"Where is Maya and how is she doing?" Tyler immediately asked Jared the minute he stepped into the Hall.
The interior decorator was already removing the wallpaper and things in place they had used in making a part of the room look like a balcony and he was glad Tyler had spared him the stress of spelling out what they both knew already.
Maya was in no mental or physical state to perform today and till further notice and it was only because of him, Tyler, and his stupid obsession with revenge.
"If I didn't know better I'd have thought you cared for her and do not see her only as an important pawn in your plan to achieve your devious plan."
Tyler looked hurt by his words and took a step backward like they were physical weapons because they did have the same impact of wounding him though not physically.
"You know I do care about Maya. You know that."
"Do I?" Jared hoarsely asked him sarcastically, "I only know you care about a foolish plan that would leave you lonely with no friends and no family."
"I'd always have you, Jared. Remember wherever I go..." He waited for Jared to join him mid-sentence in the pledge they have made to each other when they were 14, bright-eyed and so young.
Wherever I go
Whatever I am
However, I act
You'll be there with me however the odds.
Jared didn't say a word, and Tyler looked at him in pain.
"I'm not sure I can keep on being your pawn, Tyler."
He let out a burst of choked-out laughter, "Pawn? I was going to give you the girl! I just wanted you to be happy and you knew about all my plans. You were always in the know!"
"That's what you need to understand, there are some things that can't be gifted. If you give her to me, would you make her look at me the way she did, Xavier, or erase memories of him from her head,"
"You'd have been a better choice for her and you know it."
Jared shook his head, "Who are you to decide that, to play with people's lives and decide who fit whom. She made her choice already and I'd be the last man to alter it and you should take a hint and do the same."
"He killed my sister," his voice was raised and he attracted a few stares from the cameramen who were still packing and a few of the crew members still loitering around but that was all it was, a few stares. None of them in their wildest dreams had imagined that the two best friends could be fighting.
"No, he didn't," Jared shook his head, "You killed your sister by forgetting to pick her up from school that day and was banging a hot chick on the cheerleading squad," Tyler's eyes harden and Jared knew it were words he was horrified to hear.
"I killed your sister. I was caught up in playing a PS video game and I've completely forgotten what a douchebag you could be and it was not completely unthinkable for you to forget about your sister."
Tyler's eyes flared even as he glared at Jared.
"For crying out loud, all Xavier did was make sure not to lead your sister on. He wanted not to hurt her."
"But she died."
"And it isn't your fault, it isn't also my fault and is sure as hell, not Xavier's who was only trying to do the right thing. Maybe we could pin this all on the driver who unfortunately was never traced."
"A faceless guy?" He shook his head in derision and Jared chuckled.
"I always knew this was just about having a face and name to pin this on, but you know the truth just as I do that Xavier didn't kill Diane all this while yet you had so badly wanted someone to pin the blame on, just so you could live with yourself and the overwhelming guilt that perhaps Diane would be here if you were not busy screwing some chick!"
"Jared!" Tyler's voice was raised as he glared at him warningly then jogged out of the hall, feeling suffocated. Jared followed, hot on his heels.
"What?" He taunted, "Suddenly you can't even take just a day of the guilt you have made Xavier have to live with." He laughed hoarsely, "God, we both ruin that guy's life."
Tyler clenched his teeth even as he glared at Jared, "I hate you so much."
"Fine," he quipped, "You should because I did something else that would make your actions even more reasonable." Tyler looked at him in confusion wondering what he was talking about.
"You wanted to know where Maya was well she is with Xavier right now. I made that happen okay? I made her have to talk to him and possibly sort things out with him." He admitted waiting to see fear and possibly the feeling of betrayal in Tyler's eyes but he laughed.
He fucking laughed and noting the confusion in Jared's eyes he doubled over in more laughter.
"I'm always a step before you. I knew you were going soft so I'd ruined that ship before you had the chance to make it ever sail."
Jared's eyes widened in horror, "What have you done?"
Tyler chuckled like he had said a joke patting him, "You were kind of right, maybe Xavier wasn't at all Diane's murderer but I've hated him for so long to just switched it off, it is hard. You should know what hatred feels like, especially since you feel the same way about your father." Jared's lips thinned in annoyance even as Tyler smiled. A wide grin that lacked in mirth.
"I think that was one thing we both had in common that had created a bond between us. Daddy's issues. So you see my hatred for him had gone so deep, I just can't get rid of it because of your sweet little wise saying. He had everything, he was the legitimate Salvador, he was the heir to everything, he enjoyed every benefit and luxury life could offer while I lived as Anne's charity case."
"She loves you."
"I wanted more. I wanted someone who has blood relations with me to feel that way for me but instead, he had taking from me. Robbed me of the one person that had felt like family to me and gifted me his loathe."
"Tyler what did you do?"
"Lie. Maya won't see Xavier as a murderer if I told her the truth so I told her a slightly edited version of the truth. Something Diane would have believed."
Jared tried to make sense of his words, while he laughed hard, "If I know anything about girls like Diane they would never have anything to do with a man who they think is a murderer. Because they want Prince charming and a killer or sadist isn't one."
He accompanied his sentence with more lunatic laughter and as if on cue Xavier slowly walked into view looking tired and drained.