Page 111 of Lorcan's Obsession

“I’m not leaving until we—”

“Shut. Up!” I roared, and she shut her trap. As entitled as she was, she worked out she had crossed lines and was now facing heavy consequences. “If they don’t spot you at that airport within twenty minutes of touchdown, I will personally see to it your father’s business contracts in Greene Industries are all suspended. Probably would launch one hell of a legal mess, but I wonder where he’d dip his hands into for some emergency money. Perhaps into the little trust fund he’s got for his daughter?”

Crystal’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. I sneered at her.

“I think you’ve got a plane to catch.”

She nodded frantically and tugged on Cherry's hand, dragging their tiny suitcases with them.

"And Cherry," I called out in warning. She halted awkwardly, her eyes darting from me to the carpet to the walls in half a second. My wrath wasn’t as focused on her, but she had willingly gone along with Crystal’s scheme. I pointed a threatening finger at her. "Stay away from my condo in LA and from my friends."

She bobbed her head, scurrying to catch up with her friend. Without a second glance, I went back inside and slammed the door in anger.

The apartment felt hollow without Tristen’s presence. My gaze fleeted to the crystal-like display case, and my throat tightened. Finally, she and I had arrived at the same place in our relationship—and then this had happened.

But how had Crystal gotten my address?

Time to find out from the four other people who knew where I lived.

38

ADULT TIME OUT

Iflung my bag across the room and screamed until my throat was hoarse. White-hot rage coursed through my veins, and my cheeks burned with scalding tears. I had never wanted to punch a woman so badly. And I could take her on, I knew I could! I had a brown belt in Krav Maga, for fuck’s sake.

But Lorcan had asked me to trust him. Not long ago, I’d asked him to let me deal with Fayed, and he’d trusted me then. This was my chance to show I would do the same for him.

I sank onto my bed, lips trembling. I’d never felt so fragile and exposed in my life. Was this how it was going to be? Would Lorcan’s former conquests show up at his condo at any given time and relive their intimate moments in my face? Could I really accept that part of his life into mine?

Shit, this whole situation was spiraling out of control. I couldn’t handle this on my own. I needed support. I called up my closest friends. As soon as they saw my face, they grimaced or winced sympathetically. I had thin black lines of smudged mascara on my cheeks.

Dom was the first to speak. “Bitch, you look like you came from a nasty Halloween party.”

“Don’t call me that!”

The word vividly brought back the insults that catty woman had hurled at me. If anyone was a bitch today, it was her. And for all I knew, she was still at my boyfriend’s door. The thought of that twisted my heart in knots.

“Girl, are you okay?” Selena asked.

Shaking my head, I burst into tears, sobbing like a child. Bit by bit, between gasps for air, I told my friends everything that had happened today.

“Tristen, I’m so sorry,” Kora said, her voice full of worry. “What do you want to do now?”

“I don’t know,” I cried. “I told Lorcan we’d talk tonight, but I don’t want to dredge up what happened today when we talk. I don't want to think about it at all, but I also can't stop thinking about it, and-and—oh god, what if they're still there, and I just don't know!”

I began to sob even harder. Everybody looked on in sympathetic silence, unsure of how to comfort me.

“What if we go away for the night?” Mia piped up. “Anywhere. And you can tell Lorcan to call you in the morning when you are better equipped to talk to him. You’ll be able to clear your head in a different space and put some distance between it. It’ll be fun! Plus, I’ve been itching to have a group sleepover for months.”

I sniffled and swiped my nose. “W-would you guys do that for me?”

“Like duh.” Dom rolled his eyes. “I know exactly where we should go, and the party will blow your mind off. You'll forget everything that happened today. Can everyone pack an overnight bag in three hours?”

They all nodded, apart from Selena, who leaned back and crossed her arms. When the murmurs died down, she spoke.

“In order for me to be well prepared for the night, I need to know the whole truth. Tris, you are a badass bi—, my bad, forgot that was a bad word today. Ehem, you are an unapologetically fierce woman. Two floozies crashing the day sucks ass, but you wouldn’t be this off your game. What aren’t you telling us?”

I rubbed my hands anxiously. Everyone else was probably thinking the same thing, but they were trying to give my emotions space. Selena, on the other hand, was the one you could count on to give no fucks and speak her mind. Normally, I loved that about her. Right now, it made me squirm uncomfortably. When I finally replied, my voice was shaking.

---