Dirty Love & Filthy Lies

Chapter Four

When we pull up at the apartment complex, Patrick is nowhere to be found. A quick call confirms that he's running late. My anxiety is running at an all-time high. I feel like throwing up and we haven't even started tackling the hard stuff yet.

As I suspected, Connor's blue mustang is vacant from its normal spot. If all goes smoothly, we will be finished and back at the dorm before he returns. I don't want to be around when he comes home to find my stuff gone.

I rub a palm across my face, wiping away the beads of sweat dotting my forehead. "Why don't we go on up and start packing? I don't have a lot, so it shouldn't take too long. Once Patrick arrives, we can just throw everything in the back of his truck."

Becca gives me a slide glance. "Stop fretting," she says bumping her shoulder against mine. "It might not feel like it now, but you're doing the right thing. You're my bestie. I would never steer you wrong."

I'm so used to doing everything on my own. It feels nice to have someone else take the reins and help me get back on my feet. I follow Becca to the front door on wooden legs. My hands shake so bad it takes me several tries before I finally manage to get the door unlocked. Stepping into the room, I take a good look around, surprised to see that everything looks just as it did when I left. I don't know what I was expecting, but a clean apartment wasn't on the list. Even the kitchen sink is empty, not a dirty dish in sight.

Becca ignores my stunned expression and darts around me, making a beeline for the bedroom. "What do you want me to start with first?" She calls out.

"Go on and start emptying out the closet. Just throw everything on the floor for now and I'll find a bag to put it all in."

Plopping down on the couch, I take a good look around me noticing how everything here reminds me of a special time shared by Conner and me. The couch where I rewarded Conner a blowjob after he endured watching The Notebook with me. He hates chick flicks with a passion. The kitchen island where we drank coffee together every morning. Everything in this apartment feels tainted now, ruined by his lies and wandering dick.

"Emma!" Becca yells. "You need to come in here and see this." The panic riding Becca's voice has me sprinting to the bedroom.

Sprinting down the hall, I dash into the bedroom and come to a screeching halt. My eyes pan around the room not landing on one thing in general, as I try to take it all in. "Holy fuck balls!"

"You can say that again," she scoffs, shaking her head. "It looks like someone let a wild animal loose in here."

My gaze zeros in on the fist-sized hole next to the door frame and a shiver runs down my spine. There are other holes besides this one, some bigger and some smaller, along with specks of dried blood covering the carpet. "I don't think we'll be getting our deposit back," I muse out loud.

Becca lets out a low whistle. "The room is trashed."

I take in the broken lamp by the bed, the shattered photos ground into the carpet, and the cracked headboard before giving her a slow nod. Conner left nothing untouched. Bending down I start sifting through the torn fabric piled on the floor. "He cut up my clothes," I say in disbelief. "Some of these still had the tags on them."

"What a turd." Becca begins picking her way through the room, her steps careful and measured. "We should retaliate and break his shit. Serves him right."

I slump against the wall and run a hand down my face. I was prepared to deal with a messy apartment. Some leftover pizza laying out along with several empty bottles of beer wouldn't have surprised me. But finding my clothes destroyed is a slap in the face.