“I love you.”

The words hit me like a train. I felt my heart flutter. I felt my face grow warm. I’d always imagined this moment, since I met him during Freshman orientation at college. He was hot, charming, a little rough on the edges, but who wasn’t. Even so, he never showed even a hint that he was interested in me. We never even hung out outside of class. We didn’t run in the same circles. So despite my heart doing flips in my chest, all that came out of my mouth was “Why…why are you telling me this.”

“Because its the way I feel for you.” Brent leaned in toward me. I pressed my body further against the wall he had cornered me in.

It was a warm May night. We had been at the same party. He must have found me when I was stepping outside to take a hit or two from my vape pen to chase the liquor. He placed his arm in front of me and leaned his tone frame into me.

I could smell the rum on his breath as he spoke. “I…when I think about you, Rose, I—something takes over me and I can’t think of anyone else.”

My face was flushed and I let out gasping breaths, thinking of something to say. My head was in a tailspin. “We…you…I mean we hardly know each other.”

“Who needs to know another when love is all that matters. I feel strongly about you.”

A group of men passed us on our right, heading back into the party in the small brick house. The music was softly blaring from within mixed with the sound of drunk revelers butchering the lyrics loudly. Brent’s eyes dug into the men as they passed. I furrowed my brows. “I…I don’t know what to say,” I finally blurted out.

“What?” Brent’s face turned, a look of hurt and confusion evident in his expression, “do you not feel the same? Do you not love me too?”

“I just…this is moving so fast. Like I said, we hardly talk. You ignored me completely for three years and now? Why now?”

He crossed his arms. Something flickered in his eyes. His words turned colder. “Because I can’t stand it, Rose. Can’t stand when someone glances at you, takes your attention.”

I took a step back and he took one toward me.

“I can’t stand when men flirt with you, get close to you, make you theirs by taking up every minute of your time. It’s incessant. Like a wall I can’t breach.”

“I…I should go.” I started away, heading into an alleyway between buildings. He gave chase. My head was swimming. Maybe from the alcohol, maybe from trying to decide if I’d kiss him or run from him.

“You never let me get close, Rose. You and that fucking tool.”

I turned on heel. “Who? Tyler?”

“That ugly clumsy idiot who clings to your side.”

I felt my flushed face turn red with anger as I shouted, “That’s my best friend you’re talking about, asshole.”

Brent halted his approach, taken aback from my tone. And then he started laughing. “I won’t let him take you from me.”

Something deep inside me recoiled from him. I kept taking instinctive steps away from him, not noticing how deep I was going into the allway, away from other people, possible witnesses. I was such an idiot, I should have just went back into the party. “He’s not taking me from anyone—he’s just my friend. We’ve known each other since elementary school.”

“Well, he wont be my competition anymore. I wont let anyone come in between us, my love.”

My heart started thumping against my chest and I balled my hands into fists. “Wh-what are you talking about.”

“I’m disposed of him. He wont be keeping us from each other anymore.”

“D-disposed?” My stomach became watery and I felt my throat close up.

“I killed him.” Brent smiled. “And the dead can’t love.”