Takedown by Garnet Hart

with him since High School. Yes, it was true an engagement took place, something Bryan had not wanted. It was arranged by their parents, and Bryan was too meek to react. He said he did not want to hurt Kelsey.
    He thought this wouldn’t be a problem anymore since Bryan had already died, and that Megan didn’t have to know about it.
    “So?” he returned nonchalantly. “Why does that upset you?”
    She could not answer. It seemed she had no intention of confessing to him her relationship with Bryan, even if he obviously knew about it already.
    “Maybe I’m crazy,” she said and turned away, wiping the tears in her eyes.
    “Megan Riley,” he called.
    She ignored him.
    “You don’t just leave this mess around your boyfriend’s grave.”
    She stopped and quickly turned around, her eyes wide with shock.
    He smirked. “What?
    She walked back to him and stared into his eyes. “You knew?”
    “Of course, I knew.”
    “Then why did you act like you don’t know me at all when I went to see you in your office?”
    “I hadn’t realized it until after you left, and then I saw your photo.”
    “Why do you have a photo of me?”
    “Actually, it was a photo of you with Bryan. He gave it to me.”
    She took a deep breath. “And all the while I thought you liked me.”
    He laughed. This woman knew how to humor, even in a situation like this. “Sweetheart, you’re not bad at all, but…”
    “But I don’t have boobs.”
    He frowned. Now, where did that come from? “I did not say that.”
    She smirked. “Bryan said it’s your only criteria when gauging a woman.”
    “Oh, that’s just half of my overall criteria. Why are we talking about that anyway?”
    She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just upset.”
    “Do you often ask irrelevant questions when you’re upset.”
    She nodded. “Most of the time.”
    He crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side to get a better look at her face. “So you’ve spoken with Kelsey? And she told you she was engaged with Bryan?”
    “Yes,” she nodded. “Did you know that?”
    He sighed and looked away. Shit, Bryan. Why did you die and leave me with a load of shit to clean after you?
    “So you knew,” she concluded.
    “Megan, there are things that you don’t understand.”
    “Like what?” she demanded. “I ought to know. All the while, I thought I was his girlfriend. How in the world did he become engaged with another woman?”
    He did not answer. He wasn’t even sure if he should tell her the truth or not.
    “He didn’t love me, did he? He just couldn’t tell me.”
    “Oh, Meg,” he groaned. That was not true at all. Bryan wouldn’t have come to him on the night he was engaged with Kelsey to help him fix the problem if he wasn’t serious about Megan.
    “Just tell me the truth,” she demanded. “I have the right to know.”
    He sighed. “Do you have time today? I’d like to take you elsewhere.”
    She looked up at him, as if she could not believe what she heard. “Really? Why?”
    He shrugged. “I have to show you something. It’s important.”
    “W-wow,” she said. “I’m flattered. Are you sure you have that much time for me?”
    He circled his arm around her shoulders. She felt her stiffen, but he pretended he did not notice it. “I’m doing this for Bryan. I don’t want you to think he had betrayed you. And since he can no longer speak for himself, it’s my obligation as his friend to do it for him.”
    “Why don’t you just tell me right here?”
    “I don’t want to just tell you. I want you to see it for yourself.”
    “See what?”
    He sighed. “Just come with me, okay?”
    She nodded, intrigued about what he had in store for her. “Alright. Anyway, it’s Sunday.”
    “Great.”
    *****
     
    Megan’s gaze lingered around the backyard of Blaze’s Boulder City vacation home. The house itself was nothing spectacular, but the real beauty was hidden right here.
    She felt like she was in another place. The vast lawn of green