Free Love Resisted (Entwined Hearts #2) by Maria Macdonald Page A

heart is being encompassed by the dark.
    The question I can’t seem to answer though is, ‘What the fuck am I supposed to do now?’

 
    I rock back and forth on the balls of my feet, standing in a queue has never been as boring as it is today. It’s because I’m ready to get home, I’m desperate to get home. I want to talk to Pea and then start packing my stuff. It’s not that I want to get away from her. It’s more that I’m beginning to feel suffocated there. Pea and Con have their whole ‘family’ thing going on and I want them to enjoy it, not be sitting there like a third wheel. And truthfully, when it gets to the point that you feel the need to hide yourself in your room at night, and you’re transported back to a time when you were expected to keep out of the way, then yeah, it’s time to move on.
    They’re not aware that’s how I feel. They probably just think I'm unsociable. Ever since the attack they think that I’m scared of going out. Maybe they’re right. I have been scared, but not for the reasons they think. It’s because it was him. It’s because I froze, because he’s going to come back…and there’s nothing I can do about it.
     
     

     
    "I'm moving in with Dane!" I hear from the other room and my body stills. It won't seem to unlock and I can feel my muscles pulsing.
    "Hey bro," Con say softly from behind me, and he places his hand on my shoulder. "You okay?" he continues.
    I say nothing, just nod my head once sharply.
    "They're not bumping uglies, you know," he states, but that just makes my fists clench.
    "Gotta go," I grind out, spinning around on my heel and getting the fuck out of there. I walk to the other side of town, glad that I didn't drive today needing the fresh air. I stop when realising I'm outside Murphy's gym. I've been trying to build my physical abilities back up so I can come back here. It's like this place is a big fucking target that I'm aiming for. But I'm not there yet. My strength is nearly back, but it's going to be a few more weeks until I can keep up in this place. Shaking my head, I turn around to walk home when I spot the pub opposite – The White Feather. I haven’t been in there for years. Today I feel like stepping back in time and getting shitfaced all at once.
     

     
    I think I’ve been in this place for about an hour. It’s all a bit hazy. I’ve had about four beers and a couple of whiskeys, still needing more to stop thinking shit over. She’s my person. But for the fucking life of me I can’t get past the fact that I need to be her friend. I can’t risk her not being in my life at all because I do something to fuck it up…which I will.
    Pondering my thoughts, something sparks my memory on the small shitty television in the corner just above my head. The music channel is on and I see the start of a music video. The words are slightly blurred and I’m not sure if it’s from the television or my eyes. I can just make out the words En Vogue – ‘Giving Him Something He Can Feel.’ Snorting at the title, I turn my head. I’ve never known the song title before now, but I do know the song, and the video remembering it from school. It’s etched in my mind.
     
    I hated these stupid talent competitions. The only reason I came was to watch Soph, and because I had Con’s back while he pined like a dick over Pea. One day he was going to have to do something about that. It was getting to the stage where it was embarrassing and I was going to have to confiscate his man card…if he’d ever earned it. I chuckled to myself and Con looked at me like I was crazy. Probably fucking am. Just then, everything went quiet. I’d zoned out through most of the talent competition as usual, but this was the last act and that meant the girls were coming up. Mr. Portman announced them.
    I watched her walk on stage. Soph. She was fucking beautiful.
    They were all wearing these long arsed red dresses that stuck to every bit of their bodies. My eyes were