Chapter 14
I followed Kat into her house, my ankle screaming in protest. In the short time I’d been hanging out with her, it had swelled considerably. I tried to hide my limp, but the sharp pain shooting up my leg made it difficult.
“Are you limping?” Kat frowned, her eyes locked on my injured ankle.
“It’s nothing,” I shrugged. “I fell earlier and must’ve twisted it.”
I wasn’t a great liar, but I hoped I could fool Kat. My heart pounded from the simple lie, and Kat stood quietly for a few moments. The longer the silence stretched, the faster my heart raced.
“You should let me wrap it,” Kat said, pursing her lips. She didn’t seem convinced. “It’ll hurt less to walk on.”
I considered her offer and nodded in defeat. I could easily cover up a twisted ankle. She knew how clumsy I was, so a fall would be at believable excuse.
“Wait here,” Kat called out as she walked down the hall.
She returned moments later with a first aid kit in hand.
“I’m going to help you up the stairs to my bedroom,” she said, her lips still pursed.
“It’s alright, I can get up the stairs,” I mumbled, sulking past her.
I gritted my teeth and held in a hiss of pain as I pulled myself up each step. Kat was completely silent behind me. It was clear she wasn’t buying my story. My heart hammered. The last thing I needed was for someone to report Darren and Lauren for abuse. They wouldn’t find any proof, and the accusation would only make things worse for me.
Was
ה
Kat pointed to a door down the hall, and I let her take the lead. Her room
huge, full of fuzzy pillows and plush carpets. I plopped down on a couch, amazed at how her room looked more like a suite from an interior design magazine.
“Your room is amazing.” I gaped, hoping to change the subject.
“Mom’s an interior designer,” Kat grinned. “She went crazy with the entire house.”
“Well, that explains it,” I chuckled. “Send her over to my house sometime.”
I clamped my lips shut hastily, hoping I hadn’t implied anything strange. If I had, Kat didn’t seem to notice.
“How’s the renovation going at your place?” Kat smiled.
“They’re going good, great really,” I shrugged. “Just fixing up the bathrooms and kitchen.”
11
“Maybe you could stay the night sometime,” Kat smiled, something flashing across her eyes before disappearing.
“Maybe!” I grinned back. “Any night is fine with me.”
“Your parents don’t care if you stay over on a school night?” Kat inquired, raising an eyebrow.
“Not really,” I shook my head. “Lauren kinda lets me do my own thing.”
The voice in my head groaned. By trying to remain relaxed, I was simply attracting more unwanted attention. I was horrible at keeping anything a
secret.
“Take your shoe off,” Kat poked at my shoe.
I could feel my jaw clench as I untied my shoelaces. Every movement made my ankle throb, and I was beginning to worry something was seriously wrong.
made me
I averted my eyes as I peeled my sock off. Kat’s startled gnaw on the inside of my check. My eyes widened as I took in the state of
gasp my ankle. It wasn’t just swollen; it looked like a balloon. Splotches of black and purple intertwined on my foot like an art palette. This was definitely more than a twisted ankle.
“Oh my god. Sophia,” Kat placed her hand over her mouth. “And this happened when you fell?”
Chapter14
I gritted my teeth and let out a hiss of pain as Kat gently lifted my foot.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “I tripped over something and fell down the stairs. I didn’t think it was this bad.”
“You need to go to a hospital,” Kat gave me a hard stare, glancing down at my purple foot.
Fear knotted in my stomach, and I turned my head away from her intense
stare.
“What happened to your face, Sophia?” Kat’s tone was blank, guarded.
Tentatively, I lifted a hand to my cheek. It was sore and painful to touch. I couldn’t tell if it had swelled up or not.
“What do you mean?” I frowned.
Kat huffed and got up, placing a compact mirror in my hands. I pursed my lips as my eyes trailed over the side of my face. My cheekbone was swollen, enough to draw unwanted attention. The skin around it was turning a deep shade of blue.
“I must’ve hit my face when I fell,” I shrugged, my eyes flickering from Kat’s to my throbbing foot. My conscience was screaming, ‘Lie better.”
“Yeah, we need to get you to a hospital,” Kat nodded with finality, and I sputtered for a reasonable response.
“I can’t,” I shook my head, reaching down to pull my sock back on. “I don’t have insurance, and my family doesn’t have the money.”
Kat’s
eyes flickered rapidly from my purple foot to my swollen check and back to my eyes. I could practically see the gears turning in her head. Her hair was so bright red it looked like her head was on fire.
“My dad’s a doctor,” Kat crossed her arms. “He has an office here in town. We’re going, Sophia.”
“Kat, I can’t afford that,” I shook my head.
I slipped my shoe back on through clenched teeth and went to stand. Kat met me halfway and wrapped an arm around my waist.
“You don’t need to pay for anything.” Kat sighed impatiently, helping me down the stairs. “Look, I’m kind of afraid of doctors and hospitals,” I hissed through clenched teeth.
While this wasn’t a complete lie, I was grasping at straws. Some primitive part of my brain even contemplated running away from Kat. Even if I somehow managed to get far on my busted ankle, I didn’t know my way around.
I understood that Kat was just trying to be a good friend, but the truth could ruin everything for me. Child abuse would get reported to Social Services, and another agent would come out to investigate. Lauren would clean up her act and pretend to be the caring mother. Once the social worker found no proof, they’d leave me with an extremely p*ss*d oll Lauren and Darren. No happy ending in sight. My happy ending was
Chapel
graduating high school and getting out of this town.
“Sophia, you’re my friend, and I care about you,” Kat grimaced. “You’re going to the d*mn doctor. I’ll carry you if I have to.”
“You might need to,” I hissed, my strength quickly waning. I was practically panting as we made it to the bottom of the stairs.
“Here, shift your weight,” Kat nudged my side, and I grimaced. She hit the exact spot I slammed against the tub, but there was no way I’d let that be known.
“Oh gosh, what happened to Sophia?” Kat’s mom poked her head from the kitchen, her concerned eyes locked on us.
I swallowed and gave her a weary smile. The concern in her voice hit me hard, something I’d never heard in Lauren’s words.
“She hurt her ankle earlier,” Kat gave me a pointed look before turning back to her mom. “I’m taking her to Dad’s office.”
“Good thinking.” Kat’s mom nodded, a frown forming on her face. “Do you girls need any help?”
“Nah, I got her,” Kat shook her head, practically propping me against her as she opened the front door.
“Thanks, Kat’s mom,” I gave her a small smile, ignoring the thundering pain in my heart.
“Call me Ruth, dear,” Kat’s mom smiled softly as we walked out onto the porch.
I wasn’t sure how she managed it, but Kat supported most of my weight on her own. She didn’t even seem to be struggling. My blood ran cold when a familiar voice called out.
“Sh*t, what happened?” Kieran’s rough voice called from the blue house next door.
I clamped my jaw shut as Kieran strolled up to us, Ethan following behind. The two guys they had driven home with stood off to the side awkwardly.
“Is she alright?” Ethan frowned, glancing at his brother. The two of them. looked god–like, but that wasn’t a surprise. Ethan wore his typical black t- shirt and a leather jacket, his chocolate hair a tousled mess. Kieran wore a black button–down shirt, rolled up to his elbows. My eyes couldn’t help but flicker over his muscular, vein–filled forearms. They were devastatingly handsome, and my heart reacted to that fact.
My heart
gave in. Bered, pleading to seek comfort from the twins, and I nearly
gave in. But an image of Jessy in Kieran’s arms sent jealousy flooding
through me, allowing me to take control of my emotions. I wouldn’t give in to their confusing advances.
“I’m fine,” I snapped, surprising both of them. Their widened eyes made me feel smug, and I tried not to show it.
”
“She hurt her ankle,” Kat shrugged, giving me an apologetic look. “I’m taking her to my dad’s office.”
Kieran nodded, giving Ethan a hard look before turning back to Kat
“We’ll take her,” Kieran said, his voice rough and demanding, sending a weird shiver down my spine.
“Not a chance,” I shook my head furiously.
“Alright.” Kat nodded, and I gaped at her incredulously. “But I’m coming with.”
“That’s fine.” Ethan nodded at Kat and glanced at Kieran.
““No.” I said firmly, but they ignored me.
“What the hell, Kat,” I growled under my breath.
“I’m sorry. Sophia,” Kat frowned, but her gaze kept flickering to the twins.
I couldn’t decide what irritated me more: Kat blindly obeying the twins despite knowing I wanted to avoid them, or the way she acted like Kieran word was law.
“Come here, doll,” Ethan murmured, sweeping me off my feet.
“I can walk.” I snapped, squirming to break free.
“Someone’s feisty today,” Kieran smirked as he opened the Jeep door.
“Shouldn’t you be worrying about someone else?” I snapped at Kieran, watching his eyebrows lift in surprise.
“And who do you suppose I should be worrying about, sweetheart?” Kieran murmured, getting too close.
My heart pounded erratically, and my mind clouded with the scent of his cologne.
“Jessy would be a good start,” I snapped, clamping my lips shut as soon as the words escaped.
Amusement flashed over Kieran’s face as he glanced at Ethan with a deep
smirk.
Ethan set me down in the passenger seat of the Jeep, and I tried to ignore how the entire vehicle smelled just like them. Ethan’s identical smirk only p*ss*d me off more. They enjoyed toying with me, and Kieran’s reunion with his girlfriend made it even more infuriating.
“She’s practically shaking with jealousy,” Ethan murmured to his brother with a low chuckle.
I ground my teeth, trying to keep my mouth shut.
“You wish I was jealous,” I snapped, staring out the window.
We drove through the small town square and stopped at a building I hadn’t noticed before. It was a doctor’s office
17
“My turn.” Kieran smirked at his brother I rolled my eyes, preferring Kat s help. Speaking of which, Kat had been completely silent the entire ride
“Careful, brother.” Ethan chuckled lowly. “She’s seething
A frustrated growl escaped my lips. If they weren’t trying to provoke me physically, they did it with words. Giving them a reaction felt good, though They didn’t expect it, and it helped me vent.
Kieran lifted me out of the seat effortlessly. I refused to melt into his arms, despite desperately wanting to.
“You are too small to hold this much anger, sweetheart.” Kieran murmured in amusement.
“You haven’t seen angry yet.” I mumbled, equally disgruntled and exhilarated to be in Kieran’s arms
