You’re Everything I Need: A Forbidden Romance

by Ford, Mia

  “Great, thank you.”

  “And then I’ll be over to help you if I need to.”

  I blow out a breath of relief. “Thank you so much, Cassie. That’s great news.”

  At least I’m not alone anymore.

  32

  Lexi

  What the…?

  I rub my forehead hard, trying to rid my brain of the pain. It radiates through my skull, hurting me all over. It isn’t even just my head that hurts, it’s everywhere. Almost as if I’ve been in a fight and I haven’t come out of it the winner. I feel like I’m still in the hospital, my body rebelling against the poison.

  “Ah, you’ve come back around then. My little slutty girlfriend.”

  Oh fuck! The memories come flying back to me, all of it hits me once more. Trent is here, we’re in Flora’s home, he’s been threating the both of us and then he punched me in the face. Fucking hell.

  “Fuck, Trent.” I push myself into a sitting position and stare up at him. “What is this?”

  His shadow becomes a little clearer. Again, this is like the hospital, only everything is clearer now. Without the poison and the drugs circling through my system, I’m much more aware. Now I just need to figure it out. There has to be a way out of this, however hopeless it feels right now. I just need to work out what.

  “Want to take a little look at your friend?”

  Trent steps to the side and I see Flora’s head slumped forwards, her whole body tied up to the radiator. It hits me this has taken another turn. A much more serious turn. This is more like a kidnapping now.

  “Flora, are you okay?” I yell across the room. “Oh God, what has he done to you?”

  She barely lifts her head which makes me hate myself. My poor little Flora, she doesn’t deserve this. I brought this on her by my shitty life choices. Trent is right to torture me this way, this hurts more than anything else.

  “Trent, why are you doing this to Flora? She isn’t anything to do with this.”

  “No, this is your doing. I haven’t done anything, this is all because of you.”

  “No, don’t do this to me. Don’t blame this on me, it’s your fault.”

  “Oh, Lexi, you are still needing to learn, aren’t you? Every time I think I’ve taught you a lesson, you come out with shit like that. It’s bullshit, Lexi. I can’t go back with you like this.”

  “I don’t want to go back with you at all. I can’t go back to that life.”

  “You understand what the other option is, don’t you? You do realize that you’ll die?”

  I suck in a deep breath and nod. “Yes, I know what the threat is. I honestly don’t care what you do to me, I just don’t want you to do anything to Flora. Please, she doesn’t need this.”

  He walks over to Flora with a small smile playing on his lips. I straighten my spine and watch him, hoping that he’s about to untie her and set her free. He leans down, looking like he’s really going to, but then he swings his foot back and he kicks into her, slamming her to the ground.

  “No!” I scream out loudly. “No, don’t do that, no.”

  He does it again. I bound to my feet and jump across the room, lashing out. I punch and kick out at him, slamming every part of myself against him, but he’s a big, bulky guy and my hits do nothing. He even laughs loudly at me and shoves me off, knocking me to the ground like I’m a fly.

  “Don’t fucking test me, Lexi.” I get a foot in my side so hard that I worry a rib might be cracked. The pain runs hotly in my brain, blurring my vision intensely. “I swear to fucking God, I will end you.”

  “End me,” I whimper out. “Do what you want, just let Flora go.”

  I should have known that it would come to this. From the very first moment I met him, this was the only outcome. He’s a narcissist, almost psychopathic. It’s obvious that I don’t stand a chance against him. He knows it and I do too. The moment I left I should’ve guessed this would end up with me dead.

  I squeeze my eyes closed and take the pain. It comes relentlessly, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to end, but I take it. I take every single bit of it. I would much rather be happy if it was me getting hurt. I deserve it.

  “You are fucking killing me, testing me, sending me over the edge.”

  He steps back, freeing me, but I don’t uncurl myself. I remain in the fetal position, just waiting for the next thing to come my way. He isn’t done with me yet. I know Trent too well.

  “Stand up and face me, Lexi. Face me like a woman.” It’s a trap, so I ignore him. “Face me like the woman you used to be. You used to have spunk and fire. Now, you’re just a pathetic heap.”

  Those words are too much, they ignite a flame I didn’t even know that I had. I know I’m playing right into his hands, but there’s a part of me that wants to do something with it. I want to face him with pride.

  It fucking hurts to stand, it’s damn near impossible to make it happen, but I do it without even wincing. I keep every little whimper inside so I don’t give him the satisfaction.

  “Right, you little bitch. Look at me.” I meet his eyes, glaring at him with sheer determination. “I want to know all about this guy that you’ve been fucking behind my back. No, don’t look at your little mate.” I drag my eyes away from Flora. “She’ll be fine. I wouldn’t worry too much about her. Let’s worry about you.”

  “Alright, fine,” I growl back. “What’s going on, then? What do you want to do?”

  “I just told you; don’t be such a dumb twat. Tell me about all the guys you’ve been fucking.”

  “I’m not like you, Trent. I don’t have to fuck everything that moves.”

  “Oh right, I see. So, you’ve been Little Miss Innocent, have you? What about your boss?”

  “If you’re going to kill me, then what does it matter? Why should I tell you anything?”

  He grabs me by the throat and slams me up against the wall, knocking the wind from me. My head spins, making it damn near impossible for me to focus on him or anything.

  “You are not in control here, you do realize that? I’m the one with all the power.”

  “Yes,” I rasp back while clawing at his hand. He’s tightening around me, gripping me painfully, making my eyes ache. “Yes, I understand.” He squeezes just a tiny bit harder before slamming me on the ground. “Fuck.”

  “Don’t swear, Lexi, it doesn’t suit you at all. You’re supposed to be a lady.”

  “So, you can do whatever you want? But I have to follow your rules?”

  “I’m the man, aren’t I? You’re just my bitch.”

  “I’m not anyone’s bitch. I’m my own person.”

  He kicks me again. “Fuck you, Lexi. Don’t be a fucking twat.”

  I only dart my eyes up again when I hear Flora making a noise. She’s coming back around which terrifies me. If she speaks she risks getting hurt again, which means I need to keep Trent looking at me.

  “Okay, Trent, I’m sorry,” I say loudly, partly to remind Flora what’s happening. “I don’t mean to keep stepping out of line. I guess it’s just been hard for me. I’ve been away for a very long time.”

  His eyes widen in surprise, he can’t seem to take this sudden change around. That’s good. If I can keep him on his toes then that will help things. As long as I keep in control somehow.

  “I just can’t seem to keep myself in check. I’ve changed over these past few months and I don’t know how to get it back. I… I don’t know. I suppose I’ve lost myself along the way.”

  “Too right you have.” He nods determinedly, but it’s obvious he’s still thrown. “I don’t like this you.”

  “No, I don’t either. It’s hard for me to be honest about it, but I don’t. I’ve tried to go off on my own in the world because I didn’t like what you did with that girl.” I pointedly shudder. “But it hasn’t worked.”

  “No, well I could have told you that. This isn’t you at all.”

  “So, what do we do from here? Where do we go?”

  “I don’t
know… I’m wondering whether I should take you back home or not.”

  “Maybe you should.”

  “I thought you didn’t want to.”

  “I thought I didn’t as well. But as it turns out, I do. The more you talk about it, the more I keep thinking about what life used to be like before. It was good, wasn’t it? We were good.”

  “We were.” Clearly, he’s forgotten about him telling me that I’m bad in bed. “Really good.”

  “And we could be back there again, couldn’t we?”

  “I suppose so. I don’t see why not. But it won’t be easy, with the boys.”

  “Are they mad at me?”

  “Of course they are. They don’t like one of their own being hurt.”

  If this was something I was actually considering, I’d be very afraid right now, but it isn’t and I’m not.

  “Okay, well I’ll find a way to make it up to them. I’ll make it okay again.”

  He comes closer to me, and I do everything that I can not to wince at his scent. I find his smell quite painful, it brings back so many horrible memories, but I need to keep stoic. I don’t exactly know what my next move is but I know I need to keep Trent calm and on my side. Just for now.

  He’s looming towards me, leaning in for a kiss. I know it’s coming and I know I need to put on a convincing performance but it’s going to take all of me. Now I know how to be treated properly, I know what it’s like to be kissed by someone I really want, I don’t know how I’ll do it. I don’t know how I used to do it to be honest. I pray for the cops to somehow psychically know and to burst through the door to stop this.

  “Lexi.”

  Oh fuck. I’ve got the distraction I want but from Flora which is bad. Trent squeezes my hips hard with temper rather than anything else, and he turns.

  “Trent, what are you doing? Why are you leaving me?”

  I try to tug him back to me, but he has someone else in his sights now. A new brief obsession.

  “Why can’t you learn to shut the fuck up for a moment? What is your fucking problem?”

  “I…” Flora looks petrified, like she’s suddenly realized her mistake. “I didn’t know…”

  “Of course you didn’t know. You’ve been nothing but trouble, bitch.”

  “Trent, will you stop it? I don’t want anything else to happen now, we’re in a good place.”

  But he ignores me. His hand dips into his pocket and I suck in a breath while I try to work out what he’s doing. When he’s in this mood, he’s unpredictable, and that scares me.

  “Trent, what are you doing?”

  “I can’t stand the whole fucking world trying to keep us apart.”

  “Flora doesn’t want to keep us apart.”

  “Oh, yes she does. Before you came here she spent plenty of time telling me as much.”

  Wow, that’s brave of Flora. Brave and stupid.

  “Well, that doesn’t mean anything. We don’t care what other people think anyway.”

  “What did we just have a discussion about?”

  “Yeah, but that’s your friends, not mine…”

  But my words are useless. It’s too late. By the time I see the glint of metal it’s flying through the air and heading towards my friend, completely out of my control…

  33

  Cooper

  “Cassie, thank you so much for…” My words trail off as I see who’s behind her. Bessie, Cassie’s mother. Nora’s mother. The woman who I’m not sure liked me for Nora, never mind this. This is the exact reason I called her and no one else, so I didn’t have to explain. “Erm, thank you for coming.”

  Bessie gives me a look, it’s obvious from her expression that she doesn’t agree. My heart sinks, this isn’t going to go the way that I thought it would after all. That’s troubling.

  “So, Cooper,” she starts, her voice incredibly stern. “Cassie hasn’t filled me in at all on what’s happening, but it doesn’t take a genius to work it out. I don’t exactly know what you want me to feel about that.”

  “Erm…” I honestly have no answer. I wish I did. Something to make it any less awkward. “I don’t know what to say, Bessie. I’m really sorry. This isn’t what we thought was going to happen….”

  “There will be a time and a place to talk about it. This isn’t it.” She’s fucking fuming. I don’t even need to see her face for that. But I can see her face and it only highlights her rage. “Lexi is missing and it’s weird. We need to focus on that for the time being. We absolutely have to find her.”

  I blow out an anxious breath of air. “So, you didn’t get hold of her friends then?”

  “I spoke to Krysten, but she hasn’t been able to get hold of Lexi or Flora. She was supposed to meet up with them today but it didn’t happen. She couldn’t reach either of them. Look.”

  Cassie shows me a screen shot of the messages:

  Krysten: Hey guys, are we meeting up today still? What’s the plan?

  Krysten: Oi! Are you both ignoring me? I’m all dressed and ready to go!

  Krysten: Okay, so lunch time has passed… where are you both?

  Krysten: Hey, both of you, I’m getting a bit freaked-out now.

  Krysten: Please let me know that you’re okay.

  “Apparently, they message a lot. Like, all the time and it’s weird for them not to reply.”

  “And what about Flora? Have you been able to speak to her?”

  “No. Voicemail. Her and Lexi.”

  “So, you think they’re together?” That makes me feel a little better. I would much rather prefer Lexi not be alone.

  “I don’t know. But it’s weird. Lexi always answers her phone.”

  “Yeah. She does. Obviously, that’s what was weird for me as well.”

  “Right, so we need to go and find her, right? We have to go out and hunt.”

  “That’s why I’m here,” Bessie interjects. “To look after my granddaughter while you go.”

  “She’s asleep.”

  “I know, I would have thought so at this time, but you need someone here to watch her.”

  “So, you and I are going then?” I ask Cassie. “Any idea where?”

  “None, but I’m hoping that we’ll figure it out as we go.”

  “Okay.” I look to Bessie, wishing I had something better to say. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t you worry about me. You know as well as I do that I want to be with my girl.”

  I nod slowly, again making that internal vow to be better at bringing Aubrey to visit. Especially after this.

  “Well, let me know if you need me, I’ll have my cell phone with me.”

  “Of course, but I’ll be fine. Don’t forget I had kids of my own. I do know what to do.”

  “Yes, I know.” I grab my car keys from my side, ready to take action. “Right, Cassie, shall we get going?”

  “Do you think we should call the cops first? Let them know?”

  “I don’t know if we should, it hasn’t been long enough has it? It has to be twenty-four hours. Plus, if we do just find her hanging out with Flora then she’ll go mad for making a fuss over nothing.”

  “True, true. Okay, come on then, let’s get out of here.”

  I leave first, giving Cassie a moment alone with her mother to talk things through. I’m pretty sure that Cassie is peacekeeper here and I thank her so much for that. Much as this is a giant mess, and certainly not the way that I wanted Nora’s mother to find out about me and Lexi, but it’s a bit late for that now.

  The situation has been thrown at us, all we can do is make the best out of it.

  Finally, we climb into the car together and I pull away from my driveway. “Where shall we go first?”

  “I don’t know really. Maybe we should just head to the bars, check she isn’t there.”

  “Okay, sure. I suppose that makes sense. Maybe both girls can’t hear their phones.”

  “Here’s hoping.” Cassie sighs deeply. “I’m sorry about bringing Mom with me, I should have warne
d you about that, I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted to make it easier for all of us.”

  “It’s fine, Cassie, I know you wouldn’t do anything manipulative.”

  “I suppose if I was going to, I would have already.”

  “Yeah.” I shoot a smile her way. “I suppose you would.”

  “Are things happening between the two of you now?”

  “I… I don’t really know how to answer that.”

  “I know it probably seems weird because I’m Nora’s sister, but I don’t expect you to be single forever.”

  “It’s still a bit much, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe, but it also proves to me that you must really like her a lot. I can’t imagine anyone putting themselves through that shitstorm if they didn’t. You’re talking a big risk, and I think she’ll be worth it.”

  “Yeah, I think so. If we can survive the shitstorm.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you will. Lexi is a tough cookie. She can get through anything.”

  “It’s not her that I’m worried about. It’s me.”

  “Yeah, that’s true. I can’t imagine you doing too good. My family are quite fiery. I’ll be on your side.”

  “You will? That really means a lot, Cassie. That’s very kind of you.”

  “So, would you class her as your girlfriend? Is it official? Sorry for all the questions but I need to know. I can’t help myself, I’m a bit of a gossip.” She giggles. “No, well it isn’t just that is it, I’m worried.”

  “She is. We talked about it and made it official last night. Should I be worried about her going missing? Is that a bad omen?”

  “I don’t know, I wouldn’t think so.”

  “You don’t need to worry. I fully intend to treat her right.”

  “I know you will. You were very good with Nora.”

  “Yeah.” My tone is a bit sadder now. I can’t help it. “I guess so.”

  “Do you love her?”

  “I…” Now I’m stunned again. I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to tell Cassie before I tell Lexi. “I don’t know.”

  “I think you do. That’s okay though, I know it’s soon. You might not want to say it yet.”