Page 54 of Aperture

“You need to stay away from her,” he starts, ignoring any sort of socially acceptable greeting.

I ignore his declaration. “Hey, Buddy. What’s new?”

He doesn’t respond. He looks at me like he wants to murder me in the street, so I continue to press.

“Maybe you need to stay away from her,” I offer cooly.

“Or what?” Theo laughs. “What do you think you have on me, Wyatt?”

“I have enough.”

“You don’t have shit. You have some half-assed idea about Sophia,” he scoffs. “She left the school voluntarily after getting exactly what she asked for, Man. She was ashamed or some shit.”

“No, she wasn’t. She was scared.”

“Of who, Wyatt? Of me? Or you? It seems to me that you were the last one to speak to her before her disappearance. What did you say to her?”

“Fuck you, Theo. You know I did not do anything to that girl.” I’m starting to get pissed now.

“Nothing, huh? What about trying to take her from me? What about what you’re doing now?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I haven’t seen you in years. You never mentioned wanting to become a cop in all of the time we knew each other in college. How did you go from wanting a career in politics to settling for being a small-time detective?”

“There is a lot you don’t know about me. Just because you haven’t seen me, doesn’t mean I haven’t been around.”

“Well, here is something I do know. You knew my family lived here. We spent time here, together, you and I. You knew I wanted to move back. And this is where you choose to get a job in law enforcement? It’s fucking creepy, Man.” A bitter chuckle leaves his throat. “Maybe it’s me you are obsessed with?”

I let out a hearty laugh. “You’re right, Theo. I am obsessed with you. I am obsessed with Millie seeing you for the person you are.”

“What about the person you are, you fucking hypocrite? Does Millie know about what a fucking manwhore you were in college? Does she know that you got your dick sucked by a different girl almost every weekend?”

“That was a long time ago. I know your blow job-to-partner ratio makes me look like a Quaker. I’ve grown up in the past few years. Those things are not who I am now.”

“Who are you now, huh? Because you seem like a sad, empty guy with nothing better to do than stalk a girl who doesn’t want you?”

“There you go, Theo, trying to deflect. You always do this. It’s a nice tactic, but it’s not going to fucking work on me anymore. We both know who you are and what you did. I am not going to let you hurt Millie.”

“I would never hurt her,” he argues.

“Did you leave that picture in her home?” I ask.

His answer is immediate and resolute. “No.”

“Have you ever broken into her home?” I continue.

Again, he looks me in the eye and answers immediately.

“No.” He pauses, looking down at the ground before raising his head to meet my eyes.

“I care for her a lot. I have not felt this way about anyone since Sophia.”

I smirk. “You are good, Theo,” I tell him. “I almost believe you.”

“Whatever, Man. I don’t care,” he says, throwing up his hands in defeat. “If you had anything on me, I would be in jail. Just stay out of my way.” He turns and walks toward his Bronco.

I watch him walk away and think about the Theo I knew. He was a good guy, always a little guarded and insecure, but so are most people in their early twenties.