Page 26 of Leather & Lace

“Jenny wanted to leave, but Brook refused to. She was too worried about you. So, she is upstairs waiting in your room.”

Fuck! Why was she still there? Why is she so stupid to stay? How can she even bear to be around me now, or want to talk after what she witnessed? “Okay, I am on my way back. Just let me handle this, Dane.” He answers with a quick “okay”, and then hangs up. I take a few more minutes to finish my beer and chuck it to the ground.

Pulling into my driveway, I back my bike up and turn it off. After taking off my helmet, I saw her standing there. Shivering in the cold. Tears line her eyes. She is even more beautiful when she is pissed off.

“What the fuck Eli!” She starts towards me. “So, you almost kill someone, then you just get on your little bike and speed away like a child?” Throwing my hands up in the air, I try to move around her. She is inches from my face, her hands shoving my chest.

“I can’t do this with you right now, Brooklyn.” She stands in my way again, hands placed on my chest.

“No Eli, I want fucking answers!” Her tears fall as loud sobs start to make their way to the surface. “Fucking talk to me!” She moves with me either way I try to get around her.

“Fuck, Brook! What do you want? You want me to open up to you? Is that it? Let you know all my fucking trauma and pain?” Her eyes search mine; I can see there is hurt hidden inside them.

“Let me help, let me in. Please, tell me what happened! What is wrong!” She places her hands again on my chest. “Don’t shut me out, Eli.” Looking down at her, I can’t help the venom that is coming up, the words I know that will damn us both. The demons are waiting and grinning their sharp smiles in the depths.

“You want me to open up to you? You want to help me? You don’t even fucking know me!” She searches my eyes, pain and confusion starting to fill them.

“You think because we have fucked, that because I gave you some pretty little diamonds, that you are all of a sudden, mywoman?That I am loyal to you? That I would want anything more from you?” She releases her hands from my chest. “You were just an inexperienced girl I wanted to fuck.”

The next words I release I know will be the end of her and I.

“I should have just stayed with Ashley...she at least knew how to fuck me properly.” A sharp pain sweeps across my face. She slapped me, tears falling like rain from her darkened eyes.

I cringe inside, my words shattering the last pieces of my heart that had remained. The look in her stormy glare makes me want to die. This is what is best. I must let her go. I could have seriously hurt her tonight. Even if I knew I would never lay a conscious hand on her, I can’t risk my blacked-out states not to. If that means I must hurt her to save her, then so be it.

She backs away from me quickly. “Wow. So, this is what it feels like. To have your fucking heart ripped out. I guess Chase was right about you after all.” Now that one really stung. Her tears now stopped falling as her face turned to rage. “Fuck you, Eli!” She says as she turns to walk away.

“No, baby girl, I already did that to you. And God, what a waste of time.” Before I know it, she turns back towards me and kicks me hard in between my legs. I fell to the ground, sucking in breath.

The pain radiates all over my body, my stomach cramps as I feel like I am about to throw up. I know I deserved it. I deserve both. I deserve all the pain that is coming to me for what I did to her.

I wanted to hurt her. Push her away. It’s better this way. I would rather her hate me than love me and be disappointed in what I cannot give her. I feel the diamond bracelet smack into my face as she whips around and runs back to the front door.

I pulled myself up, grabbing the bracelet off the driveway and followed her in. I hear her yelling up to Jenny that she wants to leave. Without skipping a beat, Jenny quickly grabs her purse while she shoots a damning look in my direction.

Walking up to me with rage in her eyes, Jenny says, “You better stay the fuck away from Brook, you disgusting pig.” Grabbing her coat and Brook’s hand, they turn and slam the door behind them. I keep reminding myself it’s for the best. It's good she has such a strong friendship with a woman like Jenny. Someone that I know will be her protector if I cannot.

I can feel Dane’s stare before he even says anything, “Nice fucking job, man.” Before I can turn to him, he is already up the stairs and slams his door behind him. The house falls silent once again.

CHAPTER 14

BROOKLYN

I cried the entire way home. What a fool I was. I know I was stupid for allowing myself to open my heart this quickly, but I couldn’t fight it. I couldn’t fight that attraction. I know in my heart he didn’t mean what he said, but it’s the fact he would even go there. Knowing what kind of pain that would truly cause me. Knowing he would be shattering me. I’m still in shock.

We went from having the best few days of my entire life, to my greatest nightmare. Once we return home, I head straight up to our dorm and hide myself in my bed. Jenny comes in a few moments later, making her way over to my bed. Sitting next to me, she gently rubs my back while I let my tears fall.

“I am so sorry, Brook. I never would have made you go back if I knew he was that fucking horrible,” she says, wiping a tear from my eye. “I am so fucking sorry, babe.” Peeling my face from my pillow, I turn to look at her.

“It’s not your fault. I don’t blame you at all. I just feel so numb right now. Just give me some time, okay?” She slowly nods and gives me a small smile. Turning back around, I roll onto my side and let my exhausted eyes fall closed and allow myself to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

I wake, the afternoon sun beaming into my puffy eyes, still feeling exhausted from the night before. How could he do this to me? What happened to make him almost kill Chase? Something inside him had snapped. I knew he had some darkness, but I never thought he would be capable of murder.

I sit up and look around the room, Jenny is nowhere in sight. Checking my phone on the nightstand, I see a text fromher saying she is with Dane. I am glad I have time to myself. I haven’t heard from Eli at all. A part of me is still worried about him, even after his hurtful words.

Getting off my bed, I head to the bathroom to pee and shower. I turn the water so hot, it scorches my skin, turning it red. The heat and sting pounding off my flesh feels so good to my numbed heart. I stand and let the water cascade off my back for what seems like forever.

After I finish in the shower, I head back into the room where I see Jenny and Dane relaxing, eating pizza. She has a scary movie on.

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