“I brought pastry. And coffee, obviously,” she says, nodding at the tray she walked in with.
“Ooooh,” I say, reaching for the paper bag. I might have just had a stack of pancakes with Spike, but I’m not one to turn down a sweet treat.
I pull out a chocolate twist and settle back on the sofa.
“So who was it? Anyone you recognised?”
“Nope. Just some guy in a hoodie. Fucking arsehole. He didn’t even steal anything, it was weird.”
A ball of dread forms in my belly as she says those last few words.
“He didn’t want your phone or purse or anything?” I ask, sitting forward once again.
“Not that he said.”
“D-did he say anything?”
“No. He was probably wasted or high or something. It’s not like it’s unusual where we come from.”
“I know, there’s just usually some kind of motive.” The ball continues to grow in my belly.
“Why do you look so concerned?”
“Um…” It’s a good question. They’re all dead. D’s brother took care of them. Didn’t he? “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“You think it might have been Jet, don’t you?”
“Jet? No, probably not. The last time I saw him he wasn’t exactly… breathing.”
“What?” She blanches, her eyes as wide as saucers.
“If I tell you this, you have to keep it zipped.”
“You got it.”
I explain the details of Friday night, although I leave out any names or anything that might lead back to people other than Jet and his gang of arseholes.
“Holy shit, Kas. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just a little scratch on my hip.”
“So why do you look so concerned? If they’re all gone, if it’s over, then you’ve no reason to think that has anything to do with it.”
“I know. I’m just being cautious. It’s kind of ingrained at this point. You’re probably right, just some guy who’d had it out with his girl and needed a punching bag.”
“Exactly, there are more than a few of them around our parts.”
“Ain’t that the fucking truth. So… this place is nice. Where’s your new housemate?”
“At the gym.”
“Damn, I was hoping I’d get to meet your hero.”
I open my mouth to argue and tell her that he’s hardly that, but I can’t because it’s kind of true. Spike might be aware that he took me away from my previous life, but I don’t think he can ever appreciate just how much he really did save me. I’d wanted out for years, but men like Jet would always have kept me down, ensuring that I owed them for whatever reason. People don’t leave that place usually, unless it’s in a body bag.
I got lucky, and I owe it all to him.
“You’ve got that look on your face.”
“What look?”
“The one of a girl in love.”
“Fuck off, I’m not in love with him.”
“You’ve fucked him again though?”
“Uh, yeah. Once or twice.”
“Girl, you are in trouble here,” she laughs.
“How so? I’m pretty sure this place is the opposite of trouble.”
“Zach know you’re banging his mate yet?”
“Er… not exactly.”
“What’s that meant to mean?”
“He hit him for thinking that he had. I have no idea what’s going to happen when he finds out he really has been.”
“You need to talk to him.”
“I know,” I mutter.
“He’s your brother. You need to take control of this situation.”
“Ugh, why do you have to be the sensible one?”
“One of us has to be.”
Silence falls between us as we both eat and drink, lost in our own thoughts.
“I’m working at the studio. Zach wants to train me up.”
“That’s awesome.”
“Yeah, I think it could be. I watched Spike do this crazy design on a woman yesterday. I want that. I want to spend my days doing that.”
She shakes her head.
“What now?”
“Nothing, it’s just… your voice changes when you talk about him.”
“Ugh, enough.” I ball up the paper bag in my lap and launch it at her.
As always, once we get into setting the world to rights, the time seems to go at lightning speed, and before I know it, there’s a key being pushed into the door and Jodie’s eyes widen in delight.
I’ve no idea why, if it’s excitement to see him or anxiety about what Jodie thinks of him, but butterflies erupt in my belly.
He pushes into the flat and throws his gym bag into the direction of his room before running his hand through his still wet hair to pull it back from his face.
“Holy shit, girl,” Jodie breathes, her eyes locked on my man.
A wide smile spreads across my face. My man, hell yeah!
“Oh shit,” he says, his eyes flying to us. “Hey, J-Jodie, right?”
“Sure, but I could be anything you like,” she says with a wink, making me bark out a laugh. Jodie has never been backward in coming forward when it comes to what she wants, although I can tell by her eyes that she’s joking right now. She’s too good a friend to even consider going after my man.
Spike coughs, covering up his shock at her words. “Right, well. Are you… okay?” he asks, his eyes narrowing on her dark, swollen one.
“You should see the state of him,” she jokes.
“She got jumped last night,” I say, when the concern doesn’t leave Spike’s face.
“Shit, are you okay?”
“Seriously, you two need to stop worrying. I’m fine, he didn’t steal anything. This’ll be gone in a few days and I’ll be as beautiful as ever.”
“You want another coffee?” I ask, getting up and walking straight into Spike’s arms when he opens them for me.
“You two are sickening, you know that, right?” I shrug while Spike stiffens in my arms slightly.
“So, coffee?”
“No, I’m good. I’m going to head off before you start panting like dogs.”
“What? We will not–”
“You fucking should, girl. Make the most of him.” I watch as she collects up her stuff and dumps her rubbish in the kitchen as if she lives here herself.
“Call me in a few days with updates, yeah?”
“Sure thing. Please try to be safe?”
“Always.” She blows me a kiss and then she’s gone.
“Whoa, she’s a bit
