But It Isn't Right (Duskwood Fanfic)

Confessions

"You do not get to touch her like that anymore!" Jake thundered. His hands were fisted in Richy's shirt. I pushed myself to the door, feeling like I moved in slow-motion. "She has made her choice! Why can you not respect it?"

"Because you don't take care of her!" Richy shouted, pushing him back. "You don't understand anything about her or what she needs."

"Please stop," I said weakly, but they didn't hear me.

"I will give her everything she needs. I will take care of her. Not you," Jake shot back.

"You didn't even know that she'd skipped her medicine!" Richy exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "You have no idea what she looks like when she's feeling sick. You just ran off again and left her in the car. I was the one who noticed, the one who was there when she needed someone. It's always me."

Jake's head whipped to look at me. "Li? I..." he took a step forward, but Richy pushed him back, away from me.

Dan showed up then and intervened. "Knock it off, you two idiots!" he growled, shoving them apart. "Neither of you are giving Li what she needs right now. Go back to your corners!" He pointed in two different directions. Richy stalked off, while Jake gave me a defeated look and walked away slowly with his shoulders slumped. "You OK, kid?"

I nodded. "I want to go home to the barn, please."

"You got it. Which one of these idiots is bringing you?"

"This one," I said, tapping his chest. "I need some time alone."

"On it." Dan turned around. "Listen up, knuckleheads. Li wants to go home, and she says you two need to shape up while she has some me time. Maybe grow some brains and figure it out."

Dan picked up my bag and helped me out of the car, moving me on unsteady feet to the parking lot. I thought I was going to have less drama by asking Dan for ride, but no such luck. "You and your kamikaze shit, Li. When is it going to stop?"

"I was never in any danger," I mumbled.

"You were a foot away from a crazy man with a knife," Dan retorted. "Phil kidnapped you. You got shot. Not to mention the two heart attacks. I'd say that's a lot of danger. Don't you think it's time to hang up your superhero cape and just take care of yourself?"

I snorted. "I never asked for any of this to happen. I was just trying to make the best of the situation at hand."

"I know that. But. You've got lots of people who worry about you," Dan said. "Not just those two. I happen to be one of them, so I'd really appreciate it if you could quit stressing me out so much and try to lead a normal life."

I put my hand on his arm. "I appreciate your concern. I promise I'll try to do better. But regardless, I don't know how to lead a normal life while they're at each other's throats."

"You let them work that out. They may need to just punch each other. Sometimes that's what dudes gotta do to get over their differences."

I sighed. "I hope not. They're both too pretty to get their faces messed up."

Dan roared with laughter as he pulled up to the barn. "C'mon, I'll help you inside."

When he left, I looked around the barn. Jessy and Dan were staying with Dan's mom right now, and their furniture was piled in a corner. Otherwise, the space was as it had been before the tour. Echoes of my relationship with Richy were everywhere.

I slid down to the floor, clutching one of his shirts in my hands. I had made my choice, and I knew in my heart that Jake was the one I wanted to be with. But it didn't hurt any less that Richy would no longer hold that place in my life. I didn't just forget the love I had for Richy because I'd clarified my feelings for Jake. It didn't erase the past four years when Richy had been such an important part of my life.