Ch. 2 (Kryptonite)
-Joseph rushed to Nate's side to doust him with the fire extinguisher.
-His coughing subsided, but the fire spread to the whole floor, trapping them between exits.
-Luckily, Luke came to their rescue and helped contain the flames.
-Luke has been looking for his own Lois Lane all of his life.
-He finally met her two years ago, but she was already involved with his best friend.
-Nate accidentally mentioned her name in front of Joseph, causing Luke to stammer.
-Brad called Luke later that night, sounding upset.
-Concerned, he decided to pay him a visit.
*Strong language, violence*
Location: 99 Embarcadero Drive
Date: Friday, 10/28/11
Time: 8:27 p.m.
Luke can hear the pounding of his own heart as he nervously looks at Brad sitting across him. The last time he was here, they got into an argument after his best friend walked in on him making out with his girlfriend. His Lois Lane. The woman that makes him lose all rational thought with her liquid, penetrating brown eyes. The woman whose mere scent makes him want to trace every curve of her body with his tongue. The woman that awakened every fiber of his soul with her soft lips. Luke has tried to forget about this siren. He tried to chase her out of his dreams. But she lingers...tugging at his heartstrings from miles way, making him feel and want things that are beyond the scope of human understanding. Real life love cannot possibly be this consuming or conflicting. The only time that he doesn't think about her is when he's occupied with his other passion: saving lives.
Brad's blood-shot, heavy-lidded eyes and stoic face can only mean that he's been drinking again tonight. The last time Luke saw him like this was when Brad found out that his mother was coming down to see him and his younger brother J.C., but she failed to show up. She left his father when Brad was only 10 years old due to his abusive nature. The problem was, she never came back for her sons. The boys have had to live with their alcoholic father and put up with his split-personality until they moved out of the house. Since Brad met Lyn, his need to solve his problems with liquor vanished. Not only did he find some stability in his life, but he also achieved his dream of becoming a doctor.
"Yeah..." His blue-eyed friend sighs. Whatever is troubling him, it can't be good.
"Look...I'm really sorry about what happened. I was way out of line and I was wrong for that." Swallowing his pride, Luke braces himself for reminding Brad of what he did. But he knows that they can't pretend nothing happened either.
"It's okay, man. It doesn't matter anyway." He shakes his head as he looks at the floor.
"Why do you say that?"
"It's over." Brad finally meets his gaze, the pale blue eyes that were once full of life are now dead and empty.
"Wait...you guys broke up?" His heart racing, Luke hopes it wasn't because of him. It wasn't his intention to cause problems between them, but now he feels responsible. Oh, shit. What have I done??
"Yeah..."
"What happened?"
"I slept with someone else..."
"What??" Luke feels like he's been hit by a ton of bricks. He couldn't have heard this right. This can't be true.
"It's just...we were having problems and it seemed like nothing I did was enough. It was like she wasn't happy anymore."
"So you cheat on her? You couldn't even try to talk to her about it??" His mind still can't process the concept. Brad was so unhappy with the woman of Luke's dreams that he felt the need to cheat on her?? He gets to wake up to her beautiful face every morning and hold her every night, for two years, but he still didn't trust her enough to be honest with his feelings?
"Well, it was that night I saw you guys kissing. I thought you were sleeping together."
Hearing that from Brad's mouth is an uncomfortable reminder that he may have had a part in this. Had he not been there that day, there would be nothing for Brad to find, and they might still be together today. At the same time, this is not the first time Brad has cheated on women. Many times, Luke simply looked the other way. After all, he never really knew those girls and it was really none of his business.
"Look, Brad. I never slept with her, I told you that. We kissed, that was it. I stopped myself because you're my best friend. What I did was wrong, I admit that." Luke lets out a deep breath as his leg shakes.
"I know. She told me that too. But I still didn't believe it."
"Where is she now?"
"She's in Appaloosa Plains. I ran into her a few days ago. "
"What is she doing there?"
".............."
"Brad, what's going on, man??"
"When she caught me with her sister----"
"What?? Her sister?!!" Luke jumps off the couch so fast, he nearly trips over him. He can feel his blood boiling as it rushes to his face. This has got to be a joke!! It was bad enough that he cheated on Lyn, but her own sister?? The whole time he felt awful for kissing Lyn, knowing what he did was wrong, but this douchebag has been sleeping with her sister??
"I made a mistake, alright?" He throws his hands up as if he didn't have a choice.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?? You fucked her sister?!!" Of all the things that Brad could do, and he's done many, Luke never thought he would stoop so low as to sleeping with someone's sister. Sure, he's had his share of skanks but he really believed that Brad would at least have some type of boundary. The thought of Nate or Jake sleeping with any of his girlfriends is inconceivable to him because it's just not possible. That level of disrespect and betrayal is too heinous to even think about, yet it just happened to the woman that's so special to him, he would kiss the ground she walks on.
"Hey, at least she gave me the attention I needed!!"
"You know what, bro?? If Lyn was any other broad that you usually date, I wouldn't care. But she doesn't deserve that, I don't care what she's done to you!!" Luke counts to ten in his mind, trying not to explode from the rage building inside. He has always been there for his best friend, but he struck a very sensitive nerve this time. Lyn is one of the most intelligent, sweetest, driven and down-to-earth women he has ever known, and any guy would be lucky to have her. The only other woman that earned his undying respect and admiration is his mother. She's a freaking doctor with the body of a goddess and the eyes of a vixen!! How is he too stupid to see that??
"Of course you're gonna take her side! Now's your chance to hook up with her!!"
"Do you really think I'm that sleazy?? To go after a woman that you just screwed over?!" Luke prays that Brad keeps his mouth shut after this. His ability to control his temper is hanging by a very thin thread. One more word. One more fucking word.
"Like it stopped you before??"
"Fuck you!!" The thread finally snaps. Brad is no longer the best friend worthy of sympathy. He lost that when he continued to provoke Luke. Now he's simply the heartless monster that hurt and disrespected his Lois Lane in the worst way. If there's one thing that Superman hates, it's people who go after those that are innocent. He stayed away as long as Lyn was happy and taken care of, but now that Brad failed to do that, everything's fair game. He even warned him before that if he doesn't appreciate her, someone else will. But that motherfucker didn't listen. Instead, he bones her sister and expects Luke to condone his behavior.
"Looking at my own reflection
When suddenly it changes
Violently it changes
There is no turning back now
You've woken up the demon in me"
The next thing he knows, he rushes towards Brad and tackles him to the floor. Pinning his stomach with the weight of his body, he punches his face so hard, his cheekbone pops at the brute force of his fist. Before he can even try to fight back, Luke throws an arsenal of unrelenting jabs at his neck, nose, head, stomach and liver. This time, it's personal. It's not just about Lyn. It's about the time he caught Brad screwing his ex-girlfriend a few years ago, just when he was thinking about proposing to her. It's about the times Brad would make fun of him for rejecting women who threw themselves at him everywhere they go, even implying that he played for the other team. It's about the time he needed support when his parents almost filed for divorce, but Brad was nowhere to be found. The sight of blood oozing down his nose fuels the madness in Luke even more, releasing all of the pent up frustration he's been holding in for a long time.
"You motherfucker, you don't deserve her!!" Luke growls as he grips his neck with both hands, causing him to suffocate.
"Get up!! I'm not done with your ass!!" He pulls Brad up from the ground, turns him around and delivers a gruesome blow to his eye. When his face hits the floor, he puts him in a chokehold from behind while his legs control his waist, keeping him motionless. As he pulls him down on top of him, he tightens his grip on his neck, taking away his ability to breathe. Brad tries to pry Luke's arms off him but he's too strong. He can feel his airway closing in. The room becomes blurry. His face is turning purple, on the brink of passing out.
"L-Luke...y-y-you're choking m-me..." He uses every bit of strength he has left to force those weak words out his my mouth.
"Get up, come on
Get down with the sickness
You mother get up come on
Get down with the sickness
You fucker get up come on
Get down with the sickness
Madness is the gift
That has been given to me"
When he finally lets him go, he desperately gulps down as much air as he can. He clutches at his throat as his coughs subside. If Luke held on a few seconds longer, he would have choked him to death.
"I should have killed your sorry ass!! Where is she?!!" He screams, his voice thundering throughout the living room. His eyes are as red and hot as a wildfire that's out of control. This is a completely different side of him that Brad has never seen. This is nothing like his usual cool and calm demeanor. For the first time, he's afraid of him. He truly believes that Luke can kill him if he wanted to. He had no idea he cared about Lyn so much. He still doesn't quite understand Luke's rage, but now he regrets cheating on Lyn even more and telling him about it.
"I already told you!"
"No, where does she live??"
"I don't know!"
"Don't lie to me, asshole, unless you want me to break your neck!!"
"Okay, okay!"
"Get your ass up and write it down!!"
After watching Brad writhing in pain, barely able to stand, Luke's anger simmers down. He knows he has to keep his passion for Lyn under control, otherwise, he would have ended up severely hurting him, to the point of beating him to death. Brad's track record as a friend may not be impressive, and he may have slept with Lyn's sister, but it isn't his place to decide his karma. That is between him, his conscience and God. But the minute he sees Nikki out on the balcony, he knows what to do. His interactions with Lyn may have been brief and limited, but he knows that dog means the world to her. And the fact that she's still here shows how insensitive Brad is to Lyn's needs.
"What are you doing??" Brad yells out behind him as he struggles to walk. His face looks like raw meat that's been jackhammered, and it hurts for him to even blink.
"Hey, baby girl! I'm gonna take you to your mom, okay?" He murmurs as she lovingly kisses his face. He can already see Lyn's face light up when she sees Nikki. He knows how much she must miss her, wishing she was there to keep her safe and warm at night. Whatever it takes to bring a smile to her face again, to help her forget the trauma of having to catch Brad fucking her sister. He can't even imagine what she must be going through right now.
"No, you can't do that! She's all I have!!" Brad panics as he jealously watches the intimate interaction between Luke and Nikki.
"Please, Luke. Don't take her from me." He pleads, almost groveling.
"Let me ask you this. Did she tell you that she was moving to Appaloosa?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"She just ran out."
"She ran out when she caught you fucking her sister, right?"
"............."
"So let me get this straight. You didn't know where she was for over a week. Something could have happened to her. She's in some strange town all by herself because of you. You didn't even care enough to tell me so I could have looked for her. And all you're worried about is keeping her dog??"
"She doesn't want anything to do with me."
"What, you wanted her to thank you for screwing her sister??"
"Oh man...I messed up..."
"If you really love her, you'll leave her alone. If it's meant to be, she'll come back to you. But you need to let her figure that out for herself." Luke advices calmly. He's had to tell himself that the day he kissed Lyn, when he realized that as long as she was with Brad, he couldn't be around her. He wanted her more than anything he's ever wanted in his life, but he wasn't going to be the kind of guy that will have an affair with his best friend's woman. He has too much respect for them and himself to stoop that low. He also knows he deserves better than being "the other man". If he couldn't have her, then it was better to accept his loss and move on.
"But how am I gonna live without her? I need her, Luke!!"
"Now you know how I feel."
This is one of the hardest things Luke has ever had to do in his life. He's torn between his loyalty to his best friend and defending Lyn's honor. He knows how much Nikki means to Brad, especially now that Lyn is gone, and she's all he has left. But at the same time, Lyn has been through a lot, and she really needs Nikki right now. At the end of the day, she's the one that has lost the most.
"Nikki!!" Brad drops to the floor as he watches the only living remmant of Lyn walk away with Luke. For a moment she turns around and pauses, contemplating if she should go back inside, but as soon as she looks at Luke, she steps inside the elevator.
Location: Bridgeport Community Fire Department
Date: Saturday, 10/29/11
Time: 8:53 a.m.
Morning has come. Luke makes a quick stop to the firestation before his road trip to Appaloosa Plains. Even though Nikki slept on his bed last night, he didn't get much sleep. He kept tossing and turning, replaying the events that happened a few hours prior. He feels remorseful that he pounded Brad to the ground, but he doesn't regret taking Nikki, nor does he regret his decision to see Lyn. His longing for her is so strong, he can't think straight. It doesn't even make sense how much I miss her right now.
"Dad, can I talk to you for a second?" He pulls Joseph to the side.
"Yeah, son, what's going on?" Joseph searches his eyes in concern.
"Remember that girl that Nate mentioned last night?"
"Lyn, right?"
"Yeah. Well..something happened and she had to move to Appaloosa. I need to bring her dog to her."
"Is everything okay?"
"I don't know if it's my place to tell you..."
"Only tell me what you're comfortable with."
"The thing is...she caught her boyfriend sleeping with her sister. So she left town."
"Oh, wow. That's...horrible. You must care a lot about her to go through all this trouble."
"I do. She's very special to me."
"How long will you be in Appaloosa?
"Just a few days, no more than three. I just want to make sure she's okay before I come back here."
"Okay, we'll cover for you. Luke?"
"Yeah, dad?"
"Just be careful with her. She needs a friend right now, and that's what you should be. Don't try anything dumb. Unless you want to push her away."
"Haha. I won't."
"I gotta go, bro." Luke smiles as he watches Jake helplessly fall for Nikki's charms. Just like her mom. Men falling at her feet.
"Noooo!! I wanna keep her!" Jake refuses to let Nikki go.
"She'll come back to visit."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
His breath gets caught in his throat as he briefly looks back at the bridge, leaving the city behind. He still cannot believe he's going to see Lyn in a few hours. Just the thought of wrapping his arms around her when she greets him at the door, her warm smile melting his heart, brings butterflies to his stomach. What will he say? What will he do?
"You ready, Nikki? We're gonna see your mom!" He strokes her silky head. She happily licks his hand before she looks out the window.
Here we go...
*Copyright 2012 Lyn C.S.*
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Author's Note: Ch. 25 (Dreaming With A Broken Heart) in "Memoirs Of A City Girl" covers Brad's point of view.
"Down With The Sickness" by Disturbed
Video by: firefoxK
