Page 28 of Meet Cute

“F-Finn!” I shout, retreating back to the corner of the bed. “What the hell is wrong with you!?”

“Why won’t you eat?!” He shouts right back, bringing his fists up to his head. “Would you rather die!? I don’t understand, Duncan! I don’t…! I don’t… P-Please… please eat…”

He’s putting on a good performance, I’ll give him that. But I have to stand my ground. “I can’t eat it now. You ruined it all.”

“You’re gonna eat it,” Finn exhales sharply through his nose. “I’m not bringing you anything else.”

“I won’t.” Two simple words send him on a spiral. Finn isn’t even speaking anymore, hands planted firmly at his sides while his body doesn’t move an inch. “Hope you know how to get rid of a body.”

We just look at each other for a while, before he blinks slowly at me. “That’s not funny. I’m not… I don’t want to hurt you. Y-You’re making me out to be… bad. I’m not… I’m not bad…”

“Look at what you’ve done to me,” I challenge. “How are you not bad?”

Wrong move. Finn’s on top of me before I process it all, surprisingly strong arms shooting out on both sides of my head. “I’m not bad.” He repeats, slower. “You know I’m not. Y-You defended me for a reason, you came back… for a reason… You—Fuck! Fuck! You liked me for a reason! We’re friends for a reason!”

Falling forward and desperately nudging his head against my neck like some kind of affection-starved dog, Finn whimpers. “Duncan… Please, Duncan… You know me… You do…”

“I don’t.” The truth is scary to admit. “I never thought… What you’ve done… I don’t know you, Finn. Not at all.”

Finn sniffles, wiping his teary eyes with the back of his hand. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

“Take it off,” I motion to the collar with my eyes. “If you’re really sorry.”

He seems to understand, reaching around and unlatching it. It falls to the floor with a light thud, the bell jingling softly. With a heavy sigh he sits up fully before climbing off of me.

Fishing something out of the pocket of his black sweatpants, he reaches over and fiddles with the metal behind me. A literal weight is lifted off of my ankle, but I can’t tell what he’s feeling since his attention shifts to the ground with shame.

He’s setting me free?

“I… it was wrong.” He finally admits, moving to stand near the bottom of the staircase. I swear he’s crying, but I don’t care all that much. I think it’s good that he feels bad, isn’t it? “I’m really sorry, Duncan. I-I’m so sorry.”

I only sit there like an idiot for a minute. Once the reality settles in I shoot up and race for the stairs. Each step up sends a pang through my entire body. I didn’t think it would end like this, I thought—

Both hands twist the shiny gold knob, but it doesn’t budge when I pull on it. The stupid thing makes a bunch of noise even though it won’t open. Why won’t it open? “It’s not… Finn, it isn’t…” Turning back, I find him still waiting there at the bottom—crying.

“I’m really sorry…” He wails as the metal baseball bat he's gripping becomes much more apparent. “I don’t want to, Duncan. I’m r-really…” he hiccups, “sorry…”

As he begins coming closer, it dawns on me that I should finally start screaming.

TWENTY-TWO

I don’t know when my head stopped ringing, or when the sound of my own bones crunching finally went away. I thought for sure when the searing pain began my body would give up and everything would disappear into black nothingness.

It’s just a blur.

A blur of sobs that aren’t mine and an agonizing pain that sends jolts throughout my entire body. It’s surprisingly easy to open my eyes, since it almost feels like I’m not even here in this moment.

Somehow Finn carried me to the bed, but I’m too scared to lift the covers up. I don’t want to see what he did to me. I don’t want to see what I already know is there. The pain isn’t prominent but it sure as hell isn’t gone.

“I cleaned it up,” he says softly while fixing the blankets. His hand is cold, snaking down my torso and past my thigh. Somewhere along the way I can’t feel him anymore, which is frightening because it hurts so much that’s all I can feel. “I’m so sorry, Dunk. I didn’t… Shoot, I didn’t want to. But I could tell… You—you wanted to leave me… You can’t leave me… I need you…”

Even if I wanted to reply I just don’t have the strength to speak. All I can do is gaze at him with empty eyes. The guilty look on his face is enough for me to know that he knows.

“Duncan…” Finn whines even though he’s so far from being the victim here. Forcing his way onto the bed with me, he huffs and nuzzles into my forearm. Pulling me into a very awkward side hug, he gives me the most pitiful expression I’ve seen in a while. “I’m sorry… Please say something—do something…”

What the hell does he want me to say? Am I supposed to coddle him and tell him that it’s okay? That its okay that he broke my legs? He’s so miserable it’s a joke, and I know he knows it. Only one word comes out: “Why?”

“You were gonna leave. T-That’s it. I didn’t want to. I-I swear. I didn’t have… a choice. P-Please don’t make me do it again…”