A Fire As Date
Episode 4: “The Conversation”
Nick was on his way home he pulled to a complete stop for the red light and looked to the right and seen the description of found Paul’s black Charger parked outside Morrison’s Hardware at 3:47 PM on Thursday. Nick made a right turn pulling in the parking lot.
Paul was coming out of the store with a bag of supplies when Nick approached.
Nick: “Paul Martinez?”
Paul turned, his face immediately suspicious.
Paul: “Who’s asking?”
Nick: “Im Nick. I’m the guy who took Neisha out Saturday night.”
Paul’s expression shifted from suspicion to something darker.
Paul: “Oh, you’re the spy heard about.”
Nick: “I’m not a spy. I’m the guy who’s going to ask you nicely to leave Neisha alone.”
Paul laughed, but there was no humor in it.
Paul: “You think you can just roll up on me and tell me what to do about a woman that’s not yours?”
Nick: “She’s not your woman either. She broke up with you.”
Paul: “She’s just confused right now. We’re going get through this like we always do.”
Nick: “Breaking into her apartment isn’t working through things. It’s called breaking and entering.”
Paul stepped closer, and Nick could smell his cologne—too much of it, like he was trying to cover up his funk.
Paul: “You don’t know anything about me and Neisha.”
Nick: “I know enough. I know she’s not scared of you. I know she had to move back in with her mother because you won’t leave her alone. I know she threw a Molotov cocktail at me because she thought you sent me to spy on her.”
Paul: “She did that’s good for your ass now what?” Paul’s face went pale.
Nick: “You heard me. She’s so paranoid of you that she attacked someone she thought was working with your punk ass.”
Paul was quiet for a long moment.
Paul: “She could’ve killed you.”
Nick: “She almost did fool. And that’s on you, Paul. Your harassment pushed her to that point.”
Paul: “I’m not harassing her. I love her.”
Nick: “Love doesn’t follow people to work. Love doesn’t break into apartments. Love doesn’t ignore when someone says no.”
Paul’s jaw tightened.
Paul: “You don’t understand our relationship.”
Nick: “I understand that there is no relationship. She ended it. But you won’t accept it.”
Paul: “She’ll come back. She always does.”
Nick: “No, she won’t. She with me know And you need to let her go.”
Paul stepped even closer, close enough that Nick could see the desperation in his eyes.
Paul: “Or what?”
Nick: “Me and her brothers are going to handle this shit with you for good. And you don’t want that.”
Paul: “You Marcus or Dre don’t scare me.”
Nick: “They should. Because they will throw their lives away to protect their sister from you.”
Paul’s confidence flickered.
Paul: “They won’t do anything.”
Nick: “They broke a guy’s ribs last month for getting too aggressive with Neisha at a party. What do you think they’ll do to someone who’s been stalking her for months?”
Paul: “I’m not stalking her!”
Nick: “Then what do you call following her to work every day? What do you call breaking into her apartment? What do you call ignoring a restraining order?”
Paul’s hands clenched into fists.
Paul: “She’s mine.”
Nick: “She’s nobody’s. She’s a human being with the right to choose who she wants in her life. And she doesn’t want you.”
Paul: “What the hell are you talking about.”
Nick: “I know she’s happier without you. I know she’s not scared. I know she’s tired. And I know that if you keep this up, somebody’s going to get hurt and I know it’s going to be her.”
Paul: “Is that a threat?”
Nick: “It’s a fact. Either you leave her alone, or this escalates. And when it escalates, you’re going to be outnumbered.”
Paul stared at him for a long moment.
Paul: “You think you can take my place?”
Nick: “I’m not trying to take your place. There is no place to begin with. She ended it.”
Paul: “She’ll change her mind.”
Nick: “No, she won’t. And even if she did, it wouldn’t matter. You lost the right to be in her life when you decided to terrorize her.”
Paul’s face was flushed now, his breathing heavy.
Paul: “You don’t know anything about love.”
Nick: “I know it’s not supposed to make people throw Molotov cocktails out of paranoia.”
Paul turned away, then back.
Paul: “Stay away from her.”
Nick: “I’m not the problem here, Paul. You are.”
Paul got in his car and drove away without another word.
Nick stood in the parking lot, watching the Charger disappear down the street. He pulled out his phone and called Josh.
Josh: “How did it go?”
Nick: “He’s not going to stop.”
Josh: “You sure?”
Nick: “I’m sure. He thinks she’s his property. He thinks she’ll come back.”
Josh: “So what now?”
Nick looked at his reflection in the hardware store window.
Nick: “Now we get serious.”