You’re Everything I Need: A Forbidden Romance

by Ford, Mia

  “Oh God, you’re making my head spin. Making me think about all the things I’ve tried to ignore.”

  “Oh, sorry. I don’t want to make it awkward.”

  “You’ll have to talk to Lexi about this before me. She knows more than I do about where we are.”

  “Well, let’s not get too carried away. We need to find her first!”

  “That’s true. Come on then, let’s go on a bar search.”

  We pull up outside the bar and look at each other. It’s smoky, loud, and bright lights flash hard and fast. Already it feels like this is going to be hopeless, on a night like this it could be so busy, and since people are already spilling out into the cigarette area, it doesn’t look good. Still, we’ve got to have a go.

  “Come on then. Let’s do it. Let’s go inside.”

  “Are we going to split up or stick together?”

  “Hmm.” That’s a good question. We could cover more ground separate, but at the same time, I don’t like it. Already, I’m very uncomfortable. “No, let’s stick together. The last thing I want to do is lose you too.”

  We step in unison, heading towards the bar, both of us with a nervous determination. I really fucking hope the girls are just in here. If I don’t find Lexi soon I could so easily fall right apart. She’s the glue holding me together. She’s only been my girlfriend for such a short while, but already I depend on her more than I should.

  * * *

  “Where the fuck are we going to go next?” I ask Cassie desperately. “We’ve been everywhere. You don’t think she’s left, do you? She wouldn’t just take off like that. She’s done it before.”

  “She has, but I don’t think she would. She’s really is trying to be better.”

  “But that’s even more scary, isn’t it? It risks something happening?”

  “I’m going to try and call them both again. They’ll have to answer soon.”

  I don’t hold out much hope that she’s going to answer, we’ve been calling both Lexi and Flora on and off all night long and there hasn’t been an answer. It isn’t going to change now.

  “Nope, nothing,” she eventually tells me sadly. “What the fuck?”

  “I think it’s time for us to start worrying, don’t you?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t want to begin panicking because when I do I won’t stop. I just keep thinking about all the things that she went through with Trent, all the ways he manipulated her and changed her.”

  “Do you think he was in the hospital, after all?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t want to think it but there’s a big chance, isn’t there?”

  “It seems like it. Do you know what happened when she went to the police station?”

  “No, I don’t. She never really told me much about it, did she you?

  “No, and I’m starting to think that’s because I didn’t really believe her.”

  “Urgh.” Cassie hangs her head low. “I don’t like the way it feels.”

  “No, I know. I don’t like it either, but unfortunately, we can’t take it back now. We just have to move on.”

  “Yeah, we need to find Lexi to make up for it that way.”

  “But where do we go from here? This is getting really hopeless now, isn’t it?”

  “Should we go back to the house? Come up with a game plan?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t like it, but I don’t know where else we should go.” I chew down on my bottom lip as my brain races. “I know that it’s late but do you think we could call Krysten? Get her advice.”

  “That’s a good idea actually. I love it. She will know where Flora lives as well because we haven’t checked there. Since they aren’t at Lexi’s apartment, it has to be worth a try. I’ll give her a call right now.”

  Cassie slides out of the car and makes a call. She paces by the car while she talks. I don’t know what’s being said but I hope it’s positive. I feel like this is the next logical step for us. Plus, I really couldn’t go home right now. It’s a nice idea but I can’t relax. I don’t have a hope in hell of relaxing. I need something to work towards.

  “Okay.” Cassie jumps back in just as quickly. “Krysten said to come to her house so she can help us. She’s a bit worried. We should get there soon so she doesn’t freak out.”

  “Yeah, I agree.” I turn the car key and listen to the hum of the engine. “Let’s go.”

  “I hope she has something for us.” Cassie wraps her arms tightly around her chest. “I’m starting to feel ill about it.”

  Me too, I think, but I don’t say it aloud to make it worse. Me fucking too.

  34

  Lexi

  “No!” I scream as blood splats from the knife. “No, Trent, why!”

  Flora groans in agony and I race to her. My vision is still too blurry for me to really work out what’s happened. I know there’s a knife in her somewhere but I’m not sure where. I need to work out how deadly this is.

  “Fuck you.” Trent slams into me, knocking me over again. I hit my head hard and the blackness shrouds me. It wants to claim me, I can feel it but I won’t let it have me. Not this time. Not while Trent wants Flora dead. “Fuck you, Lexi. Why do you keep making me do this? What is wrong with you?”

  I want to block my ears, to shut out his screaming, but right now it feels like that’s the only thing keeping me awake. I need to soak in every single word to keep myself going.

  “You are fucking dreadful, I don’t know why I even considered getting back with you. Now, the chance is over, it’s done, I’m going to kill you instead. You are fucking dead.”

  I inch myself slowly along the ground. He can say what he wants while it keeps him distracted. I need to get to Flora, to check on her. I can hear her ragged breaths, at least she’s still alive, but I don’t know what’s happened to her, I don’t know how long it will last. I need to save her, even if it’s the last thing I do.

  “I’m going to pull the knife out of your dead friend and cut your fucking head off.”

  I continue to move. I can hear his footsteps pacing around me, it doesn’t seem like he’s looking at me. He’s just lost his fucking mind. It was always bad with him, I remember it being terrible, but never like this. Maybe if I married him and I stayed with him, this is where my life would have gone. I would have ended up one of those women who got battered by her husband. Now he’s just going to kill me anyway.

  “Your head will roll along this floor. Are you ready for that?”

  “Flora,” I breathe out desperately. “Flora, are you okay?”

  She raises her head to look at me. Her eyes look dead but I can see a sprinkle of light left. She’s got just enough fight yet to live and I’m going to take that and make it happen.

  “You’re a whore. A fucking prostitute. Once you’re dead I’m going after that man. He’s fucked too.”

  “Flora, I’m going to take him down. Are you ready to run? You need to run?” She bobs her head in one tiny nod. It isn’t much, but it inspires me. “Okay, you need to get yourself untied. Can you do that?”

  I’m not convinced she can but I’ll just have to pray. Once I take action, that’s going to be it. I’ll only have one chance before he comes back at me. I’m not strong enough to take him down, so it’ll just have to be a moment. I whisper one last time while Trent continues to scream about how he will kill my whole family.

  “Flora, do it quick. I’m going to do it in a moment.”

  I breathe a few times, thinking about mine and Trent’s history, everything that he took from me, all that he almost did to me, what he’s now done to my friend. I use that to fire me, to push me up. I climb to my knees with my palms flat on the ground, and I pant through the agony. Then I get one leg up, followed by the other. I push myself all the way up until I’m standing, then I turn to see Trent smirking at me. I’m going to stall for a couple more moments just to give Flora all the time she needs. I really fucking hope she’s freeing herself.

  “Trent, I don’t know wha
t you want from me, you’re blowing hot and cold. You were just about to kiss me.”

  “I can’t fucking kiss you. You’re a slag.”

  “So, there isn’t any choice? You want me dead.”

  “I just want to fucking gut you. I want to pull everything out of your body and watch you die slowly.”

  I dart my eyes everywhere, trying to find whatever I need to defend myself, but there’s nothing I can grab without alerting his attention. I’m going to have to use my body to my advantage.

  I step closer to him, my heart hammering against my rib cage. I keep as stoic as I can while I move.

  “Don’t try to lure me in again, Lexi. We can’t go around in circles forever more.”

  “I don’t want to. I want to just be together.”

  “Stop it, Lexi, you’re fucking with my head. Absolutely wrecking it.”

  I step even closer, my fists curling up as I try to steel myself. “Please, Trent, just talk.”

  “You really want to talk? Even after what you’ve made me do to your friend?”

  “Well, that was my fault, not yours, wasn’t it? Do you still want me?”

  He rakes his fingers through his hair, literally shaking. In a way, I really do get under his skin, just not in the way that I want. Well, now I don’t want to affect him at all, I just want him to fucking leave me alone.

  “Trent, do you still want me?” I feel sick as I get close enough to feel him. “Is this what you want?”

  He breathes deep, staring down at me. Fixing on my eyes so he can’t see what’s going on underneath. Me swinging my leg back, about to give him a kick of my own. I give it all I got, I put everything I have into it, and thankfully when I smash my leg forwards I connect with his most intimate place, knocking him to the ground.

  “Run, Flora!” I scream at top note. “Run, we have to run now.”

  Thank God I hear footsteps behind me. She has enough fight in her to get going. I grab onto her arm and we run together, leaving Trent in her house. That isn’t great, it’s not what either of us want, but nothing is worth losing our life over. Flora and I race out into the street.

  “Where?” Flora rasps, unable to get a full sentence out. I glance down at her side, the blood there making me feel sick. She’s in a bad shape. We need to get into an ambulance rapidly.

  “I’m going to take care of you. Don’t you worry about that.”

  We run over to the next street and I drag Flora to the first door I can find. I hammer on it and thankfully, a nice-looking lady answers. Her eyes widen with shock as she takes in the scene in front of her.

  “Please. Please, help me. We need an ambulance. My friend is hurt.”

  “Do you need to come inside?” She must see me glancing behind me every two seconds.

  “Yes, please. Can we? Thank you so much.”

  The house smells nice, like the woman is cooking. I feel bad for disturbing dinnertime but she doesn’t look too cut up about it. She points me towards the sink to get a glass of water while she calls the ambulance.

  “Flora?” I shake my friend lightly and offer her the water. “You need to drink this.”

  “Hmmm?” Her eyes roll to the back of her head which troubles me. “What?”

  “You need to drink this water, Flora, to keep yourself alive. Don’t let him win.”

  She nods, but the movement is slow and lethargic. Concern washes over me, I’m so scared that Flora is going to lose this fight anyway. I can’t bring myself to look under her clothing because I don’t want to see her wound.

  “Here, tilt your head back. I’ll pour some water in.”

  Flora does as I command, so I gently force the liquid down her throat. I hope being a bit hydrated will bring some color back to her cheeks, but it doesn’t. She’s white as a sheet, drained of everything.

  “Are you okay, Flora? Do you need me to get anything for you?”

  Before she can answer, the lady whose home this is enters the room. “The ambulance is on it’s way, but until it does I want to see where this blood is coming from. Poor girl, she doesn’t look too good.”

  My heart leaps up into my throat. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Shouldn’t we wait?”

  “I’m a retired nurse. I know what I’m doing. I want to see if we need to really worry.”

  I gulp and nod, before taking a step back. I squeeze my eyes shut so I don’t have to watch, but that doesn’t mean I don’t hear the tearing sound of her ripping the material from her skin and Flora wincing.

  If this is bad, it’s all my fault. I will never, ever be able to forgive myself.

  “How’s it looking?” I ask with a tremor in my voice. “What do you think about it?”

  “From my point of view, it’s just a surface wound. I don’t think any major organs have been hit.”

  “Are you sure? How can you tell?”

  “Because there would be a lot more blood.”

  “That’s good news, isn’t it, Flora?” I dare a peep at her. “Does that make you feel better?”

  But she doesn’t answer me. Her eyes are rolling, she looks like she’s slowly giving up. I give the retired nurse a desperate look and she nods at me, showing me that she’s concerned too.

  “I think we should get you to the door, Flora, so the paramedics can get you right away.”

  It isn’t easy to move her, but we just about manage it. She leans a lot of her body weight against me but I can’t take too much of it. I’m weak too, I must be a lot more hurt than I thought. He did beat me a lot so I suppose it makes a lot of sense. Now I’m a little scared that there might be a lot wrong with me when we get there.

  “What happened?” the nurse asks me as we wait by the door. “Did someone do this?”

  “I… yes.” I want to deny it, but I can’t. It’s so obvious. “Yes, someone did this.

  “Do you think we should call the police as well?”

  The idea makes me want to vomit. He might still be in Flora’s home, causing chaos. “I don’t know.”

  “You shouldn’t be scared. The police will help you.”

  “I know, I just want to get us well first. I might call them afterwards.”

  “Okay, well let me know if you do. They can come and speak to me for evidence.”

  “Thank you so much…”

  “Judy.” She smiles at me. “My name is Judy.”

  “Well, thank you so much, Judy. My name is Lexi and I’m so grateful to you. You’ve saved our lives.”

  “I don’t think I’ve done anything really.”

  “You have. You have no idea what you’ve done for us.”

  We hear sirens in the distance, grabbing both of our attention. It’s time. The ambulance will be here soon and we can get Flora looked at. I won’t be able to fully relax until she’s fine.

  “It’s go time.” I breathe in a deep breath. “I hope Flora will be okay.”

  “I’m sure she will and she has a good friend in you.”

  I can’t answer that, even to acknowledge that statement. If only Judy knew this was all my fault. Maybe she wouldn’t be quite so friendly if she did. I’m not a good friend, I’m the worst person in the world. Judy wouldn’t be so kind to me if she knew.

  “Right Flora, it’s time to get help. You just hold on for a little while longer.”

  35

  Cooper

  Ring, ring… ring, ring… ring, ring…

  “Whose phone is that?” I snap, darting my eyes everywhere. “It isn’t mine.”

  “No, it’s mine.” Cassie stares at the screen in confusion. “It’s mine. I don’t know the number.”

  “Well, answer it. At this time of night, it’s bound to be something bad, isn’t it?”

  She gives me a panicked look before looking at Krysten as well. “Shall I answer?”

  “Yes, definitely! Answer now. I want to know who it is.”

  She lifts it to her ear with a shaking hand. “Hello?” I grip tightly onto the edge of the table so hard my knuckles
turn a funny shade of white while I wait for more. “Lexi? Oh my God, we’ve been looking for you.”

  Warm relief floods my ice-cold body. I didn’t want to admit it to anyone, not even myself, but I was so scared that she would die. I had this horrible feeling that Trent had her somewhere and he’d killed her. I never would have been able to forgive myself because I didn’t listen to her. I would never recover.

  When Nora died, it was a freak accident. I couldn’t blame myself at all, I was just angry at the guy who made the accident happen, but this is something else. This would be a big percentage my fault.

  “You’re in the hospital? Okay, we’ll come right away. Me, Cooper, and Krysten. I’ll explain it to you when we get there. Yes, and you can tell me everything as well. You have no idea how worried we’ve been.”

  When she hangs up the phone, she glances her eyes between me and Krysten. “I don’t know the details, obviously that conversation was really short, but it was Trent. He got to her. Flora too.”

  “Flora?” Krysten pales with fear. “Why did he go for Flora?”

  “I don’t know. Lexi didn’t tell me much but I’m going to find out.”

  “Yeah, I’ll come with you.” I grab my car keys off the side. “I need to see Lexi.”

  “Me too.” Krysten jumps up too. “I want to know what’s going on with my friends.”

  “Did she say anything about what state they’re in?” Cassie shakes her head. “Okay, I’ll drive.”

  We race from Krysten’s home and jump into my car. As I drive towards the hospital and I hear Cassie on the phone to Bessie, I feel really glad that Lexi’s family came through for me. I wouldn’t have been able to leave her for this long which would put me out of the loop. When I get a chance, I have to say thank you. We also need to have a very serious conversation, but I don’t want to worry about that right now.

  For now, I need to get to Lexi, to help her as much as I can. If Trent has gotten to her, she needs me more than ever, and I have to be her rock. She’s my girlfriend now and this is our first official test. I want to pass. I want to show her that I’m worthwhile, that I’m willing to stand by her through anything. Whatever it takes.