“Glory! Where are… what are you doing?”
I ran for the room he’d given me, because that was my hiding place, that’d keep me safe. Wouldn’t it? Wasn’t it my sanctuary, my safety from men and their evil?
I slammed the door behind me, and the sudden sharp sound sent another wave of panic through my body, because Sean would have stormed in here, and beaten me for daring to show any temper, or making so much noise!
I dropped down onto the carpet, my back against the bed as I hugged my knees. I was waiting, listening. Would he follow? Would he yell at me? Would he storm in here? I hadn’t even checked if the door could be locked, and that was because I was stupid, just like Sean said. Sean saw all my flaws, and paraded them for all to see, to show me that I was worthless without him.
Now that I was away from him, I was proving him right. I was pathetic. Worthless. Useless.
A sound by the door froze every inch of me, as I waited in terror for him to storm in. Instead there was a light tap of fingers on the door.
“Glory? Babe, it’s okay. I’ve left a cuppa out here for you. I’ll stay downstairs. I uh… I’m there if you need me.”
He sounded defeated, broken. Had I done that to him already? Nate was my best friend, but somehow I couldn’t help seeing things he wasn’t even showing me yet. The dark side all men had, that they used to break their women. He had it. It was there. It wasn’t worth the risk.
I heard him sigh, and then his footsteps faded away, and I heard nothing after that. Was he gone? Was he laying in wait? No. I heard him speaking to someone downstairs. A phone call? A visitor?
I crawled to the bedroom door, and slowly opened it, finding a steaming mug of tea waiting for me, along with a pack of chocolate biscuits. The sweetness of the gesture made my throat burn, my eyes pricking with tears. It was Nate. Why was I so afraid of him? He wasn’t like Sean. He couldn’t be. Could he?
Chapter Five
Ice called when theywere a few minutes away, because they hadn’t eaten yet and wanted to bring a takeaway over. It was a good idea, right? It’d make things more social than enforced.
“Yeah, man. Thanks. Uh… we haven’t eaten either.”
“Pizza should be good, right? We’ll get a couple of different ones. She’s not allergic to anything?”
Was she? She hadn’t been back when we were friends, but now she was literally a different person. Anything could change when it appeared like everything already fucking had.
“Not that I know of,” I finally said, feeling as fucking helpless as I’d ever felt in my life.
Ten minutes later, when they arrived at the door, I was no closer to figuring out a damn thing.
Ice slapped my back, and bro hugged me, and then he introduced me to his old lady, Lissa. I think we’d met at some point, maybe even at the demolition party at the club grounds, but it was good to meet her officially.
“Thanks for coming,” I said lamely, inviting them in. I’d expected them to have to use the code to let themselves in, but since Glory had done a runner, I’d been able to do the honours.
“We brought food, man. Where do we eat in here? This way?” Ice started marching directly for my kitchen, and the adjoining dining room, like he’d been here before, and was just humouring me.
“Uh… yeah…”
Lissa shrugged out of her leather jacket and I hung it on the rack for her.
She smoothed her hair into the low ponytail she wore, and glanced around us.
“Where’s Gloria?”
I pointed at the ceiling. “Upstairs, hiding in the room she chose. I dunno… what do I do?”
She smiled, reaching out to pat my arm.
“Ah ah… we don’t touch other men, do we, little vixen?”
Her hand halted in the air and she sighed. “I swear he’s got a sixth sense or something.”
“Little vixen, huh, that’s cute.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay if I go up to see Gloria?”
