Page 22

Jack

“Oh my fucking God, Willow,” Elle, I assumed, stormed through the barely opened front door and down the hallway to Willow, who was hovering nervously, and barrelled into her with a hug. At the sudden blow, she gasped with pain and muttered an oof .

“ Elle , be fucking careful.” A tall, long-haired man stepped over the threshold, growling at Elle’s chaos. He turned to me and offered out a hand to shake “Silas, Elle’s twin.”

He had a firm shake, like he could snap me in two. He stepped further into the house after his sister as I shut the door, and the dogs found them both intriguing as they demanded attention. He entertained them while the girls stood hugging.

“Elle, this is Jack. My boss.”

Willow introduced us and Elle turned, glaring at me and the hand I’d offered, but her arms remained crossed.

She was shorter than Willow, had tattoos down her arms and piercings in her brows, lip and nose. Her face was framed by bright red hair – every ounce of effort she put into her appearance looked as though she tried to scare everyone off.

“Don’t worry, she looks like a rottweiler, but she’s more like a ratty terrier,” Silas muttered in my ear, and I snorted, but remained polite with my outstretched hand.

“Fuck you,” she retorted to her brother. She took my hand hesitantly.

They followed me into the kitchen, where they claimed the sofa and I made refreshments. It was dark outside, and the sun was setting so I’d ordered pizzas for everyone.

Willow called Elle not long after breakfast, and by the limited chat on Willow’s end, was getting a barrage of questions and a speech from Elle. Before she could explain what had happened and where she was. Elle invited herself round instead of waiting for an invite.

Her best friend was a firecracker, but I sensed she needed more of that energy around her. I tried not to eavesdrop, comforted in the fact Willow had good people. Elle wasn’t giving up on her relentless search for answers and gave Willow no time to answer them.

“Will you let her fucking speak!” Silas snapped at her, earning a scowl before she huffed back into the sofa.

Willow explained everything from beginning to end, eliciting occasional gasps from Elle like a pantomime. When she finished, Elle was stunned into silence and Silas hauled Willow into a bear hug – aptly named since he was the size of one, her tiny frame lost in his.

He muttered to her so quietly I couldn’t hear his words – I didn’t want to, they were personal – while Elle remained silent.

“Why didn’t you tell us it was this bad? We could have helped you,” Elle asked quietly. Willow pulled away from Silas’ embrace, but remained by him, his arm around her shoulders.

“I couldn’t have told you what there was to know, because I couldn’t see it for myself.

I just moved from one day to the next accepting it for what it was.

I did my best to avoid him while enjoying my life outside of the house.

I had to learn by myself and when he proposed it all came crashing down. ”

I carried a tray of hot drinks feeling Elle’s eyes on me as I moved. Placing them on the coffee table by Willow and Silas, and feeling like an intruder, I cleared my throat.

“I’m just going to do some work in my office in case you need anything.” I pointed behind me towards the office.

An hour later, pizzas were delivered, and I focused on work with my box beside me. I’d missed almost a week’s worth, and I desperately needed to catch up and delegate Willow’s tasks.

I was in the middle of typing out an email, with a slice of pizza halfway to my mouth, when there was a faint knock at the door before it opened and Elle pushed her way inside, shutting it quickly.

When she turned around, she crossed her arms over her chest and popped one hip.

Her red hair fanned over her shoulders and down her arms in waves.

“Elle, everything okay?” I turned to her in my swivel chair, cautious of her. I’d raised a daughter and was living with a female now, but neither felt quite as daunting as the angry woman before me .

“You don’t know me but I’m going to tell you a little bit about me and Willow.” She spoke calmly but coolly. “We’ve been friends for twenty-two years. She’s pure as snow while I’m the devil. Neither of us come from solid families so we’ve always been it for each other. Silas too.

“She’s never been one to say boo to a fucking goose, so I always did it for her.

When her mum died and her dad left, she was bullied for it.

When the mean girls at school found out she had a crush on the popular boy, she was bullied for it.

At every turn I protected her because she fucking deserved it.

” Tears welled in her eyes. “She is everything to me, so she deserved someone to care about her. She cares about me in a different way, I don’t need someone to protect me, she does.

But it appears I dropped a monumental ball on this one. ”

“Elle, no. You can’t put this— ”

Her tears spilled over, and I stood to comfort her. She stepped back, guarded.

“I need to know your motives with Willow.”

“Motives?” I questioned.

“Why have you let her stay here? Why not send her our way?” She cocked a brow. Willow had already been wrung out by the wrong man, it was down to her people to make sure I wasn’t another. I blew out a breath to explain.

“Honestly, I didn’t know you existed until today.

Willow didn’t speak much of her personal life whilst at work, I guess we know why.

The options the police gave her was finding someone to stay with or a women’s refuge, and I just couldn’t let that happen.

” Elle nodded, but narrowed her eyes at me, demanding more.

“I want to help while she picks herself up. There’s no pressure.

She can take as long as she wants, use my house as a base as she relearns how to live.

I have three bedrooms going spare, one of them may as well go to her.

I promise you, Elle, I care about Willow.

I know I haven’t known her as long as you have, but I’d do anything to keep her safe.

” There was a short silence as she sized me up.

“So, you’ll look after her?” Her defences began to crumble as she let me in.

“ We will look after her. All of us. She’s staying at my house, but she isn’t locked away in another prison.”

“You won’t hurt her?”

“That’s the last thing I want to do. The last thing she deserves. She has it in her to be stronger than ever, she just needs time and a safe space.”

She nodded and wiped her tears but more fell replacing them.

“I hate him.” She crumpled in on herself, her body wracked with sobs, so I hauled her into a hug. She froze at first, but quickly appreciated the gesture for what it was, and put her arms around my waist.

“I know,” I agreed.

“He’s such a cunt. ” Her strong language made me smile.

“I know.” I rubbed her back.

“If I ever see him again, I’ll chop his cock off.” That made me laugh, and she glared up at me.

“Trust me, as someone with the same appendage, that’s a nightmare, and yet I’d still cheer you on.” I earned a smile.

We had called a truce. Willow’s well-being was our mutual priority.