Chapter Twenty-one
Saturday had been spent in its entirety packing for our trip to my house, Kitty kept popping in and out of my room, asking what she should bring, what clothes were appropriate for the weather in Florida, and so on. My stomach had been twisting itself into nervous knots just thinking about being home with my family and friends. But what had my heart racing and head spinning was the thought of being with Tony again. I craved his touch against my skin, his lips against mine, the crispness of his breath against my cheeks. As we gathered out front, our baggage in tow, I glanced at Stitch, feeling a pang of bitterness pass through me. I hadn't spoken to him since Friday night, and he hadn't gone out of his way to seek me out for an apology either. Kitty had insisted, of course, that he hadn't really meant those words and it was the left over anger from his confrontation with Vance that had brought those things out, but I didn't believe her. He wouldn't have said those things if he didn't mean them. He's just one of those people who says what he means. Always.
Once we had gathered, I could feel the excitement of the others, especially Kitty. She was practically bouncing up and down, two large suitcases propped at either side of her hips. When she saw me a smile broke out across her face, lighting up her green eyes. Despite the fact that we would be on a plane for nine hours, Kitty was dressed in a stunning pair of black skinny jeans, a flowing pink lace halter and bright pink pumps. Her hair was twisted into a curly braid over her shoulder. I couldn't help but smile at her. There was a large black SUV parked at the edge of the drive, which Kitty lead us to before I could set my bag down. My load was significantly lighter than the others I noted as they lugged their bags to the car where the driver had exited and assisted them in putting the bags in the trunk. Kitty climbed into the car with Jay right behind her. Stitch climbed in next, leaving Cam and I in the front. The driver pulled away from the curb and headed straight for the airport. I picked up my phone and dialed my mom's number. It was three am there, but she insisted I called her to let her know the instant they left from the school.
“Hello?” She was tired but I could hear her excitement.
“Mom, have you slept at all?” I asked, listening to her chuckle. “That's what I thought. We're leaving the school now. Our flight doesn't leave until nine, so we won't be there until six-ish. I can't wait to see you.”
“And I can't wait to see you, and meet all your friends. I can now rest easy knowing you're coming home. I love you, Laela.” She yawned and hung up the phone.
My heart started pounding again. I couldn't wait to get on the plane. When we pulled up to the main doors, we unloaded our things and made our way to our terminal. Kitty walked beside me, dragging both of her suitcases, gabbing about how excited she was. She and I spoke the entire walk about the beautiful beaches, and boys, and shopping spots we needed to hit. It had been a long time since I had someone this excited about doing things I thought were extremely normal at this point. My friends and I would go to the beach almost every single day and just bask in the sun, play in the waves, and have the occasional bonfire or two. It was a party on the beach every weekend, most of which ended up with several people in the county jail for the night. As we boarded the plane I let my mind wander endlessly, I still needed to think of my favorite places.
***
Despite my anticipation for our arrival, I had fallen asleep on the plane, waking with my head on Cam's shoulder, his head angled slightly toward mine. My face flushed as I sat up, brushing my hair back into place, frightened for a moment by the bright teal piece that now hung in front of my right eye. When I had gathered my wits, I looked out the window as the pilot announced that we would be landing shortly. The FASTEN SEATBELT light flashed overhead, and I quickly obliged, my anxiety coming back full force. I couldn't wait to get off the plane. My mom would be waiting to pick us up, perhaps with my little brother Kyler. If it weren't for the seat belt, I would probably have been bouncing up and down in my seat. I never thought of myself as homesick before, but once I saw the beach below, I knew that I had just been shoving the feeling back down so no one would know, though I'm sure they could tell.
We hit the runway and my heart began to flutter like the wings of a hummingbird. It probably wasn't healthy to have a heart rate as fast as mine, but here I was, ready to pass out because I was about to see my family again. Cam's hand fell on mine, a smile on his lips.
“Calm down, love.” He said, smiling. “Wouldn't want to have to haul you off to the hospital before you see your mum.”
I took a deep breath, smiling. “Right,”
As we left the plane with the other passengers Cam and I got separated from the others in our party. I had been in such a rush to get to the luggage carrousel I had forgotten I came with anyone else. Cam had been able to keep up, and I doubt he was too concerned that we were lost together. Waiting for the others turned out to be nearly unbearable. I didn't think I could be so excited to see my family, but my head was swimming in the feeling and my stomach seemed to be pumping it out so furiously I thought I might faint. Cam steered me away from the sea of people to wait on a chair; he had to practically shove me into the seat. I was so antsy I couldn't sit still for longer than an instant. Cam dialed Jay's number and waited for him to pick up. Three missed calls later, the others finally found them.
“Jeez, Laela, you'd think you were late for something.” Jay sighed, running his hand through his hair. His accent had attracted the eyes of many passing them. “But now that we're all together, where to?”
A smile split Laela's face. “I'll call my mo—” my phone screen lit up, flashing MOM across it before the music started. “Hey! I was just about to call you, we've got all our stuff. Where are you?”
“Waiting at the main entrance,” she said, “Do you guys need some help?”
“No, I think we've got it handled. We'll be there in just a moment.”
Without saying anything to the others, I grabbed my bag and lifted it over my shoulder, taking off toward the entrance. They followed, practically running to keep up with me. When I broke out of the front doors, I glanced up and down the line of cars outside until my heart leapt as they found what they were looking for. My neighbor's black Expedition. Our family had always been small, so we never had the need for a large car, but our neighbors had five children. Their family was huge. My mom was waiting outside of it. When I saw her, I dropped my bag and ran for her, my arms outstretched, tears slipping down my cheeks. My mom waited for me, her arms out wide, and when we met, she closed them tightly around me, petting my dark black curls, her tears making my neck wet. She was murmuring quietly how much she missed me, holding me tightly against her. I could hardly put together a response because of my tears, but I knew she understood. We stood in an embrace for a good five minutes before someone behind me cleared their throat. Releasing my mom, I turned, wiping the tears away from my cheeks.
“Sorry guys,” I hiccuped. “I was just so—”
“We understand,” Cam said, smiling. His smile seemed extra charming with his accent now being foreign. “Are you going to introduce us? Or shall I?” he winked.
“Mom,” I turned to look at her for a brief moment, “These are my friends from school. This is Cam Harding, Jay Clarke, Kitty Leon, and Stitch Mazigatti.” I pointed to each in turn. My voice had become slightly breathy when I said Stitch's name, drawing a blush to my cheeks. “Guys, this is my mom, Danica.”
Kitty smiled. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Price. Thank you so much for allowing us to stay.” she said.
My mom looked at me, putting her hand over her heart. “Laela, your friends are so charming. Perhaps it's the accent.” she winked at them.
“That's exactly what it is,” I laughed, as Cam playfully punched my shoulder.
We loaded our things in the car, and were on our way. I watched as familiar sights flew by the window. The others were all chatting away with my mom, well, everyone but Stitch. He hadn't said more than four words since we had left England, and those were all to my mother. With a sigh I glanced out the window and suddenly my phone rang. It was Rush.
I shushed the car, reminding them that my friends couldn't know we were home yet. The car went silent. “Hello?” I said.
“Hey babe! Sorry I'm calling a little late, we had a little meeting after practice today, but I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Everything going well over there? And remember, I'm here if you want to talk.” he said.
“Talk about what? I'm fine.” I feigned a yawn, which ended up being more real than fake. “Everything's fine, really.”
“You sure? Nothing you want to talk about?”
“No, Rush. Not tonight. I just need to sleep...” I wondered what he was going on about, but I couldn't ask.
“Yeah, sleep babe. I know how you get when you don't sleep enough.” I could hear the wink in his voice. “Night. Hope you're having a great time there. And remember, I'm always here for you. I'll never leave.”
“Night, Rush. Talk to you soon.” I smiled, knowing next time we spoke it would be in person and hung up.
My mom glanced at me. “Rush? Do you guys talk a lot?” she knew about Rush's crush on me, and I suspected she had been keeping quiet about it.
“He calls every night,” The voice surprised me. It was Stitch's.
I turned to look at him, sitting in the far back seat by himself. His expression was blank, unreadable. How did he know I was getting calls from Rush every night? I thought only Kitty knew, but then again, Kitty did have issues with keeping certain things quiet. I raised my eyebrow at him, but he remained neutral. His attitude—or lack of one—was starting to piss me off. I turned back around as we exited the freeway, heading into town. In an instant I forgot about Stitch's moodiness and focused on how great it felt to be home. Ten minutes later we turned onto my street, and my house came into view at the end of it. It was large, yes, but not gaudy. Everyone who lived on our street had large houses, though hardly any of them had need of the many rooms within them, my family included. I could see my brother on the porch waiting with my puppy in his arms. My mom rolled the car into our neighbor's drive, and I bailed out of the car before she had put it in park, running across the lawns to where my brother stood, holding out Pip because he knew that's what I wanted. Pip was a little black terrier I had rescued from the shelter a few weeks before I had been shipped off to England. Oh how I had missed him! Scooping the dog up into my arms, he started yipping happily, trying to climb up my chest so he could hide his face in my hair. It was one of his favorite things.
Walking back across the lawn I brought Pip to meet the others. Kitty almost died when she saw him, falling into a rant about how adorable he was. Jay couldn't help but fall under his cute spell either, and though Cam wouldn't admit it, I knew he liked him. Stitch just watched, silent and detached. I would force him to talk to me later even if it meant backing him against a wall, or taping him to a lawn chair. We dragged our bags inside, the journey finally beginning to catch up with us. My mom showed the boys to the guest house out back by the pool, and I took Kitty up the stairs. The room next to mine was empty, and she would be using it. When she stepped inside she gasped.
“This place is huge Laela, goodness!” she said.
I laughed. “I never told you guys it would be small.” I replied, and on a more serious note I added, “Do you know what's up with Stitch?”
She looked back at me over her shoulder, biting her lip. She was hiding something. “I think he's still a little miffed by the scene at the club with Vance. Nothing to worry about.”
I stared at her, but didn't push it. “I'll be in my room, I'm going to change. It's right next door if you need anything.”
Walking into my room almost made me cry again. Breathing in a deep breath of air, I flopped face down onto my purple comforter, nestling myself into it. I missed the feeling of the soft down and velvet floral patterns when I slept. Pulling myself away from the bed, I pulled off my sweats and put on my favorite pair of bright orange booty shorts and a black v-neck t-shirt. My mom told me I always looked like I was waiting for Halloween when I wore this outfit, but I loved it. I walked slowly around my room, looking at all the photos that were left on the walls. Most of them were of Tony and I. There was a knock on my door, and it opened slowly. It was Kitty. She looked around my room in awe before I told her to pick up her jaw and come in. She came and stood by my side, looking at the pictures. She picked one up.
“This is Tony, I assume?” She said, turning the picture to me.
I nodded. “Yep, that was our first summer together. We went to the beach and he taught me how to surf.” I said, “I'm awful at surfing, but he never laughed.”
She smiled, almost sadly. “You two are cute together.”
“Thanks,” I sighed. “You and Jay are adorable too, you know.”
She blushed. “Thanks.” She put down the picture and picked up another one. “Who are these people?”
She handed me the picture. It was my little gang after the homecoming football game. I was sitting on Rush's shoulders, he was sweaty and sticky from the game. Tony was standing by his side, arm around his waist, goofy grin on his face. Keltie was on the shoulders of another player, Gray, her boyfriend at the time. That picture had also been in the yearbook. It was our Junior year. Tony and I had been together for almost a year at that point. I explained all of this to Kitty, who listened intently. Suddenly there were more people at the door. Jay and the others stood in my doorway, smiling.
“It's nice to see you in your element,” Jay said, “What are you girls looking at?”
“Laela's pictures of her and her friends.” Kitty said before Laela got a chance.
Jay and Cam invited themselves into the room, but Stitch remained aloof. As the others looked through my pictures, I sat and watched Stitch. He hovered in my doorway, looking around, taking in everything, but saying nothing. It was as if he were waiting for permission to enter my room, like he would be struck by lightning if I didn't say something. He knew I was watching him, his eyes swept the room one final time before finding mine. There was something almost electric about the way our eyes locked, my skin was littered with goosebumps, and my heart started racing. I wasn't frightened—no—I was excited and nervous all at once. I couldn't explain the feeling, but it was growing stronger. Having Stitch standing in the hall, looking into my room where I sat made everyone else fade away as if he were waiting for me, and only me. My imagination threw the hand on the clock of life back to the early twenties. I imagined him in a crisp cut suit, and me in a tassled flapper dress, a feather and headband in my short crop of curly black hair. I don't know why I had chosen that particular time period, but it seemed to fit us. Shaking my head, and hoping he didn't notice, I cleared my thoughts. Looking back at him his expression had changed. It was no longer distant. Instead, it was hopeful. Why? I couldn't be sure.
My mom started calling loudly from downstairs. I stood up quickly, nearly tripping on Jay's extended leg. They stood and exited the room before me, following my mom's voice down the stairs. As I approached the door, Stitch still stood there, watching me. I looked at him curiously as I passed, sidestepping around him to get out my door. Our bodies brushed against each other, a warm flutter rising in my stomach. I turned and coughed, hiding my blush. Why did he have the power to make me feel that way? Pip was clawing his way up the steps, the climb between each one almost too large for his tiny legs, yipping loudly. I bent over and scooped him up as I passed on my way down, Stitch gliding silently behind me. My mother had prepared a huge meal; the others were already seated at the table. I rolled my eyes when I noticed my brother take a seat directly across from Kitty, his eyes roaming her figure. Stepping around the table, and being sure to walk behind him, I slapped him upside the back of his head and sat down on his right. Stitch took the other empty seat to my right. Everyone was looking at me asking silently with their eyes why I had hit Kyler.
“Sorry, but the number you dialed is currently in use.” I said, smiling at Kitty. Kyler groaned, and everything clicked for Kitty, who became suddenly red. “This looks delicious, mom.”
She smiled. “Thank you,” she said, instructing everyone to dish what was in front of them and then pass the dishes to the right.
Dinner was passed with talk of Dover, and how we had all met each other. Cam made sure to tell my mother exactly what he thought of me the first time he saw me. My mom raised her eyebrow in concern, but only I caught it. She shot me a questioning look, and I shook my head. It was enough explanation for her. Kyler, though he now knew she was taken, continued to watch Kitty, clearly more intrigued by her breasts than her face. I kicked his shin.
“Dammit, would you stop that?” he growled, turning to look at me, his eyes becoming icy.
“Language young man.” My mom tutted.
He continued to glare at me. “What was that for?”
“Like I said before, lay off.” he raised his eyebrows, pretending he didn't understand. My eyes hardened. “Jay, please wave.” he did so. “Lay off.”
Jay now understood what was going on, his hand sliding protectively onto Kitty's thigh. Kyler shrunk into his seat, defeated. After we had finished eating, and cleaning off the dishes, my mom insisted we watch a movie and relax before going to sleep. She had a big day planned for all of us tomorrow, and it involved the beach. My stomach sunk a little. My friends always went to the beach Sunday; hopefully we didn't run into any of them. But the beach was big. We would most likely miss them, besides, I knew exactly where they would be, and they usually didn't stray from the usual. Usually.
****
We arrived at the beach with the afternoon swell, so finding a place to set up camp proved difficult. I had been sure to steer them clear of the group's usual spot, placing them about two miles down the beach. When we finally had everything in place, Kitty couldn't wait to get into the water. She had been eying it longingly as we drove up the coast to find parking. My mom had parked in the parking structure for her work and we had walked to the beach. Kitty looked at me, and I smiled, stripping the loose shirt I wore over my suit and kicking off my shorts; Kitty did the same, and the two of us raced into the water. We crashed through the waves until it was hard to run, and both of us toppled into the water. We surfaced, laughing. She threw her hair back, floating on the cool blue water. Enviously I looked at her adorable bikini and wished I had worn mine, but with Cam here I didn't want him getting any ideas. Suddenly a wall of water hit my face. I hadn't even seen Kitty stand again, but she was laughing hysterically, clutching her sides. Scrunching my nose, I splashed her back, and the war began. The boys had joined us, and Kyler had joined their side. Kitty and I were outnumbered, and when she was taken hostage by Jay I was forced to negotiate the terms of her release. Jay didn't seem to keen on letting her go. I rolled my eyes, noticing his hands sliding slowly up and down her stomach. Her face was bright red, but she didn't make any moves to get away from him. Kyler watched, jealously. Jay smiled smugly, ignoring my offers and kissing the side of Kitty's neck.
Throwing my arms up in surrender, Cam scooped me up and threw me into the water. I surfaced, gasping for air, flailing my arms around like a dying animal. Cam just sniggered, and received a wall of water in his face. He chased me down, which wasn't a hard feat as I struggled to move through the heavy waist-deep water, locking his arms around my waist and arching his back, pulling me out of the water. Laughing, the two of us fell into the water, surfacing and laughing at each other. Playfully I splashed him in the face and dove under the water, swimming away from him. Floating on my back in the waves, I stared up at the clear blue sky I missed so much, feeling the sun bake my skin. I was going to have to make up for the tan—or lack of one—while I was in England. I should have worn a bikini. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks thinking about being that exposed with Stitch around. I don't know why I always felt embarrassed when I thought about what I wore around Stitch.
With my eyes closed I listened to the rush of water around me from the waves, reveling in the feel of the water against my bare skin. Oh how I had missed the beach. Sinking below the waves, I surfaced again, brushing my long wet curls out of my face. I glanced at my friends who were enjoying the feel of the water just as much as me, and swam toward them. My mom called to us from the shore, waving us in for sandwiches. After lunch we played at the beach for a few more hours before my mom got called in for work. Begrudgingly we left the beach and headed home. By the time we got there, all our energy had been drained by the sun. We sunk onto the couches in my basement and watched The Bourne Identity.
I don't remember falling asleep, but I woke up curled into Stitch's chest on the couch. Cam was asleep on the armchair, and Kitty was asleep with Jay on the Luvsac. I began to wonder why no one had done anything about a bunch of teens sleeping together in a basement, but then I remembered my mom was still at work, and my dad didn't know we were home. Kyler had gone to sleep so he could get up for school, so no one had been here to worry that a bunch of teens were sleeping together. My eyes burned when I opened them, so I closed them again, and nuzzled my head against Stitch's chest, then I realized what I was doing. I jumped away from him, fixing my hair and moving quietly across the room. Stitch was awake already it seemed as my jerky reaction had no effect on him.
“Morning,” he said.
I eyed him. He hadn't spoken to me once since we had arrived. “Morning...” I replied. My gut twisted. I needed to apologize for my outburst at the club. “Stitch, listen, I'm sorry for what I said Friday. I just don't understand why you two hate each other so much.”
He sighed. “I should be the one apologizing to you, Laela. One day you'll know why we hate each other, I promise.”
“Better happen soon, or I'll kill someone,” I mumbled, rifling through the cupboard in the kitchen for a cup. I heard him chuckle. I filled the glass with water from the sink and checked the clock on the microwave. “Oh crap. Lunch is in an hour and I want to surprise them!” I slammed the cup down on the granite, causing everyone to stir.
“Surprise who?”
“My friends. I wanted you all to meet them, and I really want to see them today. But if you guys don't want to come I can go on my own.” I looked at the others, still sleeping soundly on the furniture. “Looks like everyone could do with a little more sleep.”
He looked over his shoulder at everyone. “I don't mind tagging along, we might want to ask the others though.” He cleared his throat. “Hey guys, do you want to visit Laela's friends today, or wait until later?”
There was a low grumble from the others. “Later...” Kitty murmured. “More sleep.” Jay nodded in agreement. “Sleeeeeeep.” Cam said.
I laughed. “I guess I'll be going alone then. Unless you want to come Stitch.”
He looked at the others, and I could tell he was fighting a yawn.
“It's fine, you'll meet them later.” I smiled. “Sleep, when the others wake up, if I'm not here, remind them what happened.”
He nodded and settled back into the couch. I dashed upstairs, stopping to scream at my reflection in a mirror, and headed straight for the shower. I quickly ran the water through my hair, scrubbing down the remnants of ocean off of me, and ran to my room. I pulled on an edgy white skirt, one I always got in trouble for wearing to school, and a black tank top. I put on my gladiator sandals and grabbed my car keys from my dresser. My car was the one other thing I missed. She was my baby. Rushing out to the garage I threw open the door and dragged the tarp off my baby. She was a black 1969 Dodge Charger. Envy of every guy in school. I smiled to myself, sliding into the white leather seat and starting the engine, hearing it roar to life and purr as it waited to move.
Driving to school in the middle of the afternoon wasn't something unusual for me to do, especially on Mondays; it happened all too often with the parties I went to. I rolled into the parking lot, sure to stay clear of the view from the quad. My car was loud, and most everyone knew it. My heart was racing in my chest. I couldn't wait to see everyone again. Getting out of the car, I scanned the parking lot for anyone I knew, and saw a few people from my old Chem class. They didn't seem to notice me. Not that I really cared. I had to keep myself from racing like a madman to the quad, taking deliberately slower steps than I wanted. Still, I was walking extremely fast. It seemed the instant my foot hit the cement on the quad, a familiar voice boomed my name loud enough that the entire student body could hear it.
Rush came at me from no where, scooping me up into the air, nearly suffocating me from his hug. When he set me down, I turned around and gave him a proper hug.
“Laela, what are you doing here?!” he asked, smiling down at me. His brown eyes sparkled. His hair had gotten longer, now hanging in a messy shag around his face. It needed to be cut.
“Surprise! I don't have school this week, so a bunch of my friends from school came out here. They're all crashed back at my place, but I wanted to see you guys so badly I couldn't stay away!” I said. Keltie was suddenly shrieking my name as she ran across the quad, her all too short skirt bouncing around her hips, revealing her pink lace underwear as she went. “Keltie!! Oh girl I've missed you!” We hugged each other, each squealing giddily, jumping up and down.
After I released her, I glanced around. “Where's Tony?”
The two exchanged uncomfortable looks when suddenly Tony walked onto the scene. He saw me and nearly dropped his tray of food.
“Laela?” he spoke as if he were seeing a ghost. “Is that you?”
A smile broke across my face and I ran to him, flinging my arms around his neck.
“I missed you, Tony.” I purred, touching my nose to his.
His smile was slow. I almost pulled back, but pressed my lips to his. He hesitated, but pressed against me, holding me tight. My head was spinning. Oh how I had missed that feeling!
“Tony?” the voice belonged to a girl. It was a familiar voice. “Laela?”
I turned to look, breaking away from our kiss. Victoria! She had been my friend since middle school; we did everything together. I released Tony and flung my arms around her. She seemed rigid. Stepping away from her I looked at her questioningly.
“What are you doing here, Laela?” her tone wasn't friendly. It was angry.
“I came all the way from London to visit you!” I said, “Why are you so angry?”
“Why were you kissing Tony?”
“That's the most ridiculous question you could ask me, Vic. He's my boyfriend. I have the right to kiss him whenever I want.” I noticed Rush move out of the corner of my eye. He was trying to get my attention. I ignored him. “Besides, what's it to you? You've never asked this question before.”
Rush was still trying desperately to get my attention, but I continued to ignore him, staring at Vic. She glared, but said nothing. I turned to Tony, who had suddenly become as pale as a sheet.
“Tony, what's wrong? Are you okay baby?” I stepped toward him.
“Nothing, I'm fine.” he said, not looking at me.
“Tony, baby, what's wrong? I know when you're lying.”
Vic snorted from behind me. “Oh you do?”
I rounded on her, glaring. “Lay off would you? This is not what I wanted the first time I saw you, Vic. What's gotten into you lately?”
Rush had suddenly stopped trying to get my attention and marched up to Tony, balling his shirt in his hands and shaking him roughly. “Damn you, Tony.” he growled. “How dare you do this to her! You lied to all of us when you said she knew it was over!”
My heart stopped. I turned to look at Rush. “W-what?”
Keltie whimpered, something she did when the situation became heated.
“You said you had taken care of it! I called every night wondering why she was being so stoic about it, but now I understand why! She had no idea that you've been sleeping around with Vic this whole time!”
My stomach dropped into my knees and my head started to ache. I looked at Victoria. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, a dour glare on her eyes, but a sinister smile on her lips. That bitch! She stole my boyfriend because I wasn't around! I clenched my fists at my side. I needed to hit something, but first I needed answers. I marched up to Tony, knowing the whole quad was watching, and shoved Rush out of the way. Tears were burning in my eyes.
“How long?” I growled. He didn't say a word, just stared at me. “HOW LONG!”
“Almost six months now,” he whispered.
Tears slipped down my cheeks. I had only been gone for a month. “Why, Tony! I thought you loved me!”
He didn't say anything, which made Rush even more upset. He stepped forward, but I shot a warning glare at him. Tony was mine. I would deal with him. He seemed shaken by my tears. They always effected him, though I had no idea why they would at this point. If he had been dating my friend behind my back for so long, this should be a walk in the park for him.
“Answer my question, Tony.” I growled, my eyes boring holes into his.
“I got drunk at a party one night, and she offered to go skinny dipping. I've always wanted to do that, and she was offering, so in my state, I accepted. You were passed out on the couch anyway, I didn't think you'd notice.” he said, dropping his eyes to the pavement. “After that, we kept seeing each other. Victoria made it a game. Seeing how long we could go before you found out. When you left for England, it all just came into the open. We didn't have to hide any more.”
“That's not why, Tony. That's how.”
He shifted his weight nervously.
“I gave him my body when you wouldn't.” Victoria announced from behind me. “You're so good about that stuff that Tony was dying from lack of engagement.”
I rounded on her, my rage bubbling over. Before I could think, my fist connected with her jaw. She fell to the ground, sprawling in her little dress which ended up around her stomach, her panties clear for everyone to see. Blood dribbled down her chin as she stared up at me in shock.
“You deserve much more than that, bitch.” I turned back to Tony. He didn't move though he knew what was coming. My fist hit his jaw and I heard a snap as a rocket of pain shot through my arm. He stumbled back a few steps. “I hope you rot in Hell, Tony. You're a bastard.”
With my knuckles bloody and my finger swelling, I headed for my car, tears blurring my vision as I went. I wouldn't cry with everyone watching and cheering behind me. Rush and Keltie followed me to my car, and when I was safely away from everyone, I curled into Rush's chest and sobbed.
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