Page 67 of Pride

“You like doing that, don’t you.”

I nodded with pride. “Your head, hers, anyone’s. Yeah, I do. It makes life a little more interesting.”

“Except I already told you, she’s off limits.”

I rubbed my jaw as if I was considering what he’d said and whether I agreed.

“Off limits,” I mused. “I seem to remember that being our favourite target.” And I sighed dramatically. “I miss the old days.”

Fire burned in his eyes as he tried to control himself.

“Life moves on,” he spat.

I knew that was bullshit, but I agreed. I was growing tired of arguing. He needed to move on.

“Yes, it does, and so do we. I’m really pleased to see you again, but you’ve chosen the most awkward time. I’m on a date and it’s going really well. I think she’sdyingto see my apartment.”

“Date’s over,” he replied, lifting his chin defiantly.

“Really?” I pretended to look shocked. “What? No goodnight kiss? No awkward fumble in the dark, hoping for more? I feel a little robbed here.”

“I always swore that I’d do right by you, and I’m a man of my word.”

“You’re a man of many words, but right now, I could really take a raincheck on hearing them.”

But he wasn’t deterred.

“I have a car outside. You’re going to leave this restaurant immediately and get into it. It’ll take you to a rehab facility,and you’ll stay there until whatever this weird, psychotic episode your currently having ends. Is that clear?”

It was my turn to sneer at him.

“I’m not leaving. I have a show in Milan on Thursday.”

“I thought you’d say that,” he replied casually, like he always had the answers. “So I’ve arranged for you to be escorted to Italy and back. I know it’s a commitment you need to keep. But you will go into rehab. And after Thursday, there’ll be no more performances.”

“And if I say no?”

“Then I’ll take you in myself. Or call the police.”

“Oh, Alex.” I tutted. “You disappoint me. The police? Come on. We both know that’d be suicide for both of us.”

“At this point, I really don’t care,” he shot back. “I’ll do whatever I can to get you out of Emma’s life.”

I gave another low chuckle. “I leave, or your face is the last thing I see before all the hellfire and purgatory. Mind you, that second option kind of sounds fun to me. It calls to my twisted side.”

“Don’t fucking try me,” he seethed.

I glanced toward the bathrooms and asked, “And my date? What happens to her? I can’t leave the poor girl stranded.”

Alex grabbed a passing waiter and asked him for a piece of paper from his notebook and the use of his pen. Then he scribbled something down, took his wallet out, threw a wad of cash into the middle of the table and placed the note on top.

“Sorted,” he snapped.

“You do love taking charge, don’t you.” I grinned and wiggled my eyebrows as I asked, “Is that why you like Emma, because she has a vulnerability to her? She’s all alone with no one to help her. The perfect damsel in distress. But don’t worry, Emma... Alex is here to save the day. He feeds off the kind of bullshit your life seems to wallow in. He fucking revels in it.”

My eyes turned darker as I fixed him with a knowing stare. “She’s like a magnet for you, isn’t she. Admit it. You can’t help yourself. You thrive off her need for attention.” I clicked my fingers trying to find the right words. “What is it? It’s not a God complex. What’s the word I’m looking for?” And then I pointed my finger at him and smiled as the words came to me. “A saviour complex. That’s what you have. You live to save others. You tried to do that with me, but with her, it’s so much more rewarding because you get to fuck her at the end of it. I only made you some art to hang on your wall.”

“Fuck you,” he hissed.