Our Broken Pieces (The Pieces Series Book 1)

by M. E. Clayton

  “Explain what?” he snapped back.

  I pushed at his chest and he let me escape. I turned in the middle of the room to face him again. “Everyone will just chalk up your behavior to macho alpha bullshit. No one will question your high-handed ways. I’m the one who...who’s going to have to explain how...how I like it.” The last part was said on a whisper because I was ashamed that I didn’t feel ashamed. I felt exposed that I enjoyed how violently Gage took me. I hated how I took pleasure in something that was traumatizing and destructive to millions of women everywhere.

  Where women and men were fighting against domestic abuse and violence against women, I was finding pleasure in it. The disgust and regret were real. They were like an albatross around my neck and Gage was the one weighing it down.

  Gage stepped towards me and grabbed my face by my chin. “Fuck what everyone else thinks, Mystic,” he demanded. “Those people out there don’t matter.”

  “Margot does,” I countered.

  “We’ll see, won’t we,” he sneered.

  I slapped his hand away. “What does that mean?”

  “It means, we’ll see just how good of a friend she is when she finds out just how filthy you like it and just how much I love giving it to you like that,” he said, that same sneer in his tone.

  “That’s not fair!” I yelled. “Of course, she’ll be concerned if she sees the marks you leave on my body. Anyone would.”

  “And that’s fine,” he replied. “It’s her reaction once you explain how you love having those marks on your body, and how much more you love getting them, that will tell you how good a friend she is.”

  I shook my head. “That’s not fair, Gage,” I repeated. “Anyone would be concerned about something they don’t understand.”

  “You’re standing there as if anything you say is going to change shit,” he replied. “It’s out, Mystic. Everyone knows we’re together. What do you think pretending to end things is going to do?”

  He wasn’t getting it. “Aren’t you worried? Aren’t you...doesn’t this scare you? Because it sure as hell scares me.”

  Gage cocked his head and regarded me for a few seconds before blowing me away by saying, “Not as much as it scares me to not have you with me for this.” I let out a deep breath and the tears came back because I knew what he was going to say next. “If I don’t have you to purge all the darkness with, then that leaves me without an outlet. And that will probably lead me to murdering someone and spending the rest of my life in prison.” He stepped towards me and cradled my face in his hands. “Finally being able to be with you publicly is going to fuck shit up on an epic scale, Mystic. I know this. I know we’re a disaster waiting to happen. But the alternative isn’t something I’m willing to consider.”

  “Gage-”

  “I can’t be without you,” he interrupted. “Tell me you can be without me?”

  I couldn’t.

  Chapter 12

  Gage~

  We walked out of the restroom, hand-in-hand, and just like we expected, everyone was staring at us as we exited. Some faces full of shock, some with knowing smirks, and some plain full of jealousy. As much as Mystic was perfect in my eyes, I knew girls were going to get catty and question our relationship, but it was my job to make sure everyone knew what she meant to me.

  “I need to find Margot,” she murmured. “I need to tell her I’m sorry.”

  I wanted to say to hell with everyone, but she was right. We did own Margot and Chance a better explanation of why we hadn’t told them. I wasn’t sure what Mystic was going to tell Margot, but I planned on telling Chance the truth. I had to because, truth be told, there was no way we’d be able to keep her abuse under wraps for very long.

  And it was abuse.

  Granted, it was consensual, but it was abuse, nonetheless. It didn’t matter if she begged for it. It didn’t matter that it drove me insane. Normal people would be looking for a way to remedy the sick cravings. Normal people would be meeting with a therapist three times a week to cure the unhealthy urges.

  Me and Mystic?

  We gave into the twisted yearnings. I went at her knowing I wouldn’t stop even if she asked me to and she gave herself to me knowing she’d never ask me to stop. We both knew better, yet, we both chose to ignore the dangers of such an addiction. The fucked-up thing about it, though, was that, even as I held her down and fucked her roughly, I was loving her the entire time.

  I fucking loved Mystic Anderson.

  With every bite mark, every bruise, every painful thrust into her body, I fucking loved her. And I knew my sickness was purely sexual because I didn’t feel the need to manhandle her outside the bedroom. Walking around this godforsaken party, looking for Margot, as I held her hand, I didn’t feel compelled to violence. I had no desire to be mean to her, belittle her, or ragdoll her. I only felt the compulsion when I wanted her sexually. And the more she let me debase her, the more I became addicted to her.

  We eventually found Margot and Chance in the backyard near the pool. The pool now occupied by topless girls and horny guys. They spotted us around the same time we spotted them, and they stayed put as we walked towards them. I’d consider that a win, depending on how drunk Margot was and how she treated Mystic. However, I didn’t give a fuck if they were best friends or not; no one would treat Mystic badly in front of me.

  “Margot-”

  Margot threw her hand up to stop whatever Mystic had been about to say. “I’m too drunk to have this conversation, Mystic,” she said. “I’m drunk and hurt, and I am not going to discuss this while there’s a chance I may say something I’ll regret.” I could feel Mystic tense beside me and that had my back up. “I love you, Mys,” she continued. “I am not going to let this...secret ruin our friendship.”

  “I’m sorry, Margot,” Mystic whispered sadly. “And... when you’re ready, I’ll...I’ll tell you everything.”

  I looked down at Mystic. “Everything?”

  She turned those hypnotic brown eyes up towards me and I could see the struggle in them. She was going to test their friendship with the truth. “Everything,” she confirmed.

  I turned back towards Margot. “What was the plan tonight?” Her gaze was glacial, but I really couldn’t care less about Margot Cross. If she became serious with Chance, then I’d give her more consideration, but for right now, she was just Mystic’s best friend. And while she held an important title, she wasn’t a threat to me. No one was.

  “The plan was to get shit-faced drunk and pass out after everyone leaves,” she replied after a few seconds.

  I smirked. “Yeah, well, that’s not going to happen,” I told her. “There’s no way I’m letting Mystic get drunk and pass out in a house with random guys roaming about.”

  She looked like she was about to argue, but Chance put his foot down by adding, “Yeah, I agree with Gage.” He looked at Margot. “I’m letting you get drunk because it’s your birthday, babe, but you’re out of your mind if you think I’m leaving you here to pass out.” He shook his head. “Yeah, that’s not happening.”

  Margot turned on him. “Last time I checked, we were just going to the prom together, Chance. You’re taking rights you don’t necessarily have at this time.”

  I couldn’t help my smirk as Chance stepped to her and snatched her up by her arm. “Oh, make no mistake, Margot,” he barked out. “I have every right.” Just let the fucker talk to me about how I treated Mystic.

  Mystic’s hand tightened in mine and I knew in that moment she was hoping Margot might understand more than she thought. Especially when Margot wasn’t looking at all repulsed by Chance’s manhandling. “You think so?”

  Chance grabbed Margot by her chin, and we watched as he squeezed just a little too hard. “I know so, Margot, so cut the shit.”

  “Do you have a spare room for us?” I said, interrupting their foreplay.

  Margot looked over at me the second Chance released her chin. “For what?”

  “I’m not letting Mystic
spend the night here without me,” I informed her. “So, if you want her here in the morning, so you guys can talk, I’m staying here too.”

  I could tell she wanted to argue, alcohol tends to make people braver than they’d normally be, but her curiosity must have gotten the better of her. She wanted the details of mine and Mystic’s relationship more than she wanted to tell me to go fuck myself. “Fine,” she relented. “There’s a spare bedroom...well, Mystic knows where it is.”

  I looked at Chance, and even thought I didn’t need to ask, I asked anyway for Mystic’s sake. I jerked my head towards Margot. “You on her?”

  “Yeah, I got this,” he replied with a little bit of frost still in his voice, only I didn’t know if he was still pissed at me or if he was pissed because Margot was trying to downplay what was going on between them. Leave it to drunken teenage hormones to turn something casual into something explosive.

  “We’re going to head in,” I told them.

  “Oh, wait,” Margot cried. “It’s early. The party’s still-”

  “I don’t give a fuck, Margot,” I snapped. “Chance has got you and Mystic doesn’t have any business being here if she’s not hanging out with you. We are turning in.” I didn’t give her a chance to reply. I turned and drug Mystic behind me into the house.

  Once we got into the heart of the living room, I turned towards Mystic. “Where’s the guest room?”

  She let out a deep sigh. “This way,” she mumbled as she led the way.

  Once we reached the banister of the second floor, Aubrey Dempsey sauntered up to us, maliciousness all over her pretty features. “This is a joke, right?” she huffed out. “I mean, you guys aren’t really dating, are you?” She flipped her hand around behind her. “Someone started a rumor that you guys have been dating for years.”

  I knew Mystic could speak for herself, and as much a loner as she was, she still wasn’t afraid to defend herself. However, this was my fuck-up, not hers. I was the one who outed us because I was a jealous asshole, so I was the one who needed to back my words up.

  I needed to prove to Mystic, and everyone else, that she was it for me.

  “Four years, to be exact,” I replied as I stepped in front of Mystic, forcing her to inch to the side. “Mystic’s my girlfriend.”

  Aubrey’s big blue eyes widened, and she looked genuinely surprised and offended. “Wait,” she exclaimed. “She’s the reason you’ve been turning me down all this time? Mystic Anderson is the reason no girl in school has ever gotten a chance with you?”

  I stepped to her, ready to crush her. “Mystic’s the reason for everything I do, Aubrey,” I hissed in her face. “I can’t see past the girl behind me to notice the rest of you desperate bitches. So, yeah, Mystic’s the reason I keep turning down your easy access.”

  “Gage-”

  I whirled around on Mystic. “Don’t,” I growled. “Do. Not.”

  “Gage-”

  “No, Mystic. She walked up to us, ready to insult you or worse. Don’t come at me about how I’m talking to her. No one gets to judge our relationship and not get told the fuck off for it.” Fuck these jealous bitches. They had nothing on Mystic and the spell she had over me.

  “Fuck you, Gage!” Aubrey yelled. “Who do you think you are?!”

  I turned back to face her. “I’m the guy who knows the difference between what I’m continuously offered and what I have.” I peered down at her. “Say another fucked-up thing about Mystic or our relationship and you will regret it.” I didn’t wait for her reply. I pulled Mystic behind me and snapped, “Where’s the fucking room?” Luckily, it was just inside the hallway and we were inside with the door locked within seconds.

  “Jesus, Gage,” Mystic exclaimed on a deep exhale, “what the hell was that?”

  “What?”

  “You know what,” she snapped. “People are going to talk shit, Gage. You can’t go around threatening everyone.”

  “The fuck I can’t,” I argued. “You’re out of your fucking mind if you think I’m going to stand by and let people insult you, me, or us.”

  I watched as she dropped on the bed and began rubbing her temples. “What a horrible night,” she muttered. “Christ.”

  “What so fucking horrible about it?” I demanded. “Why the fuck do you care what these assholes think so much?”

  She jumped up off the bed. “You act like they’re in the wrong for being curious.”

  I stepped to her. “I don’t give a fuck if they’re curious. I care if they insult you. I care if they talk shit about you. And what we do is none of their fucking business.”

  “Gage, this is putting me in a spotlight I never wanted to be in,” she said, and I saw fucking red.

  “You ashamed to be seen with me?”

  Her eyes widened. “Of course, not! It’s not that. It’s...our relationship is wrong, Gage. We’re defending something that’s wrong.”

  I let out a dark laugh. “I’m not defending the way we fuck, Mystic. I know the things I do to you are wrong. Just like I know you letting me do all those things is wrong. But I’m not defending that. I’m defending our relationship as those motherfuckers know it. They think we have a regular teenage romance and that’s what they’re attacking. And I’ll be goddamned if I’m going to let them.”

  She started shaking her head back and forth and I could see the weight of our exposure all over her beautiful face. “I don’t know how to handle this, Gage,” she told me honestly. “You were too much when I only had to deal with you on the minimum. Now...now I don’t know how to deal with you, Margot, and all the questions that are sure to come my way.”

  “You’re not weak, Mystic,” I thundered in her face. “You don’t want people to see you as a victim, well, don’t start acting like one. Just tell everyone to go get fucked. It’s me and you, Mystic. Me and you.”

  “And when we graduate?”

  “We still won’t be over,” I told her. “We’ll never be over.”

  Little did I know she’d make a liar out of me.

  Chapter 13

  Mystic~

  It lasted three months.

  Granted, it was two months longer than I would have expected, but it still, inevitably, came to a crashing end only a few months away from freedom.

  I hadn’t thought anything out of the ordinary when I was called into the counselor’s office because I still hadn’t given her a satisfactory answer to what my future plans were and Mrs. Berny had only been trying to wrap up her job with the few stragglers that still remained. However, I hadn’t expected to find Mrs. Berny, my parents, the gym teacher, Mrs. Lemas, and the principal, Mr. Grant, to all be in attendance when I walked in.

  I glanced at everyone, bewildered, but it was when Mrs. Lemas averted her eyes that my heart sank, and I knew.

  Mrs. Berny gave me a small, sad smile. “Mystic, honey, why don’t you take a seat,” she said softly.

  Even though I knew, I had to ask anyway. “What’s going on?”

  “That’s what we’d like for you to tell us,” my father snapped.

  “Gene,” my mother murmured, trying to calm him down.

  I sat down and immediately wish I hadn’t. I didn’t like that, with the exception of Mrs. Berny, everyone else was standing. It felt intimidating. However, I stayed seated, not saying a word. I wasn’t going to offer them a shred of evidence until I knew for certain what this was all about.

  After a couple of moments of uncomfortable silence, Mrs. Berny finally spoke. “Mystic, uhm, Mrs. Lemas came to me with some concerns.” My eyes flashed towards Mrs. Lemas, but she was still avoiding my gaze. “There are some concerns over…uhm, some bruising that you may have.”

  I closed my eyes, and I could feel my heart drop so far down, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever find it again. When I opened them, Mrs. Berny was looking at me like she knew everything. And maybe she did. She was, after all, trained to spot child abuse and neglect. Maybe she could see what no one else could.

  I said the only thin
g I could. “I appreciate the concern, Mrs. Berny. However, I’m fine.”

  “This is horseshit!”

  “Gene,” my mother rushed out.

  “Ms. Anderson, can you tell us where you got these bruises?” Mr. Grant asked.

  I turned to face him. “I’m clumsy sometimes,” I lied.

  “Those are not accidental bruises, Mystic,” Mrs. Lemas said, finally facing the shitstorm she kicked off. “I’ve seen bruises from accidents or playing sports. Those are not them, Mystic.”

  I could feel myself snarling at her. “They’re none of your business, is what they are, Mrs. Lemas.”

  “Mystic!” my mother exclaimed. “This is serious!”

  I turned in my chair to face her. “What is? Why are you all here?”

  “We’re here, so you can tell us who the hell is abusing you!” my father roared.

  I stood up out of my chair. “No one is abusing me!” I yelled back.

  “Mystic-”

  My head was spinning with so many people in the room trying to speak to me. “What, Mr. Grant? What?!” My eyes searched their faces and I was panicked.

  Fucking. Panicked.

  “Mystic, we know it’s Gage Evans, honey,” Mrs. Berny spoke, nearly dropping me to my knees.

  I whirled around on her. “You know it’s Gage Evans that what?”

  “Oh, honey,” my mother cried. “Margot told us everything.”

  I dropped in my chair, stunned.

  Absolutely, positively stunned.

  “Wh…what?”

  “Once Mrs. Lemas brought her concerns to us, we called Margot in to shed some light on…what was going on, since she’s your best friend,” Mrs. Berny explained.

  “Was.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “Margot was my best friend, Mrs. Berny. As in, she isn’t anymore,” I clarified. Her betrayal felt like a ragged slice down my back. The morning after her birthday party, I had told her all about me and Gage. I hadn’t told her the deep, dark, damaging details, but I had let her know that our sex got rough sometimes. She had accepted my explanation and apology, but when the bruises and bite marks started making their appearances more frequently, I had noticed Margot beginning to judge.