I started to step away when Adam grabbed me, pulling me close and slamming me to his chest. I stared up into his eyes in defiance at the same time that Louise laughed in her sleep. I pursed my lips in an aha gesture and he released me from his grip.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, kicking off my shoes as I headed down the hallway to my room.
I stripped as I went until I was safely in my room and then I took Louise’s phone from my purse and texted Damen to come over quickly.
I watched the little dots appear at my message.
D: ‘It’s late and I’m tired.’
L: ‘I’m horny and drunk.’
D: ‘Tomorrow babe.’
L: ‘No, now. I want you now. I’ll let you in my ass if you come right now!’
D: ‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep.’
L: ‘I’m serious. Get here in the next ten minutes and you can fuck me in my ass.’
D: ‘What about Anna?’
I frowned at the screen, taking a moment to consider what I wanted to ask versus what Louise would say.
L: ‘Why are we talking about her when I just told you that you could fuck me in the ass?’
D: ‘Fine. I’m on my way.’
I smiled at the screen and put on my pajamas, quickly wiping off my makeup and chewing on a mint from the bottom of my purse. It didn’t take long before I could hear the tell-tale sounds of Louise’s giggles coming from the living room to know that she had fallen for it, and I beamed with pride that it had worked.
A knocking came on the front door, but Adam and Louise were clearing too involved in what they were doing to hear it and I stifled a laugh as the knocking became more and more frantic until I heard the sound of Damen kicking at the front door.
I winced, thinking of the cost, but knew it would be worth it in the end. I mussed up my hair and left my room just in time to see Damen kick our front door in and storm into the room.
“Oh my God, what are you doing?” I yelled at him, storming forwards as Louise screamed and Damen lunged for a naked Adam.
Louise was drunkenly stumbling around the room trying to find some clothes to put on when her gaze fell on me.
“What did you do?” she cried.
Adam pushed past me and ran out of the apartment, still naked, and I headed to the CD player and switched it off.
The room fell into a deathly silence as Louise grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around herself. Damen stared between the two of us, rage and pain etched on his face.
“How could you?” he said quietly to Louise.
“I was drunk,” she sobbed, her gaze moving between me and him. “I just didn’t think. Oh God, I think I’m going to be sick.” She bent over and threw up all over the carpet as Damen turned and stormed away.
I chased after him, finding him in the hallway. He punched a fist through the wall, barely reacting when blood sprouted from his knuckles.
“Damen,” I said hesitantly, and he turned and glared at me. I held my hands up in defense. “It’s just me.”
He shook his head. “Why didn’t you stop her?” he asked. “Why did you let her get so drunk?”
I frowned in confusion. “Because I was sleeping and this is what she does, Damen. She goes out drinking and brings random guys back to the apartment. Hello, that’s what she did with you remember?”
It was his turn to look confused now. “You were with her though, Anna. You were both out together. And look, I get that you have this little crush on me, but I love her and now it’s ruined, and you could have stopped this.”
I winced at his words. Not only did he think I only had a crush on him, but he also said he loved her. What was wrong with him? Couldn’t he see the monster that she was? Couldn’t he see that he loved me too? That we were perfect for each other.
“Damen,” I said, taking a step towards him ready to deliver my final blow, “I wasn’t with Louise tonight. We’ve not spoken in over a week thanks to you. She came home, got changed and said she was going out dancing.”
“She went out alone?” he asked, and it took everything in me not to go to him and wrap my arms around him.
Instead, I pointed to my pajamas and makeup free face. “Well, she certainly didn’t go out with me.”
Damen dragged his hands through his hair. “I need to go. I can’t deal with this.” And then he turned and left.
I headed back into the apartment, making a vain attempt at closing the door and securing it with one of the bookshelves. I’d have to call someone tomorrow to fix that and no doubt it would be expensive, but I still couldn’t help but smile.
Chapter Six
I turned back to the coffee mugs as I waited for the old percolator to do its thing. It had been a great investment when Louise and I had first moved in, but just like her relationship with Damen, it needed to be replaced.
Louise had always been the party girl. The one that got the boyfriends. The one that got invited to parties and weekends away. Big promotions. Big opportunities. Big everything. I think that’s what Damen liked about her so much; that she was wild and reckless. But wild and reckless wasn’t something you wanted to marry and settle down with.
I picked up the carafe of steaming black coffee and began pouring it into two mugs. My mug was white with a little sunshine near the handle. Simple. Cute. Easy to clean. Louise’s, just like
