Page 55 of Constantine: Britain's Story: Part 2
Matt cups his face as his nose spews blood down the front of his shirt while Max and Niko move into the office. They come to stand between him and me, but they don’t push me away.
“You’re such a fucking bastard, Liam. You might have had her for six weeks, but I’ve stayed with her for 17 years. And counting.” The asshole winks at me as I make a fist with my hand, then release it just to make a fist all over again. Niko gives me a head nod to shoo me out, and I know he’s right. I need to leave, at least Matt’s office. But I’m done hiding. I’m ready to get back to work.
Matt’s not done, though. “If you would’ve heard the way she was screaming my name this Saturday, you’d know just how insignificant you are to her.” I move forward on instinct alone, but I don’t get far. Max gets in my space, backing me up, holding me back. I can barely stand the thought of him being with her.Goddamn, I want to fucking kill him.I don’t have to use my fists to do it, though.
“Oh yeah? This Saturday, when you fucking left her out in the cold on her front porch? You mean this past Saturday, when I put her to bed and she begged me not to leave? Well, guess what? I didn’t, and when her body was pressed against mine, she sure as fuck wasn’t thinking about you.” Matt stands up in response, spitting blood onto the carpet in his office.
“You’re lying.”
I shake my head, “No, man, I’m not. She might have started with you, but she finished with me.” I push Max back gently andwalk out of the office. I don’t even notice I’m bleeding until Gina stops me halfway back to my own office.
“Boss, fuck! You’re getting blood everywhere!” Yeah, must’ve busted a stitch open. It was worth it. I don’t even feel it. Too much adrenaline, too much rage. Anddamn, too muchhurt.She slept with him?I feel like my insides are caving in on themselves.
“Get a towel, my laptop, and my keys, Gina. We’re working from the road.” I motion with my non-bloodied hand for her to go ahead of me.
“I’ll meet you at your car in five,” she says before hurrying off.
Ignoring the stares and whispers as I walk through the office, I don’t stop, I just head straight for my SUV in the parking garage. When I get there, I slam my back against the driver's side door and sink to the hot cement floor. It smells like piss in here, but I don’t care.She fucking slept with him?I pull my phone out to send a quick text, typing slowly with my left hand.
Liam
Also bring a bottle of scotch, a good one. From Matt’s stash.
Gina just taps back a thumbs up.
I don’t realize how hard I’m crying until she walks up to me.
“Jesus, Liam. She did a real number on you, didn’t she?” No, I did this.
“It’s not like that, Gina. It’s not like she fucked me over, okay?”
“It sure doesn’t seem that way,” she says as she slides down to sit next to me on the floor. “What’s so fucking special about her anyways? I mean, I guess she’smediocrepretty. Is she fucking hilarious? Give a world-class bj? Richer than sin? Help me understand.”
“Don’t ever fucking talk about her like that again or you’re fired.” My tone is biting. I love Gina like a sister, but nobody talks shit about Britain in front of me. Nobody.
“You wouldn’t get it, Gina,” I say, softening my tone. “You’ll probably think I’m a fucking sap, but she’s my soulmate. At least I thought she was. Or maybe she’ll always be mine, but I don’t think I’m hers. I don’t know. All I know is it feels like I’m dying.” I sniff as more tears fall. Fucking pathetic, just like all those texts I sent her. Just like showing up at her house in the middle of the night.
“Well, fuck her,” Gina says.
“GINA, don’t fucking say that.”
“No, I don’t care. My entire life, I’ve always heard about this‘Britain.’Britain’s so good in school. She has straight A’s. She’s on the varsity volleyball team. She got into Stanford.And now she inserts herself into all of our lives and fucking ruins the good thing we all had going. Matt was your best friend and now you guys just got in a fist fight in the office over her. It’s bullshit.” She drops her head to look at her hands, and when she speaks again, her tone is subdued. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for years, Liam. She wasn’t even here for a month and a half, and you have her knocked up and you’re dying for her.” I look at her, seeing a tear fall. I smile sadly, and swipe the tear off her face. Gina’s tears, while they don’t make me happy, don’t affect me the same way Britain’s do.
“Gina, I know it seems like it’s only been six weeks, but for me it’s been longer.” It’s been a hell of a lot longer. “I’m not in any state to be good for anyone, probably not even Britain. Not that that’s even an option. Just come on.” I stand up, offering her my good hand to get up. She takes it, then wipes the dirt off her ass and hands. I wish I was into Gina like that. She’s beautiful, but she’s not mine. “You’re too young and pretty for me, anyways,” I tell her, using my shoulder to bump into hers.
“Yeah, and I’ve got this award-winning personality to go with it.” She rolls her eyes. “Can we get out of here now? This place smells like ass.” I barely even notice it anymore.
“Yeah, I need to go see Silas.” Gina pushes me to get in the passenger side of my SUV while she hops up into the driver's side.
“Okie-fucking-dokie,” she says. I can tell she’s pissed, but I don’t know what the fuck to do about that. She’s like family, I don’twanther to be hurt, but I’ve never given her any inclination that there could be something between us. Never.
We pull out of the parking garage and the valley sun assaults my eyes. I slam them shut to block it, and when I do, all I see is Britain and Matt.Fucking.
“Goddamnit,” I groan out, putting my palms to my eye sockets, hoping to stop the assault happening in my mind. When I open my eyes, I see Gina glance over at me, then back to the road with a worried look on her face.
“I’ll be fine, Gina. I just need to get these stitches fixed.” And then get fucking plastered and forget about the love of my life screaming out some other guy’s name.
It doesn’t take long before we’re at Silas’ office. We’re immediately taken back and Silas joins us shortly after, ready to re-do the stitches.
