Chapter Eighty-Two:

Oliver’s POV

I know that Doug already tried to talk to Lynn and it was a bust, but I gotta try. Lydia’s my best friend and I fucking love her. Her mom is a bitch, but damn, we’ve tried just about everything else. There is no way in hell that Lynn doesn’t know at least a little something. That vindictive bitch always has her nose in everyone’s business, especially when Lyds is involved.

Knocking on Lynn’s door is the last thing that I want to doing right now, but what choice to I have? I’d do anything for my best friend, anything.

I didn’t even have to think about it twice when I decided I was going to come visit her. When things got really bad and she was told that she would have to have her surgery, staying here wasn’t even a question. I like California. It’s not New York, but it’s nice. I know that Hayden likes it here and more importantly, he’s in love with Jimmy. It helps that his mom is here now, too.

Lydia has had a shit life. I mean, we all have, but that’s why we have to stick together. Friends like her are impossible to find. I’m not going to just wait around for her parents to get bored and throw her aside and pray that she’s alive in the end.

I knocked on Lynn’s door, before I lost my nerve. We aren’t on good terms and I’m fine with that. She’s never liked me, because I refuse to kiss her ass, even for Lydia’s benefit. Sure, there have been times when it would have helped things go smoother for Lydia, but she also needs someone to stand up for her, when she can’t do it herself.

I was that person a lot of the time, while she was growing up in New York. There were plenty of times when Lynn would just decide that Lydia needed to come home and be with her mother, because she didn’t want to be alone. I was able to tell her to leave a lot of those times. Lydia doesn’t have to know, because I didn’t do it for the gratitude. I know that she would have done exactly the same for me.

I know that she’s threatened a good chunk of my girlfriends when she thought they weren’t treating me right. I also know that’s a big part of the reason that Grace never liked her. Lydia could see through her bullshit and she wouldn’t stand for it. It’s amazing how much shit she’ll take when it’s dished out to her… but when it happens to her friends or the people that she loves, it’s a whole different story.

“What the hell are you doing here, Trask?” Lynn growled at me, opening her front door, but not bothering to step outside. She rarely called me by first name and that was fine with me.

“Don’t worry. It’s not to check on your gold-digging well-being.” I assured her, giving her a tight smile. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. For a second, just a second, I saw a glimmer of her daughter in her. They’re body language is scary alike, sometimes. It makes it that much harder to believe that she just don’t give a shit about her own kid.

“Thank God for that.” She quipped. “Get to the point. I don’t have all fucking day and I’m certainly not going to waste my time, waiting on you.”

“I know that you know something about Lydia. You’re too self-absorbed not to. I know that you’re trying to make sure that all of your bases are covered, so none of this comes back to you. If you care about her at all, you need to tell. Don’t you give a shit that she could die?!” I demanded. Her poker face faulted, only for a second.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She disagreed, nonchalantly, and looked at her nails. I huffed.

“You’re such a bitch.” I breathed.

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“If she gets hurt because you refused to help us, I swear to fucking God, that I will do everything in my power to make your life miserable. I don’t care how long it takes or what I have to do to make it happen. If I have to track you down and beat you myself, I will. I have a strong belief that men shouldn’t hit women, but I would make an exception for you. You’re not human. You’re a cold-hearted, soulless cunt. You don’t deserve a daughter like her. I have no idea how she turned out so well with a mother like you. It’s amazing that has made it this far. I hope you burn in hell for what you did to her. I will help Doug in any way I possibly can and tell him all of the dirt that I have on you. I’m not a kid, anymore. I knew plenty of went on in New York. I know a lot of the people you were involved with and what you did. You aren’t safe and if you think that you are, you’re just deluding yourself.” I vowed. She looked up at me with shocked eyes, but she refused to open her mouth. I waited in front of her for a good two minutes and her stance never changed. “If you died tomorrow, no one would mourn your death.” I told her, softly, before walking away.

I got to my car and I swear I heard her cry.

---

I told Doug that I paid Lynn a visit, but left out most of the gritty details. He didn’t say much, but took the news as expected. He stormed out of the house.

Later, I found out that he went down to the police station. He sat them down and explained everything. He explained Derek, Adam and Lynn. He explained the abuse that they have all inflicted on Lydia at some point or another. I don’t know the particulars of what he told them, but whatever it was, it was enough for them to finally take his concerns seriously. Well, at least something is looking up.

---

Lynn didn’t take being threatened well. She showed up two days after I talked to her and went completely bat-shit crazy.

“Don’t you dare, fucking threaten me!” She screamed. Doug had answered the door and I stood beside him. She pointed a finger.

“It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise.” I corrected her. She glowered at me.

“You think that a few little police officers coming by my place to question me is, going to scare me?!” She asked, her voice raising an octave. “It won’t! Threaten me again, boy, and it’ll be the last fucking thing you do! If you don’t watch yourselves, one of you might just end up dead.” She seethed. Neither of us flinched. She’s bluffing. She can’t afford to try something like that right now.

“Get the fuck out.” Doug told her, calmly, not even giving her the satisfaction of getting angry when she goaded him. Eventually, she did just that. She left.

We didn’t talk about what happened, but reported her showing up. After she showed up last time, the police told her to stay away.

Picking a fight with her may not have been the smartest thing to do, but I doubt it was the worst.

Notes

A few things, I wanted Oliver to be the one to tell Lynn off, because they have history that she and the other guys don't really have. I think it turned out pretty well. Zacky's POV will be tomorrow's chapter. I wasn't kidding, the point of views are going to be skipping around. A LOT.

Really sorry if the spacing is off. I'm trying my damnedest not to fall asleep sitting here, so hopefully I can sleep tonight. Insomnia be damned.

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