Chapter 226: B - So much for Tyler being a gentleman…
The guy is… Tyler—Naomi’s boyfriend! I’m sure of it. There’s no way I’d ever forget that loser’s face.
But the girl… no. That’s definitely not Naomi.
And yet she seemed completely normal at school this morning. I even heard her talking to him on the phone during lunch break.
Yeah, I know. Eavesdropping is wrong. But I happened to catch part of the conversation through the bathroom door, where Naomi had locked herself in so she could talk to him.
From what little I heard, Naomi told him that some relatives would be staying with her for a while soon, and that she’d like to introduce them to him.
They’d even made plans to go out for dinner, just the two of them, so there’s no way they broke up.
That bastard… that lying, backstabbing son of a bitch!
He’s the reason things ended between me and Naomi… and now here he is, happy as can be, making out with a girl who looks even younger than she is. Sixteen at most. No older.
At this hour, he should be at home getting ready for work. Instead, he’s hiding in a park, making out with an sixteen-year-old girl.
What can I say? Thirty years of life flushed straight down the toilet. What a pathetic loser.
“Axel, can you tell me what’s going on?” Kimberly asks, noticing I’ve stopped and that I’m getting more and more irritated, my eyes fixed on the shadows between the trees.
From this far away, there’s no way she can see what I see. She might be stronger than me, but some abilities are nothing more than a dream for a human.
“Kimberly, wait here. I’ll be back in a minute,” I say firmly as I push through the bushes like an explorer forcing his way through the forest.
Needless to say, she follows me anyway, even though I told her not to. Honestly, I would’ve been more surprised if she hadn’t.
Not that I care she’s following me. I have no intention of hurting that loser.
I just… need to set things right.
Moving silently, with the light footsteps of someone used to sneaking up on prey, I make my way to within a few feet of them, hidden behind the trunk of a tree.
And then…
Click!
The flash from my phone’s camera makes them both jump. Caught red-handed, their tongues tangled together, his hand already wandering beneath her miniskirt.
“Who the fuck are you?! What the hell do you want?!” Tyler snaps, clearly annoyed by my sudden appearance.
Strangely enough, though, he doesn’t look worried at all. Naomi probably never showed him a picture of me… or maybe he just doesn’t remember.
“Maybe my face doesn’t ring a bell, but I’m sure my name will. Nice to meet you. I’m Axel Lustsilk,” I say, holding out my hand.
Ah… there it is.
Now I can see the fear spreading across his face.
His mouth falls open, his eyes wide with terror as he stares at me.
“Axel Lustsilk… you’re Naomi’s friend, aren’t you?!” he stammers, trembling.
“Naomi? Who the fuck is Naomi?!” the girl snaps, immediately pulling away from him and glaring daggers at him.
But Tyler completely ignores her.
“Axel, delete that picture right now and get the fuck out of here if you know what’s good for you!” he growls, raising a fist at me.
As he awkwardly tries to threaten me, I hear Kimberly quietly murmur behind my back.
“Axel… please, be careful…”
Careful of what, exactly? I haven’t done anything!
“I’m telling you one last time, Axel. Give me that fucking phone!” Tyler shouts, growing more and more agitated.
“I don’t think so. But don’t worry — I’ll keep this picture as a little souvenir. I have no intention of showing it to Naomi. I won’t have to, because you’re the one who’s going to break up with her today. You’ll tell her you never loved her and apologize for leading her on all this time. Then you’ll disappear from her life for good. That’s all. Easy, right?
“Oh, and don’t even think about mentioning my name. I’ll see her at school in a few hours, and if I find out you didn’t break things off with her… well, I’m sure the right department of the New York Police would be very interested in a picture of a thirty-year-old fooling around with a minor.”
“Tyler, you disgusting fucking pig! Who the fuck is this Naomi?! Is she your girlfriend?! Answer me!” the girl screams, her fury reaching its breaking point.
Once again, Tyler ignores her.
I don’t.
“Yeah. She’s his girlfriend. But not for much longer.”
Then I turn back to Tyler with a satisfied grin.
“So? Are you going to break up with her on your own, or would you rather let prison do it for you?”
Instead of answering, he suddenly jumps to his feet and reaches for my phone, trying to rip it out of my hand.
I dodge with a quick step back, but he doesn’t give up. He lunges at me again, this time with obvious hostile intent.
I glance at Kimberly, looking for some sign of approval — or at least permission to defend myself.
Turns out I don’t need it.
She takes care of him in the blink of an eye.
With a move worthy of a karate champion, she slams Tyler to the ground and pins him face-first against the dirt with her knee firmly planted in the middle of his back.
And to think that ten minutes ago she was saying she was scared to walk home alone…
Meanwhile, the girl walks away, clearly furious.
It’s obvious she knew nothing about Naomi and genuinely believed she was Tyler’s only girlfriend. And who knows how many other girls across New York think the exact same thing…
At least I have the decency to never get into a relationship with anyone.
“Alright, alright! I’ll break up with Naomi. Just let me go — you’re hurting me!” Tyler whines, pounding his fists against the ground.
Kimberly eases up, and he immediately scrambles to his feet, chasing after the girl who just ran off while begging me not to show that picture to anyone.
There are still four hours left before classes start, but my body is already buzzing with adrenaline and anticipation at the thought of seeing Naomi at school.
Maybe I’m an asshole, but I can’t wait to see her break down in tears, begging me to be friends with her again.