Page 66 of Running from Drac

“I don’t blame her,” he mutters. “Even if she never looks at me again... I just didn’t want her to feel helpless. I couldn’t let that guy touch her like that.”

“What the fuck happened?” Rich questions. “What made you snap like that?”

“She clearly told him no. Then his grubby paws were all over her, trying to force her to dance with him. You know how I feel about that shit. After what happened to my sister, I’ll never let another woman get taken advantage of like that. The second I saw him touch her; the guy’s fate was sealed.”

I clench the phone tighter. “You don’t deserve this.”

“I do,” he says, meeting my eyes. “My rage continuously simmers beneath the surface. You may not see it, but I can feel it. It seers my bones, making me hollow and empty. The only time I feel worth something is when I’m around her. I just wish she could see how much I actually fucking love her.”

My heart clenches. I hate how calm he sounds. Like he’s already accepted his fate. Like this is just another shitty chapter in a story that’s already been written.

“You’re not alone,” I tell him, my voice thick with emotion. “We’re gonna do everything we can to get you out of here.”

“No,” he says sternly. “You’ve got a wedding coming up. You need to focus on Amber. Don’t let this drag you under.”

I stare at him, fists curling in my lap. “You think I can walk down the aisle like none of this happened?”

“I think you’re gonna marry the love of your life,” he says with a strange strength that’s hard to ignore. “Let me have one good thing to believe in while in here. I’ll get out eventually, and when I do…”

“There’ll be a job waiting for you, and a bike ready for you to ride.”

“Seriously?”

“Fuck yeah, I’m serious. We’re doing this shit, Wesley. There’s a million miles of road waiting for us when you get out of here.”

He smiles, showing off his split lip that’s slightly bleeding. “Fuck, that sounds nice. Keep a beer cracked open for me too. I’m gonna suck that thing down so fucking hard when I’m out of here.”

Rich and I burst out laughing.

“What? What I say?”

“It’s just funny you worded it that way. Dad called you a fucking cocksucker for getting locked up.”

“Damn, your old man’s cold, Eddie. Tell him I love him too.”

A guard steps forward and taps his wrist. “Two minutes, Inmate.”

Wesley stands, gripping the phone tighter. “I’m sorry,” he says, his eyes locking with mine. “For everything. But especially for missing your wedding.”

“You say it like you’re saying goodbye.”

He shrugs. “Maybe it is in a way. Once I get out of here, I plan to be a different man. This isn’t goodbye per se. This is a culling of bad habits and rotten decisions.”

“You better not fucking die in there, Wesley. You fucking beat the shit out of any motherfucker who dares to look at your ass wrong.”

He hesitates, giving us a tiny nod. “Don’t let this be the last time I see you. I can’t get through this without the two of you two.”

I swallow the lump in my throat.

“We got your back, brother. Stay strong,” Rich agrees.

Wesley nods as he moves towards the door. “I’ll be fine. Just get our friend down that damn aisle so he can finally marry his girl. Don’t you guys put your lives on hold for me.”

But I’m not sure I can do that. A life without Wesley seems like a fucking miserable existence.

“See you guys on the outside,” he whispers before his smile disappears. It’s the last thing we see before he limps his way through the steel door without a single look back.

He’s gone… but never forgotten.