by G. Bailey
"Which is?" Griffin finally asks, getting on board with the plan.
"We make her fall for us, which shouldn't be too hard, then we break her heart."
“That is too far. Girls like Trix are dangerous, and it would be playing with fire,” Griffin admits, placing his hand on my shoulder. “David already fell for her, are you seriously willing to bet none of us would?”
“No, we wouldn’t. She killed him,” I say, pushing my brother’s hand off my shoulder. “Remember David when you fuck her, and I’m sure you will find the power not to fall fucking in love with her,” I growl.
“Whatever,” Griffin shakes his head and walks off, but I know he will do what I asked anyway. This is for David. We owe him. We fucked up and didn’t keep an eye on him like big brothers are meant to do. The dead can’t get revenge, so we have to do it for him.
“Where are you going? Practice isn’t over,” I shout after Griffin.
“I will stick to your fucked up plan, but I’m done for today. I need a drink,” he shouts back, dismissing me.
“What about you?” I ask Garett. He is usually the one in charge, but not recently. Not since the party.
“I don’t love anyone, not even you shitheads half the time. You don’t have to worry about me messing this up,” Garett comments and pats my shoulder. “Let’s break her.”
"Can we talk?" I ask Benjamin, who is drinking his lemonade after I asked him to meet me here. I need to break up with him, especially after what happened yesterday. Benjamin was there, watching me walk across a field in nothing but my underwear, and he didn't think to defend me. I don't need a boyfriend who could watch his girlfriend in trouble and do nothing. I know he feels guilty, the constant apology texts tell me that much.
"Look, they are—" Benjamin stops talking mid-sentence, looking behind me, and I follow his gaze to see the Hallow brothers walking into the bowling alley entrance. I thought if I picked a place on the other side of London, they wouldn't find us. Apparently, they are good little stalkers. I don't care what they want, I've decided I'm not letting them have any control over me anymore. I roll my eyes at them as they spot us and start heading over as I turn back. This isn't a coincidence, I'm sure of that.
“Get the fuck out of here, Benjamin,” Gage demands as he places his hands on the table, leaning slightly over it as he stares me down. Poor Benjamin looks at me, then to Gage, before back to me. We all are frozen in this tense moment, and it is only broken when I see Benjamin edging very slowly to the end of the bench. Coward.
“Don’t even think about getting up, Benjamin,” I warn, but I don’t look at him. I keep my gaze firmly fixed on Gage’s clear blue eyes, though in the corner of my gaze, I see Gage’s lips tilt up. The smirk is enough to know this is a game to him. Everything is with him and his brothers.
“Leave, Benjamin, or I will kick you off the team before you can even blink,” Gage coldly demands, though he puts little effort into the tone of his voice. The threat is frightening enough. I sigh as Benjamin scurries out of his side of the booth, practically running past Griffin and Garett who are trying not laugh. Gage smoothly slides into the seat opposite me with a big smirk, and Garett chooses to sit next to him. Griffin sits down on my side of the booth, pressing his body against mine and squishing me to the wall. There is plenty of space in the seat, the jackass is doing this on purpose.
“Weak men like Benjamin don’t suit you, Trix,” Gage comments, still smirking. The asshole.
“And who do you think suits me then, Gage? You?” I ask and laugh. Gage seems knocked off his flirting balance for a moment, but luckily for him the waitress chooses that point to turn up.
“What can I get you guys?” she asks, pulling out a bulky notepad with a pen attached to it.
“Four cokes, four pizzas. All pepperoni,” Griffin answers her.
“Be quick about it, babe,” Gage says, winking once at her. She just about manages to walk away in a straight line after replying with a flustered yes.
“To answer your previous statement, I think I am just the guy for you. So are my brothers. We are the perfect guys for any girl, even you, Trixy.”
I can only laugh.
"We want to apologise for everything," Garett says, but how stupid does he really think I am? It’s really hard not to keep from laughing.
"Seriously?" I ask, before taking a sip of my coke to calm myself down as that was damn funny. "It sounds like you just want to get in my pants. Considering you've been bullying me for a while, that isn't happening."
"You liked us once. I remember the note you wrote to me," Garett teases, and my cheeks burn red as I remember the silly Valentine’s note I wrote Garett when I was thirteen. I had a massive crush on him, but he was in the year above me and way out of my league. I was chubby and messy, and I tripped over thin air. I didn't even know he read the letter or got it at all, he never said a word. I pretended it never happened.
"Shut up," I warn him, and he leans closer across the table.
"Nope," he gruffly tells me. "Why don't you make me, Trix?"
"What note? Why didn't I get one, Trix?" Gage asks with a sexy pout of his lips, and I shake my head, telling myself not to fall for this shit storm of lies coming out of their pretty mouths. I know better.
"What do you all want?" I ask, crossing my arms and leaning back in my seat, even though I don’t have much room.
"To put the past behind us and try to be friends. We came here angry and fucked up, but what you did yesterday snapped us out of it. We want to try and fix this between us and make it up to you," Griffin says, and as I lock my eyes with his, I'm hard-pressed to sense anything but the truth in what he says.
"Really?" I ask him, wanting his answer and not the others. I'm still furious with him about the punch incident, but that was him angry at me. Griffin still is the smartest and kindest one of the three, the one I trust the most, which isn't a lot. I still don't trust them as far as I can throw them.
"Yeah, Trix. We want to be friends," Griffin tells me. I always liked Griffin the most, but I know it’s because he was my first kiss. I was fourteen and he was fifteen, both us had no clue what we were doing. I was stupid enough to think it meant he would be my boyfriend, but the next day he told me that I was too young and just David’s friend. At the time, I was upset but more embarrassed than anything else. David was so mad at me for days, and I’m sure Griffin told him about the kiss.
"Let us make it up to you," Gage suggests, as he places his leg next to mine under the table, pressing my legs together and against Griffin.
"How do you plan on doing that?" I ask, raising my eyebrows at them both. "Not that I'm saying I'm giving you a chance to in the first place."
"Why don't we start off with simply being your friend? You don't have many of them here by the looks of it," Garett suggests. He is right, I don’t, but I have Lottie. They don’t know that though. Lottie is a million times better than anyone at this university who judges before they think much on it. That’s why I liked Benjamin, he is too distracted with his life to judge other people or really think about things.
"That was an insult and really not the best way to start off with fixing things," I say, raising an eyebrow at him. He only looks more amused, all of them do as a matter of fact. Assholes.
"What can I say? I'm an honest asshole at least," Gage remarks, grinning at me, and my stupid lips betray me by smiling back. Dammit.
"Come on, Trix, for old times’ sake. We don't know anyone but you here, and it's the same for you. Be our friend," Gage asks, pouting his lips.
"No more stupid, hurtful shit?" I ask. “It doesn’t work on me anyway, and even if it did, I’d never show you the pain and emotions you clearly want.” I see the challenge shine in Garett’s eyes before he looks away. He wants to see my emotions, and I have a feeling he won’t stop until then.
"No more," all three of them say in unison. I don't believe them, but I’m curious what the plan is now. So for now, I will play their stupid game. It's
not like I can run away from them, and I can't transfer universities when my parents only paid for this course, and I have little other money.
"Fine then, you have a friend," I say, knowing full well I'm going to regret those words.
I just wish I knew how much they planned to make me regret them.
"What an utter shit bag!" I mutter as I stare at the text I've woken up to see. It's simple and straight to the point: Benjamin doesn't think it's working between us and doesn't want to see me anymore. I knew he was a coward, but I'd hoped he would at least have the balls to break up with me in person. Maybe the Hallow brothers were right, he is too weak for me. I was going to break up with him anyway, but it is almost annoying that he did it first. I roll over in my bed, scrolling through Facebook posts and pausing when I find a photo of him at a party last night, with Ariel's tongue down his throat. Well, that is why he broke up with me then. He decided to move on.
The sad thing is I'm not upset by it all. He was always a bit of fun but nothing serious. He didn't make my heart beat faster, he didn't make me nervous. Benjamin was a friend I happened to sleep with, and that was it. There wasn't much more to it. He wasn't my first, that was a mistake I made with a random guy at a party when I was going through my drinking stage. I don't remember his name, only that he had blond hair, and he was kind enough to me. I firmly remember him being freaked out when I drunkenly told him he was my first, and then he ran out the door as quickly as he could. Some guys suck.
I glance up at the clock, seeing it's nine in the morning on a Saturday, and I really should be sleeping in. I roll out of bed, grabbing a towel and heading to my en suite. One warm shower later, I spend my time drying my hair and curling it so it’s wavy after I brush it. After pulling on underwear, skinny jeans with rips in them and a cute tube top, I slide my favourite ankle boots on. They aren't designer like I grew up with, nothing is, but I learnt something important. Sure, designer stuff has a fancy title on it, but the cheaper brands are exactly the same thing just with no tag. I pull my leather jacket on, doing it up before I grab my phone, keys and purse and tuck them into my jeans and coat pockets before heading out of my room.
I hear the sound of a motorbike the second I shut my door, and it is so loud that you would think it is outside, which it can't be because bikes and cars aren't allowed on campus. The only people that drive around here are the campus security in their little security carts. I wrap my hand around my bag as I run down the steps and open the door to my building, only to pause as I see Gage leaning against a shiny red motorbike right in the middle of the path.
"Morning, Trix. Want breakfast at the park?" he asks, and I'm a little too stunned to say anything as the door closes behind me.
"I was going to my aunt’s for breakfast actually," I decide to say, walking over to him. "Though thank you for the invite." I go to step away, but he catches my hand and links my fingers through his as I stare at him wondering what the hell he is doing.
"I don't do dates, and I've just asked you on one. Come on, Trix, don't break my heart. One breakfast at a park isn't going to hurt anyone, is it?" he asks, and I sigh, looking into his clear blue eyes. They look like a swimming pool with a tad too much chlorine, giving it that super, smooth clear effect that you want to jump into.
"Just breakfast, nothing else?" I ask him, still not trusting him one bit. This is Gage Hallow, captain of the American football team, serial heartbreaker, and until recently he bullied me. I'd be insane to trust him. Those stunning blue eyes and sexy smirk do something to me apparently, because the moment he nods, I'm accepting a helmet from him. Gage used to take me out on rides on his bike when I was fourteen and he was fifteen. I remember how excited I got as he rode us down the street outside our house and tried to teach me how to drive, but I was useless at it. That is until his dad came back from a trip and found out his son had been illegally driving his bike. I pull the helmet down as Gage puts his on and gets on the bike. It looks a lot like the one his dad had, but this one is a little nicer, I think. I don't know much about bikes, but as I climb on the back, wrapping my arms around his waist so I don't fall off, I at least know the leather seat is comfy.
"Hold on, Trix. We have a bit of a trip. I want to show you somewhere." I don't get to reply to Gage's statement which comes through a speaker inside the helmet before he is kicking off the brakes and speeding us away through the campus. I close my eyes, resting my head on his back and praying that he is as good a driver as he was when we were younger. After a little while, I get brave and open my eyes, seeing we are speeding through the middle of London, passing the river before going into a long tunnel. We come out of the tunnel, and Gage speeds us through the taxis and cars on the road before stopping at a red light. I look at the cute little shops on the one side and the massive stone buildings that rise above them. The other side is the park, the rare parts of London where there is green, and the air is a little clearer to breathe in. This must be where we’re having breakfast.
Before I stare more at the park, the light turns orange before green, and Gage is taking us off again, flying between the traffic. I guess that was not the right park. The sun shines high in the sky as we ride, and my leather jacket keeps me warm enough, plus Gage blocks most of the wind with his large shoulders anyway. I don't know how long we drive for until Gage turns into a parking lot, just outside the city, if I'm guessing right. It is quiet, which is unusual for London. I get off, pulling my helmet off and handing it to Gage as he opens the seat compartment up. He pulls out two plastic shopping bags and puts both our helmets in the space before closing it.
"Where are we?" I ask him, hearing the sweet sound of birds chirping as the breeze blows around us. I take my jacket off, folding it over my arm as I look around.
"Don't you trust me, Trix?" Gage asks, raising his dark eyebrows, and the breeze blows his thick, glossy black hair to the side. I run my eyes over him and how utterly attractive he is. Gage Hallow is a heartbreaker with a face and body designed to destroy you. Remember that, Trixy.
"No. Only a crazy person would trust you," I reply after clearing my throat. I’m a bad liar right in this moment, and we both know it.
"Then you must be crazy," he replies, sliding his warm hand into mine and tugging me along to a pathway near where he parked. The pathway leads through a small bunch of trees and out onto a random field. The field is small, littered with white daisies growing on the ground. It’s well shielded from the trees surrounding it, and somehow it’s almost raised so you can see the city of London in the far distance. The sounds of the city are lost here, and instead you can hear the nature. Sometimes, I deeply miss that, being in London all the time. You don’t notice it right away, but after a while you long for fresh air and the smell of flowers in a meadow.
"Are you sure we are allowed to be here?" I ask because this place is empty of other people, and it likely belongs to someone. I don’t want to be intruding on someone’s private space. Not one as beautiful as this is.
"Yes. This area belongs to my next door neighbour, a sweet old lady who I told all about you. When she heard I wasn't sure where to take you for our date, she suggested this place," he tells me, and I really wasn’t expecting that answer from him. I place my coat on the ground as he takes his jacket off and places it next to mine with the bag.
"I'm surprised your neighbour likes you after you threw a loud party," I say.
"We chose that day because she was visiting her daughter for the weekend. We aren't monsters you know," he replies, but I don’t believe that yet. Monsters don’t usually know they are the bad guys; they think they are good and what they are doing is the right thing. It isn’t until the world crashes around them do they realise the mess they have made and have to judge their own moral character.
"To me you are," I say, sitting down on the grass and leaning back, looking up at him as he moves to sit down next to me, pulling the bags to his side. "Beautiful monsters, though."
"Life makes monsters of most people. If lif
e screws you over and you come out all nice...then you were damn lucky," he tells me, and I look at him strangely. Gage was always beautifully messed up, but I never understood the reason for it. He had a rich family, a happy enough life until David died...but Gage was always different than the rest of the rich kids. His brothers were as well. It was a joke at school about each of them being the dark, scary triplets who never smile unless someone is suffering.
"You had a good life growing up at least, well as far as I saw," I gently say. "I know our parents weren't around much, but we had everything else."
"Our father was around enough to fuck us up, Trix," he tells me, pulling his knees up to his chest and leaning his arms on them as he looks at the trees. I just stare at him though, trying to figure out who the real Gage Hallow is.
"What do you mean?" I lightly ask.
"Let's say he liked to get drunk and beat our mother up. The reason they weren't around was because mom was in the hospital a lot or recovering in some private place. Daddy dearest was too busy begging her forgiveness," he honestly tells me. I pause as flashes of memory come back to me. Lots of ambulances going to the house, the sound of police cars, and how I once saw their mom with a black eye. She told me she fell down the stairs, and I didn’t question it. They had these giant stairs that anyone could trip on.
"That must have been hard to see. I had no idea," I gently say, placing my hand on his arm to comfort him. He keeps his eyes fixed on mine after he looks up at me, and it reminds me of a time when I came over to their house to ask if David wanted to play. Gage was sitting on the steps of the house, his head in his hands and his long fingers stretched into his dark hair. The sky was cloudy, a deep fog had been around for a while. I don't know why I remember the weather so vividly, but it was almost like it matched his emotions perfectly. Gage was crying, a heartbreaking cry, and I couldn't do anything but watch, my feet were frozen to the ground for some reason. There was blood on his hands and the distant sound of an ambulance on the quiet street. Gage lifted his puffy red eyes to me before quickly getting up and running up the steps. He was thirteen, I remember because it was the Hallow triplets’ birthday the day before. I never did find out why he was crying or why an ambulance came to his house. Now I can fill in the missing blanks.