Playing The Game

Playing The Game - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Branden stayed for a little bit longer after that. We made out a little more (which made me feel kind of guilty. Now I was cheating on Joel), and just as he was about to walk out the door, the doorbell rang.

            He opened the door, and I didn’t see who it was, but Branden pulled back his fist to punch whoever it was in the face. In that second I knew exactly who it was, but Branden’s fist snapped forward before I could stop him. I heard the sickening crunch of bones breaking, and I swung the door open wider to see Joel holding his face, blood pouring from his nose.

“What the f**k, Branden?!” I screamed.

“This asshole cheated on you, I had every right to punch him,” he replied angrily.

“No, that’s not how it works. F**k!!” I turned towards Joel, who now looked murderously angry, and I knew what he was about to do. “Joel, don’t…”

“You shut up!” he shouted at me.

“Don’t speak to her like that!” Branden yelled at Joel.

“I’ll speak to her however I f*****g like. She’s my girlfriend, not yours!” And with that Joel stepped forward and punched Branden hard in the jaw. Branden punched him back, and within seconds it had turned into a full-blown fight in the hallway.

Oh, shit. This is bad.

I moved towards them to pull Joel off of Branden, but he pushed me away and I stumbled back and landed hard on the floor. Branden paused and looked towards me, making sure I was okay, but that just gave Joel time to punch him in the head, knocking him out. I gasped as I stared at Branden, lying unconscious on the floor. I looked up at Joel, my mouth hanging open, and I’m sure I looked extremely vulnerable and scared.

He glared at me. “I knew you were cheating on me! You are, aren’t you? You f*****g bitch!!” he shouted before kicking me in the stomach a few times. He picked me up off the ground and slapped me. Then he kissed me, hard and roughly. “I told you I wasn’t going to let you break up with me, and I sure as hell am not going to let you cheat on me. Now I’m gonna leave, and you’re gonna get rid of him, okay? I don’t wanna see him back here ever again. You got it?”

I gulped and nodded. He turned and stepped over Branden, who was just beginning to come back around, and walked out the door. As soon as he was gone I dropped to my knees beside Branden. He groaned and half sat up, holding his head.

“Oh my God, are you okay? Stupid question, of course you’re not. Do you wanna go to the doctor or something? I mean, you did just get into a massive fight an—”

Branden put a finger to my, stopping my babbling. He laughed. “I’m fine. I just broke his nose! I am perfectly okay. Are you?

I nodded, even though it was a lie. But he saw right through it.

“No you’re not,” he said, stroking my cheek. “I thought these looked darker before. What has he been doing to you?” I looked away. Shit, he knew. “Rubi, I won’t tell anyone. Just tell me what he’s done.”

I sighed and leaned into his chest. “He’s been abusing me for the last couple of weeks,” I mumbled. “He stopped after the accident, but then he started again when I found out that he’d cheated on me.”

“That f*****g bastard. God, I wish I would’ve killed him right then and there,” he growled.

“He thinks I’m cheating on him with you now.”

“Uh, Rubi? You kind of are. You did kiss me, remember? More than a few times. Or did he give you brain damage, and you forgot already.”

I laughed. “I didn’t forget, don’t worry. Please, don’t say anything to anyone, especially not my mum or Allie. Rhys knows, but that’s it.”