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"That's crazy, dude. She's just upset and frustrated."
"No, it's not."
"She just needs time, man. That's all."
Looking at his friend, he feels the sting of tears. "She doesn't smile with me. Doesn't laugh. I used to love hearing that giggle, and I haven't heard it in years. Not until she was spending time with Lex. It's the first genuine smile I've seen since all this shit happened."
"Lex is a chick, for one, and you've heard her. She's sarcastic as fuck, which is hella entertaining. It's almost impossible not to laugh when she's telling a story. Plus, she probably relates to Hannah in a way you can't."
"Yeah, maybe. I just... I don't know how much longer I can keep feeling this way. I love her more than life, but how long do I just sit here and wait for her to decide whether she loves me again?"
Cannon stares at Rocky. "Are you really ready to let her go? To send her on her way to find a life with someone who isn't you?"
"I don't know if I necessarily have a choice. If she can't figure out if she wants to be with me, really be with me, I don't know that I really have a choice. I wish I could explain how much this is killing me, man."
"Maybe you have to decide to just do both of you a favor and cut her loose, then. You sound like you're pretty sure you're going to lose her, and if that's the case, how long do you want to drag out the inevitable?"
He just asked the million-dollar question. How does Rocky decide when loving someone becomes too difficult to keep themaround? How much does he put up with before he's forced to make the decision for the two of them?
But the thought of having her gone, permanently, feels like someone just gutted him like a B-list horror flick. Can he really live without her? Tell her to go on her way and find someone else to love? That hurts even more than being without her because she always told him she'd never love anyone but him. Maybe time really does change everything.
Chapter Fifteen
Summerville
Venom
Another smile appears on Venom's face when he sees Marnie in the clubhouse tonight. But something about her seems off again, and instead of joining her, he stays against the wall and watches her. Like the stalker he feels he’s become.
Marnie talks with Sutton, but whatever bothers her doesn't seem to be shared. If it was, she'd look relieved, not tense. Her back is straight as a board, and her hands shake as she tries to drink the water in front of her. She must be working tonight. She rarely drinks before her shift.
When she stands up to leave, he quickly moves to the back entrance and circles around to intercept her, pulling her into the darkness. Just as she screams, he places his hand on her mouth.
"It's me. I just wanted to talk to you."
Removing his hand from her mouth, he stumbles backwards as Marnie pushes him. "Don't do that!"
"I'm sorry, love," he says.
"Don't call me that," Marnie says and leans against the wall.
He watches her arms cross over her chest, and she refuses to look at him. The tone of her voice as she tells him not to call her the nickname he has for her sounds off. Scared, maybe? "What's wrong, Marnie?"
"Nothing."
"Bullshit. I know you well enough to know something isn't right. You never miss an opportunity to insult me, and your hands shake like leaves in the wind. Plus, you won't look into my eyes."
"I don't want to look at someone who reeks of cigarettes."
"I quit."
Sighing, she finally looks at him. "It's nothing."
"It's something."
"I'm just having a problem with someone, okay?"
"Who? Tell your dad. He'll take care of it."
