Ten Year Crush (25 page)

“Gabby!” I take off at a dead run.

She picks up her pace and doesn’t turn her head. What the hell?

I catch up to her and wrap my hand around her arm, stopping her.

“Please let go of me.” Her voice is small and she hiccups. She’s crying?

“What the fuck is going on? Talk to me.”

“I don’t want to talk to you.” She jerks her arm free.

“Gabs, you need to tell us what’s going on. Did someone hurt you?” Josh stops beside me.

“Gabby, what the hell is going on? You went to the bathroom, and then you come running by us. And now you won’t talk to me? Tell me what happened. Did someone hurt you?”

She turns to me, face red with anger, black streams running down her cheeks. “I met Sara.” Her voice is dripping with sarcasm. “She also informed me of how well you can burn up the sheets. Oh, but that’s not all. No, she also told me that after you kissed me on the floor, not ten minutes later you were pulling her out to your truck. How did she say it? Oh yeah, where you gave her
the best fuck of her life
. Why the fuck would you bring me here Cam? Knowing she would be here!”

All the air leaves my lungs.
Fuck!
I knew this would come back to bite me in the ass. “I told you that I slept with other girls, Gabby. I’m sorry that you had to hear about it, but there is nothing I can do about it now. I would give anything to take it back, but I can’t.” I take a step and she steps back, holding her hands up.

“But after you kissed me, Cam. You said you hadn’t been with anyone since then.”

Shit. I drop my head between my shoulders. “I said I hadn’t been with anyone since I figured out that I couldn’t live without you. That was the next morning. When I wasn’t drunk and my mind was clear. I was pissed when I saw you leave with him.”

“I didn’t even fuck Brandon that night. Do you know what I did, Cam? Huh?” She steps closer, getting in my face. “I went home. Alone. And cried myself to sleep, while you were fucking some trashy bartender in your truck!”

I’m pissed that Sara is coming between us. Pissed at myself for sleeping with all the nameless girls. Pissed that our night is ruined. All because I was a scared little pussy and ran from the best thing in my life.

“And you didn’t fuck Brandon after that?” I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth.

Gabby gasps and her mouth drops open. “Fuck you, Cam. Leave me the hell alone.”

I just fucked up. Big time. She walks to the end of the parking lot and hails a cab. I go to follow when a hand clamps down on my shoulder.

“Let her go, dude, and calm down. Then y’all can talk it out. She’s just hurt and upset. Needs a little time, that’s all. And you’re just going to fuck up more by saying the wrong thing, like you just did. Both of you cool down then y’all can work it out.” He squeezes my shoulder. “Come on, man. Let’s get a drink.”

“Fuck!” I grip my hair in both hands and yank. “What the fuck did I just do?” My stomach rolls and I feel like I’m going to puke. “What if I lose her, Josh? I can’t. That girl is my fuckin’ world.” For the first time in as long as I can remember I’m on the verge of crying. Just curling up in a ball and weeping like a pussy.

Chapter Thirty-Two

*Gabby*

I sit in the back of the cab curled into myself, weeping into my hands. I knew that Cam was with other girls, but to have it thrown in my face felt as if someone jabbed a hot iron straight through my heart. Searing pain ripping through my chest and not knowing how to act or handle it, I bolted.

The taxi pulls in front of my house and I peel myself out of the back seat after paying him. Heading inside, I go straight for the only thing I know that will help my broken heart tonight. Tomorrow…I’m fucked. But, for tonight, this bottle of Jack and I, we’ll forget, and try to pick up the pieces tomorrow.

I forgo the shot glass, unscrew the cap, tilt my head back, and take a big gulp.

Bang!

I ignore it and take another slug.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Fucking, Cam. Why can’t he just leave me alone?

I sling the door open with one hand, the bottle of Jack in the other.

“What part of
—
” The words die on my tongue and the bottle slips from my hands, shattering into a million pieces. Jack splashes all the way up my legs.

“Hello, Gabby. Did you miss me?”

Brandon!

Panic grips me in a vice. My mouth is dry and moving up and down, but no sound comes out. His eyes are rimmed in dark circles and his pupils are no bigger than pin drops. And I know he’s on something.

“You that glad to see me?”

I shake my head no, my body finally snapping out of it. I try to slam the door.

He shoves his foot in the way, stopping me from getting it all the way closed.

“You need to leave!” I can’t help the shake in my voice. He’s going to know how scared I am.

“I don’t think so, bitch.” He slams the door back.

Searing pain blasts through my right eye and I’m knocked back, right onto the glass from the bottle. Pain radiates through both hands as the glass cuts into me when I try to crawl backwards, away from him. I just need to get to a room and lock the door, and then I can call the cops. My phone. It’s in my pocket. I grab my phone out of my pocket as I jump up and run for the hall bathroom.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

“Ahhhh!” I cry out, yanked back by my hair. “Please, just let me go.” A sob erupts from my throat. There was no holding it back.

The back of his hand comes flying and lands across the side of my face, sending a blast of pain through my jaw and me to the floor.

Oh god, what is he going to do to me? I should have never run off and left Cam. What if he kills me and I never see Cam again? What have I done?

“I told you I was sorry, but you wouldn’t listen.” He yanks my head back, hard. He’s going to scalp me with his bare hands. His hot breath at my ear, along with the pain he’s inflicting rolls my stomach. “You. Are. Mine.”

Has he completely lost his mind? He fists my hair in his hands and I feel the follicles ripping out. I let out a sob. This is it. All that goes through my head is that the last thing I said to Cam was “fuck you”.

“What do you want from me, Brandon?” I barely get the words out through my cries.

He lets out a sardonic laugh. “I want what’s mine. That sweet pussy. And I’m going to have it.”

There’s pure evil shining in his eyes. I whimper and fear grips me in a chokehold. I’ll never it make it out of this alive. And if he touches me, I’m not too sure I would want to live. I close my eyes and send up a silent prayer,
Cam, please save me
.

*Cam*

Man, Josh was hounding me all night, felt like I was being babysat. I’m not ten; I can handle this thing with Gabby. No matter what, we’ll work it out. She can be pissed all she wants, but she’ll do it with my arms around her. Ever since I watched her get into the cab there’s been a sick feeling in my gut. At least with her in my arms I’ll know she’s safe. Everything else we can figure out later.

After I pay the cab driver, I bolt up to her door and I hear a man’s voice inside, shouting. I stop cold in my tracks. A chill races up my spine. What the fuck?

“Stop fighting me, bitch.”

White-hot fury, mixed with shear panic, crashes into me. I yank out my cell and dial nine-one-one.

“Nine-one-one, state your emergency.”

“I just got to my girlfriend’s house. There’s a man shouting inside. I haven’t gone in yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s her ex-boyfriend. I need an ambulance and cops.” I’m not going to take a chance on her being hurt and help not being here. I give them Gabby’s address and hang up.

Not wasting another minute I try the doorknob, not locked. I slam the door open and the sight that greets me makes my blood run cold and a rage like I’ve never felt before takes over my body.

Brandon jumps up from the floor in front of the couch and spins around to face me. Gabby is laid out on the couch with a handkerchief tied around her mouth. Her hands must be tied behind her back, because she’s laying on them. Her button-up shirt is ripped open showing her bra, and her pants are nowhere to be seen, lying only in her panties. Her right eye is swollen and blood is coming from a cut above her brow. Black streams down her face from her crying. Her left cheek is red and she has a split lip. There is shattered glass covering the floor and the smell of whiskey is strong. The asshole is standing at the bottom of the couch.

“You’re dead, motherfucker!” I roar and take off at a run, tackling him to the floor. Never in my life have I felt the need to kill… until now. I rain punches down on his face. He puts his arms up trying to block me, just like the pussy he is for beating a woman. My fury flies as I deliver each punishing blow. The crunch of bone and wetness beneath my fist is far from satisfying.

“You.” Punch. “Will.” Punch. “Never.” Punch. “Touch.” Punch. “Her.” Punch. “Again.”

Gabby’s whimper pulls me from my rage-fueled frenzy.

I flip the sorry motherfucker onto his stomach easily. He isn’t fighting back anymore. I gather his hands in one of mine and hold them in a death grip behind his back, can’t risk the chance of him getting back up while Gabby’s here.

Brandon lets out a moan.

I should just kill him and get it over with.

Gabby. She can’t see it and she’d probably never forgive me for taking his life. She’ll think it’s her fault.

I look over my shoulder at her. “Baby, are you okay?” Relief, even though it’s small, comes over me. At least she has her underwear on. If he touched her like that, like he intended, he really would be a
dead
man. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

She lets out a sob and shakes her head. No, she isn’t okay or no, she’s not hurt anywhere else? Fuck! My chest burns with the pain of not being able to hold her, comfort her.

I hate that I can’t get to her but I’m not letting go of this asshole. Thinking quickly I start to unlace my boot, working as fast as I can with one hand. I finally get it yanked free and tie his hands behind his back.

Once he’s secured and I’m sure he isn’t going anywhere, I rush over to Gabby and quickly work the knot out of the bandanna to free her mouth.

“Cam.” My name comes out of her in a sob.

My heart cracks wide open. God, what did the asshole do to her?

“It’s okay, baby. I’m here.” I pull her into my lap and find duct tape binding her hands at her back. “This might hurt a little, but I want to get this off of you.”

She nods as tears stream down her face.

“You stupid bitch,” Brandon says into the carpet.

My fist balls up. The need to pound into him rides me hard, but Gabby needs me. I need to focus on her.

Sirens wail.

Finally. The fucking ambulance and cops. Relief courses through my veins and I can breathe again. That sorry motherfucker needs to rot in a prison cell and Gabby needs to be checked out at the hospital. I’m glad I didn’t take chances and asked for an ambulance too.

“Fuck. I don’t want to go back to jail,” Brandon whines.

“I hope you fucking rot there.” I bite out through gritted teeth.

I slowly peel away the tape. Once I get to her skin, she winces. Guilt hits me full force. If it hadn’t been for fuckin’ Sara running her mouth this wouldn’t have happened. I was a damn fool. I’ll never be able to make this up to her. “I’m sorry. I’m so fuckin’ sorry.”

“Not.” Hiccup. “Your.” Sob. “Fault.”

Hands undone, I wrap her in my arms. She’s shaking. I’m not sure if it’s from being cold or if she’s going into shock on me.

“Is anyone else in the house?” A cop asks, gun drawn and pointed at Brandon’s body on the floor.

I look around and notice that there are cops and paramedics everywhere.

Gabby shakes her head.

“No, just us.” I reply knowing they might not have seen Gabby shake her head.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” Another officer comes to our side.

She buries her face in my chest and nods. I hold her tighter and stroke her hair with my other hand.

“Do you all know this guy?”

“Yeah, he’s her ex-boyfriend. His name is Brandon
—
” Shit, I don’t know his last name.

“Andrews.” Gabby’s voice is barely above a whisper.

“Andrews,” I repeat for the cops.

Two EMT workers come and squat down in front of us, a man and a woman. One looks to Gabby and addresses her, “Ma’am, can we take a look at you?”

She holds on to me tighter.

“It’s okay, baby. They need to check you and get your cuts cleaned up. I’m not going to leave you. I swear.”

“Can you tell me where you’re hurt?” One of the EMS workers asks while slipping on gloves.

“My head, lip, and hands.”

One of the officers grabs my attention, “Sir, can you come tell us what happened while they get her cleaned up?”

I kiss the top of her head. “I’m going to go talk to the cop while they get you fixed up, okay. I won’t go far. I promise.”