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Beautiful Boxset: Beautiful Series, books 1-4

Page 43

by Anderson, Lilliana


  “And you couldn’t do this at the library?”

  “What’s wrong with studying here?” Trina asked.

  He shrugged. “It’s not a library.”

  Feeling the tension rise, I stood up and gathered my things. “I’ll go,” I said, trying to keep my calm as I stuffed everything into my backpack.

  “No, David. This is my place too. Christopher, why are you being so rude?”

  “I don’t want him here,” he stated, finally admitting it openly for all of us to hear. See the kind of man you chose, Trina?

  I clenched my teeth. “Listen, mate. I don’t know what your problem is with me. But you’re going to have to get over it. Trina and I have been friends since primary school, I’m not going away just because you say so.”

  Pressing his fingertips into the tabletop, he rose from his seat so he was towering above me. I rolled my eyes at the tactic.

  “My problem lies with you going around, fucking a different girl every week then sniffing around mine.”

  I glanced at Trina. Did she tell him that? Her eyes dropped, and I looked back to Christopher. Why talk about me like that?

  “Don’t think that I don’t know what you’re doing,” he continued. “You’re just lying in wait for the moment she has a lapse in judgment and fucks you. Then you’ll have won and you’ll dump her too. She’s not yours, David. She’s mine.” What?

  “Dude, you are seven kinds of fucked up right now.”

  “I don’t hear you denying it.”

  “There’s nothing to deny. I’ve been nothing but a friend to Trina. She’s my best friend. My family. I have nothing but respect and love for her. I’ve never treated her like she was some kind of prize to be won. But if that’s how you think then I’d hate to know the real truth behind your intentions.”

  “Don’t question my intentions,” he spat.

  “I don’t need to. I already know. I see the way you talk to her. The way you order her around. She’s not going to just roll over and let you take over her life. She’s too smart for that.”

  “Get the fuck out of my house.”

  “You can’t kick me out when I was already fucking leaving.”

  “Maybe not, but I can tell you to never come back. I don’t want you in my house, and I don’t want you around my woman.”

  “That’s enough!” Katrina yelled. “Stop talking about me like I’m not even in the room. David is my friend, Christopher, and this is my house too. If I want him here, he can be here.”

  “He doesn’t come back, and that’s final!” Christopher boomed.

  I met Trina’s eyes. “Nice guy you’ve got there.”

  “Just go, David. I can handle it,” she said. “I’ll call you later.”

  “No. She won’t.”

  “Shut the fuck up, Christopher. You’re not the boss of me.”

  “Fuck this shit,” I muttered under my breath as I stormed out of the room. I could hear yelling going on behind me as I took off down the stairs, seriously annoyed that someone who claimed to love Katrina could disregard her friends so easily.

  Needing the distraction, I put in a call to Monica and drove straight over to her house, hoping to lose myself between her legs for the night.

  “Your fuck buddy’s here!” her housemate called over her shoulder the moment she saw me at the door.

  “Well, hello to you too, Erica.” I smiled, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

  “You know I love you, Dave. I just like to tell it how it is.” She laughed as she flicked her dark hair over her should then waddled down the hall.

  “Yes, you do.” I stepped inside just as Monica came bounding down the stairs and jumped into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist.

  “Needed a bit of a pick me up?” she asked, grinning at me.

  “You don’t know the half of it,” I said, walking us into her room and kicking the door closed behind us.

  The moment we were on our own, she crashed her mouth into mine with the same hunger she always displayed. Dropping her on the bed, I pulled my shirt over my head and dropped it on the floor. “Get naked.”

  “Hmm. I think I want to make you squirm first,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed and reaching for me.

  I threaded my fingers into her hair. “No teeth.”

  Licking her lips, she undid the button of my jeans, pulling down the zip just as my phone jumped to life in my back pocket.

  “Ignore it,” Monica purred. “You need to relax.” She slid her hand inside my jeans, causing my eyes to roll back in my head.

  “What if it’s important?”

  “Then they’ll call back.” The phone stopped singing. Seconds later, it started again.

  “It’s important,” I said, stepping out of her reach and grabbing my phone. Trina’s name lit up the screen. “Trina needs me.”

  Monica rolled her eyes and scoffed. “What about my needs? I need you inside me. Why can’t she wait for a change?”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, hitting accept as I left the room. “What happened?”

  “Come and get me, David. I need to get out of here. Please come and get me.” Trina’s frantic words had me rushing for the front door.

  “Are you OK?” Shit. I shouldn’t have left her with him.

  “I’m OK. Just come and get me.”

  “I’m on my way.” I pulled my car door open as we disconnected.

  “Are you seriously taking off on me?” Monica called after me.

  I froze with one foot in my car. “I’m sorry, Mon. This is how it is.”

  “You’re fucked up, Dave. You’ve still got a fucking hard on from my hand, and you're running to another girl.”

  “What do you want me to say here? You knew the stakes.”

  “Yeah. And I thought I could do it, but I can’t. I thought I was OK being the girl you screwed while you loved someone else. But I want more from you.”

  “I don’t have anything more to give you,” I told her, genuinely feeling sorry we’d reached this point. I liked her. It was just never going anywhere.

  “Then don’t come back, David. Find yourself another girl. I’m not doing this anymore.”

  I nodded once. “OK.”

  When it was obvious I wasn’t saying more than that, she burst into tears and ran back in the house, her shoulders shaking from her sobs. I felt like shit seeing her cry and not doing anything about it, but I needed to go to Trina. I needed to make sure she was OK.

  She was my number one.

  I pulled up outside her units ten minutes after her phone call and found her waiting for me on the side of the road.

  “Are you hurt,” I said straight away, getting out of the car to check her for damage. It was dark, but she seemed fine.

  “I’m not hurt.”

  “Then get in the car. Where’s your bag? Actually, forget your bag. We’ll get you new stuff. Come on.” I pulled the passenger door open then placed my hand on her back to guide her. But she didn’t move.

  “I overreacted,” she said.

  “What?”

  “I’m not leaving. I got crazy angry, packed my things and stormed out. But we’ve both calmed down now, and I’m going to stay. I’m sorry I made you come here. I was being dramatic.”

  “Seriously? The guy insinuated I was only trying to get inside your pants and banned me from your house, was a complete arsehole and you’re being dramatic?”

  “I know it sounds ridiculous, but I’ll smooth it over. He’s just stressed at work. It’s making him all angry about stupid stuff lately.”

  “Trina,” I sighed. “I don’t like the sound of this. Why don’t you just come and spend the night at my place? Talk to him in the morning when he’s calm.”

  “No, it’s fine. I’m going back inside, OK? I’m sorry I worried you.” She kissed me on the cheek. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “If you ever try to tell me you fell and hit your head on a door, I’ll beat the fuck out of him myself.”

  She laugh
ed at that. “He’d never hurt me. He loves me.”

  Sixteen

  Trina swore that everything was perfect after that night, blaming the fight on jealousy and teething problems after moving in together so soon. “You and I have always known how unusual it is for a straight guy and girl to be best friends without sex becoming involved. You have to give him time to understand that friendship is all there is between us.”

  “So tell him I’m gay. I don’t care. I’m not letting him chase me out of your life.”

  “You’re not gay, David. He knows you aren’t.”

  “Tell him I was in denial and I’m gay now.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Lying won’t fix this. Time will. He understands what you mean to me. We’ve been best friends since we were nine years old, if I want to hang out with you in a house I help pay rent for, I’m going to do that.”

  “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 stop 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.”

 

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