Free Inevitable by Nicola Haken Page A

my shoulder. If she was coming to sit out here, I would
have to leave. I knew I was being a first-class jackass and the
idea of being friends briefly crossed my mind before I swiftly
dismissed it again. I didn’t want to be ‘friends’. I wanted to hold
her and touch her and fuck her till she was numb. But I just knew
that wouldn’t be enough for me. Not with her. I wouldn’t be able to
just toss her aside and I’m damned if I knew why. That’s how I knew
she’d come closer than anyone to discovering just how weak and
screwed up I was.
    I just
couldn’t risk that. She had enough fucked-up shit in her life.
    Standing
from my recliner I made a cursory glance around for a trashcan
before tossing my empty cup on the floor with everyone else’s. On
my way to seek out Matt - tonight’s designated driver - I made the
mistake of looking at Maddie who flashed me a sweet, shy smile.
Instinctively my lips betrayed me and threw one back at her. It
took all my strength to hold myself back from walking the four
steps it would have taken to be in touching distance and talking to
her.
    It was
then Sky Williams invaded the space between us, swishing her long
brunette hair over her shoulders and unleashing her vicious
tongue.
    “ Your pimp buy you that dress? He’s got good taste.”
    I was
expecting one of Maddie’s feisty comebacks and my heart dipped
towards my stomach when I watched her porcelain face drop. I
guessed everyone had a breaking point and I suddenly wondered if I
hadn’t in fact got to all the sticky notes on her locker first.
Then Sky ‘accidently’ bumped into her, emptying the contents of her
beer cup down Maddie’s front.
    “ Oops!” the bitch said, throwing her hand over mouth as she
feigned shock. “My bad.”
    “ What the hell is your problem, Sky?” I roared at her, closing
the gap between Maddie and me. We were easily two feet apart but I
swear I could feel the heat from her body wrapping around me like a
comforter.
    Sky glared at me, eyes wide and astonished as if I was the
last person she expected to defend Maddie. In all honesty I wondered why
I was the last person to
stick up for her. Why the fuck was Lori just standing there with
her trap shut? She’s supposed to be Maddie’s friend.
    “ Sorry, Blaine,” she replied sarcastically,” I didn’t know you
cared. But hey, I’m sure if you drop her a few dollars she’ll let
you peel her out of that wet dress.”
    “ I’ve got to go,” Maddie said, her voice cracking as she
started running away as fast as her black heels would let her. Lori
started after her, mumbling something about her not being able to
afford to get home.
    I opened my mouth to yell something spiteful at Sky but she
suddenly seemed unimportant. So instead, probably – definitely – stupidly, I ran
after Maddie.
    Maddie stopped
after running the perimeter of the house until she found the front
where the cars were parked. Then she disappeared behind two palm
trees and buried her face in the wall of the house. Lori wasn’t far
behind her and I pulled her back by her arm.
    “ Can I?” I asked, nodding my head towards the trees Maddie was
hiding behind.
    “ Why?” she barked incredulously. “You can’t even bear to
look at her half the time. You’ve made her feel like shit since you
decided you wanted nothing to with her!”
    I didn’t
know my heart was capable of beating any faster until it fought to
beat past the words which had been stabbed into it like a
knife.
    “ Please, Lori. I know I’ve been a dick, okay? I just wanna talk
to her.” My face must have conveyed the desperation I was feeling
inside because Lori shrugged and gestured her hand for me to
pass.
    “ Don’t you dare hurt her,” she warned firmly before walking
back to the house.
    With a deep
breath I slipped between the trees and found Maddie facing the wall
with her hands over her face, her tiny body shuddering. She was
crying.
    I had no idea
what I planned to say but my body seemed to know