Destroy You (Destroy #3) (12 page)

Chapter 16

Trent

I saw the nurses move Becca into her room around dawn, and I had been watching for Toni to show up since then. The consequences of my decision to stay with Trinity at the hospital didn’t hit me until I saw Toni leaving Becca’s room with Jeremy. Their hands were linked, and Toni snuggled into his side like she was borrowing his strength. She needed me, and I’d proven to her that Jeremy was still the only man she could depend on.

Kate and Reed exited the room and lumbered down the hall half-asleep. Toni glanced in my direction for a moment, her dark eyes bloodshot and puffy from crying, then quickly turned away without acknowledging me. Jeremy tucked her in closer to his side, and I wanted to pull them apart, but he was there for her while I wasn’t.

After they disappeared around the corner, I pulled out my phone to send her a text. I needed to let her know that even though I was taking care of Trinity, I was still thinking about her. Unfortunately, I forgot for the hundredth time that my cell didn’t have a signal in the hospital. I groaned and shoved the useless hunk of plastic back in my pocket. I’d have to get in touch with her soon or I was going to lose her before I even got to really be with her.

Trinity cracked open an eye as soon as I dropped back down into my chair. She smiled victoriously. “I knew you’d come.”

My jaw tightened, and I fought the urge to yell. “You OD’d on pills to get my attention?” I said between clenched teeth.

“Don’t say it like that. I couldn’t get you to talk to me. I needed you, but you were too busy with your booty call to answer your phone. You’ve never ignored me before,” she pouted.

Trinity was never going to stop. Melody had warned me, but I was too thickheaded to listen. Worse, Toni knew it, too. I saw it in her eyes last night when I decided to take care of Trinity. She knew Trinity was manipulating me in order to come between us, and I was letting her.

I clenched my fists. Trinity would do it again and again until she either kept my attention or succeeded in killing herself. I didn’t know how to remove myself from this fucked-up dynamic, though. I had to figure out a way to step back without setting myself up for a lifetime of guilt.

“Where did you get the pills, Trinity?” I demanded.

She waved her hand dismissively. “Doesn’t matter.”

I slammed my hand down hard on the nearby table. “Yes, it fucking does, Trin,” I shouted, losing the battle to control my temper.

I had a few seconds before my angry outburst brought a nurse into the room. I could already hear the squeak of rubber soles on the linoleum outside.

Trinity sighed. Her brassy-colored hair was matted with what looked like dried vomit. She’d also lost weight since the last time I’d seen her only a couple of weeks ago. Obviously, she had used that time away to binge on whatever her current drug of choice was.

“Just some new guy I’m chillin’ with. He’s got connections.”

“You need help, Trinity,” I mumbled, defeated.

She rolled her eyes. “Duh, that’s why I called you.”

“Not me. I’m obviously not helping. You need professional help,” I urged.

Trinity opened her mouth to argue with me, but her nurse came in to check her vitals and probably investigate the yelling. I welcomed the interruption and used it as a chance to escape.

I rushed out of the hospital. The smell of antiseptics, blood, and other bodily fluids mingled in the air, causing me to gag. Outside the main entrance, I gulped air, trying to get the burning sensation caused by the chemicals out of my nose. I bent forward with my hands on my knees, trying to release the tension and exhaustion racking my body, when a lukewarm cup of coffee was shoved in front of my face. It wasn’t difficult for me to figure out that Melody was next to me. She was the only one that would bother trying to find me now that I’d pissed off Toni, and I knew it was her because the stench of cigarettes replaced the smell of industrial cleaning solution.

I straightened up and took the cup of coffee. Mel shook her head and snuffed out her smoke. “I thought you’d have left sooner. If your coffee is cold, that’s your problem.” She studied me for a moment and crossed her arms across her chest. “Toni dump you yet?”

I held my hand up to stop her tirade. “Not now, Mel. Toni will understand it was an emergency.” I hoped she would, at least.

“Maybe, but she ran Toni off the first night you met, and what about the nights you managed to coax Toni over to your place for a movie only to have Trinity interrupt with other emergencies? How many times have you left Toni to bail Trinity out?”

I rubbed my hand across my head. If I ever grew my hair out, this little habit would make me look like a mess. “I don’t know, maybe four or five times.”

Melody shrugged. “I don’t know, McKenzie, I wouldn’t be very forgiving if it was me.”

“What am I supposed to do, Mel? Tell me! How do I walk away from Trinity knowing she’s going to fucking down a handful of pills every time I don’t answer the goddamn phone?” I shouted.

She drilled her finger into my chest. “Don’t start in on me. I’ve told you over and over, Trinity isn’t your responsibility. But you’ve got it in your head that you have to play superhero every time she snaps her fingers. I’ll tell you this. I don’t blame Toni for running in the opposite direction. No woman wants to come in second to another woman, especially when that other woman is trying to steal your man. You’ve proven to Toni that anytime Trinity calls, you will drop everything. Well, Trinity was in the hospital. She was already being taken care of by professionals. It could have waited, but Toni needed you last night. You fucked up. Own up to it and grow a set of balls. Trinity obviously has possession of your original pair!”

“Shit,” I muttered.

Despite her angry words, Melody was looking at me with pity, telling me without words that she believed I’d already lost Toni.

I couldn’t lose her like that. I pulled out my phone again and moved away from the building until I found a spot where I could make a call. Toni’s phone rang several times before it was answered.

“Toni’s phone,” Jeremy greeted.

“Is she there?” I asked hopefully.

“She’s sleeping.”

“Can I stop by? I’m going to leave here as soon as my mom shows up,” I said, then held my breath.

Jeremy hesitated. “I’m not sure how to answer you. I think she both wants to see you and never wants to see you again. With her, who the hell knows which emotion will win out. I do know she’s had a colossally shitty day, and I’m really glad she finally fell asleep.”

“What happened?” Something about his tone led me to believe that whatever he glossed over had nothing to do with Becca and Aiden.

“It’s not my place to tell you,” he answered evasively.

“Give me something, Jer, please,” I begged. I wasn’t above it; I’d hand over my pride if he’d tell me how to fix things.

“I’m not sure I can help you, Trent. I know all too well how much it hurts to be pushed aside for someone else. If you are this wrapped up in that girl, maybe you need to admit to yourself that there’s no room for anyone else in your life right now. You obviously don’t want Toni enough to make her a priority.”

“I want to fix it.”

“She’s not going to make it easy. After you walked away and after the day she’s had, it might be nearly impossible,” he warned.

“I’m going to talk to her doctor. I keep trying to help Trinity, but I think I’m actually making it worse,” I admitted.

Before I could chase after Toni, I needed to take my own advice. It was time for me to seek professional help. I meant what I told Jeremy; I wasn’t helping Trinity. I needed to step away and let the experts take over.

Chapter 17

Toni

Tired
didn’t even cover the extent of my exhaustion. My bones felt heavy under my skin. My eyelids were lined with lead, and keeping them open was a chore. I fought falling asleep for as long as I could, but the downy softness of my comforter melted around me, and I knew it was a fight I was going to lose.

“Stay put. I know you think you’re Superwoman, but you need to sleep, Half-pint,” Jeremy ordered.

I yawned and saluted him. Ordinarily I’d have argued, but he was right. Besides, at least while I was sleeping, I could forget these last two horrible days. This morning started off amazing after Jeremy and I arrived at the hospital and discovered Becca had been moved out of the ICU. We weren’t there long before her green eyes opened for the first time since the crisis began. The relief on Aiden’s face when she finally awoke made my heart soar and ache simultaneously. I wanted what they had, and after last night, I was fairly certain I’d have to keep looking.

Jeremy and I planned to swing by Becca and Aiden’s after we dropped Reed and Kate off at their house. Halfway to the Ryan residence, Cam texted me letting me know that Frank, Aiden’s dad, had arrived.

Jeremy’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. He hadn’t missed that Cameron texted me instead of him, even though he was the one that helped Cam settle in with Scott.

“Jer,” I began.

He shook his head. “Just leave it be, okay? I know you want to say something here, but there’s nothing left to talk about. Cam and I tried the friend thing after we stopped dating, but he pulled away from that, too. I’ve got to stop trying to rationalize his behavior and admit to myself that he doesn’t feel the same way I do. It’s time I moved on.” He bit the corner of his lip.

“What was that look? When you said you had to move on, I could swear you were thinking about someone specific. Perhaps someone new?” I observed.

Jeremy scratched his head and blushed. It was adorable, and something I hadn’t seen on him in a long time. He knew I was studying him, but he kept his eyes focused on the road and tried to ignore me. I started hopping in my seat.

He quickly glanced over at me and shook his head. “You look like a bunny on crack. Sit still.”

I raised my eyebrow and crossed my arms across my chest. “I will as soon as you spill your secret.”

“Fine, but only because you’ll pester the shit out of me until I do. Last week I ran into someone I knew in Seattle. He’s been accepted to grad school here for geology. I told him I’d show him around,” he said as if it was no big deal.

“How well did you know him?” I waggled my eyebrows in case he didn’t know where I was headed with my questioning.

“God, Toni. Let’s just say I’m not a blushing virgin and leave it there, yeah?” he grumbled.

“You’re no fun,” I complained teasingly.

Jeremy’s wicked smirk came out. “Oh, I bet Ben would argue with that.”

He laughed, and I rolled my eyes at him. It was good to see his flirtatious side return. He’d been heartbroken for too long. I wondered when the dark clouds over my head would disperse.

“If that’s true, why have I never heard of him? Did you date, or was he just a friend?”

Jeremy shrugged. “We went out a few times, but the timing was bad.”

I raised my eyebrows, letting him know I wanted more information.

“You are relentless. Here’s the short version. Ben was the first guy I went out with after I came out to my parents. I was a junior in high school, and he was a senior. Like I said, we went out a few times, but it wasn’t long before he graduated and then went to school in Oregon. There’s no traumatic breakup story here. We’ve even kept in touch to an extent through social media. But now that he’s moving here, I don’t know, maybe the timing will be better this time.”

“Is he cute?”

Jeremy looked at me like I was stupid. Of course he was cute. Jeremy might be one of the sweetest men on the planet, but he was still a guy. I’m sure Ben was as genetically gifted as Cameron.

“He’s got sandy-brown hair, a few freckles, and light green eyes. He’s a rock climber, so…”

“So in other words, he’s smoking hot. Does he have a straight brother?” I muttered.

Jeremy patted my knee. I always joked that the way to get over one guy was to get under a new one, but I never actually tested that theory. Even when things turned sour with Miguel, I never really hooked up with someone else. I flirted, but I never let it go too far. I certainly wasn’t going to try now. Getting over Trent was going to be hard.

We turned the corner toward our house, and I noticed someone sitting on the front porch. Up the street, I saw a little sports car nestled in with the other cars. It had dealer plates from Santos Motors.

“Son of a bitch,” I shouted. I hadn’t talked to Miguel since Kate and Reed’s wedding. He’d tried, but I’d gotten pretty good at avoiding him. I should have known he’d eventually force me to talk to him. I mean, I hoped he wouldn’t push it, but that was wishful thinking on my part.

“What is that asshole doing here?” Jeremy growled.

“I don’t know, but he’s not staying. I’ll get rid of him.”

“Toni, I don’t trust that guy. I know you think he’s fairly harmless, but there’s a darkness hidden under the sleaze.”

Jeremy wanted me to let him take care of Miguel, but I had never let a man take care of my problems before, and I wasn’t about to start with Jeremy. Our relationship was confusing enough for most people to understand, but if he started acting like a jealous boyfriend, no one would ever believe we were just friends.

“I won’t leave the porch. If I’m still outside after ten minutes, feel free to get rid of him yourself,” I said.

“Ten minutes, no more. I don’t want that bigoted asshole here a moment longer,” Jeremy insisted.

He parked behind the house, and I walked around the outside to the front porch. I wanted to make it perfectly clear to Miguel he wouldn’t be invited in.

When he saw me approach, he flashed me what I’m sure he thought was a seductive smile. He must have really believed I was hopelessly head over heels for him. Idiot.

I crossed my arms across my chest and tapped my foot. “Cut the shit and tell me why you’re here.”

He looked at me curiously and then shrugged. “I need a favor.”

“I’m all out of those. You can go now.” I dropped my arms and shooed him away with my hands.

He sighed. “Don’t you think it’s time we made up already? Shit, the thing with that girl has been over forever. I know I hurt your feelings, but I promise I’m just getting it all out of my system before we get married. C’mon, Toni, I need my parents to see us back together. I screwed up some paperwork in the maintenance department when my dad had me working at the dealership. Now he’s insisting I finish my bachelor’s degree in business before I can come back to work. My parents like you, and if they think we are finally settling down, they’ll see I’m responsible enough to continue working for the family business.”

“There is so much wrong with what you just said. First, and most importantly, we are not getting married. Ever. Second, it’s probably a good idea for you to get your degree. Third, none of this is my problem.”

Miguel stared at me for an uncomfortably long time, like he was waiting for me to figure out something. When I didn’t respond, he said, “My father enrolled me at Central.”

My jaw fell open for a moment, and I immediately snapped it closed. I didn’t want him to come to Ellensburg, but I wasn’t willing to pretend to be engaged to him to prevent it, either. There were a few people in town I didn’t like very much. Miguel would just have to be another one.

“I’m sure we can avoid each other.”

Miguel’s eyes narrowed. “Look, Antonia, I have business in Yakima I can’t get away from at the moment, and getting sent to the boonies doesn’t fit my plans. I need you to work with me here. Might as well get used to it, because we
will
be married soon after you graduate.”

I scoffed. “I don’t understand you at all. Why are you pushing this? You don’t want to marry me.”

He started to walk toward me until I took a step back. “Of course I do. We’re young, and I’ve made stupid mistakes, but why wouldn’t I want to marry you? You’re beautiful, smart, and funny. We make sense together. I know you don’t believe me, but I love you.”

I clenched my fists at my sides, then forced my fingers to relax as I took a deep breath. “Let me see if I understand. You love me, you want to marry me, but you cheat on me when we’re actually together?”

“You’re a good girl, Antonia, and there are certain things a guy can only get from a bad girl. I only cheated because I respect you too much to ask you to do some of the things I like, and you never really seemed very into sex, so I didn’t think you’d mind.”

I laughed humorlessly. “Do you hear yourself? How else can I say this to get into your thick head? I’m. Not. Marrying. You. Ever!”

It only took a second for his attitude to change and for the rage Jeremy had seen under the surface of Miguel’s slimy demeanor to rise to the top.

He grabbed me by my ponytail and yanked my head back hard. “Don’t think I don’t know about your bartender,” he sneered as he leaned over me. “I’ve kept my distance, because I know you didn’t like me with other women, but I’ve been keeping tabs on you the entire time. You’ve done a good job trying to make me jealous, but that shit is over now. I’ll teach him not to touch what is mine soon, but first you need to remember your place. I need your help, and I only asked as a courtesy. Since you’re being a bitch about it, let me put it in terms you can understand. You will do what you’re told. I won’t have you disobeying me after we’re married, and you should really fall in line now.”

I elbowed him hard in the gut to make him let go of my hair. “Don’t ever fucking touch me again,” I shouted. “What I do, or who, is none of your business.”

“You better not have let him touch you! I know you kissed him, but that better be all. I don’t plan on marrying some dirty whore!”

I scrambled backward. “You’re delusional. We’ve been over for a year now. You need to leave and never come back.”

He took a step toward me but was yanked backward before he reached me.

Jeremy seemed to appear out of nowhere and grabbed Miguel’s shirt before he could reach me. “You heard the lady. Get the fuck off our property,” he demanded and shoved him toward the porch steps.

“You aren’t man enough to take me on, fairy.”

Jeremy towered at least six inches over Miguel’s five-foot-nine-inch frame. Not to mention Jeremy carried about fifty more pounds of muscle than him. Miguel was lean, a little scrawny actually, while Jer was a college athlete built like a pro baseball player.

“Don’t test me. People like you piss me off, but I’d rather Toni wasn’t standing here when I kick your ass,” Jeremy seethed.

I’d seen glimpses of Jeremy’s temper in the past. Never directed at me, but there had been flashes during the times our friends were in danger. I didn’t doubt that Jeremy very much wanted to kick Miguel’s ass and probably would have done so in broad daylight if I were out of the way.

Jeremy was forcing him closer to the edge of the porch when I noticed Miguel reaching behind his back for something at his waist.

I didn’t see Reed until he bolted across the street. Faster than I could blink, he had Miguel pinned to the ground with one knee on his back and both of his wrists trapped under one of Reed’s large hands. Reed passed Jeremy his phone and returned his full attention to Miguel.

“I have a permit to carry,” Miguel said with his face mostly shoved into the ground.

Reed used his free hand to pull out Miguel’s wallet. “Son of a bitch. Well, this little piece of paper doesn’t give you the right to threaten people on their property.” He looked up at Jeremy. “Call Daniels and ask him how soon he can get over here. It’s days like this I almost regret quitting the force.”

I tried to stay strong and show Miguel that he couldn’t intimidate me. Unfortunately, my body had other ideas. My knees started to buckle, and I stumbled. Jeremy steadied me and let me lean against him.

“Jer, take her inside the house,” Reed ordered. “She probably hasn’t slept in almost two days. I’ll wait for Daniels to come and collect this piece of shit.”

“No way, boys. You aren’t going to deposit me in my room so you can take care of my problems,” I argued.

“Toni, he brought a goddamned gun here to talk to you,” Reed said. “Besides that, he’s high as a fucking kite right now. I might not be a cop anymore, but I do know what I’m doing. Can you make my life easier than Kate did when I was trying to look after her? Just go inside and wait for Daniels to take your report. Then you need to get a temporary restraining order.”

“Like it would do any good,” I mumbled.

Reed’s nostrils flared, and I knew he was remembering the events that led to him quitting the police department. One of the officers, Freddie Pratt, developed an unhealthy obsession with Reed. When Kate and Reed started seeing each other, after she unknowingly dismissed Pratt’s advances, he snapped. He stalked them, tried to frame Reed for murder, and eventually tried to kill them. The only one on the force that tried to help during the entire fiasco was Reed’s former partner Daniels.