Page 29 of Breaking the Limits

I had driven around for a while after leaving Bowie at the shop. I had a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t know how to explain it. It was almost like I could feel the impending downfall of my life. Not knowing how to fix it was just another issue that left me with more frustration. I had driven around town until close to midnight. Still unready to go home I pulled into JamesTown.

It was slow thanks to it being a week night. A handful of people sit around drinking, eating, or smoking. I walk up to the counter and take a seat. Farrah, with her long platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes greets me. “You okay Ace?”

I shrug, “Yeah, just got things on my mind.”

“Well, if you want to talk about it I’m here. It’s almost part of my job description,” she says with an airy laugh. “You want something to eat or drink?” I ordered some chili cheese fries and soda. I scroll through all the pictures in my phone while I’m waiting on the food. Kynlee smiles back at me in almost every one of them. For some reason that makes my heart ache. Finally, Farrah slides the food in front of me, she drops a cherry into my soda with a wink. “Maybe this will sweeten things up a bit.”

I laugh a little. Farrah is not what you expect. When she had first walked in here applying for a job we all took bets on how long she’d last. Farrah was actually Farrah Parrish, Londynn’s older sister. She grew up in one of those gated communities in the super elaborate districts of L.A. She had been born with a trust fund that was probably double the size of what my dad had earned in his entire life. She should have been the definition of elite yet somehow, she had packed up a few things and moved her trust fund to a private account and ended up here. I knew she was going to school online but wasn’t sure what her major was.She had been here for a few years now so none of us won the bet. She definitely made this place better.

Half way through my meal the stool beside mine is pulled away from the counter and a body sits on it. “Well you were the last person I expected to find here.”

The sound of his voice has me instantly tensing up. My hands fist up and I look over at him and level him with a glare. His smirk only causes my anger to grow more. I don’t trust Enzo as far as I can throw him. I don’t like Enzo because it’s clear to me that he wants Kynlee. He is overly confident which makes him cocky and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have anything to back that up with.

During high school it had always been a competition with us. He tried to race and I beat him. He tried to start a band but mine had gained more popularity. He tried to dress and act like me but was never even close to me. It some ways it was weird. I know he’s attracted to Kynlee and I can’t blame him for that. I know another part of his interest in Kynlee has to do with the fact that she had picked me and not him. I don’t blame him for wanting her, I mean who wouldn’t? Kynlee is drop dead gorgeous with a personality to boot but that isn’t the only appeal to him. The fact that he tries to use her because of me and his weird jealous obsession pisses me off.

“Now, why would I be the last person you expected to see here? I mean this place does belong to my family,” I tell him harshly.

Farrah has yet to come over and take a drink order and I know it’s because she doesn’t trust Enzo either. “Well someone should tell your family that the service stinks, what do I got to do to get a drink around here?”

I shrug, “Go to a different bar.”

Enzo’s eyes glare at me, almost as if he’s trying to intimidate me. Only one problem with that, it doesn’t work. “Does your family not like to make money?”

“We do but not from someone like you.”

He nods his head. “Someone like me, what do you mean Ace? Someone who wasn’t dumb enough to quit a band right before they got their big break, someone who gets to sing in front of thousands of screaming girls, someone who can snap his fingers and get any girl he wants, someone who has more money than you can dream of, someone who tried to hire Kynlee for my video.”

I shake my head at the ridiculousness of this conversation. He’s bragging like any of this means something to me but it doesn’t. “Sure Enzo, that’s what I mean but just to make something clear the band wasn’t my dream so I could care less that I quit before they got their break, I could care less about the thousands of girls you have screaming for you because I only need the one and I have plenty of money to make me happy. As far as Kynlee and your video she didn’t need you to get her a job, she can do it all on her own.” I stand up and toss some money on the counter, “Night Farrah.” I stop and pat Enzo on the shoulder before I tell him. “Oh, and as far as snapping your fingers and getting any girl you want, you go right on ahead and keep snapping because there’s one girl you won’t get. Kynlee.”

I’m almost to the door when Enzo says, “I never said she couldn’t get a job on her own. We all now she’s damn sexy enough but Ihelpedher with her career or at least I tried, that’s more than you can say.”

I turn back around with my hands in my pockets. I notice Bowie coming from in from the hallway. Farrah must have called him because she’s worried about a fight breaking out between us. “Yeah and a hell of a lot help you were. You didn’t even give her the job.”

Enzo laughs, “Really? You think I didn’t give her the job. Think about that Ace, you know me better. YouknowI gave her that job. Sadly, though I had to replace her today per her request, but I’m pretty sure it has a lot more to do with you than her.” Enzo starts to head for the door and when he’s within ear shot of me he says, “Or maybe that kiss during the audition was just too much for her, maybe it confused her and now she doesn’t know what she wants.”

The ugly green monster called jealousy mixed with my raging red angry one, and before Bowie could even step toward me I have Enzo pinned to the wall. “Don’t you ever use Kynlee like that again! Do you hear me? You have a problem with me then take it up with me. If you’re jealous of something I have then take it up with me but don’t you dare mess with my girl and her head.”

“Your girl? Do you even love her?” he asks, taunting me.

“That’s none of your damn business. That’s between her and me.”

Enzo smirks. “I bet you’ve never even told her those three simple words. I bet she has to wonder from time to time. Let’s face it Ace, you’re not good for her. You don’t give her what she needs. You hold her back. She’s too good for you.”

And there it is, that nagging feeling put on display. The nagging feeling started after talking to Connor and ever since then his words have been heavily on my mind. Kynlee will need more, she deserves more. I can feel those words but I can’t say them but she needs to hear them. Even with all that I know I can’t let her go if she walked away I would but I can’t be the one to walk away from her. I look Enzo dead in the eye. “She’s too good for either of us.”

I release Enzo, yank the door open and quickly make my way to my car. I hear Bowie hollering after me but I can’t see him right now. I burn rubber getting out of the parking lot. Mythoughts run wild with images of Kynlee and Enzo kissing, even though I know that can’t be true. Kynlee wouldn’t do that to me, to us. To my surprise Kynlee isn’t home yet when I pull into the parking lot, that’s a small relief.

****

Kynlee

A few hours after Enzo left me standing at the beach my phone goes off with a text message. Looking down I see it’s from him, when I open it up it simply reads, “Done,” I breathe a sigh of relief reading that one simple word. Enzo has fixed the mess that technically he created but either way it’s fixed.

My emotions are still a mess so I go to a movie and grab some food afterwards. I see that I have missed calls from Mr. Sobolak, but it’s so late and I don’t want to call him back at this hour. I figure he’s just calling to tell me that I had been replaced anyways. I’d call him first thing in the morning and act surprised when he delivers the news. This is the latest I’ve been out by myself since living in L.A. I park up on a hill for a bit and watch all the city lights. They mesmerize me again like they always had.

Finally, sleep begins to wear on me so I decide to head home. It’s late but since Ace had texted that he was going to help Bowie at the car shop I figured he’d still be out. I’m planning on already being asleep or at least pretending to be asleep when he arrives home. I need the night to get myself and emotions together. Today has been challenging to say the least.

However, to my surprise when I pull into the parking lot I see Ace’s car is already here. Not exactly what I wanted or needed right now, but I’m going to have to deal with it the best I can. Slowly, I make my way up to the apartment but when I enter all the lights are off. I think maybe Ace isn’t home after all, maybe one of his brothers or friends had come and picked him up, but then I round the corner into the bedroom.

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