Anthony walked to me and placed his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it just enough to get my attention and warn me to listen. "Know this, my friend. If I see you mistreating Rebecca again, I will ruin you. Do I make myself clear? Let this obsession go. It won't work, and it will only bring you pain."
"And you care enough about me to tell me this?" I scoffed and tried to push his hand away. The iron thing wouldn't budge.
"No. I lost all kind feelings I had toward you when I saw you assaulting Rebecca…"
He said more, but let's think on that a moment. I solemnly swear that I did not assault her. Yes, I held her so she couldn't run away, but it was only to make a point because I knew the second her lips touched mine, she would love me as I loved her. I couldn't let her fear keep us from our destiny. I wasn't hurting her, I was helping her. If only Anthony had understood that.
You understand… right?
It makes no matter how you feel on the subject. Those are the facts. And I will not be bothered to rewrite history and make myself a monster.
Anthony's nostrils flared as he spoke to me. "I only tell you this to save whatever dignity you might have left and keep you from hurting her again."
"I didn't…"
"Stay away from her, Frederick. Or else…" Such a puny threat when you think about it. Or else… or else what? What would he do to me? What could he do to me?
He gave me no time to retort, but grabbed a torch, walked out of the gazebo and into the snow, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I can't say my thoughts were entirely pure and true ones. I knew my intentions. Anthony didn't. Rebecca obviously understood too, because she kissed me back. Yes, it was after I forced her mouth open, but she only needed a little budge to love me. Why Anthony couldn't understand that, I'll never know. But I do know that what happened next was entirely his fault.
I take no blame in the actions that come next for, if I hadn't been stopped in the gazebo, all of the issues that could have come between Rebecca and I would have been sorted out. I should have picked my friends better. It was a mistake I didn't make again.
It took a lot of composure not to take one of the torches and burn down Anthony's gazebo, his stupid maze, his house. But then I knew everyone would know it was me, and I'd be outcast — even more outcast than I already was. Though my fingers twitched to hurt Anthony as he had threatened me with "or else," I took the bigger path and snuffed out the fire on all of the rushes save one, which I took back through the maze and back to the main house.
Music filled the air, growing louder the closer I got to the manor. Through the large windows to my right, I watched as people danced. I wanted to go back to my dance with Rebecca, when everything was right in the world. When our love was just blossoming, before Anthony had to dirty it. Anthony made something pure and lovely and sweet into something cold and dark and ugly. Anthony did that. Not me. Not Rebecca.
I already knew my friend was no longer my friend, but I had no idea the lengths he would go to next. And Simon! I had forgotten about him. He was such a feeble specimen of a man. He didn't have any gumption to him, no drive… so weak and frail. The kind of person you just forgot about easily. That was Simon Hartwell. The type who couldn't stand up to anyone and only spoke when Anthony was there to back him up. Such a weak man. Then again, his weakness made the last seventeen years possible, didn't it?
I walked through the back door. A few of the guests turned my direction when I entered but none spoke. I couldn't tell if glares and raised brows were from confusion because I had never attended one of Anthony's parties before and they wouldn't know me, or if it was something else. Perhaps Anthony had already poisoned them against me. Such a jealous man.
Feeling a bit worn from the evening's events, I desired some time alone to think. I knew I didn't have much time to find Rebecca and talk to her, but I felt, rightfully so I suppose, that she needed to be alone for a bit. I was being kind. I was being nice. I wasn't crowding her or forcing her — no matter what Anthony said — into anything. I knew she loved me. That only left explaining my acceptance into university and my benefactor. In my mind, however, the hard part was over. Love could overcome anything — at least that's what my naive heart told me.
Like I said, I needed time to myself, which was fighting with my need to find Rebecca. I knew I should find her and talk to her, but I also knew I needed to take a second to calm myself. My conversation with Anthony had vexed me, and I needed to be in a more put-together mood before I spoke to Rebecca again.