Escaping Trouble

by Dee Bridle

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  He gave me a quick squeeze and then pulled back.

  “Get out of here” Mason ordered.

  As my tears fell, I was picked up and carried out of the basement.

  Noah

  The party had well and truly ended as I walked into the ballroom with Ivy in my arms. Grainy photos were still up on the big screen, and I turned Ivy away, not wanting her to see them.

  I looked down and saw that she had buried her face in my chest. Her hands were tightly gripping at my T-shirt, like she was holding on to another scream. He had seriously hurt her, and I could see she was in a lot of pain. I needed to get her the hell out of here and get her injuries taken care of.

  As I carried her outside, I scanned for the guys and Janey and heard her whimper.

  “Where else are you hurt?” I asked seeing her shoulder bent at a weird angle. “Fuck, your shoulder’s out.”

  “I can’t believe you saved me,” she cried softly. “It’s all over.”

  “I told you, beautiful, it’s you and me against the world,” I said, heading away from the house and to the side gate.

  “Is she hurt?” asked Zac as I reached the side gate.

  “Yep, her shoulder’s been pulled out. We need to go to Harry,” I said quickly, going through the gate to see Will’s Mustang growling at the curb.

  “Let’s go,” said Will, revving the engine.

  Zac climbed into the back and sat next to Janey as I sat in the front seat with Ivy still in my arms. We were gone within seconds.

  I smoothed Ivy’s face as the others talked about the successful job. We had saved her, and Zac had managed an online assault to ruin him. The shithead was dead, and everyone now knew what he was.

  She gave a small cry as we turned a corner.

  “I’m going to get that shoulder fixed, beautiful. Just try to hold on for another ten minutes,” I said kissing her bruised cheek softly.

  “What about the police?” she asked.

  “What police?” laughed Will, banging the steering wheel in excitement. “We fucking did it!”

  “Will enjoyed this way too much,” said Janey from the back seat. “All cloak and dagger in his three-piece suit.”

  “He always wanted to be a superhero,” laughed Zac.

  “Hey, I look more like Bond in this suit, thanks very much,” laughed Will.

  “Harrison, Will Harrison,” said Janey in a deep voice.

  “You know it!” laughed Will.

  We parked at Harry’s gym, knowing he lived upstairs and would be there at this time of the night. Zac called him on the phone to unlock the doors and we went through.

  I carried Ivy over to his office where he had a bed. She didn’t let me go as I laid her down and kissed her softly with reassurance.

  “Harry will fix your shoulder, and you’ll be better instantly,” I said quietly.

  “Let’s see the damage,” he said walking into the office and putting his glasses on.

  He took one look at Ivy and then nodded.

  “I need her top off.”

  I turned to the others and glared at them. Without a word, they all left the room and closed the door behind them. I carefully pulled her top up, and she didn’t stop staring at my face as I gently pulled it over her head. Her arm was already starting to bruise, and I could see where it had been dislocated.

  I swore as I saw the bruising starting to appear in between her tattoos on her stomach. The fucker had kicked her? Now I wished that I had been the one to pull the trigger.

  “Okay, darling, this is going to hurt for about five seconds,” warned Harry.

  “Maybe we can give her some meds,” I said.

  “No,” said Ivy. “Just do it now.”

  “She’s tough. I like her,” he said taking her arm.

  She winced as he stretched it out and then before he had even warned her, he had pushed it back into its rightful place. Ivy screamed.

  “Fuck!” I said angrily. “You could have at least counted her in!”

  “She would have been too tense, waiting for me to say ‘three,’” said Harry. “It’s done and the pain will disappear now. Sit her up, and let’s check those bruises.”

  I gently pulled Ivy up, and wiped her tears away with my thumb. I held her steady and wanted her to know it was all going to be okay and that her pain would eventually fade.

  She let Harry check her over, but she kept her eyes focused on mine. Then Harry checked her pupils for a concussion. He was soon getting her to hold an icepack to the side of her face.

  “She’s got swelling and there’s going to be some heavy bruising,” he said taking his glasses off. “Her nose isn’t broken, luckily. But she’s been hit hard.”

  “I know,” I said holding her to me.

  “Where’s the person who did this?” he asked next.

  “Dead,” I replied.

  “Good,” said Harry with a nod, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

  I looked back down at her and ran my hand through her hair, stopping when I felt the caked blood.

  “What the hell?” I exclaimed.

  The anger boiled up inside me again as I realized he had ripped some of her hair out. I grabbed the water and cloth that Harry had used for her face and dabbed at her head gently.

  “What’s going to happen now?” she murmured against the ice pack.

  “I’m going to glue you to my side, so no other fucker will hurt you ever again,” I said, kissing her forehead softly. “Then I’m going to give you all the time you need to recover from this.”

  “What about if they find out it wasn’t a suicide?”

  “No one is going to find out anything. He had enough enemies that wanted him in the ground. We’re lucky one of his guards turned on him and did it himself.”

  “Mason,” she said. “He was the one who helped me escape all those years ago.”

  “You don’t have to run anymore,” I said holding her to me as I stroked her back. “You’re free to do whatever and be whoever you like.”

  “I’d like to be the Ivy that I am when I’m with you,” she said into my chest.

  “I like that Ivy,” I said pulling back to look into her beautiful eyes. “She’s beautiful, tough, and the hottest girl I’ve ever known.”

  She laughed and cried at the same time.

  “This is it now, Ivy. We can do whatever we want, together. I’m going to move out of home, and we’re going to live somewhere together.”

  “What about your parents?”

  “It’s got nothing to do with them, anymore. All I want is to be with you, have you, and be fucking inside you whenever I can.”

  She laughed.

  “I just want you,” I finished.

  “You’ve got me, bad ass,” she said with a smile.

  My life started as my lips touched hers.

  * * *

  Ivy

  We had temporarily moved into Zac and Ava’s place. Noah had only just left half an hour ago to get the rest of his stuff from his parent’s house. I tried not to worry about his confrontation with his father, knowing I had one of my own to deal with.

  I sat on the couch, listening to the ringing tone in my ear, waiting for my mother to pick up the phone. I had no idea if she still had the same phone. She hadn’t returned to the apartment since she had disappeared weeks ago.

  It stopped ringing and I heard silence. Had she picked it up? Did someone else have the phone now? I took a chance and started to speak, if it wasn’t her, they would hang up.

  “He’s dead.”

  There was a long drawn out sigh.

  “Good,” she replied.

  I closed my eyes, wondering where I went next with the conversation. I still had so much anger towards her, but it all suddenly seemed a waste of time. I had found my way out of the darkness and maybe she could too?

  “Are you safe?” I asked, knowing it sounded ridiculous even to my own ears. She was a serious drug addic
t with no respect for life and for that reason, she would never be safe.

  “I’m in another state,” she answered, not giving me any more information than that.

  I had known that the phone was currently in Brisbane thanks to Zac, but I hadn’t known if she still had it. Now I knew.

  “Are you still with him?” I asked, not wanting Rick’s name to even come from my lips.

  “No,” she said.

  I wanted to be happy about that information but I knew she would only replace him with another guy just like Rick.

  “You safe?” she asked, the question shocking me. She hadn’t asked something like that in years.

  “I met someone,” I said, not wanting to share anything more. I knew she didn’t really care.

  “Can you get money from him? I really need some.”

  I stopped the big sigh from coming out of my chest, my shoulders dropping in disappointment instead. She would never change. She was far too gone to be anything else.

  The silence stayed thick between us, full of despair and hopelessness. I would never ask Noah for money, especially for a drug habit that would soon end her life.

  “I’ll see what I can do,” I said, knowing I would get Noah to change my phone number when everything settled. This was it. I wouldn’t contact her anymore and she wouldn’t be able to find me. I was finished.

  “I have to go,” I said closing my eyes and rubbing my face.

  “Where are you living?” she asked, her voice a little panicked now that I was ending the call.

  “Nowhere mum,” I said with a sigh. “Be safe.”

  I ended the call and placed the phone on the coffee table in front of me like it was diseased. I felt the familiar emptiness inside where my parents had dug all my expectations and affection out a long time ago. It would be the last time I would speak to her and I would mourn her like she had truly passed away. She had ruined a lot of my life but I no longer wanted to blame her. I had to let it all go, now that I was no longer smothered in darkness. It was obviously the best she could do under the circumstances. Some of us are strong, others weaker. We all make our own choices in the end.

  I had made mine.

  My light was currently at his parents, reclaiming his freedom. Our freedom.

  “Did you speak to her?” asked Ava coming down the stairs.

  “Yeah,” I said with a quick forced smile.

  Ava gave a nod and then went over to the kitchen.

  “Let’s eat something totally decadent, maybe ice cream?” she said looking in the freezer.

  I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had ice cream and smiled as I walked over to her. She knew that I could be hurting over the call and was not only avoiding asking me questions, but offering something delicious to share with her instead.

  I smiled again as she passed me a spoon with a wink.

  It was all lightness from here on in.

  Noah

  I zipped up the last of my bags and turned to my mum. She had started crying an hour ago.

  “I’m not leaving the country mum. I’ll be at Zac’s until I get my own place,” I said putting my arms around her.

  “I want to help you, I can’t let you leave like this sweetheart.”

  “You are helping me mum. By letting me go. I’m a big boy, its time for me to stand on my own two feet. I might just shock you all and actually survive.”

  “There is not a doubt in my mind that you will survive Noah,” she said touching my cheek lovingly. “Not only are you a clever, wonderful young man, you are also very street smart. I know you will succeed in anything you put your mind to. I’ll just miss you terribly.”

  “Well I’ll still see you,” I said with a smile.

  “Remember to call me from time to time,” she demanded.

  “Of course,” I said kissing her on the cheek and giving her one last hug.

  “Your father is in the study.”

  “I’ll go and see him now. Will’s on his way to pick me up,” I said putting my bags into a pile on the ground for him to take.

  “You’re not taking your car with you?” she asked in surprise.

  “I wouldn’t let him have the satisfaction.”

  She was about to argue with me but after one look into my determined eyes, she finally nodded and gave me a watery smile.

  “Love you mum,” I said giving her a smile as I headed back inside the main house. I took a look around the house as I headed towards the study. I wouldn’t be back here for a while but I wasn’t sad. It was time for me to live my own life.

  I deliberately didn’t knock as I opened the study door, taking him in at his desk, glancing over his glasses at me.

  “Noah,” he stated, looking me over. “So you are alive then?”

  I didn’t give him a response. My mother knew I had been at Zac’s for the last week. He was just playing his usual mind games.

  “I’m just here to get my stuff and return the key to your car,” I said leaning over and placing the key on his desk.

  He stared at the key, his eyes narrowing in the silence.

  “The Jeep is yours,” he said finally.

  “We both know that it’s not really mine,” I said with a smirk.

  “You’re playing a dangerous game here Noah,” he warned, taking his glasses off.

  “They’re the only ones to play really,” I returned lightly. He couldn’t do or say anything to get me angry now. It was over. I was cutting the ties and shoving away years of heavy expectations.

  “You leave now, you won’t be coming back here.”

  “I don’t plan on coming back. It’s time for me to live my own life. Make my own money and not rely on yours.”

  “And how will you do that? Crime?”

  I laughed, deflecting the words that were meant to hurt.

  “Yes actually, underworld crime. That’s exactly what I will be doing,” I returned with heavy sarcasm. “Better be careful. You might be my next target.”

  “I see you think sarcasm is the answer to all of this.”

  I let out a huff and shook my head.

  “It’s either that or jumping across the desk and showing you how I really feel.”

  “You threatening me now?”

  “No. I’m leaving now. You have your car key and the place above your garage finally free. Enjoy the space.”

  “You will be back Noah. I have no idea how you could even think to survive out there with no job prospects and not even a quarter of the way through your degree. I give this ridiculous idea a month.”

  “A whole month?” I said in mock disbelief as I headed out the door.

  “What about your little problem with your girlfriend? He won’t let you get away without pressing charges now. You’ll need me to pay your bail money soon enough!”

  I turned back, my eyes narrowing on him.

  “Let’s get one thing straight before I leave for good. I’ll never need a single dollar of your money ever again. Deal with it,” I said in a low, angry voice.

  “Where are you going to go? To live with your friends? Are you going to party your life away?”

  I ignored his questions and started to smile.

  “By the way, the couch in the living room probably needs to be thrown out. It’s beyond cleaning from years of parties and body fluids.”

  He looked at me in disgust.

  An engine roared outside and I looked out the large window to see Will in the driveway. “Speak of the devil,” I said with a quick chuckle as I made my way out of the study.

  “You’re going to hurt your mother doing this!” he called out after me.

  Yeah, nice try, I thought as I headed out the front door for the last time. He had lost all control over me and it felt damn good.

  I headed straight over to Will who was already putting my bags in a fully equipped black Porsche.

  “Nice wheels!” I exclaimed, grabbing his hand in greeting before getting in the car with him.

  “I’ve been living like t
he trust fund wanker this week in the penthouse. Got to make use of the cars in the garage,” he said with a shrug as he started to reverse out.

  I waved to my mother who was standing at the front door and then we were speeding off down the street.

  “How did the old man take it?” he asked, accelerating even more.

  “Like I knew he would,” I said leaning my head back on the seat, no longer wanting to even think about it. “You coming to live with us when we get a place?”

  “You want me to?” he asked in surprise, taking his eyes off the road.

  “How about an actual room this time and not the couch,” I laughed. “Ivy has seen enough of your junk to last a lifetime.”

  “Deal,” he said with a wide grin.

  “So has Janey been staying with you this week?” I asked, knowing she hadn’t been home most nights.

  “Nope,” he replied. “She’s keeping her distance for some reason. I can’t work out what’s going on in her head at the moment, but it’s definitely not the thought of me and my amazing body and skills.”

  “I wonder who she’s been staying with?”

  “Who the fuck knows,” he muttered, concentrating on the road.

  “You’re pretending to not give a fuck right now aren’t you?” I asked knowingly.

  “Got any other bright ideas? Giving a fuck hasn’t worked so far. I’m open to suggestions.”

  I left his question hanging in the air, knowing he didn’t need answers from me. Janey would forever be his weakness.

  Ivy

  I would never get used to this.

  I would always hate seeing my man being hurt.

  I knew by the second round that he was going to win. He just had this confidence about him that oozed out over the ring into the excited crowd. He was focused and always ready to block Cobra’s moves.

  I couldn’t help but watch his muscles tense and move under his tight skin. I loved seeing the force of his hands as he hit his opponent hard. Every hit, every block was completed with precision and the crowd loved it.

  Earlier on when he had climbed into the ring, he had searched me out in the front row and had given me a special wink. It was such a simple gesture to everyone around me, but it meant more than anything to me. I was his and he was mine. Whatever happened next, we would be doing it together.

  I had returned his gesture with a smile and mouthed the words, “I love you.” His eyes lit up. I saw determination and courage on his face. His fists were poised and ready to strike.