Free Forever Kind of Guy by Khelsey Jackson

smiled at his little sister. S he didn’t miss the black eye or the busted up lip. “Hey, Stefan.”
    He leaned down and brushed his lips against her cheek, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “What are you doing here?” he asked as they started walking toward the elevator.
    H er soon to be ex was staring at them with a glare on his face. “I’m not quite sure. Laura called me to tell me that my divorce was going to court and would be settled here.” She was happy when the elevator doors opened.
    “Since my brother is an ass, you must be the girl he was talking about last night. I’m Britney.” The young girl put her hand out for Gretchen to shake and she did, but she noticed bruises on her arm.
    She smiled, and looked into Britney’s hazel eyes. “I hope it was good things and not that I snore or that I’m a bad cook.”
    “Nope , all good.” Britney smiled.
    Gretchen looked over at Stefan and he was beaming at her. She didn’t miss the dark circles that were forming under his eyes or the stubble on his face that he hadn’t had time to shave off. When the doors closed she felt Robert’s eyes on her. She took a deep breath and smiled at Stefan, but it fell as she looked past him and noticed her ex squeezing his hands tightly by his sides. “Stefan, my soon to be ex-husband is the man standing behind you.” She lowered her voice just enough for him to hear, he narrowed his eyes, and turned to face Robert.
    Slowly Stefan turned around. “Robert Elliott.”
    She bit her lip because she wasn’t sure what would happen.
    Robert narrowed his eyes. “Who the hell are you?”
    Thankfully Stefan didn’t have time to answer because the elevator doors opened. Robert’s lawyer grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the small elevator. Gretchen took the deep breath she needed and walked out with Stefan and his sister closely behind her. When he grabbed her arm she flinched, because it reminded her of that night. She felt the warmth of his arm disappear. “Gretchen I need you to look at me.” She didn’t want to because she felt her tears burning the back of her eyes, but she did.
    She didn’t look at Stefan , but at his sister. Gretchen walked to her and took her hands into hers. She didn’t want to see this young girl’s life be ruined because of some asshole boyfriend. “You need to know that if he will hit you once, he will do it again. Since you are at the courthouse and called your brother, the cop, I take it you filed a police report on him?”
    Britney nodded.
    “ Good. Don’t go back to him, and get some counseling. Trust me, you’ll need it.” She squeezed her hands around the girl’s, and Britney smiled at her.
    “I take it your ass of an ex hurt you in more ways than one,” Britney replied.
    Gretchen smiled sadly at her, and slowly nodded. “Bruises fade, but memories don’t.”
    “Gretchen Mary Elliott.”
    She heard her best friend say from behind her. Gretchen let go of Britney’s hands and turn to face a pissed off Laura and Stefan.
    “When the fuck were you going to t ell me? I could have helped you! I know people who would have taken care of him.”
    Gretchen laughed and looked at Stefan . He wasn’t laughing. “Laura we will talk later, do I have time to talk to Stefan alone?”
    Her best friend glared at her, but finally nodded. “Fine you have ten minutes before we need to be in the courtroom, so you two have five minutes , and Gretch, we will be talking about that night after.” Laura glanced at Stefan’s sister and motioned for her to walk with her. “Let’s go find a vending machine, I need some chocolate.”
    Stefan watched his sister and Laura walk away, and then turned his attention back to her. He raised an eyebrow as he waited for her explanation.
    Gretchen bit her bottom lip , but kept her eyes on his. “It was almost a year ago. Robert and I had been fighting for weeks. I was—,” her voice broke and she wanted to kick herself. What she was going to tell