Distraction: The Distraction Trilogy #1 (26 page)

“Are you kidding me? Try explaining that one to him.” I’m surprised my words sound a lot more sober than I actually am. Giggle.

“This isn’t a fucking joke!” He yells, turning the next corner sharply, sending me flying into the door. Ouch. “Look at you, you’re a state.”

“I take back what I thought about you looking good.”

“You’re going to go home and sleep this off.”

“You picked me up just so you could take me to a place where I’m not even meant to be sleeping tonight?” My giddiness turns to anger in a split second. “Are you fucking kidding me? Stop the car and I’ll walk back.”

“So that arsehole can take advantage of you?”

“What arsehole?”

“The one kissing you.”

I blink in shock. “You were watching me?”

“Don’t be stupid. I happened to drive by as you were sucking face on the street.”

“You were watching me. You have no right to watch me.”

“You’ll wake up tomorrow on a couch, next to him, surrounded by other idiots, and wonder what the fuck you did tonight. Do you want that? Do you honestly want that regret?”

I bang my head backwards against the head rest a few times. “It’ll be better than going home and facing my dad.”

“Grow up, Eloise.”

“I’m trying, but you won’t fucking let me! Now take me back!”

“I won’t let that ugly, little son of a bitch use you!”

I roll my eyes and before I can stop it, up comes the word vomit. “You mean like you did?”

The car stops with a screech. It’s sharp and sudden and I am so lucky I’m wearing a seatbelt. Now I definitely feel sick.

“You’re right. Why the fuck am I doing this? You don’t mean shit to me.”

Ouch. I’m going to pretend that one didn’t hurt.

I cross my arms over my chest, shocked when he reaches across my lap and tugs on the door handle, pushing the door with the palm of his hand. The air is colder than I remembered.

“Get out then.” He snaps, his eyes facing forward, his hands now locked to the steering wheel.

He’s kidding, right? “All of that… just to leave me in the middle of town?”

“I used you, right? So what do I care?”

“Fine. I’m going.” I unclip my belt and use the handle above the door to heave myself out. “Seems clever doesn’t it? Saving me from some wicked eighteen year old, only to abandon me by myself in the fucking streets, where there are probably worse couches to wake up on.”

His jaw hardens. “You aren’t my problem, Elle. You’re not worth losing my job over.”

“Whatever, I know my way back.” I slam the door and look around to get a grip on where I actually am. When I figure it out, I move my legs in the correct direction, only staggering a little.

Fuck, it’s actually quite cold now I’m a little more sober.

Ha! I took his water with me.

I turn and throw it in his general direction when he starts to pull away. I watch it soar through the air before connecting with the right wing mirror. It smashes. Not the bottle, no, that explodes. The mirror smashes.

That was not meant to happen. Oh shit.

I think walking away would be best at this point, so that’s what I do. I turn and keep walking.

“Fuck,” he curses after I hear him climb from his car. “Are you fucking kidding me? Do you have a robotic arm?”

I keep walking, still in shock over my apparent throwing skill. I bet I couldn’t do that again if I tried.

“Psycho!”

I flip him off over my shoulder and pull my ringing phone out of my pocket. It’s Hayley.

“Hey,” I breathe, wrapping my free arm around my body. “What’s up?”

“Where the hell are you? I’m all… where’s my bitch? And you’re all gone and stuff. We’re playing strip poker! Get your arse back here.”

“I just went for a walk. I’m like crazy wasted.”

“We skipping tomorrow?”

“I don’t think there’s another option. I’ll be back soon. Save me a seat.”

“Already have. Want me to send somebody to meet you?”

I shake my head, even though she can’t see me. “No, I’m nearly there.”

“Okay.”

Hanging up my phone, I stop and press it into my pocket. The ground is severely spinning, but not as bad as it was. Nothing like a bit of adrenaline to get your brain focused.

“You’re going back?” Isaac’s car slows to a crawl beside me. “You’re paying for my wing mirror.”

I ignore him and keep on walking.

“Come on, get in. I’ll give you a ride.”

“No thanks,” I snap, shivering slightly.

“Elle…”

“Piss off.”

“Look, you’ve been drinking. You’re not thinking clearly.”

“No?” I stop and tilt my head. “So what’s your excuse for the events of tonight?”

“Elle, just get in the car.”

“No.”

“Elle, get in the fucking car.”

“I said no!”

“Will you both shut up?” Somebody shouts from a nearby window. “People are trying to fucking sleep!”

“Get in the car, Elle.” He orders in a hiss, ignoring the person in the window.

“I’m going back to the party.”

“I’ll drive you there.”

I let out a laugh, like I actually believe that.

“Elle, please… get in the car.”

“Why?”

“Because…”

I wait but he doesn’t continue. “Because what?”

“Because I brought you here against your will. I need to take you back. It wasn’t my place to interfere.” His eyes plead with me and I hear the sincerity in his voice. Part of me wants to argue with him, but the rest of me really doesn’t want to walk all the way back to the party.

I let out a sigh and climb into the car. He waits for me to buckle up before starting the car and doing a U-turn in the road.

When he stops on the corner of the next street, after driving in silence for only two minutes, I’m wondering why. But then I see and my heart stops.

“What did you do?” I ask as my dad angrily storms towards the car. “Isaac… what the fuck did you do?”

He closes his eyes. “You’ll thank me tomorrow.”

The door is yanked open as a rush of feelings spiral through me. I’m dragged out, my organs doing a flip and bouncing around my body twice. “How much do we owe you for the window?” My dad asks Isaac.

“Nothing, I’m covered.”

“I’m so sorry about this. Thank you so much for picking her up.”

I don’t know what to say. I think this is what shock is. Or maybe this is what heartbreak is.

“I’ll see you in school, Eloise.” Isaac says softly, remorse in his eyes.

“Don’t ever talk to me again,” I breathe, wondering how this night got bad so quickly.

“Eloise!” My dad snaps, shutting my teacher’s car door before grabbing my arm once more. “I’ll take the cost of repair off your next rent cheque.”

“No need, just get her home safe.”

A tear falls from my eye. I angrily wipe it away and allow my dad to pull me to the car. He doesn’t speak. He’ll save it for when we get home.

The second we do get home, he says only one sentence that breaks my heart. “No France trip.”

I don’t even bother to argue. I push past my mum, who is waiting in the hall in her dressing gown, concern in her eyes, and race up the stairs.

I hear them arguing, but I don’t really pay attention. I know Mum is defending me and I know Dad is disgusted. Mum thinks that now I’m eighteen I should be allowed a little freedom. Dad thinks that while I live under his roof I should follow his rules, that I need preparing for University. Mum argues that I’m a good girl, I’m just having fun. Dad thinks said fun could get me raped or worse.

Neither of them are wrong, but I don’t care about that.

How could he betray me so badly?

Isaac

“You had no right to intervene!” My dad yells. “No god damn right!”

“I know…” I admit, rubbing my tired eyes. “I know… I just… I was worried and she was being stubborn.”

“She’s an eighteen year old girl! She’s allowed to drink and hang around with her friends, just like you did at eighteen!” He slams his hand down on the table. “She’s done a lot for us. She’s never been any trouble and, to be honest, she drinks and parties less than any other student in this bloody school!”

I look between him and my mum. My mum won’t even make eye contact with me.

I’ve been stupid. My emotions got the better of me. I was angry; I was frustrated and I had that stupid fucking tingle in my chest. I don’t know why I did what I did.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you anymore. She doesn’t want to be in that class.”

“She’s dropped out?” I blink, my heart heavy and a different kind of tingle now annoying the fuck out of me.

“Right after she came and told me what you’d done and guess what, Isaac…” I wince at his sour, angry tone. “I love that girl to pieces, but she’s eighteen. I can’t fucking stop her if she wants to drop your class.” My dad never swears, so the fact he just swore has shaken me. “You had no right. None whatsoever.”

“I’ll apologise; I’ll fix it.”

“No you won’t. You’ll stay away from her and you’ll focus on your other students.”

“I need to…”

He slams his hand on the table, startling both me and my mum, his eyes blazing with an anger I haven’t seen in years. “You will stay away from the girl.”

“Mum,” I try, hoping she’ll defend me. She looks away, shaking her head as disappointment swims through her eyes. “I was worried. She was intoxicated! That arsehole had his hands all over her. I didn’t think she was safe there.”

“According to Eloise, that
arsehole
is the guy she’s dating and she was perfectly happy in his company. Again… she’s an adult.”

“You did the same thing once. I know about the time she showed up at school still intoxicated from the night before and you called her parents then!” I argue, pointing at my dad. “You’re telling me if you passed a party where a girl is clearly being molested, you wouldn’t step in?”

“What I did was what I had to do!”

“She threw up in the cafeteria and fell down three steps, Isaac. She was a bit of a mess that day, as were a few of her friends.” My mother says softly. “It happened on school grounds and they were all underage.”

“I don’t see the difference between protecting a young girl in school as opposed to protecting her if you happen to come across her outside of school.”

My dad shoots me a glare, one that definitely tells me to shut up. “I understand that you think your intentions were noble, but what you did was worse than what we had to do. She is of age to legally drink. She’s not a child. She states she was happy where she was until you interfered. Her father is furious with her, has grounded her and she’s pulling out of a class because she can’t stand the sight of you. Think about what you did and how you handled it. What you should have done is called the Police to break up the party, like you should do if you
happen
to come across any student in that situation.”

I stand and grab my coat from the couch, ignoring his suggestive tone in the latter sentence. “I didn’t come back here for this shit.”

“Isaac,” my mother calls, sounding horrified.

“Let him go and lick his bloody wounds. He knows he’s in the wrong.”

I slam the door on my way out.

He’s not wrong though.

What the fuck have I done?

It’s Wednesday morning and I’m shocked nobody knows what happened. I honestly thought Eloise would tell somebody we slept together as revenge. I thought she would have told other people what I did on Monday night. Instead, nobody seems to know a thing.

It’s when she strolls through the door that I’m thrown off. I thought she’d dropped out of my lesson. It seems Hayley did too, because she looks shocked when Eloise walks in.

They whisper for the first few minutes and I let them have their chat.

I’m petrified I’ll do something to push Elle over the edge and she’ll tell people what we did together.

I’m even more shocked when Garrett walks into my class, bowing when his classmates cheer. He strolls over to Eloise, leans down and kisses her deeply. My stomach twists.

That same tingle I continue to feel at random times returns and I realise at this moment what it is.

It’s jealousy and possessiveness.

I don’t like him touching her… I don’t like the thought of anyone touching her.

He continues kissing her for the longest time and everyone looks at me, wondering what I’m going to do about it.

I want to rip his throat out. I want to slam him against the wall and punch him in the face until he no longer has one. I’ve never been violent on purpose before. I’m not about to start now.

“Are you in this class?” I snarl and Garrett finally looks up, Eloise’s sparkling lip gloss spread across his lips. He looks dazed and I feel even more jealous. I remember that dazed feeling well. I remember exactly what those perfect lips can do to a man.

“No, I’m just stopping by,” he grins, leaning in for another kiss. Eloise doesn’t even look at me. She only clutches the boy’s collar, holding him close and tight. When he finally pulls away, everyone cheers again and then they laugh when I push him from my classroom.

I don’t chastise her. I don’t say a word. I just rub my chest and start the lesson.

It’s not until the bell rings that I actually pay her an ounce of attention.

“Eloise Blackburn,” I call, as she laughs and chats with her friends while packing away. “You’ll stay after class.”

None of her friends seem to find it odd that I’ve asked. They probably knew she’d get into shit for her public display of affection.

I’m shocked that she does stay and I find myself lost for words.

Eloise

He locks the door and stares at me, neither of us saying anything. I know that if I open my mouth I’ll lose my temper and I figure he’s probably scared of what I’ll say if he does make me any angrier.

After a minute I stand and grab my bag. I’m not waiting in here if he isn’t going to talk and I’m not going to say anything. What’s the point?

I move to the door, relieved when he steps out of my way. My hand moves to the lock and suddenly his hand is on mine, stopping me from twisting it.

He still doesn’t talk and neither do I. I figure he’ll let me go eventually if I ignore his presence.

“Elle,” he finally says, releasing a solemn breath.

The softness in his voice makes my eyes burn with remembrance. How could he betray me so badly? How could he hurt me like that?

My hand tightens on the metal lock and his hand tightens on mine, almost as if scared I’ll pull away.

“Elle, look at me.”

I don’t and he still doesn’t move.

“Elle…” His hand comes to my face and gingerly and tentatively pushes until my eyes are facing his. “I’m so…”

Crack.

My hand burns and his head whips to the side. I just slapped him. I’ve never slapped anybody before.

We both stand, suspended in time. He looks as shocked as I feel inside and my tears spill when I see the red mark slowly appear on his cheek.

“I hate you,” I whisper, pushing the honesty in my words forward so he not only hears it but feels it.

His head snaps back, his eyes full of pain now on mine. “God… Elle…”

I try to twist the lock, but his hand tugs my hand away and pins it above my head. My chest heaves as I stare into his eyes, hating the longing I feel to have him close. I just want to hate him.

He takes my other hand and pushes that against the door above my head, pinning both wrists with his one hand. His eyes stay on mine and I see my longing mirrored in his, my pain mirrored in his, but not my hatred. I don’t see hatred in his eyes. I see remorse.

“I’m sorry,” he says quietly and rests his forehead against mine. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I keep going back to that night in my mind…”

“You need to let go of me.”

“I don’t want to,” he admits, stepping into me so my body is flush with his. I try to swallow but can’t. My body is betraying me and I need him to let me go before I forgive him, just to be given the chance to kiss him once more. “I don’t want to.”

“I’ll scream,” I pant and he shakes his head, almost as if nuzzling my nose with his.

“You’re not a screamer.”

I feel his words in my groin. I feel him swell against my hip and sink my teeth into my lip. “Let me go.”

“Forgive me.”

“You ruined everything.” I try to tug my hands free, but his grip is tight and I’m too weak; weak of mind, weak of body and just plain weak for him.

“I’ll make it up to you.”

“Will you pay for my trip to France?” I snap, my anger returning momentarily.

He winces and pulls his head back slightly. “If that’s what it takes.”

Snort. “I don’t mean anything to you, remember?”

“I was angry. I’m not used to being challenged like that. You said something hurtful and I said it back.”

My mouth falls open. “I said something hurtful? What I said was the truth.”

“You honestly believe I used you?”

“What else would you call it?”

He winces again. “I…” His cheeks swell before he blows out a breath. “Then you used me too.”

Touché. “Let me go.”

“Come to mine tonight. We’ll talk.” His eyes are sincere when he says this and I hate how badly I want to accept.

“If you just want to talk then we can meet somewhere else. Or we can sit down right now, totally separated, and talk it out.”

“Fine, but not here. Where do you want to meet?”

Blink. “I don’t want to meet. I just want you to let me go.”

“If you wanted me to let you go, you would’ve pulled yourself free already.”

True. “Just…”

“Don’t talk for a second.” He places his hand over my mouth and the door behind me begins to rattle.

“Isaac?” Miss Hart calls through the door and knocks.

“Fuck,” he hisses, his hand still over my mouth.

“Isaac?” The door rattles again before her heels finally click away.

“Please meet me tonight.” He practically begs in a whisper and the phone on his desk starts to vibrate. “Wherever you want. Whenever you want.”

“No.”

Suddenly I’m flying backwards, a hand back over my mouth. My heart starts trembling along with my body, beating so fast I can hear it, as I’m lowered to the ground behind Isaac’s desk.

“Fuck!” He curses, both of us huddled in the corner of the room. “Katherine’s at the window.”

Now I’m seriously panicking. “Your phone is on the desk.”

“She’ll just think I left it behind.” He squishes us further into the corner. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have locked us in here.”

“No, you shouldn’t have.” I shift out of my uncomfortable position, annoyed, when he pulls me back against his chest. I should tell him to let go of me, but the way he’s stroking my hair is soothing my terrified body.

“I got jealous.” My body tenses. He continues. “I got so jealous, I was blind. I don’t know what I was thinking.” His hand stops stroking my hair and instead turns my head to face him. It’s an awkward position, but not an uncomfortable one. “I find myself in a situation where I don’t think I can let anyone else have you. I don’t think I could stand it.”

My heart misses a beat and a shiver runs through me, causing goose bumps to prickle along my arms.

“And I know I can’t have you,” he whispers quietly, his hand resting along my jaw. “I know it’s not possible.”

“Yeah…” I nod once and try to turn away, but his hand won’t allow it. “I know.”

“You’re so young.”

I frown at that.

“I have something for you.” He reaches into his back pocket, mindful of his legs, just in case she’s still looking through the window. I doubt she is. “I got it for your birthday, but never gave it to you, mostly because I was worried you’d read into it and then…” He shows me the gift box and allows me to move away before taking it softly. I have no idea what it is. The gift box is long, silver and rectangular in shape. “I was worried you wouldn’t.”

My breath catches when I lift the lid, revealing the beautiful charm bracelet inside. “Forever Connected…”

“You know the brand?”

“I’ve always wanted one.” I stare longingly at the white gold chain, with its tiny links ready for attachments. “These aren’t cheap. Why would you get me this?”

He doesn’t answer. Instead he lifts it from the box and I notice a single charm dangling in the centre. It’s the shape of a tiny book, translucent green.