Vicious Circles

by JL Paul

  “Oh, hell,” he said, running his free hand through his hair. “She asked me to some party with her and I told her it wasn’t right because I didn’t know how you’d take it. I thought she was only trying to be nice and cheer me up. I didn’t know.”

  “I know that,” I said gently.

  “Didn’t any of us learn anything from the whole Lucas/Irelyn fiasco?” he asked in a feeble attempt at humor.

  “Guess not,” I said, not wanting him to know just how much we hadn’t learned. Look at the secret I was harboring – the secret we were all hiding from him. He needed to know the truth but the problem was, I didn’t know who should tell him – me or Collin? And did it really matter since Collin was not interested in me – at least from a relationship standpoint?

  “I don’t know what to do,” he said.

  “You and me both,” I said as I pulled in front of his building. “But don’t sweat it, Spencer. I think this is something Morgan is going to have to work out for herself. I think she needs to know we’re still her friends but I don’t think there’s much else we can do.”

  He cupped my chin and looked straight in my eyes. “Bailey, if there’s someone else, don’t be afraid to tell me. I care about you and I want to see you happy.”

  That pesky lump reappeared in my throat. Why couldn’t I love him? “There’s no one, Spence. But thanks.”

  He nodded and pressed a chaste kiss to my lips before setting Otis on the seat and exiting. I watched him climb the steps to his apartment then patted Otis’s head and put the car in gear. I had to get my life straight and soon.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The end of summer break was rapidly approaching and I knew I was going to have to make a decision about dorm life. Seeing as Irelyn was now living with Lucas and attending Community College and Morgan wasn’t speaking to me, I was low on roommate options. Besides, I wasn’t sure what would happen to Otis. Collin probably would take him but I would miss the little furball too much.

  I’d only signed a month to month lease on the condo and I could probably extend it – hell I could extend it for a year. But the condo hardly seemed like home anymore. Maybe I could find something else…

  I went to Rusty’s Friday night and sat like a statue beside Irelyn. We both ignored the empty chair that Morgan used to occupy and concentrated instead on the band. It wasn’t as enjoyable as in the past but I managed to stick to soda. That is, until Tori showed up, grinning like mad and planting her butt in Morgan’s chair.

  “Hey, Irelyn,” Tori said. My stomach churned. “Hi, Bailey.”

  “Tori!” Irelyn greeted. “Where have you been?”

  “Oh, just had some things to take care of,” she said as she motioned for the waitress. She ordered a soda and I ordered a beer. Screw the no booze rule. “So, have they finished the first set?”

  “Yes,” I said, as I accepted my beer. I sucked on it eagerly, ignoring the little voice in my head telling me to take it easy.

  “So what brings you down here?” Irelyn asked, her body rigid. I cracked a smile – Tori’s presence wasn’t as welcome for her, either.

  Tori shrugged as she toyed with her glass. “Collin kept insisting that I come down – he said I sit in the house too much.” She lifted her head to flash Irelyn a shy smile. “He’s right so I told him I’d come after work.”

  Wonderful, I thought. Front row seats to the lovefest. Just what I needed. I considered making my excuses and leaving before they finished playing. But of course I didn’t. Curiosity – morbid as it was – forced me to stay. I was interested to see how they interacted together. If they fell all over each other like Irelyn and Lucas tended to do, I’d escape as quickly as possible.

  “Morgan didn’t show, huh?” Tori asked.

  “Obviously not,” I muttered. Irelyn glared at me, warning me to back off. I rolled my eyes and smiled brightly at Tori. “She doesn’t associate with us anymore.”

  “Collin told me,” Tori said. “I tried to call her but I got her voice mail. Collin thought she might talk to me but apparently she doesn’t associate with me, either.”

  Too bad, I thought. They’d get along well together. They could compare notes on how they each had a thing for the guys I’d either dated or wanted to date. What a lovely little club that would make. Maybe they could call Veronica and she could be the club president. Oh, and they could name the club “Let’s Make Bailey’s Life a Living Hell.” Catchy title.

  They guys finished while I was mulling over the club so I nearly jumped when they plopped down at our table. Lucas squeezed in between me and Irelyn while Spencer sat next to me. Collin, of course, sat next to Tori but I didn’t see any contact. Maybe they’d do that later.

  “You seem out of sorts tonight,” Spencer observed as he leaned in to whisper in my ear. “What’s the matter?”

  “Not a thing,” I said as I smiled and patted his cheek. “Thinking about joining a new club.”

  His brow wrinkled in response but he didn’t say anything. He motioned for the waitress and ordered a round of drinks.

  As everyone discussed what to do with the rest of the evening, I kept to myself. I was trying to figure out how to leave without a million people asking me if I was okay or if something was wrong. I just couldn’t take seeing Collin with Tori.

  So he didn’t hold her hand or kiss her or anything – that didn’t matter. He was next to her. He'd invited her to be there. She came. That was enough. If I rammed a machete through my chest it still wouldn’t hurt as much.

  But what hurt the most were the little looks Collin kept giving me. Confused looks. Concerned looks. It took all I had to keep my mouth shut and not ask him what the hell his problem was. He was there with the woman he supposedly loved and I was here with Spencer, my good friend who I, for some reason, couldn’t fall in love with. What a shame, too.

  The conniving part of my brain came to life and urged me to go ahead with the others over to Collin’s place. Maybe Tori would grow tired and head up to her apartment then I could seduce Collin and show him a real woman. I knew he had a hard time resisting me. He might not love me but he sure the hell lusted after me and I never, for as long as I’d known him, seen him look at Tori like he was aching inside to touch her.

  That thought brought a smug smile to my face which did not go unnoticed by Collin. A slow grin crept across his lips as if he was thinking the same thing as I. Maybe he was thinking of the night on the beach – he did have a touch of fire in his eyes.

  Then sweet little Tori, sitting next to him and looking so lost like she didn’t belong, asked him a question and tore his attention away from me. I knew in that moment that I wouldn’t try to seduce Collin. Maybe if Tori was a spiteful bitch like Veronica I could do it but I’d honestly never done anything like that in my life. I’d never slept with anyone else’s boyfriend and I wouldn’t start now.

  Just as everyone was finishing their drinks and preparing to leave, Owen breezed into the bar with a cute little brunette on his arm. I froze – like everyone else at the table – until my burning anger thawed me enough to get to my feet.

  “What the hell are you doing with her?” I demanded as Owen ushered Morgan to our table.

  Morgan shifted nervously from foot to foot and wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes.

  “Jealous are we?” Owen taunted.

  I narrowed my eyes and leaned across the table, my hands balled into fists. But before I could utter a word or throw a punch, Lucas and Spencer grabbed my shoulders and forced me back in my chair.

  “That’s better,” Owen sneered as he dragged two chairs to our table. He motioned for Morgan to sit and she did. “I’m taking the little lady out for a drink. Is there a problem?”

  “She’s too good for you,” I spit. Morgan lifted her head and glared. I fell back in my chair, amazed.

  “Just mind your own business, Bailey,” she said.

  I turned my head, my anger still pulsating throughout my body. My eyes fell on Tori - she was white as a ghost a
nd as stiff as a flagpole, her hand clutching Collin’s arm. Something was definitely going on and it wasn’t between Tori and Collin.

  “Sorry we missed your set,” Owen continued. “We were hanging out at my club when Morgan reminded me you guys were playing here.”

  So that’s what this was all about. Morgan was playing a game. She was using Owen as some sort of pawn to either make Spencer jealous or make me and Irelyn worry that she was seeing such a pervert creep. Or both. Well, I couldn’t speak for Spencer or Irelyn but she sure had me riled up.

  “Pity,” I said as I smirked openly at Morgan. “We were just leaving.”

  “Bailey,” Irelyn hissed at me.

  I raised a cool brow at her, wishing I could send her a telepathic message. If Morgan wanted to play games then I’d play along – only she wouldn’t like it. “Well, we were. Weren’t we?” I glanced at Spencer but he wasn’t paying any attention whatsoever to me. He was watching Owen and Morgan closely, his brows knitted together in concentration.

  “Okay, so maybe it was just me,” I said with a shrug as I stood. “See you around.”

  “We’re with you, Bailey,” Collin said, anger seeping into his voice. He took Tori by the arm and nearly dragged her out of the bar, confirming my suspicions. Time for me to play good cop/bad cop and question the two of them.

  “Irelyn?” I asked in a soft voice, trying to convey that it was all right with me if she stayed.

  “We’ll be there in a little bit,” she said, clutching Lucas’s thigh. Spencer moved to my vacant chair indicating that he was hanging out, too.

  “I’ll follow you two,” I told Collin. He nodded and escorted Tori out of the bar.

  The whole way to his house I wondered what could be going on. Did Owen do something terrible to Tori? Was Morgan in danger? I needed answers and I needed them fast. That bastard would not lay a hand on my friend and if he ever did, he wouldn’t live to tell about it.

  By the time I parked and stormed into Collin’s house, I was a ball of rage. I found the two of them in the kitchen, Tori clutching a cup of instant tea so hard her knuckles were turning white.

  “One of you tell me what is going on,” I demanded. “Is Morgan in trouble? Is he going to do something to her?”

  “Bailey, calm down,” Collin said as he touched my arm.

  I jerked my arm out of his way. “No, I will not. You need to tell me what the deal is so I know whether I need to go back down there or not.”

  “She’ll be okay tonight,” Tori mumbled. “I promise.”

  I took a long breath, holding it in so it could soak up some of my tension and release it slowly. I sat down across from Tori and look directly into her eyes. “What is the deal?”

  “Owen is a jerk,” she said.

  “Tell me something I don’t know,” I said.

  That brought a fragile smile to her lips. “I dated him for a bit,” she continued. Collin dropped into the chair next to her and took her hand. That burned my heart but I ignored it. I needed to think about Morgan. “He was real nice and charming and swept me off my feet. I thought I was in love with him.” She brushed a finger under each eye to clear the tears. “He really messed with my head, though. He would say nice things to me to get me in bed but afterwards he would tell me how horrible I was and that he’d had better.

  "But I stayed with him. Oh, he never hurt me physically but he really screwed me up inside.” She took a deep breath and sipped at her tea. “Then, I thought I was pregnant and I told him. I was scared and didn’t know what to do. He told me that I was nothing but a slut and it probably wasn’t even his.”

  I watched as Collin squeezed her hand and it didn’t hurt me as much as the pain in Tori’s voice. I didn’t much like her but I didn’t much like how she'd been treated, either. “What happened?” I asked.

  She sniffed and rubbed her eyes. “Um, well, I wasn’t pregnant. My period was all screwed up. My doctor thought it was probably because I was getting into stuff I shouldn’t have been. I was…drinking a lot with Owen and … um…he would do some stuff…drugs…and he talked me into doing it, too.”

  “Oh, geez,” I said as I slumped back in my chair. “Does Spencer know what a bastard his friend is?”

  “No,” Tori said. “Only Collin knows. I asked him not to say anything to anyone.” She turned her watery eyes on me and tried to smile. “I was very embarrassed and very ashamed.”

  “Look, Tori,” I said as gently as I could. “I’m sorry for what happened to you, I really am. But I won’t let that happen to Morgan.”

  “How are you going to stop her?” Collin asked. “She won’t talk to any of us.”

  “I don’t know,” I said as I bit my lip. “Good question.”

  “He likes you,” Tori threw out casually. “I've seen the way he looks at you.”

  “Hm,” I said as a thought popped in my head.

  “What?” Collin asked warily.

  “Just thinking,” I said with a shrug.

  “Uh uh,” he said, shaking his head.

  I scowled. “You don’t even know what I’m thinking.”

  “Yes I do and you’re not going to do it, Bailey,” he said, his jaw set firmly. “I won’t let you.”

  I snorted out a laugh. “Collin, who the hell are you to tell me what I can and can’t do? Besides, you have no clue what I’m thinking about.”

  “You’re thinking that if you can get him to …sleep with you, that he’ll leave Morgan alone.”

  Oh, that hurt. Did he really think that lowly of me? “Yeah, nice thought there,” I said as I stood. “Sorry, Collin, but I don’t sleep with everyone.”

  I waved at Tori and fled through the living room to the front door. I nearly made it, too, but he was quick and grabbed my arm, swinging me around to face him.

  “I didn’t mean it that way and you know it,” he growled. “Not in the least.”

  “I know,” I sighed. “And if you’re worried that I would try something like that, then save your breath. I’d never sleep with filth like that.”

  “What are you planning?” he asked as he loosened his hold.

  “Not sure exactly but I do intend on getting him away from Morgan.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t do this,” he pleaded. “I don’t want him touching you.”

  “And I don’t want him touching Morgan,” I said. “Look, I can handle him – Morgan can’t.”

  “Bailey, don’t go back there, please,” he said. He tugged me closer and captured my eyes with his. I swallowed.

  “I’m not,” I said as my hands rested on his chest. “I’m tired. I’m going home to bed.”

  I pushed to my toes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. But he wouldn’t let it end there. He wound an arm around my waist and planted a hand on the small of my back. His tongue traced my lips and I opened my mouth. He quickly took advantage as I tangled my hand in his hair, wanting nothing more but to drag him back to his bedroom. The only thing stopping me was that I remembered a ragged, pale Tori sitting at the kitchen table. As I slowly parted my lips from his, I realized that if he did indeed want Tori, he was going about things the wrong way.

  “Good night, Collin,” I whispered as I tore my body away. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Think about it, Bailey,” he said as he watched me walk out the door. “Please.”

  “Sure,” I said even though I knew I was not changing my mind. I wasn’t going to let that scum do to Morgan what he’d done to Tori.

  ***

  I didn’t sleep much that night at all. I tossed and turned as I tried to figure out how I could lure Owen away from Morgan or vice versa. I didn’t want to totally destroy my friendship with Morgan but I didn’t want her ending up like Tori, either. It was a sacrifice I was going to have to make.

  I also pondered that kiss. There was no way in hell he’d kiss me like that if he was in love with Tori – not with her being in the next room. But could he really be interested in me? I was hardly his type. Oh, the attractio
n was there – no doubt about that. But was there anything more?

  I stopped those thoughts immediately. I didn’t want to hope.

  I got up Saturday morning and took Otis for a long walk, hoping to clear my head so perhaps inspiration would strike. We ended up at the dog park somehow and I reluctantly unleashed Otis and rested on a bench.

  It wouldn’t be hard to show up at Owen’s club and flirt with him. And it wouldn’t take much to convince him that he’d be better off with me. But then what? How would I keep him away from Morgan? I would not sleep with him – not a chance it hell that would happen. But I’d have to convince him somehow that I might if he left Morgan alone.

  Unless…

  What if I let Morgan think I slept with him? Let her see me going to that infamous room above the club with him. Or let her see me coming out of the room. I’d have to arrange it somehow. I just needed to think and figure it all out.

  “Hello, Bailey,” a familiar voice called.

  I started and jerked my head in the direction of the voice. My stomach clenched. “Hey, Craig. How are you?”

  “Heartbroken,” he said with a fake pout. “You never called.”

  “Yeah, well, I told you not to hold your breath.”

  He laughed and sat next to me, crossing his leg over his knee. He tapped on his shoe and watched the dogs frolic in the enclosure. “I must not have made much of an impression on you.”

  “What can I say – I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”

  “Sorry to hear that,” he said, his brows furrowed. “I take your bad week has extended to include this week?”

  “Something like that,” I said, not at all wanting to get into any of it with this man. “But I’m not one to dwell,” I said with a false smile.

  “Great,” he smiled. “How about if I take you to dinner tonight?”

  “Thanks but no thanks,” I said. “I think I have plans.”

  “Oh?” he asked as a brow rose above the rim of his eyeglasses. “Hope they’re good plans.”