You’re Everything I Need: A Forbidden Romance

by Ford, Mia

  “Hmm, nice day. I don’t know if I can have a nice day without you.”

  “I’m sure you’ll try. All those models, surrounded by fashion women…”

  “We already know that none of them even slightly compare to you.”

  “Ooh, you’re a sweet talker.” I shiver under the power of his words. “I like it.”

  He backs off, heading towards work, and I watch him go. He gives my heart a flip-flop. The fact that he’s my boyfriend now is too much, I absolutely love it. I might even love him.

  Oh, God. I clutch my stomach, trying to keep the butterflies inside. Oh God, maybe I do.

  I don’t know yet, I don’t want to jump the gun, but this feels far more real than anything me and Trent shared. The fact that we’ve had to fight for what we share makes it that much more special.

  “Right,” I mutter to myself. “Time to get dressed. Time to get to see my girls. Time to tell them everything. Let’s just hope that they don’t rip me to shreds.”

  I stand up and brush my hands down my top, straightening it out. I’m wearing a red floaty top with black skinny jeans which I feel confident in. I guess I need all the tools on my side when I admit this. I’m confident, I know that I’m making the right choice and my friends will support me, but I want everything in my arsenal.

  With a bright smile on my face, I turn to leave. Today is going to be a good day.

  * * *

  Knock, knock.

  “Flora!” I call through the door, stepping inside without waiting for her to answer me. “It’s me!”

  “Oh… right.” She practically staggers into the hallway, her expression contorted in horror. “Yes.”

  “Oh my God, Flora, what’s happened?” I drop my handbag on the ground and race to her side. I wrap my arms around her and pull her in for a hug. “Are you crying? What’s happened? I knew something was wrong.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers against me, her whole body shaking. “I didn’t know what to do.”

  “What do you mean? Has someone upset you? Do I need to kick some ass?”

  She doesn’t answer me so I pull back to look at her. Her face is unlike everything that I’ve ever seen before. There is seriously something wrong with her which is very hurtful to me. I don’t like seeing her like this. She’s so sweet and kind, she doesn’t deserve anything bad ever. I need to make it right.

  “Did you want to talk to me before Krysten gets here?”

  “Krysten isn’t coming.”

  “She’s not?” I take a step backwards. “Why, have you two fallen out?”

  That will be hard. I don’t know how I’ll handle it. My two friends at one another’s throats. I’m prepared for anything, but that’s never happened before, not while I’ve been around, and it’s scary.

  “No, no, nothing like that.” Flora steps back from me. “It’s…”

  “Hello there, Lexi.”

  Oh, fucking hell. My heart falls into my shoes. “Trent? What the fuck are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come to see you, haven’t I? I told you in the hospital I would get to you and I just know that you’ve been getting my messages. You can ignore me all you want but I will come for you.”

  “You don’t have to get my friend involved though. This isn’t right. Let’s leave.”

  Of course I don’t want to be anywhere near this guy, not even for one second, but I have to protect my friend. She needs this, I have to protect her however I can.

  “Oh, no, I’m not going anywhere. I know your game. You think you’ll get me away from here and then run. I know you care less about yourself than you do your friend which is why I’m here. You’ll do anything to protect this girl even though you didn’t speak to her the whole time we were together.”

  “Because of you,” I snap back. “Because you pulled me away from everyone.”

  “You cannot blame everything on me. You made your own choices as well.”

  “Oh, I know, I’m not blaming everything on you, I know that I made mistakes as well.”

  “Your biggest fucking mistake was leaving me. That was the worst thing you did.”

  “Not to me. To me that was the best choice because we weren’t right together.”

  “Does that fucking matter? You’re my woman. You need to know your place.”

  “My place? This isn’t the nineteenth fucking century, is it?”

  “Don’t fucking test me. Don’t test my fucking patience. I don’t have much as it is.”

  “Flora, you need to get out of here,” I warn my friend without looking at her. “Seriously, go.”

  “None of you are going anywhere. If I need to tie you down then I will.”

  “Just trust me, Trent. If you know that I won’t let any harm come to my friend, then trust me. Let Flora go and you and I can just talk. Come to some sort of conclusion.”

  “I’m not letting anyone go anywhere. What, so she can go to the cops?”

  The cops. Damn it, I left my bag with my cell phone in it by the door. I can’t call anyone.

  “And you have some explaining to do. Where have you been staying since you haven’t been at home?”

  “I’ve been with one of my family members.”

  “Bullshit. I’ve checked. Do you think I really am that naïve?”

  “I have! I’ve been with family…”

  “Oh, I know who now. It’s obvious. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before. Your fucking boss. Cooper Ventry. The one that you’ve been fucking behind my back.”

  “Behind your back? We aren’t together anymore.”

  “Yeah, because of you! You ended us.”

  He steps closer to me, his expression twisting up into something gnarly and disgusting. My heart bolts up into my mouth making me so damn nervous I can hardly stand it. I want to back away, but I keep my head up high. I jut my chin up towards him and stare him down. I want him to know that he can’t intimidate me anymore.

  “Don’t you fucking try to blame anything on me, you little bitch.”

  “You screwed someone else.”

  “Yeah, because you suck. You’re absolutely terrible in bed. I don’t get any fucking satisfaction from you so I had to go elsewhere. I didn’t want to tell you the truth but I have now.”

  That’s designed to knock me off my feet, to make me feel like shit about myself. That’s how he’s kept me for so long. By knocking my confidence and sending me wild. But not anymore.

  “Good. I’m glad. That means we aren’t compatible, so why would you want me back?”

  “My reputation, you fucking twat. People are talking about me.”

  “So, why would you care about that? Why would it bother you?”

  “Because that is everything. Are you thinking or something?”

  “Wow, you are just ridiculous, Trent. I’ve never heard anything like that.”

  I barely see him raise his fist by the side of my head, I’m too busy trying to stare him down, If it wasn’t for Flora screaming out my name, causing me to turn, I never would have known that thump on the head was coming until I felt it. I don’t know if the warning is a good thing because it doesn’t change it.

  My whole face explodes in agony and I completely lose my footing. I had a bit of control with speech but now I have nothing. He’s used his physical strength against me and now I’m fucked.

  31

  Cooper

  “Hi, Caroline, how has everything been today?”

  “Oh, good thank you, Cooper. You’re home early again.”

  I give her a thin-lipped smile back. “Yeah, well I was finished. No point in sticking around.”

  I wander past Caroline into the kitchen. “So, no one else here?”

  “No, Lexi isn’t in. She’s been out all day, which is strange.”

  “Hmm – yeah, well she went to see her friends.”

  “Oh, good. She probably needs that, she’s been quite down, hasn’t she?”

  Explaining this to Caroline wasn’t easy in the first
place. Trying to babble out why there would be someone else here for a while was a challenge, but Caroline is a very easy-going person. She took it in her stride like it was normal. Thank goodness I have her in my life, I honestly don’t know what I’d do without her.

  “Yeah, she has, but I think she’s coming out of it now.”

  “Good, good - she’s really nice. I like her a lot. She’s an awesome person.”

  “I like her too. Yeah, she’s a lovely person. Really sweet.”

  Caroline nods slowly. I wonder if she wants to ask me what’s going on, I know for sure that I would. But she keeps her professional head on and doesn’t say a word.

  “Right, well I’m going to head off then. I will see you later on.”

  I nod and watch her leave, before heading into the other room to find Aubrey. She’s sitting in a pile of toys playing what looks like a very intense game all by herself. I watch her for a moment, wishing that she had a brother or sister to play with. Nora and I always wanted to have more children, that was the plan but obviously that got completely taken away from us. Still, it would be a nice sight. Maybe one day.

  Of course, the first person that pops into my mind is Lexi. I would love to start a family with her one day. Not right yet of course, everything is so fresh and new, but maybe the time will come one day.

  “Hello, Aubrey. How are you feeling today, sweetheart?”

  “Daddy!” She runs to me and jumps into my arms. “Yay!”

  “Ooh, I’m glad that you’re so happy to see me. Have you had fun today?”

  “Yeah, fun! Where’s Lexi?”

  “Hmm, good question.” I dart my eyes towards the clock, noting the time. “She shouldn’t be too long. She’s with her friends, so for now it’s just me and you. Shall I get dinner started?”

  “Fries! I would like fries.”

  “Well, I’ll see what we have in the house. Let’s not get carried away, we can’t just have fries because it’s me and you. You’ll end up getting me in lots of trouble.”

  Aubrey giggles and tosses her hands into the air. “Yeah, fries.”

  “What did you have for lunch? That will help me to decide.”

  “I had a sandwich.”

  “What was in the sandwich?”

  “It was ham.”

  “Was it tasty?” She nods enthusiastically. “And did you have any fruit?”

  “An apple. And I ate it all as well. And raisins,”

  “Good girl. Well I suppose we can have some fries, but we’ll have to have peas and carrots too.”

  “Yes, okay. Thank you, Daddy. I love you.”

  My heart swells with joy. “I love you too, darling. You’re a little darling.”

  If Nora were here, she would be making something lovely and elaborate for Aubrey, but still, I’m doing my best. I really hope she sees that I’m still trying my hardest.

  “Alright, I’ll go and cook something now, then. It won’t take me long.”

  “I’ll play.”

  “Okay, sweetheart. You play.”

  I wander into the kitchen, leaving her alone with her toys while I cook. I tug out my cell phone and have a look at the screen, gutted to see there isn’t anything there from Lexi. I suppose she isn’t thinking about me, not when she’s having a good time with her friends, but I’d like a text. I half debate sending one to her, but I stop myself at the very last moment. This is a good step for Lexi;I don’t want to come across all possessive and needy. She’s probably just stopped off to have dinner with them anyway; there’s nothing to worry about.

  She will be back soon. Until then, it’s just me and Aubrey.

  I sigh loudly and get out the ingredients, starting to cook. I’m pathetic, I know I am. I’m missing Lexi like a wet blanket. I’ve become pathetic for her already, it’s a damn mess. Now that she’s my girlfriend, I feel free to let my emotions run wild, and it’s like a floodgate has been opened. Everything that I’ve tried to lock away has come spilling out and it’s intense. For Lexi, I’m obsessed.

  “Get your head together,” I warn myself. “She’ll be back soon. Don’t worry too much.”

  But I am worried. I’m a sodden mess. Until she’s back in this house and I know that she’s safe, I won’t be able to relax. To be honest, she still hasn’t told me too much about what happened in the police station and it’s only now that I’ve realized I didn’t push the subject enough. I wanted her to come to me but she hasn’t.

  “Oh, stop worrying, you idiot.” This talking to myself is becoming a real problem. “She’s fine, just out with her friends. There’s been no sign of this guy, nothing to worry about. If he was ever around, he’s gone now.”

  But I rest my cell phone on the side anyway, keeping it in my sight the whole time. I want to be there when she calls me, straight away. Just in case. Not that I’m worried or anything. Just to be safe.

  She’ll be back soon. She will and all of this worrying will be for nothing. I will feel like a fool.

  For the first time in my life, I can’t wait to feel like a fool.

  * * *

  “Okay, this is getting weird now. I don’t know how much longer I can take it.”

  It’s late now, eight o’clock. I put Aubrey to bed a while back and now I can’t stop panicking. Maybe it isn’t that late, it’s a reasonable time for her to be out if she’s with her friends, but I still haven’t had a message. I need to call her. If I’m honest, I’ve already called a couple of times but I’m only getting the voice mail.

  Screw it, I need to call again and this time leave a message. I need her to know that I’m worried.

  I pace the room, listening to the ringing sound. Although I already know that this call won’t be answered, it’s still a disappointment to get all the way to the voice mail message and still not speak to her.

  “Hey, Lexi, how are things going? I hope you’re having a good time with your friends. I just want to check in to see if everything is okay. Erm… yeah, that’s it. That’s all I wanted to know really.”

  I hang up the phone quickly, feeling like an idiot. Maybe I should have waited. Now I seem like the most desperate idiot in the world. I can’t help myself, I’m just so obsessed with her. I also can’t stop the images of cars crashing racing through my mind. She isn’t even in the car, but the paranoia is still there.

  Anxiety darts all the way through me. It slips and slides through my stomach, rolling over me, swimming through me, driving me insane. It actually hurts, I have to clutch onto my stomach tightly to stop the butterflies from flapping too violently. I feel all muddy and raw without her. I just want her here.

  I wander through the house, needing something to distract me. I flick the TV on, bringing it to life, and I zip through the channels. I would love to find something to get absorbed in, but there’s nothing. Nothing is more powerful than Lexi, I already know that. I don’t even know why I’m bothering.

  I open up a blank text message and consider writing something out to her, but there’s nothing more I can say other than what I’ve already said in the voice mail message. I just have to wait.

  I need to do something though. I can’t do nothing. There’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a while as well. Something that I’ve held back on out of respect for Lexi, but now I don’t know if I can any longer. It’s just about the only thing in the world that can keep my mind off her missing. I want to find stuff out.

  Without deciding too much about it, I head over to the computer in the corner of the room and I bring it to life. While I wait for it to load I notice my leg is twitching along the floor. Irritation flows through me, I can’t stop it.

  “Trent…” Fuck, I suddenly realize that I don’t even know his surname, or anything about him. I can’t really look him up if I have nothing, can I? Has anyone ever given me anything to go on? “Motorcycle gang.”

  Very surprisingly, since I didn’t have anything, something comes up. A court report from a few years ago, related to gang-related violence. It was from a
time before Lexi was in his life, but still, it troubles me. I don’t like looking at it, at him. There’s an accompanying picture beside it, and he looks like a real thug.

  “What were you doing with him, Lexi?” I ask myself with a head shake. “Why the hell?”

  But I suppose I have to see it from the point of view that she was young and naïve. We all make mistakes, but this is scary. This makes my heart skip painfully. The whole story is terrifying. It makes my urge to find Lexi even more powerful. I don’t think she’ll be in trouble, but at the same time, I really do. Logically, I’m not sure. She’s probably just drunk in some bar somewhere having the time of her life. But I still can’t stop the images from growing stronger and more powerful in my brain. Maybe everything she told me was right, perhaps Trent really did come to the hospital and because I wasn’t enthusiastic with my beliefs she’s hidden other stuff from me. There might be a whole lot more to this story than meets the eye.

  I can’t do this anymore, I can’t keep hiding away, I need to get out there and look. I can’t drag Caroline back here that isn’t fair on her, which means I’m going to have to contact someone else. There really are only a few people in the world that I would trust with Aubrey, and the only other people are family. I’m going to have to suck it up and phone them. Cassie will be the one that I call; she’s the only one that I’m not terrified of.

  I press the phone to my ear, sliding my eyes closed as I listen to the ringing sound. Luckily, Cassie doesn’t take long to pick up because any more time would make me want to hang up.

  “Hello, Cooper. Is everything alright?”

  “No, Cassie. It isn’t. I really need your help.”

  She sighs loudly, I can tell this is something she was expecting. “Okay, Cooper. What happened?”

  “I don’t know. Yet. I’m not sure where Lexi is and I’m worried. She’s gone out with her friends, so she could well just be with them, but I have a funny gut feeling. I can’t leave because of Aubrey.”

  “Is she with Kathryn and Flora? I can call them.”