The Rebel - Raleigh Ruebins Page 0,76

the same, and Terry charges me double for all the stuff he gets me, and I just... need you back in LA.”

Colin stumbled as he took a step, and after teetering for a moment, he fell down into the small planter of flowers that lined the parking lot. A small pill bottle fell out of his pocket this time, and he snatched it up, standing back up.

“Christ, Colin, you just ruined those marigolds—”

“I don’t care,” Colin said, rolling his eyes. “I know you’ve always liked flowers more than you like me, anyway, but it doesn’t fucking matter.”

“Just stop,” Liam said, shaking his head. “Stop.”

“Come back to LA,” Colin said, the venom leaving his voice as he put on his sad puppy act again. “I swear I’ll be better. We can cut back to only drinking with dinner.”

“I’m not coming back,” Liam said.

“We had fun, though,” Colin said. “You and I were the same. We are the same.”

Liam furrowed his brow, shaking his head. “We never were.”

“But you are the only one who’s ever understood,” Colin said. “You know what it was like to have a family that spat you out. And that’s why we party. That’s why we say fuck it all, every single day, and live life to the fullest.”

Liam looked into the distance. “It was never really living,” he said.

“You can’t be happy in this place,” Colin said. “Look around, Hardy. There’s nothing to do. There’s nowhere to go. But I’m in LA, and… and Kaylie—”

“Her name is Katie,” Liam said, fixing his eyes on Colin. “You were with me for a year, and you don’t even know my best friend’s name.”

Colin snorted. “Come on, we both know your best friend was a bottle of liquor and a pill bottle, anyway.”

“That’s enough,” I said, the words escaping my throat before I had even processed them.

I’d been trying so hard to stay out of it, to maintain distance, to let Liam handle things on his own. But I couldn’t fucking bear it. I couldn’t let anyone treat him like this.

I was so used to Liam being unafraid of any challenge, but seeing him interact with Colin, he was like an entirely different person. Liam had always been willing to tell me off, in glorious style, if I deserved it. He’d always been a spitfire, ready to fight me and then fuck me a minute later. He was unstoppable when he was around me, even back in the day when everything had been different.

So how the fuck was he slowly wilting in front of this shitshow of a human being?

I stood up straight and walked over, positioning myself between the two of them.

“Excuse me, we’re having a conversation,” Colin said.

“It’s over,” I said sternly.

“He’s right,” Liam said.

Colin rolled his eyes. “You’re kidding,” he said, trying to edge past me toward Liam.

Liam took a couple steps back, and I followed. Colin was left with his mouth hanging open, brow furrowed in disbelief.

“Really?” Colin snapped. “So this is who you choose over me, Hardy?”

“You don’t have to do this, Red,” Liam said, his voice sounding more sad than anything.

“I was the one you were supposed to be making videos with,” Colin shouted. “Fine, I shouldn’t have come to this piece of shit town. I’ll leave. I don’t want to be here, anyway. Just stop fucking ignoring all of my messages, Hardy. Come home. I’ll pay you back, I’ll get you anything you need.”

Liam leaned back against his car, running his hands along the sides of his head. “It’s over, Colin. I don’t need the money back. I just need you gone.” He spoke evenly, but I could hear the tension in his voice.

“Fuck that!” Colin said.

“I’m calling the police,” I said.

“No,” Liam said, fixing me with a hard glare. “You don’t need to handle my problems. You’ve done enough of that for a lifetime. Just go inside.”

I furrowed my brow. My whole body was hot now, and the collar of my shirt felt way too tight against my neck.

“Are you out of your mind? I’m not leaving you alone out here with him,” I said.

“I told you, I can handle my own life,” Liam said.

My heart was aching for him as I watched him slowly crumble in front of my eyes. I hadn’t seen Liam look like that in years. It was like as soon as Colin was in his vicinity, he started to deflate.

“No wonder you came here to this aging cowboy instead of staying with me,” Colin said, lighting another