by Doyle, Dawn
Colors blurred into one mess on the screen in front of me, my eyes not seeing the work I was supposed to be editing. I couldn’t get the conversation with my mom out of my head. Was that person in the photo Quinn? How did he find out? What had happened for him to take action? Where the hell was he?
“Penny for your thoughts?” Colby asked, too close to me again. “You’ve been staring into space for the past half hour.”
“Thinking,” I said, not turning to him. His heat drew closer, and I instantly edged further away.
“I’m not going to do anything to you,” he said, his hands up. “Why do you keep moving away?”
I turned that time. “Because I want to,” I snapped. “I’ve asked you, but you’ve ignored me. Now, I’m telling you, Colby. Get out of my fucking space.”
“Jesus Christ, Kinsley, I was just fucking asking you a damn question.”
“Ask me from over there,” I growled, jabbing my hand toward his computer. “You don’t need to share body heat with me.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “That sounds like fun.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I might as well talk to myself.” I blew out a long breath. “Go back to your work, Colby.”
“Where’s Quinn?” he asked, ignoring me again. “He’s been gone for a few days, and you’ve been all alone. Is that any way to treat a girl?”
I slowly turned my head to him. “I don’t see how it’s any of your business,” I snapped.
“You know he’s a, what we call, a satisfied street rat, right?”
I bristled, my nostrils flaring, and my shoulders bunching. The violent buzzing inside of me escalating far quicker than it had ever done before. I didn’t say anything; I needed to keep my composure, especially as his friends were murmuring behind me.
“Damn,” one of them whispered. “If Quinn hears about this, he’s a dead man.”
“Then keep your mouth shut.” Colby turned his head, then faced me again, and I watched him scoot closer in my peripheral vision. “He’s no good, Kinsley. He organizes the fights for cash. What kind of man does that, and what does that make him? The kind that’ll end up in a box before he’s twenty-three?” He snorted a laugh. “If he’s lucky, he can be buried next to his mom.”
The room disappeared. Screaming seared my ears, roars of horror mixing into the sound, voices rising with every second that passed in the darkness. My hands were moving, my fists connecting with hard bone, liquid splattering over them, a metallic scent assaulting my senses.
My lungs burned, and my raw throat stung. The screaming was coming from my mouth, the yelling coming from those around me, begging me to stop, hands on my shoulders tugging me back.
“Miss. Jensen!” Mr. Spiers shouted, his hands around my arms, pulling me off of the ground.
“Get off of me!” I screamed. “Let me go!” My breaths came heavy and fast, my hair a curtain around my face, my vision shrouded by the mess, allowing me to see only through the thin gap.
Crimson covered my right hand, my left still gripping Colby’s blue shirt, darker where his blood had soaked through.
My eyes bulged as the room came into focus. Colby’s chair was at least six feet away, my attack sending it hurtling back and him to the ground. I was on top, straddling him, struggling with Mr. Spiers as I fought to hit Colby again. The scene was similar to what I’d witnessed at the circle.
Colby’s words were on repeat in my head. “Get off of me,” I growled, tugging against his hold. My head snapped to the side when I saw another person next to me, gripping my other arm.
Josh.
“Kins,” he said, holding onto me.
My eyes fell to the black fabric covering his arms, his body, the same silver emblem on Quinn’s hoodie…
I jerked out of his hold and walked out of the room. I could hear him coming after me, yelling my name, but I entered the girls’ bathroom at the same time as some others.
Don’t dare follow me, Josh.
I gripped the sink and looked inside the bowl at the light dancing off of the porcelain to calm me while I caught my breath. My eyes slid to my hands, the right one covered in blood from my knuckles, and dripping from my fingers. The red liquid ran down, mixing with the remaining droplets of water, creating a diluted spatter of wavy lines, splitting off to join others as they ran down the plughole.
I grabbed the faucet and turned it on, desperate to wash away the violence from my hands, but it’d be harder to erase it from my mind. Colby’s face as I hit him over and over, his surprised expression changing with each connection of fist to face.
The girls watched me, their nose turning up before they fixed their makeup, then left.
“Damn it,” I whispered as I scrubbed and scrubbed, adding more soap and wincing as it entered the splits on my hands.
“Oh, look who it is,” Phoebe said softly, sashaying over to me from one of the stalls. She washed her hands slowly, then blotted them with a paper towel.
“Go away, Phoebe, I’m not in the mood to deal with you.”
Is it shit on Kinsley day today? Because I doubt it could get any worse.
“Oh, is that right?” She threw her head back and laughed. “But you don’t have a choice, do you? We’re here, and you’re going to listen to me.”
I turned off the faucet and gripped the sink again to steady myself. My gut hadn’t settled from before, and I knew it wouldn’t take much to set me off again. “Not. Now,” I growled.
Phoebe propped her hip against the sink. “See, I say right now. Leave Quinn alone,” she demanded. I turned my head toward her, slowly, carefully, watching her straighten her spine as I did. “You’re a distraction. You almost cost him the fight when you showed up.”
I swallowed hard, my heart sinking because she was right. I’d distracted him, and that guy had taken the advantage I’d opened up. “Just go away.”
She smiled wide, her eyes cold, her top lip curling up on one side. “You know, I never told you about us, did I?”
“I don’t think my stomach could handle it,” I said truthfully, Colby’s bloodied face still fresh in my mind. Adding her gory details would send me running to a stall.
“Aww, I know it must hurt that he found pleasure inside me before he downgraded to you, but we all have a past, right? You can’t be jealous that I saw him in all his glory before you did.” She brushed invisible lint from her shoulders, then smoothed fresh gloss over her lips.
“I really don’t care,” I ground out, staring at my pallid face in the mirror. I didn’t recognize myself. Hard eyes, darkened with rage, narrowed with irritation, and my brows forced together in confusion at the tornado of emotions spiraling out of control.
I swallowed hard, willing my unstable stomach to settle, my heart to slow down, and my breaths to calm. Nothing was working, though, and the longer Phoebe stood next to me, the worse I felt. I gripped harder to the sink, rounding my shoulders and curling inward.
“Sure you do,” she said, still preening herself in the mirror next to me. “It’s obvious. We have a connection that you can’t erase, no matter how much you want to.”
“Who said I did?” I clapped back. “Quinn hates you, and that’s enough for me.” I let go of the sink quickly and spun to Phoebe. Her eyes fell to the blood at my hand, and her eyes widened. “Why does he hate you so much, exactly?” I narrowed my eyes in question. “Is it that you refuse to leave him alone, or the fact you still try it on with him while fucking his friend, or is it something else?” I knew what that was now, and just the thought of it made me want to puke all over again.
“Look here, you fucking newbie." She jabbed her long, claw-like nail into my shoulder, shoving me back a little, then took a step back herself, seemingly remembering the blood across my knuckles, and not wanting hers to get mixed in. “You being with him now is temporary, just you wait and see. I’ll have him again.”
I burst out laughing in her face, my head falling back with force. “Are you seriously trying to upset me? Are you expecting me t
o break down and cry?” I asked, although her words had opened an already raw wound deep in my heart. “You do realize you sound like a spoilt brat that’s making all kinds of shit up to get their own way, right? Next, you’ll be telling me he declared his undying love for you before I came here, that he had a ring picked out, that you’d already chosen your drapes and matching carpets.”
“I’m not making it up,” Phoebe snapped, her arms rod straight at her sides. Her face reddened, the shade blending in with the blusher dusted across her cheekbones. “He’s too focused on the circle for anything serious, so you being with him doesn’t make any sense. Why the hell would he invite me over for only one night? He needed to let off steam, and he wanted me, just like he will again.”
Her petulance was amusing, and I fought back another laugh to allow her to continue digging the hole she’d started when she gave away her flawed details.
“Sure,” I said sarcastically. “I bet you’re just waiting to get up close to his Prince Albert again, aren’t you?” I waited for her reaction, and what I saw made me smile, but I held the curl from my lips just long enough for Phoebe to open her conniving mouth.
“Oh, honey, I’m going to get up close and very personal with that wondrous piercing.” She moved so close to me, her lips grazed my ear. “All. Night. Long.”
I tipped my head to the side, eyeing her through narrowed slits. “Are you sure about that?”
She nodded slowly. “Positive.”
“Okay, then.” I raised my hand, and she flinched, but relaxed when I patted her shoulder, the thick fabric of her light-blue coat flattening under my hand. “Knock yourself out.” I walked past Phoebe, and she spun as I went, her mouth agape.
“I just said I’m going to fuck your boyfriend, and that’s all you can say?” she shrieked.
“Of course,” I said with a shrug. “Why not?” I grabbed some paper towels on my way past her and then left.
Quinn
The minute I’d gotten out of the shower and dressed, I’d had the guys come with me to campus. I’d needed to see Kinsley. I’d stopped for a piss when the commotion had broken out, and I’d missed it. I didn’t know what the fuck had gone down until I found Josh waiting outside the girls’ bathrooms.
“Dude, just stay back, okay?” he said, stopping me from going in, barricading the door with his body. “She was like a fucking maniac. If she sees you, you might not look so good afterward.”
I’d done as he’d said, and hung back out of sight. I waited just a few seconds before the red door opened, and my heart leaped into my throat.
“Kinsley,” Josh said as soon as she came out of the bathrooms, and waved me into the shadows with a pointed glare.
My breath was taken away when she headed down the hall, her back to me, her long brown hair swishing in her ponytail, loosened enough to cause it to droop back, but not taking away from her beauty. I let my eyes wander down her slim figure, the gray plaid shirt, and the black pants that hugged her perfect ass and legs.
I hurried to the doorway of one of the nearby classes, out of sight. I watched her face, pale, downturned, and dark circles under her eyes. I knew that look; I was like that too. Over the past few days, I hadn’t relaxed, too eager to get the job done and to get back to fixing the shit I’d caused again. I needed to speak to her, desperate for her to hear me out.
Kinsley dabbed at her knuckles, wincing with the movement. I wanted to go over and see whatever it was that was hurting her, but all I knew was that she’d laid her fists into Colby, taking him by surprise. I didn’t know why, though, and Mr. Spiers wouldn’t give up any details when he’d burst out of the room after Kinsley and Josh, right into my path.
“I don’t have time to hear what you have to say, Josh,” Kinsley said, rushing down the hallway. “I have to get home.”
“Aren’t you gonna mention what the hell I walked in on in your class?” he asked. He jogged in front of her, getting in her way so she had to stop.
I followed them as Josh kept Kinsley’s attention on him. I didn’t know why, but whatever it was, he was up to something in my favor. Kinsley tried to step around him, but the asshole wouldn’t budge
Good man.
“It’s nothing,” she mumbled, still trying to evade him. “Just move, Josh.”
“No. What the fuck set you off like that?” He held his arms out to the sides. “If I have to tackle you, Kinsley, so help me, I will.” His eyes flicked to mine, his wary expression asking for permission.
Kinsley snorted a laugh. “Do you think that’s wise? You saw Colby’s nose.”
I couldn’t help a smile spreading across my face, growing wider the more I thought about Colby getting his ass beat down by my girl. I had to speak to Mr. Spiers to make sure the dean didn’t find out.
That’s my crazy little Kinny.
“I’ll take my chances,” he replied, looking over her shoulder at me, then back to her. “Tell me what happened.”
Kinsley’s head dropped, her shoulders sagged, and she blew out a long, controlled breath. My spine stiffened, my entire body rigid as she told him everything Colby had said during class, right up to when she’d noticed Josh pulling her back.
“He said that?” Josh’s nostrils flared, his now lowered arms tight by his side, and his hands balled into fists. “That fucking snake.”
I fought with the desire to turn back and give Colby the beating I wanted to rain down on him, and the need to hold Kinsley and tell her what she meant to me, to stop fucking jumping to the automatic defense I was so used to, and to just spit out the words I should’ve said instead of letting her go.
“I couldn’t just sit there and act like it was okay for him to say… To speak about…” Her hand lifted to her mouth, her arm shaking as she held it there. “I think he might even be the one that slashed my tire.”
That made so much fucking sense for him to pull that shit then show up the next day to give her a ride, but I couldn’t focus on that. “Kinny,” I said, my throat hoarse. She spun around in surprise, her gorgeous mouth hanging open. “Can we talk?”
She exhaled quickly, a sardonic gust of air escaping her lips. “You’ve got some nerve asking me to talk,” she said, her voice a little above a whisper. Her lids reflected the overhead lights, revealing a line of tears ready to spill over.
My heart lurched, a wave of guilt running through me. “I know, but please, hear me out,” I begged, holding my hands up.
Her eyes flashed to the black hoodie she’d given back, and then to Josh’s. She cleared her throat, then straightened her shirt. “I’m leaving now. Don’t follow me.”
I watched her walk out of the exit at the end of the hallway.
“Are you going to just stand there and let her go?” Josh asked, rubbing his face. “Fuck, she’s nuts. You should’ve seen her go in there, man. You two make a great pair.”
“Josh, send it, her version,” I said, and took off, my legs clearing the distance in no time, making it outside before Kinsley could get into her car. “Kinny!” I called out, rushing over to her.
“No, Quinn!” She held her hand up, and I stopped, but the beating in my chest only quickened at the look in her green depths, the downward curl of her pink lips, the slow bead trailing down her flushed cheek. She swallowed, but when she spoke again, her choked words speared right through me, taking my heart with it. “Stop.”
“No,” I whispered.
Kinsley stopped reaching for her door, and hope rose in my chest, my shaking hands ready to reach for her. She turned and took two steps toward me, her expression warning me to stay put. “You need to speak to Phoebe.”
I reared back. “Why the fuck would I speak to her?” I asked, wondering what the hell had given her that idea.
“Well, she seems to be under the impression you were the one who invited her over to your place.”
“That’s not—”
“Ask her about it. I’m sure she’d love to hear what you have to say.”
What the
fuck did Phoebe do now?
“Just tell me, Kinny,” I demanded, my hands balling at my sides. “Tell me what she said to you.” I’d warned her not to fuck with Kinsley. Now, she was going to regret even breathing in the same space as her.
“She told me many things,” she said, her green pools drawing me in like every other time I looked into them. “And I like to let people talk, Quinn. You see, you can find a lot out about people when they run their mouths. They either say too much, or they let little details slip in that weren’t there before.”
Then she got in her car and left, leaving me standing there, again, watching her go.
***
“Hey!” I yelled when I spotted the evil bitch sitting with her friends at the lunch tables.
“Quinn!” she said, her beady eyes lighting up. “I was just talking about you.” She patted the seat next to her, making room.
I slammed my hands down on the table instead, glowering at her. “What the fuck did you say to Kinsley?” I snarled. “Tell me right fucking now, or I’ll make sure you fucking regret ever opening your fucking mouth.”
Her jaw dropped, and her skin paled, but like the sly fuck she was, she bounced right back. “Oh, we just had a little discussion,” she purred, reaching for my arm. Her fingers began walking up my sleeve, and I pushed her off. “I told her a few truths.”
“And what were they?” I demanded.
“Truths coming from you?” Josh snorted. “Ha, that’s a fucking joke right there.”
I leaned closer, the other girls glancing at each other, then to Phoebe. “What. The Fuck. Did you say?”
“She distracted you at the fight,” she rushed out. “She could’ve cost you big.”
I shook my head slowly, disgust making my stomach roll. “No she didn’t, but that’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it.”
“I don’t know, then, because that’s all I said.” She checked her nails and then ran them over her jaw.
“Something about me? Inviting you to my place?”
She grinned wide. “Oh, that. I just happened to—”