“So, I’m not banned?”
“Of course not. He understands.”
I really wasn’t sure if she was telling me the truth. Especially since each time she invited me over was when Christopher was at work. But, I chose to overlook it. I wasn’t interested in being around him, anyway.
Friday afternoons quickly became our habit. Christopher worked late, so I’d go to Trina’s, we’d eat pizza and watch a movie then I was out of there before the douche came home. It seemed to be the best way to have some quality time without the discomfort of Christopher and me in the same room.
“Pay attention.” Trina giggled as she pushed me on the side of the head to stop my fake snoring.
“Why are you making me sit through this girly movie?” I complained. The on-screen couple whispered urgently as they struggled with their attraction yet again. “Just fuck and get it over with already.”
“Because it was my turn to pick. You made me sit through that horrible action movie that didn’t even have a plot last week. Consider us even.”
“Fine,” I grumbled. “But I’ll need more beer to get through this. You want one?”
Shaking her head, she lifted her legs from my lap so I could stand. I headed over to the fridge and took my sweet time. I wasn’t a huge fan of these girly movies, but I put up with them from time to time for the sake of my friendship.
Just as I twisted the cap off my beer, a key jangled in the door, a click indicating it was open. “Shit,” I muttered, knowing this wouldn’t be good.
I locked eyes with Trina. She was white as a ghost, telling me what I’d always known—Christopher didn’t know I was there.
“Stay,” she whispered, jumping to her feet to cut him off before he spotted me. My stomach twisted. I felt like a dirty secret. But not just that. The nervous way Trina reacted—wide eyes, shaking hands—had me unsettled. She swallowed hard.
“You’re e-early,” she stuttered, her worried gaze flicking towards where I stood in the kitchen.
Fuck.
Christopher didn’t even answer. His face darkened as he followed her line of sight and spotted me. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“G’day, mate,” I said, flashing a false smile as I sensed the shit was about to hit the fan in a big way.
He locked eyes with me in challenge.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” he bellowed. For a big guy, he was surprisingly fast. I literally had zero chance to respond before he was in front of me, planting the full force of his fist into the side of my face. The beer slipped from my hand and smashed on the tiled floor. Pain exploded through my sinuses and behind my eyes. Red and yellow lights, flashed across my vision. I rocked back on my heels. And slowly fell. Holy fuck.
“No,” Trina screamed, covering her mouth in horror as she witnessed me land on the floor. “What are you doing, Christopher? Get away from him!”
Her protests were futile. As I scrambled to get up, Christopher grabbed the back of my shirt and dragged me to the door, throwing me unceremoniously into the hallway.
“Stay the fuck away for good this time,” he boomed, before slamming the door and flicking the lock.
“Fuck you!” I kicked at the door in frustration. I didn’t even get a hit in to defend myself. What an absolute cunt. I gingerly touched the side of my face as it streamed blood from a cut on my cheek.
From the other side of the door, the yelling continued. “You lying bitch.”
“No. I didn’t. Nothing happened.” The urgency in Trina’s cries had me trying the door handle and ramming my shoulder against the door.
“Stop,” she whimpered.
My heart leapt into my throat. What the fuck is he doing to her? I could hear her protests, the strain in her voice. I backed up and rammed the door harder.
Unable to get through the door, I banged my fists, trying to get his attention away from her. I pressed my mouth against the seal and yelled. “Face me, you coward.”
Ice filled my veins as a scream rang out, followed by a loud crash and the horrible tinkling sound broken glass made when it rained on the floor. No.
“Trina!” I screeched, punching at the door with all I had. It cracked and splintered beneath my knuckles, giving me a spark of hope. I stepped back and kicked out, denting and cracking the door further. Swearing and grunting as I ripped back the wooden panelling, I made a hole big enough to fit my arm.
“I’m coming.” I shoved my arm through the jagged hole, splintered wood catching and tearing at my skin as I fumbled for the lock.
All I could hear was Christopher snarling, calling Trina names. But I couldn’t hear anything coming from her. Not even a whimper. With my heart in my throat, I moved against the wall quickly but quietly until they came into view. Holy fuck.
Blood. It coated her face and her clothes as Christopher loomed over her, tearing her shirt to expose her bare skin. “I’ll show you who you belong to,” he grunted, his hands moving to her jeans. “Fucking slut.”
No, you fucking won’t.
Thinking fast, I sprinted for the kitchen and grabbed the heavy based frying pan from the stove and rushed him from behind. So caught up in his fury, he didn’t even hear me coming. One good hit to the side of his head and he slumped to the ground, unconscious. I honestly wouldn’t care if he was dead.
Pushing his body to the side, I did my best to cover Trina’s dignity before lifting her up gently. “We need to get you out of here.” Barely breathing, she was bleeding profusely from multiple wounds, her face already swelling, making her almost unrecognisable.
Ignoring my instinct to stomp Christopher’s face in, I got her out there as fast as I could. The adrenalin spurring me on, making her seem weightless in my arms.
I drove her to the hospital at emergency speed, dumping my car to the side of the entrance, knowing full well there was a possibility of getting towed, but not caring as I rushed her inside.
“Oh god, Trina. Open your eyes. Please be OK.” Her body felt limp and unresponsive. Frantically, I looked around, ignoring the shocked gasps as waiting patients took in the sight of us, both covered in blood.
“Somebody, help me!”
Epilogue
I lift my head with a start when a hand touches my shoulder, jolting me from my trip down memory lane and my begging prayers for Trina’s safety. I cannot live in a world without her in it.
“Mrs Mahoney,” I gasp.
She smiles. “When are you going to call me Carol?”
“Probably never. Have you seen Trina? Is she OK?”
“She’s awake.” She sighs. “But I don’t know if she’s ever going to be OK.”
I close my eyes, hating that I allowed myself to be thrown out of there. “I’m so sorry. I couldn’t get back in.”
“Hush,” she says, taking my hand in hers. “You saved her.”
“Can I see her?”
She nods. “Come with me.”
I follow Mrs Mahoney along the corridor until we get to Trina’s room. It has four beds in it, but Trina is the only one inside.
“She's still pretty groggy,” she warns, pulling the curtain aside.
I step through and get my first glimpse of Trina’s prone form. “Trina,” I choke out, tears burning my eyes as I sweep my gaze over her swollen, bruised and bandaged face and body.
“You look like shit,” she croaks out, offering the shadow of a smile.
“Well, you look gorgeous, baby girl,” I whisper as I take a seat next to her, hooking my fingers between hers.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Mrs Mahoney murmurs before retreating.
It’s then I release a sob. “I am so, so sorry, Trina. I never should have let this happen to you. I tried to get back in there as soon as I could. But—”
“Shhh.” She places her hand against my check. “You weren’t to know. None of us knew.”
“I should have known,” I whisper, pressing a kiss to her palm. “I should have fought to get you out of there sooner. I should have rallied to sto
p you from moving in.”
“David.” I close my eyes and hold her hand against my lips. I feel so powerless. “Please don’t blame yourself.”
I shake my head. How can I not?
When I get my shit together, I let go of her hand and sit up straighter. “The police came while I was in the waiting room,” I say, clearing my throat.
“What did you tell them?” Her voice sounds so weak. I hate that she was cut down so easily.
“What I saw.”
“Are they going to arrest him?”
“Probably. They’ll want to talk to you before they charge him.”
“OK,” she says, closing her one functioning eye. The other is swollen shut, an angry purple colour.
“How do you feel?” I ask.
“About as good as you look.” She laughs before grimacing in pain.
“I meant, did you want me to go so you can sleep?”
“No.” She grabs my hand with both of hers and holds it against her chest. “I want you to stay.”
“Do you need me to do anything for you?”
Her good eye opens into a slit. “Just don’t say I told you so.”
“Never, baby girl,” I whisper, reaching up to gently stroke the hair on top of her head before I press a soft kiss on her forehead. “Never.”
She closes her eyes and hums contentedly as I continue to caress her hair. “Thank you for saving me,” she whispers.
“Any time.” I keep stroking her hair until she drifts off to sleep. Jesus. I release an emotional sob, covering my eyes with my free hand as it hits me how close I was to losing her. If I’d left in a huff, if I’d walked away, she could be dead right now. Broken, violated and dead.
Christopher needs to die for this.
He hurt the woman I love.
As I look over her beaten body, I realise I’ve been kidding myself. I’ve always loved her. Since that first urge to pull on her pigtails in primary school, I’ve been enamoured with her. Boyfriend material or not, I can’t deny it any longer. I can’t watch her get used up by some bastard who doesn’t love her the way she needs to be loved. I am the right guy for her. Deep down, she knows it, and I know it too. I can’t let my fear win.
I can’t go through this again.
I can’t lose her again.
“I love you, Trina,” I whisper as she sleeps, vowing that when she’s healed and ready to move on from this, I’ll tell her.
I love her.
I’ve always loved her…
Sign up to the Lilliverse Newsletter to discover more titles, limited offers, and upcoming releases by Lilliana Anderson
https://www.lillianaanderson.com/newsletter
Next in the Beautiful Series - Forever
Everything happens for a reason.
So they say, anyway. But, after ruining the best relationship I ever had, I’m struggling to see a reason behind it. Instead, I loathe the man I’ve become. I’m a coward. Somewhere along the way, I stopped living my own life in favour of living for my father instead. What he wants for me, and what I want for myself are two different things. And if I don’t do something drastic, I’ll lose my balls forever.
I need a new direction.
Boarding a plane to London, I have only one thing on my mind: change. I need to get away from my life, my family and my past to figure out what kind of man I want to be. I’m not looking for a relationship, but when I meet fellow Aussie, Paige, something inside tells me to grab on with both hands.
Paige doesn’t make things easy with her high walls and closed off heart. I find that the closer I get, the more she pushes back and clams up. But it see the struggle there too, she wants me just as much as I want her. If only she’d let me in...
The last time I fell for a girl, I made a terrible decision and ruined it. This time, I’m my own man. I won’t be walking away.
Elliot needs to fight harder than ever to win Paige's heart in this gripping romantic drama featuring new and extended scenes from books A Beautiful Forever and Phoenix, republished as Forever: Beautiful Series, Two.
Also by Lilliana Anderson
Preorders
Forever
Melody
Lying Game
Cartwright Brothers
Fool Me Twice
Fools Rush In
Foolish Games
Fool’s Errand
Fool’s Paradise
47 Things
47 Things
One More Thing
Standalones
In the Wind
Till There Was You
Never Again
Darcy Comes First (Love is a Beach)
Drawn Series
Drawn
Drawn 2 – Obsession
Drawn 2 – Redemption
Drawn to Fight
Zac & Evie
Hugo & Meg
Beautiful Series
Struggle
Forever
Melody
Rock
Star
Taste
Danger
Destination
Entwined Series
Our Hearts Entwined
Our Lives Entwined
The Confidante Trilogy
Confidante: The Brothel
Confidante: The Escort
Confidante: The Madame
For more information on upcoming releases visit
www.lillianaanderson.com/preorders
About the Author
Bestselling Author of the Beautiful Series, Drawn and 47 Things, Lilliana has always loved to read and write, considering it the best form of escapism that the world has to offer.
Australian born and bred, she writes New Adult Romance revolving around her authentically Aussie characters with all the quirks you’d expect from those born Down Under.
Lilliana feels that the world should see Australia for more than just it's outback and tries to show characters in a city and suburban setting.
When she isn't writing, she wears the hat of 'wife and mother' to her husband and five children.
Before Lilliana turned to writing, she worked in a variety of industries and studied humanities and communications before transferring to commerce/law at university.
Originally from Sydney's Western suburbs, she currently lives a fairly quiet life in suburban Melbourne.
For more information on Lilliana and her work:
www.lillianaanderson.com
[email protected]
To join her Facebook reader group and talk books
https://www.facebook.com/groups/438800699591852
Struggle: Beautiful Series, book one Page 43
