I listen to Wade parking his bike outside and sigh in annoyance. I was kinda warming up to that shower time idea. Well, I can always hope he'll just eat and then leave soon after. 

I turn to Lana to ask what are we going to eat for dinner only to see her standing frozen in the doorway to my room, staring at the front door like a deer in headlights. Sure, I know she hasn't really seen Wade since their little rape argument, she has nothing to worry about though. He probably forgot all about it right after he left that day. If he'd held a grudge against every person who insulted him, he'd be as pissed as I am all the time, which he's not. 

I'm about to tell her but just as I open my mouth, Wade knocks on the door and as always bursts right in. Only today he's looking like a man on a mission.

He points his forefinger at Lana. "You-" but he doesn't finish, seeing the state we are in, he stops in his tracks and does a double take. "-Did you two just fuck?" Momentarily dismissing what he was about to say, a big wicked smile spreads on his face. "Would you care for a comparison between him and the bigger Monroe?" Raising his eyebrow up and down suggestively he starts in our direction.

"Oh God!" I hear Lana whisper, as she tries to hurry past me to her room. At that Wade's grin disappears as quickly as it came and he grabs her arm before she manages to run off.

"Oh no, you don't. We need to have a little talk. Come on, sweetheart!" he says dragging her to the table. What the hell? I move to step in, but Wade raises his arm, palm up. "You'll wanna hear this baby brother, trust me." His face turns even more serious which makes me pause. Something's off. I see Lana's confused eyes jumping between me and Wade, eventually stopping on him.

"Look, I'm sorry about last time, okay? What I said, I really didn't mean to offend-"

"-No, no! I'm not here to talk about that. That's settled and forgotten." He cuts in, pushing her down to sit on one of the chairs and settle himself on the other one in front of her, his hand sliding from her arm down to pat the back of her hand. "What I'm much more interested in is what you talked to the cops about, for them to visit me at work." She tries to move her hand away from his but his fingers close around her wrist tightly. Okay, this is not necessary!

"Wade, come on! She's cool, she told me about the cops the minute I walked in. Of course, they talked to her. It's her ex who's missing, you told me yourself they'll have questions." I move to stay behind Lana. It was meant as a supporting gesture, but it seems to have no calming effect on her whatsoever.

Glancing at me Wade let go of her, showing his palm in placating gesture but doesn't move completely away, his face staying stern. "I'm not doing anything. We are all good here. I'm not saying anything about the cops questioning her either, I'm just wondering how they figured they should talk to me in particular. Any ideas, sweetheart? Maybe something about how your ex got his pretty face messed up, huh? No?" When he gets no reaction he continues. "I'll help you out, they say some good citizen tipped them off. Told them about seeing me beating the guy, having two other men with me. And the funny thing is, there are only five people who knew that for sure, and I can guarantee there are four of us without any reason to talk to the cops about it, or anything else. Guess who's the fifth?!"

She turns to look at me, panic all over her face. "No! I told you I didn't say anything. I told them I know nothing about what happened to Anthony!"

She tries to stand up but I grab her shoulders and push her back down. I did it unconsciously, out of reflex more than to really stop her, as I'm kinda unfocused and trying to make sense of all this in my head. But it's too late now. I hear a sharp "No!" and look down to realize where my hands are. Fuck! I did it again.

The situation is out of control before I have a chance to explain, do, or say anything at all. She starts to fight the hold I got on her, Wade quickly catches her legs between his knees and grabs her hands effectively pacifying her. She doesn't stop her attempts to free herself, between me and my brother she doesn't stand a chance though.

"Easy now, we're just talking here," Wade rasps, and I feel her start to shake under my hands and I make up my mind. This is bullshit. I know that if there was a chance she is a threat to us we'd needed to take care of it, but she's not. I trust Wade's guts, so if he thinks there is something going on, there most likely is. But not with Lana, she wouldn't just sit here and lie to our faces. I tap one of Wade's arms to get his attention.

"Let go of her," I tell him firmly. He opens his mouth to argue but I don't let him. "This is going fucking nowhere. She didn't do anything. Why would she rat you out and then come back here? It makes no fucking sense." I pry his hands away and push him out of his seat, further away. Crouching in front of her I can now see Lana's eyes filled up with angry tears, never leaving Wade.

I try to get her focus on me, which is kinda hard as Wade hisses from behind me. "Oh really, and how can you be sure."

"Because I don't talk to the cops, period," she cries out, "Those morons never helped me with anything, so they can go to hell, and you too for all I care." She stands up and this time no one stops her. "You know, I am aware that there is a filter missing between your brain and your mouth, but this was beyond missing filters. Even if I didn't loathe them as much as I do, you think I would go and betray the only people who've been helping me here? Well, think again! Of course, you'd know that, if you took the time to ask me in a way that doesn't scream 'I'm gonna fuck you up if you look at me funny'. Which you didn't. You don't know me, you don't know anything about me so you can take all of your accusations and shove them up your ass!" After that, she storms off to her room and slams the door behind her.

"Thank you very much, you asshole!" I sneer at Wade while looking at Lana's door that hasn't been closed for the past three days. I liked it that way. A few moments later I hear a second door slamming, her bathroom. There is no way she'll be washing my back tonight... And just like that, I'm pissed again. It's like every time I make a progress with her Wade comes and stomps all over it. "The hell was that?! You can't just bust in here like this whenever you feel like it! You can't just throw accusations at her either." I'm trying to keep my voice down, but my annoyance with him is starting to get the better of me.

"What the hell? I come here like this since ever! And today I got a very good reason for it too. She's the one overreacting all the damn time. It was a simple question," he argues while pointing in the general direction of the part of the house she has run to hide.

"You don't fucking live here, she does! And I'd like to keep it that way. That wasn't simply asking a question! I like having her here so cut this shit."

"I bet you do! Got a free pussy out of it and all," Wade chortle.

"Fuck you!" I charge him then, but although I can handle myself very well, he's stronger, always has been and he has a training I don't, so I end up pinned against the wall. He leans closer and hisses in my face.

"Calm the fuck down!" I try to shake him off, but when it doesn't work I resort to a glare. "I know there is something about her you like. Knew it from the very first moment I met her and saw you running after her like a lost puppy when she stormed off."

The fuck? I try to shove him away again, I almost succeed too, but he regains his composure quickly and pins me back to the wall. His eyes flick to Lana's room before he continues quietly. "I'm not trying to piss you off here! I'm trying to tell you, that you have to be smart about this, think before you do things. You gotta be more in control. I know she's special to you. I don't know why, and that's all fine because I don't give a shit as long as everything stays cool. But right now things aren't cool."

"Yeah, and who's fault is that, huh? She didn't fucking talk to the cops, she doesn't fucking even know anything to tell them to begin with. If you'd talk to me first, we could have avoided all of this shit."

He gives me pointed look. "I know you are this close to snapping all the damn time, and if you're gonna fight everyone who says something about your girl there, what do you think will happen? Sooner or later shit happens and bam your fingerprints are in the system before you say 'fuck'! I can't be everywhere and even if I was, there is only so many times I'm taking the blame for you!" He pauses with a sigh. "Look, if you are sure she's good then okay, we'll look for another explanation. I've been nice to her, right? I'll be nice now, and I'll continue as long as you'll want her but I need you to work with me. And I need you to get her to work with us. We need to find out who's trying to make trouble for us and why," he finishes and let go of me.

This time I stay put. He's right. It's frustrating that he seems to be always right about these things. He did get arrested in my place few times, to keep me out of trouble and out of the system. He did time years back too, to have my back. He got more time for drugs he had on him and didn't get rid off. But the initial thing the cops were called for was my doing. I know that. But still...

"Yeah, well maybe if you didn't do shit like this I wouldn't be pissed that much all the damn time in the first place!" There is a moment of silence, then Wade starts to laugh and doesn't stop for awhile. Maybe he's on something, that would explain a lot.

"Right!" He takes a deep breath to calm down from his outburst. "I'm the problem here! Without me, you'd be cool as a cucumber!" Yeah, I'm full of shit and we both know it. Damn it!

"What do you want me to do then? You know how I am, I can't help it."

"You just try to keep in mind what I told you, and call the princess back."

"Why?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at him. His expression turns more serious again.

"For Christ's sake! What did I just say?! Just go get her." He turns from me and opens the fridge, searching for food or a beer, I don't know, I don't care. Shaking his head he's muttering something but I can't understand what exactly.

I watch him for a moment. I need a minute to process this. How can he expect me to be more in control? I hardly ever feel like I am in control, just holding back, keeping quiet and waiting for the right time and place to do what I want. I don't understand why I get so angry so easily, I never have. I don't have a clue why the snooty bastards make my blood boil or why I feel so good after killing them. Or why lately the only moments I feel comfortable in my own skin are the moments I'm with Lana.

Now it seems I'm not only getting pissed at people for saying shit to me, but for saying shit to Lana too. It's like she's making it better and worse at the same time. Making me calmer when I'm with her but more angry and frustrated when I'm not.

Maybe I just need to let out some steam in another way than fucking. It never really worked for me as a substitute anyway. It's been nagging me at the back of my mind for awhile and I just know it, I know I'll be better afterward, I just need to see something to die. I think Wade knows that too, but as usual, he's trying to pretend as if that wasn't the real problem.

I push myself off the wall and turn to go fetch her. I knock on her door, no answer. Well, we just fucked, there isn't anything I haven't seen already anyway. So I open the door and walk in, shutting them behind me. The room is empty and now I can hear the water. I walk to the bathroom door, grab the handle and call out "I'm coming in" before entering.

I hope you enjoy the story. If you do, feel welcome to push that little star to let me know, or better yet, leave me a comment ;)