James left Lorraine without an explanation and rushed to the station.

He got a ticket for the last train and didn't stop moving until he'd enquired at every hospital near the coastline. On his sixth attempt, he learnt that Betty had been discharged. James took a bus to the stop near Adam's holiday house. 

He stood before the monster of a house and knocked at the door. A valet peeped at him through the window, but didn't open the door. James knocked once again. This time, a familiar face opened the door.

James knew he was dead.

Adam's rage might as well have been a physical being given the way the air seemed to heat with his gaze.

"I told you to stay away," he hissed. 

"Betty's my girl-"

"Don't you dare speak her name." Adam glowered at him. "Just go before I do something you won't like."

James lifted his hands and said, "Look dude, I just need to talk to her. I can explain everything."

"What the hell is there to explain? Oh Betty, I cheated on you but I'm sorry." Adam spat. "James, this is the last warning. Go away!"

"Stand down, man. This is between us. You're not her keeper."

"No, I'm not," Adam said. "But I'm her best friend, and I'm not going to let you break her like a promise."

James ran his fingers through his hair. "I didn't want to so this but-"

Without warning, James swung for the other boy. Adam could've never seen it coming and with a crack, his nose broke. He cried out in pain as he caught the blood dripping in his hands. 

James was about to make a run for Betty's room in the house when Adam, despite the pain, tackled him to the ground. Adam had probably never done manual labor in his life, and James would kick his ass just fine. 

He threw off Adam and kicked him in the stomach before entering through the swinging front door. 

Something caught the back of his collar.

"Going somewhere?" The valet gripped the cloth of his shirt firmly. 

"Let go of me!" James struggled against the grasp, but the valet simply pushed him face first into the wall. James squirmed as the deceptively strong man held him with police sirens blaring in the distance. 

Wait. The sirens were heading towards them.

James was frantic to escape, but it wasn't meant to be. Adam explained their fallout to the officers in the driveway. 

*****  

Chet bailed James out, and he wasn't happy about it.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Chet glowered at him from the rear-view mirror. "Oh wait, you weren't thinking!"

"I'm sorry," James said for the hundredth time. 

Chet shrugged. "There's a girl waiting for an explanation back home."

"Lorraine?"

Chet didn't answer as they pulled up to their home. Lorraine was sitting on the front steps. She wiped her eyes like she'd been crying. 

"Oh thank goodness, James you're back." She flung herself into his arms as soon as he stepped out of the truck. James hesitated before returning the hug. "What the hell happened?"

"I'm sorry, Lorraine," James said as he finally made up his mind. He gently removed her arms from around him. She looked at him quizzically. "We can't do this anymore."