Page 8 of Breaking Free (Guarded Hearts)
“Hello? Andrew?”
Shit. Do I say something?“Hi, um Drew is in the other room.”
“Okay, can I ask who you are?”
You can, but I have no idea what to tell you.Drew walks out of the bathroom and I hold the phone toward him, mouthing an apology. When he looks at the screen he frowns. “Hello?...I know, I forgot…I’m sorry…My girlfriend…Okay, Mom, I’ll talk to you later.”
He hangs up the phone and turns to face me.Girlfriend. What the hell?I had no idea the bastard was seeing someone. I jump up from the bed, grab my clothes from the floor, walk into the bathroom, slam the door, and lock it. I’m rushing to get dressed when he bangs on the door so loud I jump.
“What the fuck? Open the door!” When I don’t answer, he tries to turn the doorknob, but can’t because it’s locked. “What the hell got into you? I don’t know what you’re so pissed about. You’re the one that answered my damn phone!”
I finish pulling my top on and fling the door open. He goes to grab me but I duck under his arm and head for the door. I grab my purse and open the door, but before I can leave, he reaches over me and slams it shut.
“Turn around.” I can tell by the tone of his voice that he’s trying to keep it together. I refuse to look at him, though. It makes me sick that he didn’t tell me he was involved with someone. “Turn around.” The force behind his voice makes me jump, but I stay put.
Drew grabs my shoulder and turns me so my back is now pressed against the door. He steps forward and he is so close I couldn’t turn around if I wanted to. I force his hand off of me. “Don’t touch me.”
“What the hell happened to you, woman? I go to the bathroom for a fucking second and when I come back you act all bi-polar?”
Did he seriously just call me woman? Ugh!I jam my knee up with every intention of hitting him right in the balls but he catches it.
“Uh-uh-uh. Now why would you want to harm something that gives you so much pleasure?” He goes to kiss me but I turn my head away from him. “Jesus Christ, James! Just tell me what’s wrong!”
“Why don’t you go ask your girlfriend, asshole.” He smirks at me and I really have no idea what’s so funny. “Oh, it’s funny to use me when you have someone else?” He leans in to kiss me but I push him away. “I. Said. Don’t. Touch. Me.” I poke him in the chest with my finger after I say each word.
He groans in frustration. “I don’t have a fucking girlfriend.”
“That’s not what you said on the phone.” I knowexactlywhat I heard and there is no way he’s getting out of this.
“I was talking about you. My mother asked who answered the phone.” He leans in to kiss me again but I turn my head to the side.
“I’m not your girlfriend.” All I can think about is “Josh” asking me to be his girlfriend, and then Chris saying to me that he was allowed to touch me because I was his. My breathing gets heavy and the room is starting to spin.Fuck, I cannot have an anxiety attack here.I try to push the panic back down and pretend like I’m fine but I’m starting to get dizzy and nauseous.
“Are you okay?” I try to nod my head but it feels so heavy that it just falls and I lean it against his chest. “What’s going on? Do you need help?”
Suddenly, I’m off my feet and in his arms. I know where I am but my mind can’t get out of the memory. All I can remember is Chris carrying me to the car. I don’t want to get stuck in the trunk again. I scream and start kicking and fighting the way I wish I could have that night. I need him to let me go. I’m placed on something soft and my arms are being held down. “Let me go!” I scream at the top of my lungs, praying someone hears me this time. My vision is getting blurry and it looks as if I’m entering a tunnel.
That’s when everything goes black.
I wake up and jolt at first, not remembering where the hell I am. I look around and realize that I’m still in Drew’s hotel room. I’m wearing a t-shirt that is two sizes too big; it must be one of his. I’m under the covers and I can see the sun peeking through the curtains. The sun? I don’t even remember going to bed.
This is also the first night that I don’t remember waking up from my nightmares. Every night, I wake up sweating and panting from the terror in my dreams. Memories of the night before start to come back.Shit, I had a panic attack.Maybe that’s why I didn’t have a nightmare—I passed the hell out. I sit up in bed, and at the end of the bed is the chair that used to be in the other room. Drew is sitting up in it, staring at me. I can’t really gauge his mood.
“Hi.” I can’t think of anything else to say and he hasn’t given me any idea if he’s pissed or what.
He’s still just staring at me and I start to squirm under his gaze. He stands up and walks over to me. Once he’s in front of me, his hand immediately grasps the back of my head and he crashes his mouth into mine, causing me to gasp in surprise. He climbs onto the bed and straddles me. His kiss is so desperate and has so much passion behind it.
He pulls back and rests his forehead against mine. “Tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
He sits back. “Tell me what happened to you.”
Nope. Not gonna happen.There is no way in hell I’m ready to go there with anyone,especiallyhim. I haven’t even talked to Carter about what happened that night. I shake my head no.
He lifts my chin so that my eyes meet his. “Tell me. I need to know.”
“No, you don’t.” I push him off of me, swing my legs over the bed, and stand up. I look around for my phone and see it at the foot of the bed. I look back at him, as if accusing him. He shrugs his shoulders and smirks at me. “You went through my phone?!” He laughs at me and I pick up a pillow and throw it at his head. “You had no right, asshole!”
