My eyes refuse to watch you leave,
So tears will blur these memories.

.\.|./.

Ryan falls

The minute I realize who he is, everything seems to change.

Suddenly, my sleep is gone, my joy at Crystal staying over is gone, my never-ending and frankly quite confusing attraction towards her is gone. Only one thing remains: anger at this asshole, and a desire to protect Crystal from him.

Okay, maybe that's two things, but they're connected so I sum them up as one.

I take in his sight, hair like last night's snow -- yellowing and lost-its-charm -- eyes as cold as ice -- blue but not at all like Crystal's, which are as vast as the skies above -- and arms like sticks ... the man would be a human version of Jack Frost if he didn't look so creepy.

What the hell did Crystal ever see in him?

I get my answer when Jeremy's icy gaze revolves past me to meet hers, and I see a fair smile light up his face.

"Crystal, I wasn't expecting to find you here," he says, his voice dripping with honey.

Well, if he's that charming, there's no question why he had Crystal dancing on her fingers.

"I was worried you were gone somewhere," he says, reaching past me to hold a hand out to Crystal.

I almost want to slap it away.

"Imagine my surprise when I unlock our door and find the house empty," he makes a hurt face, and all I want to do is laugh. "I came here thinking of asking the kindly old neighborhood lady if she knows where you'd be."

Lying fucker.

"And here I am," he glances my way. "Finding you here, with this man, who looks like he just got out of bed."

His gaze is cold when it turns to me, and I can almost see a flash of blood in the black irises. This isn't the first time I'm seeing someone like him, but it never fails to surprise me how people can be so hypocritical. His voice charming, eyes deadly, face revealing nothing; I can't even smile at someone I hate.

"What are you doing here, babe?" he asks Crystal, slithering like the snake I have realized he is.

"I just --" Crystal breathes, and I turn my gaze on her. Her face is pale, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights. I see the fear etched into every line of her face, and my hate transforms into rage.

If this man even tries to hurt her ...

"I just came to get something," she blurts out.

If I didn't understand her perspective, I'd be heartbroken by her refusal to acknowledge me.

"What, babe?" asshole asks.

And suddenly I hate the word 'babe'.

"Just some ... sugar," Crystal makes up as she goes.

Her lies might have seemed believable if she wasn't so freaked out. Actually, no, even then they'd be too transparent. One of the things I like about her is just how non-superficial she is.

"Sugar?" asshole repeats, saying the word like he sees more into it than the mere white crystals of sweetness.

"I ... I wasn't expecting you back," she mumbles, and I see embarrassment mingling with fear now. She isn't only afraid of what he'll do. She's even afraid of what he'll think.

Why the fuck would it even matter?

"You know I'd always come back to you, Chris," Jeremy says, his hand outstretched.

Crystal raises a trembling hand and takes it, and this time, my heart does break.

"Let's go home and then we can talk," asshole says to her, his tone laced with a venom I know Crystal can't sense.

She just stares at him, unblinking and entranced, retracting instinctively into the shell I have tried so hard to break her out of. Without glancing my way, Crystal takes a step towards him, as he reels her in with the power he holds over her.

"Crystal," I speak up, unable to watch her fall back under the spell. It breaks my heart to watch her become his puppet, dancing at his gestures and being what he wants her to be. This isn't love, this is mental manipulation.

She blinks as if realizing for the first time that I'm here. Her blue eyes find mine, and I see my own face reflected back in the haze.

"Crystal, you don't have to go," I say to her.

She opens her mouth to answer, but loses her words when a hand touches her cheek. A sharp breath escapes between her teeth and she winces, my heart jumping into my throat when I see the asshole caressing her cheek.

"Let's go, babe," he says to her. "Unless you want to stay here with him. In which case, I still think we should have a moment to talk. I deserve some answers, don't you think?"

His gaze sends a chill down my spine, and I'm not even the one it's directed towards. As for Crystal, she swallows and lowers her gaze to the ground.

"What if she does want to stay here?" I ask, my voice firm.

This time, he smiles, a gesture so malevolent it's worse than his glare.

"She won't," he answers. "Crystal is mine. She loves me, obeys me, wants me, and needs me. She does what I say, and nothing can ever change that. Right, babe?"

"She's not your damn puppet," I retort, my face contorted with rage. 

Jeremy rolls his eyes as if he doesn't believe a word I'm saying, looking around us before his gaze goes to my feet. He looks up again and pulls to his full height.

"You're going to tell me how to treat my girlfriend?" he challenges, getting right up in my face.

I neither wince nor back down, knowing I can take this guy on if need be. I've handled way worse, and this guy with noodle arms and a slithering tongue is no match.

"Maybe if you treated her right, I wouldn't have to," is my honest answer.

The asshole's face contorts and he looks like he tastes something disgusting. Maybe he just thought of his own face, but I can't be sure.

"You have something to say to me?" he pushes.

"Quite a lot actually," I say. "Have a seat and we can discuss things."

"Stop it, Ryan!"

The voice that snaps at me does not belong to the asshole getting in my face, but rather to the girl standing beside me, holding his hand. I glance towards her to see the warning look in her eyes.

Why would she be afraid of him even now? I'm here to defend her, here to stand up for her, here with her. Surely she can't think Jeremy can fight me if he wants.

"Ready to go, Crystal?" asshole asks her, and she nods, breaking eye contact with me.

"Crystal, don't do this," I blurt out, sounding almost anxious. "You don't have to listen to him."

I don't want this man to know how badly I want Crystal to pick me, but the confidence on his face tells me he's sure that's not going to happen. It's almost as if he's laughing, mocking me for being stupid enough to assume his 'Chris' is going to do something against his wishes.

"Let's go," he says simply to seal the deal.

She nods again, half-heartedly this time.

"Crystal --" I begin desperately.

"Stop," she breathes, looking at me again. "Just ... stop."

"Don't go with him," I insist. "Stay here with me, Crystal. I won't let him hurt you, please, just ..."

She doesn't speak, closing her eyes as if in defeat.

"Please," I add. "Please just do this for yourself --"

"You told him I hurt you?" asshole perks up again, and I want to punch him in his mouth to make him shut up. "Babe, how could you?"

His voice is even and face soft, but I can see the rage bubbling in his eyes. There is an undertone of threat to his words, and I can see Crystal shake to the core at his accusation.

"No, I --" she begins.

"We'll talk when we're alone," he interrupts her, tugging at her hand. "Let's go."

"Crystal --" I begin.

"I said stop, Ryan, for God's sake," she cries out, her voice weak but firm.

I gaze into her eyes, blue like the tumultuous oceans, swimming with tears at this moment. The sight alone is enough to silence me permanently.

Ass -- I mean, Jeremy shoots me one last look, a mixture of hatred and smugness. His thoughts are etched into every hideous line on his face: 'she picked me, loser', before he turns on his heels and walks out, dragging Crystal along.

My gaze remains fixed on her as I watch her leave, neither her trembling hands nor her pale skin escaping my notice. Her step is heavy, like a part of her doesn't want to go. I just don't understand why she would still do so.

It kills me to watch her leave, my heart hammering against my chest at the mere thought of what he might do to her. I want to reach out and stop her, take Crystal in my arms and hide her from his view. Maybe if I threw a few punches and stabbed my crutch between his legs, he wouldn't be able to smooth-talk his way into her head. Maybe his spell would break when he's writhing on the floor at my feet.

Crystal might not be so okay with that, though, as she allows him to lead her back to the hell she calls her relationship. As much as I would like to, I can't force her to pick me. I can't run after her and grab her arm, rip her free of him and carry her back to my safe abode.

Things would have been so easy if he just stayed away a few more months. I might have been able to win her over, or simply helped her break his spell over her. I might just have been able to remind Crystal how much she's worth.

But I couldn't. I couldn't break her out of his grip or save her from his harm. 

So, as I stand and watch them disappear through the darkness of the night, I hope she'll be okay.

Even though I doubt it.

.\.|./.

A/N: Why did Crystal pick Jeremy? Read the next chapter to find out. Any ideas though?

Who noticed that Ryan already has his own nickname for Jeremy? Some of you had been using it already and I thought Ryan could learn something from you all ;)