Her Brother's Best Friend - Aching Hearts Series #2

Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26 - PLEASE,DON'T

Vanessa, from her part, ignored the pain at her wrist to pay attention to her best friend for a moment. She seemed gloomier than usual, as if something had just crushed down onto her to destroy the very little progress she'd been making those couple of weeks. Emily was such a delicate flower, in her conditions, anything could push her towards the abyss.

It seemed as if she kept on treading on that fine line, just one little push, and no matter how much she'd recovered, she'd be thrown back into the deepest gutter. Vanessa wondered why did that happen, but then, as if noticing all those people around her for the very first time since she got there, she looked up and glanced over the table.

Ah. Of course. Why couldn't she notice it earlier? "Where is he?" She whispered to her right, addressing the guy beside her for the first time since months. His eyes widened, surprised that she even only said a word to him, therefore he wasn't able to respond to her question, which had Vanessa dare lean in enough to whisper for his ear only: "Riley. Where is he? Why isn't he here?"

Before Jason could reply, a clearly hostile female voice piped in: "He got detained. What's it to you?" Gwen.

Vanessa closed her eyes for a moment, recalling their conflict, and she bit her lip, her eyes travelling to Emily for a moment. She thought about ignoring Gwen and asking Jason again, but that would have caused a scene, therefore she only nodded, turning back to her meal, though wondering what could ever keep the guy from coming back to his Honeybee. Just one time she dared be selfish, and the whole world turned upside down. Ah, these people. When would they ever learn?

"There was no need to snap like that." Vanessa heard Jason whisper-yell at his fiancée.

"Are you still seeing her?" Gwen asked.

"Of course not."

"Then why do you care?"

"I was just –"

"Don't push your luck, Jason. I want honesty. You promised me that."

He sighed. "I have been honest, Gwen. I was only saying –"

"Choose your words wisely."

Another sigh from him. 

To be having this fight, at dinner, with her just there, was absurd. Vanessa almost thanked her wrist for having her clench her teeth in pain, so that she could excuse herself to the bathroom and be saved from the rest of the conversation, afraid she'd hear something that would only shatter the last scraps of her heart.

She headed upstairs, just to have more privacy, and once there, she gagged herself as she screamed her pain into her sleeve. It was just a sprain, but it hurt like Hell, and the memory of that morning only had her temples pulse more and more. She fished her pockets for a small box, but then she recalled she was wearing leggings, therefore no pockets ... sighing, she raked a hand over her face, and went over to the sink.

This whole situation was unbelievable. How could she get in such trouble? Once she'd slipped off her scarf, and moved the sweater to the side a bit, she eyed the small bruise on her shoulder, where she'd knocked against the tree. She winced when her fingertips brushed that spot. She then moved to her throat, the memory of Chad nearly choking her just that morning all too vivid in her mind. She shivered at the sole thought.

How could she get out of this? He was getting more and more violent by the day, and the chances were, he would finally get to beating her to a pulp someday. How could she be so blind? She'd always thought he was nothing but a punk that pretended to be a badass, she thought she could handle him. How wrong she was. Now she was facing a possessive, controlling, violent boyfriend that, she had to admit this to herself, despite her inner badassery, scared even her to death.