Page 12

12

ELLIE

The door slams shut, gold picture frames rattling on the walls.

As soon as he’s gone, I sink down onto the couch with my head in my hands, body numb with pleasure while my mind goes to war with itself.

I don’t know which was the bigger mistake: sleeping with him or telling him to sleep with other people.

For a moment, I consider getting up and going after him, telling him that I didn’t mean what I said. That I was angry and lashing out.

It wouldn’t change anything, though. We’re two different people and there’s too much water under that broken bridge to repair.

This would all be easier if we could just get along with each other for more than a day or two.

With a sigh and an ache in my chest where my heart should be, I get to my feet and climb the creaking stairs to my room.

As soon as I’m in my room, I rip open my drawers, pulling out a hoodie and a pair of leggings.

The moment I’m dressed, I take my smallest suitcase out of the closet, packing a couple sets of clothing that won’t be soaked through like my overnight bag downstairs.

The walls feel like they’re closing in around me as I go to the washroom and clean off the streaks of mascara running down my cheeks. Whether they’re from the sex or from the pouring rain, I don’t know.

All I do know is that I need to get out of here for a night or two.

I need time to gather my thoughts and figure things out while the life I built crumbles around me.

It started as a few stones falling, and now it seems like those stones have a jackhammer going at them daily.

I’m not going to stand here and put up with the infidelity like Mom did. Throughout those years before Dad died, all she did was pull back into herself. She became a shell of a mother, focused on numbing the pain instead of caring for her children.

My life isn’t going to be anything like hers.

There’s a knock on the door before it opens and Kara steps into the room. There’s confusion written on her face as she looks between me and the suitcase propped on the bed.

Kara sighs, closing the door and leaning against it. ‘I don’t know what you think you’re about to do, Ellie, but you need to put the suitcase away.”

I step back into the bedroom, the sharp stab of betrayal still strong. “Are you here as my friend or my gatekeeper?”

A flash of guilt crosses her face, her shoulders slumping. “I didn’t want to stop you the last time, Ellie, but you’re only putting yourself in more danger. You have to think about these things.”

“When did you become this person?” My voice breaks as I look at her.

For as long as I can remember, she’s been my bodyguard, but she’s also been my best friend. The Kara I used to know wouldn’t tell me to stay in a place that feels like it’s suffocating me.

I’m too old to be constantly babysat like this.

“I’m humiliated, Kara, and I deserve better than what Sean is giving me. I deserve to be happy.”

Her face softens, sympathy in her eyes even though she doesn’t move away from the door. “I know that this is hell for you right now, but you need to take a step back. You didn’t marry for love.”

“And that’s just the tip of the goddamn iceberg of everything that’s wrong with my life right now.”

She takes a couple steps closer to me, but the sympathy is gone from her eyes. Instead, she looks like she’s trying to figure out a way to subdue me.

It’s not going to work this time.

Kara angles herself closer to me again. “I know that this is hard for you right now, but I have to keep you safe. Letting you go running off in the middle of the night isn’t going to keep you safe.”

“Does that mean that you’re going to lock me in a room and call Sean again?”

“I have to.” Kara’s voice is soft as she holds her hands out, palms up. “You know that this puts me in a difficult position. I have to do my job, and I really do think you should stay here and try to figure things out.”

“Tell me what there is to figure out.” I snag my laptop and another tote bag from the closet before dumping the computer in along with the charger.

“I don’t know.” Kara looks down at the ground for a moment as she admits defeat. “Look, I don’t agree with this situation as the way you should live the rest of your life, but this is the way things are done.”

I set the tote on the bed. “It doesn’t have to be.”

Kara shifts her weight to her right foot, getting ready to lunge. “I don’t want to have to do this. Just take the night to think about everything.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do, but I can’t do it in this house. I need to get out of here.” I close the suitcase and zip it shut, setting it on the floor beside the bed. “You can try to stop me if you want, but I’m not going to hold back like I did last time.”

Kara lunges, trying to get into my personal space.

I move to the side, spinning out of her reach, hands coming up in fists in front of my face.

She scowls. “You’re going to regret doing this.”

“I should have done it when you stopped me the first time, but we’re friends. I didn’t want to hurt you. But it’s obvious that you don’t share that sentiment anymore.”

Kara swings with her left fist, catching my arm hard. Pain radiates through it, my body shifting slightly as she swings again.

I get my arm up in time to block her, moving quickly to get inside her arm span and slamming my fist into the side of her ribs.

She gasps, stumbling back a step, and that’s when I advance on her.

I sweep my foot behind her knee, knocking her to the ground.

She rolls to the side when I lunge for her, springing to her feet. I twist before I hit the floor, hitting my shoulder, then rolling back up to my feet.

Kara’s foot shoots out, slamming into my stomach and knocking the air from my lungs.

Doubling over, I take a ragged breath before getting back up.

Her arms wrap around my waist, and she tackles me to the ground, sure to leave a bruise in the morning.

Kara attempts to straddle me but I manage to get my legs beneath her torso before she can, flinging her off me.

There’s a heavy thud as she crashes hard into the wall, groaning as some of the drywall indents from the impact of her head against it.

I rush over to her while she’s still disoriented, holding down the pressure point in her neck, kicking her hands away every time she reaches for me.

A few moments later, she’s unconscious and slumped against the wall.

I rip the flat sheet off the bed, sending the duvet flying to the floor.

Thankfully, she’s leaning against the wall which makes it easier to maneuver her arms back, wrapping the sheet around her and tying it tight.

She feels heavier than normal as I drag her into the closet and slam the door shut.

My vanity chair scrapes against the floor as I pull it over to the closet door, wedging it beneath the handle so she can’t get free even if she does get herself untied.

I pause for a moment to take a deep breath, lungs still aching from having the air knocked out of them.

The second I feel like I can breathe again, I grab the tote and my suitcase, hurrying down the stairs.

I make a quick stop in the living room to grab my phone and wallet from the overnight bag before heading to the garage.

If I had been thinking when I first ran out, I would have gone into the garage and taken one of the cars. At the time I had been too angry to think, but I’m not now.

There’s only going to be a few minutes—maybe half an hour if I’m lucky—before Dominic or Sean checks the cameras to see what I’m up to. When they don’t see me or Kara, someone is going to show up.

Unfortunately for them, I’m going to be long gone by then.

I head to the frosted glass box on the wall that holds all the keys to Sean’s vintage cars, looking for the key for his prized baby.

The sleek black ’70 Chevelle SS is sitting on the far side of the six-car garage, begging to be taken out for a drive.

He would kill me if he knew that I was taking it, but the thunder stopped rolling after he left and when I peek outside, I see the rain has stopped.

Grinning, I grab the Chevelle’s keys, hauling my things over to it and loading them in the passenger seat.

When he finds out that his favorite car is missing, he’s going to lose his mind. He got the car when he was eighteen.

Even though I was only six at the time, I still remember the way he came driving up to the house in a car that barely ran, telling Aiden that he was going to restore it and upgrade it. They used to spend weekends in the driveway, replacing the parts or just sitting around and drinking on the couch in the corner while staring at it.

And now, his car is going out for a little joyride.

I shut the door, careful not to slam it too hard, before rounding the front of the car and getting in the driver’s side.

The leather is buttery soft. I pull the seat belt across, turning the key in the ignition and listening to the engine purr.

The garage door slides open as I press the button to open it up, letting the car idle for a couple minutes before shifting into gear.

Laughing, I roll the windows down, letting the breeze run through my hair as I leave the house behind, heading for somewhere else to stay.

All I need is tonight and maybe tomorrow night to get my head together. I need to adhere to the idea that Sean is never going to touch my body again. Not when he thinks that he can go out with strippers and then come home to me.

I shouldn’t have had sex with him tonight either, but it was the last time.

“I’m so stupid.”

I turn up the music to drown out the thoughts, heading straight for Royce’s penthouse apartment in the Upper East Side. It’s going to be a long drive, but the time to clear my head will be a welcome break.

As I get closer to the Upper East Side, the traffic gets thicker, turning what should have been an hour-long drive into a mess that’s going to take longer.

My phone starts ringing as I stop at a red light, Aiden’s name flashing across the screen.

Sean had to have called him. He would have told him that I ran out without telling Aiden why I left. He’d think it was a way to get me in trouble with my brother before I had the chance to tell Aiden everything.

Even though I told Sean I wouldn’t, for once I want to see if my brother will choose me over the pointless war he’s still trying to fight.

I grab the phone and slide my thumb across the screen before turning down the music. I put the phone on speakerphone, hoping that this conversation ends quickly. “Aiden.”

“Why did Dominic call me and tell me that you just left the house without Kara? He said that he couldn’t get a hold of Sean either.”

“Sean isn’t home, so I have no clue why he isn’t answering his phone.” I glance at the time on the dash. “He left probably about half an hour ago.”

Aiden’s sigh is a sure sign he’s annoyed with even having to make this call in the first place. I’m sure that he’s pacing back and forth in his office, drinking his damn whiskey and pretending that this isn’t something he brought on himself.

“That still doesn’t tell me why you’re leaving the house without anyone to watch you.”

I bite the inside of my cheek before I can snap back at him. “I had a friend who called me. One of the girls who works out at the clinic. Her ex-boyfriend was kicked out because he kept beating her, but he’s back and she doesn’t want to be alone.”

“Is she safe right now? I can send someone over to check on her.”

I drum my fingers on the wheel as the light turns green. “She’s fine. She said he took off, but she thinks he might be back so I’m going to go be with her until her brother gets there. I’ll probably just spend the night either way though.”

Aiden pauses, something slamming shut in the background. “Alright, well, if you change your mind when you’re there, call me and I’ll send a couple of the guys over.”

“Thanks, Aid. Everything is going to be fine, though. She’s got a bottle of wine and a list of movies waiting to be watched.”

He chuckles. “I’m glad that you’re finally starting to feel better about everything going on. I know this was a lot to ask of you, but I appreciate the way you’re helping the family.”

“You would do the same for me,” I say, even though I’m not so sure it’s the truth anymore.

I love my brother, but he is a flawed man. He can’t take a step back to see that his choices are going to cost him everything one day.

Aiden hums his agreement. “How close are you to this friend’s house? The weather tonight has been pretty bad.”

“I know.” It starts to rain lightly again, but visibility is still good and I’m not that far from Royce’s apartment. “I’m not that far now. Maybe another ten minutes with traffic the way it is.”

“Alright. I’ll call Dominic back and let him know not to worry.”

“Thanks, Aid. Have a good night. Love you.”

“Love you too, Ellie. Let me know if this guy comes back and causes more problems.”

“I will.”

He ends the call just as I turn into the parking garage for Royce’s building, punching the code he gave me into the little box.

The door whirs as it opens. I drive in, parking in one of the visitor spots beside the elevator to the penthouse.

As I get in the elevator, I take a deep breath. I doubt that Royce is going to be thrilled to see me, but he’ll at least understand me needing a night away from everyone. It’s why he has his apartment and everyone else still lives at home.

The doors slide open to reveal the small foyer outside Royce’s front door.

I pull my suitcase along beside me, tote thumping against my thigh.

The door opens before I can knock on it, Royce standing on the other side with a joint dangling between his lips.

He looks at the suitcase beside me. “What are you doing here?”

“Can I hide out here for a day? Please?”

I don’t know what he sees written on my face when he looks at me, but he opens the door wider before giving me a tight hug and pulling me inside.

He passes me the joint and takes the suitcase. “Whatever’s going on, we’re going to get through it.”

As I take a long drag of the blunt, holding the smoke for a second before exhaling, I wish I could believe him.