40. Reece

I'd told Jasper that I'd make peace with Tidus–about him catching me fucking his cousin–in the aftermath of our hot fuck session in the art room. But now that I'm driving around the Capullo side of Vemore in search of Tidus, it seems like a foolish idea. And I'm definitely not feeling keen about it at all.

Jasper had informed me of his cousin's usual hangouts, and true to form I find the blond idiot at the abandoned ruin of the old docks. He's smoking a joint, sitting down and staring into the ocean. I'm not surprised by that, but I'm taken aback by the person sitting next to him, who takes the joint from him and inhales it, blowing smoke across to Tidus with a smirk on his face.

Something is going on between them, and I'm pissed off with Malyk for not telling me he's been hanging out with Tidus. I've been open with my best friend about my feelings–my sex life–with Jasper and he's hiding his, or what appears to be his, from me.

I should be calm for the conversation I need to have with Jasper's cousin, but getting out of my car I'm seething, curling my fists ready for a fight.

Stepping up towards them I inhale a deep breath, giving my best friend a death glare.

"What are you doing here with the enemy, Mal?" I taunt him, shoving him as he stands.

"Nothing, my sweet. Just keeping the peace."

Tidus stands, dropping the spent joint to the sand and butting it out with the steel cap of his boot.

"Lay off him, Montserrat."

I shove Malyk aside, turning my focus towards Tidus and taunting him, "Why Tidus? You got the hots for Mal, huh?"

"Fuck no! I'm not a homo like you." His words are full of malice. Malyk's face falls, as though Tidus has punched him right in the feels.

"Right, and like Jasper?"

"My cousin will drop you, homo. He's not like you."

I laugh. "Oh, but he is, Tidus. Jasper loves me, and you need to get used to it."

"The fuck I will!" Tidus seethes, shoving me and drawing his gun, cocking it at me, pointing directly at my heart.

"You going to shoot the man your dear cousin is in love with?"

"You don't deserve him. You're a Montserrat, scum of Vemore."

"You speak of yourself if you take away the love of his life. He will hate you."

The reality of my words hits him and he drops his gun. Instead he launches himself towards me, knocking me to the ground.

"Take it back," he taunts in my face, his breathing ragged.

"Relent Tidus, I'm only trying to make peace with you. I love Jasper, and I don't want to fight with you or your family any longer."

"But you've made him change. That is not love."

"I've not done anything you speak of. I've simply fallen in love with my enemy."

"You're the fucking enemy!" he growls, punching my jaw.

"The fuck, Tidus!" I screech, shoving him off me. He stumbles, tripping over his gun. Leaning down he picks it up, again cocking it at me. I glance at my best friend, giving him a pleading, help me look.

"Mal, have you nothing to say?"

He shakes his head, then steps up to my side.

"I"m not going to side with either of you. You're both fighting for the same, both admitting wrong, and I will not be a part of this feud."

I'm flabbergasted, and admittedly Tidus is too. He scoffs and stares daggers at Malyk before coming at me again. "You will leave my cousin alone, or so help me, I will end this feud with taking your life."

"Do it, Tidus," I taunt, daring him to pull the trigger of the gun. He's barely a metre away from both Malyk and me. If he shoots, we're likely to both get hurt and die out here on the beach in Capullo territory. I take a step back, still daring Tidus with my glare.

I watch Tidus, my gaze dropping between his intense stare and the finger that pulls back on the trigger. My heart races. This will be the end of me, the last breath I take. Thoughts of Jasper fill my mind and I close my eyes, exhaling the breath as the shot rings out in the air.

"Fuck! You shot me, you dick!" Malyk's raspy voice screeches from beside me, where he's dropped to the ground, clutching his stomach. Tidus screams, so loudly the sound bounces off the stone of the ruins surrounding us.

"No! I…fuck!" he bellows, dropping to Malyk's side on his knees, pressing his hands against his stomach to curb the bleeding. Malyk is gasping for breath. And Tidus is distraught. "Malyk, fuck, Malyk, I'm sorry. I…I fuck…I…" he stammers, leaning down over Malyk as tears stream down his face.

I'm fuming. The feud is not over, and my best friend is fighting for life for something that should not involve him. I drag Tidus to his feet and slap him across the cheek.

"If he fucking dies, I'll fucking torture you until you're begging for me to end your life."

"I'm sorry Reece. I don't know what else to say."

The sirens start then, screaming their way towards us. The ambulance pulls up at the far end of the beach, only a metre from my car. I lean into Tidus' side. "We need to leave now, or his death may very well be on your hands."

Tidus gives me a nod, but his eyes as he picks up his gun from the ground beside Malyk give me an uneasy feeling. He's a two-faced prick, and I get the feeling his grievance with me is not over.

* * *

Getting in my car,the moment the Bluetooth connects I speed dial Barth.

"Cuz, what up?" he answers after the third ring, whilst I'm racing off towards Montserrat territory.

"Mal…he…he…got shot," I stammer, trying to hold back my tears.

"You're fucking shitting me? Who?" Bartholomew asks, his tone full of malice.

"Tidus fucking Capullo."

"Oh, shit," Barth gasps. "Why'd he shoot ya boy?"

"Because he caught Jasper and me together, and like the good boyfriend I am, at Jasper's request I went to make peace with his cousin."

"And how does that involve Malyk?"

I sigh, careening around a corner, sure that someone is following me. "It's complicated," I voice, laying off the accelerator a little to slow the car down. "You at the club?"

"Nah, mine cuz."

"I'm coming to get you. Be there in ten."

"Sweet, cuz. Catch ya soon," he says, hanging up.

Gunning it again, I take the last corner to head to Bartholomew's house. His digs are pretty sweet, his very own flat behind his parents" house that faces the beach.

When I arrive, he's waiting out the front of the iron gates. I come to a stop and press the door open button. His door rises open and he slides in, clicking his seatbelt into place as the door closes.

"Hey cuz, you ok?"

"Yeah, just a bit shaken. I'm scared Mal is going to die." I realise with my words that my breathing is laboured, on the verge of a panic attack.

Barth places a hand on my thigh. "He'll be fine, cuz. Mal is a strong fucker. I can't see a bullet wound taking him down."

"I fucking hope so, Barth. I can't lose him, even though he drives me crazy sometimes. He's like my brother."

"I know, he'll be fine," Barth reassures me, glancing backwards to look out the rear windscreen.

I tilt my eyes towards the rear vision mirror, and nod to Barth. "We're being followed, cuz."

"It's fucking Tidus. Have you got your gun on you?"

He taps his hip. "Of course, cuz."

I press the electric window engage button, and it slides down. Barth unclips his seatbelt, withdrawing his gun from his belt. He leans out the window, and shoots towards Tidus' car behind us. His car skids, before he speeds up and aligns his car with mine. His window rolls down, and he fires a shot towards Barth. It misses, hitting the side of my car instead. Barth shrinks back into the seat.

"Drive cuz, your car is faster than his piece of shit Merc."

I thrash the engine, sending the speedometer towards two hundred. Barth fires another shot out the window, and the sound of it hitting metal reverberates around the street.

The next few minutes are a complete blur. I haven't turned on my headlamps and it's nearing dark. Shots are being fired, left and right, by Barth and Tidus, or his fucking minions. But it's the hiss that is the most prominent sound, causing me to lose control of the car when Tidus fires a shot into my front tyre. The screech of my patent black rims colliding with the bitumen is ear splitting, and I scream out, "Fuck!" as I mount the curb and collide with the traffic lights. Barth and I jump out of the car. I'm irate. The fucker has not only killed–or hopefully just injured–my best friend, but he's also caused me to total my car. And for what? Falling in love with his cousin, as though that is a crime.

Tidus comes screeching to a stop, crashing into the back of my car to thoroughly crush it, slamming it further into the pole. I can't even be satisfied with him totalling his car, because mine is beyond repair now. He gets out of his car, and spits on the ground, whilst butting out the cigarette he throws on the ground at his feet.

I draw my gun, and stalk towards him.

"You fucking piece of shit! You totalled my Bugatti!"

"Worth it," Tidus snarls. "You'll have no means to get to Jasper. I'll kill you myself and tell my cousin you died in the fiery wreck of your car," he growls, just as my car erupts into flames. I want to cry–fucking cry–like a damn fool. I should be happy right now, I should be with Jasper enjoying being in love, but instead I'm here watching the car I love–and can't replace–turning into a fireball.

"You're heartless, Tidus. You'll break your cousin's heart with your malice."

He points the gun at me, and even in the darkness I can see his pupils are dilated with rage. There is silence surrounding us, only the hiss of the fire so I hear Tidus pull back on the trigger of his gun. I do the same, and close my eyes as I fire the gun.

"Fuck, cuz, fuck." My heart stops a moment, and I open my eyes to find Barth in front of me, clutching his side, his other hand limply by his with his gun only barely in his grip. I accidentally shot Bartholomew.

"Shit, Barth, I…."

"You didn't, cuz. It was Tidus." I'm speechless, glancing around to find Tidus also on the ground, having been shot as well. Who shot who isn't clear, but Tidus is bleeding, lying lifeless on the ground. I should help him, but instead I snake an arm around my cousin's waist, and help him over to the curb. It's like deja vu–from a mere hour ago–with sirens coming towards us.

"Go cuz, I'll be ok. Make sure Malyk is ok."

Nodding, I run away from the scene, scared that I've killed Tidus. It's a fucking long way back into Capullo territory from this side of the city, but I keep running. I need to see Jasper. We need to end this feud for good. And even though I'm scared shitless about the consequences of tonight's events, we need to confront them head on together by admitting everything to our parents. I'd burn the world down, and kill anyone – even family–to be with Jasper.