew brighter, more dangerous.
"You know what I think, Oliver?" His voice dropped to a whisper that somehow felt more threatening than his shouting. "I think you replaced her. Replaced us. With him."
"That's not. . ."
"You moved on so easily," he continued, ignoring my protest. "Found yourself a new best friend. Someone to comfort you. Someone to make you forget what you did."
The way he said it made my skin crawl. There was something twisted in his tone, but I know it cannot be jealousy. That's impossible. Kieran didn't care about our friendship anymore. He wouldn't be jealous.
Maybe it's just plain hatred.
"Ginny was my friend too. It was an accident. I never meant for it to happen, I swear." My voice cracked. Uttering her name made the old guilt begin to churn up my insides, filling my eyes with tears.
"Accident?" He laughed, but there was no humor in it. The sound was cold and bitter. "You call killing my sister an accident?"
His hand shot out and grabbed my throat.
Not choking me, but just enough pressure to make me understand how easily he could. His eyes darkened with amusement as he watched my fear.
"You want to know what's not an accident, Oliver?" His thumb pressed against my pulse point, feeling my carotid artery pumping. "This. What I'm going to do to you. What I'm going to do to anyone who gets close to you."
His grip tightened on my neck, His face leaned even closer, a mere inch from mine. His breath was harsh against my face, and I could smell the mint. As always.
I swallowed hard against his grip, pushing back a wave of terror that skittered through me. Those threats he had uttered. He could hurt me as much as he wanted. Just not William.
"Keiran," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "You're scaring me."
"Good," he whispered back, his thumb tracing along my jawline in a gesture that would have been tender if not for the violence in his eyes. "You should be scared. You should have been scared eight years ago."
With those final hurting words, he was gone once again.
*
*
The break was already over, I walked slowly down the hallway, my heart throbbing with sadness and regret.
A familiar face made his way over to me.
"Hey, I searched all over for you… Whoa, did you cry?" William asked, peering intently at my face.
"What happened to you?" he asked again, his voice laced with concern and panic.
I wiped my palms against my jeans, still deciding on what to tell him when we were interrupted.
It was Amanda and her best friend Hailey, along with two other popular cheerleaders from class.
Just exactly what I needed. I wondered what their intentions were. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.
William's brow arched perfectly when they blocked our path.
"What do you want?" he asked in a bored tone.
Amanda ignored his question. Her gaze was fixed on me with a demeaning look.
"I saw you and Keiran," she said pointedly.
I shrugged lightly, wondering what she was getting at.
"So?"
Her expression transformed into a sneer.
"So? You faggot" she repeated in a high-pitched tone, and her cronies behind her laughed.
I gave her a dumb look. Was the fact that I was gay meant to be an insult?
"Both of you were in the same classroom. Did you spend all the break together? I mean, why would he be spending any time with someone like you?" Her gaze sized me up with anger.
I would have rolled my eyes, but I wasn't in the mood for anything, least of all having a meaningless argument with her.
"Then don't you think you should ask him instead of me?" I replied in a cool tone.
"Don't give me that. Trash like you shouldn't be seen with him. It isn't good for his reputation, You and I know fully well that Kieran is straight!" she sneered. Once again, her cronies laughed.
Seriously, what was funny?
"He would never lower himself to your scrawny body when he can have this!" She gestured at her boobs which are nearly falling out of her too revealing shirt.
I don't have time for this. Before I could come up with a suitable reply, William beat me to it.
"And I suppose you're good for his reputation? But that isn't what the rumors say… Let me remember," he drawled, pretending to actually be thinking about it.
His eyes lit up excitedly.
"I remember! I think he kicked you out, saying he doesn't do hoes… Poor guy, I don't blame him. I mean, he's afraid of catching disease," he added with a fake pouty expression, very similar to the one Amanda wore.
I stifled back laughter when her face flushed an angry shade of red.
"Watch out, both of you! This isn't over!"
She hurried off, her heels clicking loudly as she disappeared down the hallway, her cronies right behind her.
"You should watch out for yourself, you might just fall in those slutty heels!" William yelled right back.
"Such a bitch," he huffed, his attention reverting back to me.
I couldn't hold back a chuckle despite myself.
I'd always been Amanda's enemy, so she could do her very worst. Right now, she was the least of my concerns.
My thoughts reverted back to a certain gray-eyed boy. Regret and sadness and guilt built up in me once again.
He loathed me. It hurt to accept that I was the one who made him this way.