Page 17 of From My Past
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I sat there. And sat there. It had long since passed midnight, but I just couldn’t bear to leave her knowing that her abuser was coming back to hurt her more.
My phone started to buzz in the seat next to me. Trenton’s name popped up and I answered it in record time.
“You’re outside her apartment, aren’t you?” His voice was loud and relaxed. I could hear the sounds of the bar in the background.
“You’re outside smoking, aren’t you?”
“This isn’t about my bad habits, it’s about yours.” He laughed boisterously.
“Yes, I’m outside her apartment. I haven’t seen the asshole yet, but I can’t just leave her here.”
“But what are you going to do man? Stay there outside her door continuously, never showing your face? Luca just left and so he should be pulling up soon. What are you going to do? You need to think this through so that you don’t get yourself killed.”
I rested my head against the steering wheel again. He was right. I did need to think this through, I needed a better plan.
“I can’t just leave her.” I said softly into the phone. Trent let out a deep breath which was no doubt filled with smoke, after a few drinks he always started chain smoking.
“I know. But honestly, what can you do at this point, Kieron? Storm in after five years and save the day?” He said with a chuckle, but I was seriously thinking about it and my silence must have been enough of an answer for him. “Oh my god, that is what you were wanting to do, isn’t it? Kieron, fuck. Do not do that. You always have had a hero complex.”
“I just can’t let him hurt her more. I saw what he did to her face.” I said, my voice broken. My heart and my head were at war between what I should do. Maybe it wasn’t just my head and my heart, it was what I wanted to do and what I should do.
“You can’t do anything right now.” White headlamps turned onto the street and swerved slightly. Just fucking great, a drunk driver. The car turned into the parking lot by Talia’s building and my hackles went up.
“I have to go.” I say to Trenton before I end the call quickly.
The car swerves and the driver pulls into a parking spot very poorly. The whole car is at an angle and both tires are over the line. The driver got out, revealing himself in the darkened light of the lamp above.
When the man got out of the car, I could see his dark hair color and slicked back hair style, his hair shined in the light above. I don’t know how much more gel that man could have put in his hair before the goop would start sliding off his head. He tried to lean down to lock the car, but his keys slipped through his fingers. It was Luca. The next in line, spoiled brat of the Italian Gang. God, I fucking hate this guy. I’ve never met him in person, but being in rival gangs we knew of each other.
He kept one of his hands on the car to keep himself steady, and on that hand, I could see his bruised knuckles.
Anger took over me and I started to get out of my car. The only thought in my mind was shutting this asshole down and making sure he never did anything like that to anyone again.
The car door slams behind me. The warm breeze wraps around me. My feet pound on the pavement as I make my way to the stranger that I’m certain is an abusing piece of shit.
“Hey, can you help me? I can’t find my keys.” He slurred, his body was leaning heavily against the frame of the car and his head was barely supporting itself as he looked at me with glassy eyes.
I could feel my muscles tensing, preparing for a fight, under my black leather jacket. I hated everything about him; his thick eyebrows, his tan skin, his barely understandable accent. I took in the man who had somehow won over the girl of my dreams and instead of cherishing her, he is beating her. The bruising on his knuckles, that had a different skin color around them like someone had tried to cover up the damage, proved it.
I took a deep breath and looked up at the sky to gather my thoughts and stop myself from putting my hands on this excuse of a man. My father would be furious if I killed the son of the Italian Don. It’s asking for war, war that we aren’t prepared for.
“Please, I could really use the help.” He said as he dropped to the ground to look for his keys.
“Should have thought of that before you got so drunk.” I tried my best to keep my anger out of my voice, but even to me, my voice sounded low and threatening.
“What the fuck is your problem?” He slurred, looking up at me, a stranger to him that towered over him. I was surprised at the amount of bravado this guy had, not being intimidated by a stranger in the dark. Stupid fucking idiot.
I bent over and picked up the ring of silver keys that were just barely under the car, shrouded in darkness.
“You need these?” I said, holding them with one finger through the metal ring.
“Yes! Grazi.” He tried to lean forward to grab them but I pulled them out of his reach. His face fell when he realized what I was doing. With how he smelled, I doubted that he would remember much from this night.
“What’s your name?” I asked darkly.
“What’s it to you?”
