On the Edge (12 page)

“I appreciate the offer, but I think it’ll be best if I stay at a hotel tonight. I have your number now, and I’ll call or text to let you know if I change my mind tomorrow.”

“Fine, but let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks man, but trust me, I’m capable of taking care of myself.”

He nods, then gets up and moves back to his group of friends. I sit back, look out the window as we move through Belmont, and try to decide the best place to get off the bus. I finally settle on the warehouse district because the area is pretty safe and there are cheap hotels where I can stay. But when I get off the bus, Drake and his friends follow me. I give Drake a sharp look.

“This is our stop,” he says. They head off, but Drake yells back at me. “Remember, anytime.”

I smile as I turn and walk in the opposite direction. Two blocks over, I reach a hotel where everything is worn but clean. The carpets probably looked great when they were brand new, but now they’re a dull, ugly brown. A pleasant looking, older man sitting behind the front desk calls out a cheerful greeting as I approach him. Registering with my fake ID should make it harder to trace me, and I look forward to resting without worrying about who might be looking for me, at least for tonight.

Once I get into room number six, I lock the deadbolt and knob, and latch the chain on the door making sure I’m safe. Sitting down on the bed, I pull out my cell phone, send a quick text to my brother so he knows I’m safe, and then power off my phone so that Cole can’t have it traced. I need this downtime to think. I’m not ready to be found.

So tired my bones hurt, I give into the exhaustion and sleep.

When I wake up, I feel like an eighteen-wheeler has run over me. The more alert my brain becomes, the harder last night’s events hit me. Knowing that I have some shopping to do, I crawl out of bed, get clean clothes, and make my way to the dingy bathroom. I climb under the stream of hot water and let it cascade over me. The heat permeates my skin much like the sun beating down on me. It soaks in, washing away the dirt and grime. I wish it were that easy to wash away the drama from last night.

Using the tiny bottles provided by the hotel, I shampoo my hair and rinse, then add conditioner and let it sit while I soap my body. I slide back under the water to wash off the soap and conditioner, and once I’m clean, I turn the water off, grab a towel, and slowly dry my body and hair. If I’m going to be here any length of time, the first things I need to buy are bath products and cosmetics. At least I have clean underwear and clothes.

When I go back into the bedroom, I’m awake enough to look at it for the first time since I’ve been here. The burnt orange bedspread covers white sheets, and a generic painting hangs above the bed. There is nothing fancy about the plain, white walls. It’s definitely a major step down from my room back at the Knight’s house.

I take money from my bag and tuck it into my bra, hang the ‘Don’t Disturb’ sign, and head outside. Without my sunglasses, the bright morning sun has me squinting as I look around to decide what my first stop should be. My growling tummy makes the decision for me. The smells coming from the café three doors down make my mouth water. When I enter, it’s like I’ve stepped into a sixties TV show. Speckled Formica covers the tables and counters, and the deep booths and bar stools are upholstered in cracked, black vinyl. Despite the signs of age, it looks clean and tidy, so I sit down at the counter. The waitress asks if I know what I’d like.

“Coffee, please, and eggs over easy with bacon and toast.”

I lose myself in my own thoughts while waiting for my food to arrive. I require a few things if I’m going to survive for the next few days. At the top of my list are bath products so I’m not stuck using the cheap shit in my room. Then I need a burn phone so I can keep hiding. I don’t want Cole or anyone else in the Knight family finding me.

I need to go see Hunter, my sexy nerd. And on again, off again lover for the last couple of years. His six-foot athletic build is surprising for a guy who is a complete computer geek. Hunter will help me stay hidden but still maintain contact with my brother. I also want to be able talk with Julie. I love that girl and don’t want to lose her just because I can’t stand her asshole brother.

I don’t know what I’m going to do about Cole yet. I know I’m pissed. Do I talk to him and see what he has to say for himself? Do I just rip into him and say fuck off? Do I just leave it be and let him figure out on his own that I’m so done?

I don’t understand anything about last night. When we left his dad’s house, everything was fine. Something must have happened at the club, because that’s when he started getting upset and acting strange. I tried so hard to sit with him most of the time we were there. He was upset and I was trying to be a respectful girlfriend. I finally asked to dance, and the only people I even danced with were Julie and Justin. Then when I looked back over at him, some chick was sitting on his lap. He did nothing about her hands roaming his body, and when he stared at me with such anger, I almost felt like he hated me at that moment. I feel so stupid I allowed myself to fall in love with him. I just can be thankful that I didn’t sleep with him. This shit is already hard enough for me to handle.

I finish eating, pay my bill, and leave the waitress a nice tip. I don’t know how much money I have left in the lock box back in the room, but it’s enough to last me a few weeks. I walk a block or so before coming across a store where I can pick up a phone. I purchase it and head to the bus station so I can drop in on Hunter. I hope he is home when I get there. I keep my head down the whole ride because I don’t want anyone to recognize me. Cole has men all over the city. Men I am sure have been told to bring me back.

I step off the bus with two blocks to walk to the apartment Hunter lives with his brother. He is a couple of years older than Hunter and a complete douche, and I’m pretty sure he works for the Knights in some capacity. I just pray he is not home. I don’t trust him not to rat me out to Cole. By now, I’m sure my phone has a trace on it, so I’m afraid to turn it on. When I reach Hunter’s crappy brick building, I go in the glass door and make my way up two flights of dark stairs to his apartment. If it were nighttime, the homeless would be sleeping in the stairwell, making it creepy as hell.

When I knock on the door, Hunter calls out, “Hang on,” from inside the apartment, and a few seconds later, I hear the lock being undone and then door opens a crack.

“What the fuck, Kat? You’re on the most wanted list and you show up here.”

“Dude, let me the fuck in. I need help.”

His door swings open and he’s standing there in nothing but a pair of unbuttoned jeans, his gorgeous V on full display. He catches my gaze.

“Sorry, I was in bed.”

“Company?” I ask.

“Yea, do I need to get rid of her?”

“Yes. I don’t want anyone to see me.”

“Go hide in my brother’s room. He’s already gone.”

I duck in his brother’s room and feel disgusted when I see the twisted sheets, and think of what happens in that bed. Surprisingly, the rest of the room is pretty clean. I guess it wouldn’t be good to have a messy room when bringing home your hump and dumps.

“OK, now that I got rid of the chick, want to tell me what the fuck you’re up to?” Hunter demands, walking in the door.

“I need you to scramble a phone so I have a way of contacting people without being traced.”

“Bitch, are you insane? Cole’s put a 100k reward out for anyone who finds you and returns you safely.”

“Are you kidding me? That douche can take his money and shove it up his ass,” I say a little too loudly.

“Calm down. You know I won’t turn you in.”

“I know
you
won’t.” I fidget with the bottles on his brother’s dresser.

“Come on, let’s go to my room so I can fix you up.” I follow him across the small apartment, and like always, Hunter’s room is immaculate. This guy is a neat freak. He pulls the blankets up over his bed and I smile when he says it’s safe to sit on the bed.

“Here’s my original phone and here’s the prepaid. Send everything to the prepaid and make it hard to trace. Ping that shit all over the fucking world.”

He does stuff on the computer screen in front of him before taking both phones apart and fiddling with the insides. I don’t even pretend to understand what he is doing.

“So what happened? Why are you running?”

“Because I made a mistake and thought I could trust a guy with my heart,” I say completely honest. My elbows rest on my legs and I hang my head in my hands. I realize what a fool I have been.

“Did he hurt you?” Hunter asks quietly.

“Not physically, just emotionally,” I say.

This is why Hunter and I have been friends for years. I trust him and he doesn’t want anything other than what I have offered him. I’m grateful I met him my freshman year.

“Do you need a place to stay?” he asks.

“NO!” I say, twisting my hair around my finger. I’m so nervous about being here.

“Why not?” Hunter asks me truly confused.

“Your brother would rat me out the first thirty minutes.”

“Oh yeah,” he says. “He’s an ass who’d sell me out for money.”

While he works, I look around at the familiar room. I have been here more times than anyone knows. I always felt comfortable around Hunter because I knew there was no chance of me losing my heart to him. Not that he’s innocent by any standards, but he’s a pushover when it comes to me. We have always been careful never to let anyone know that we were anything other than friends. His brother was probably the only one that knew we occasionally had more.

I put a stop to my thought process because I haven’t had sex in months. I’m horny as hell, but sadly, the only person I want is Cole fucking Knight. I sigh as it hits me just how badly I want that guy when I should fucking hate him.

“All right, it’s done. That phone is bouncing all over the world like you asked. You should be able to talk on it for at least thirty minutes.” Hunter hands me my phones and stands in front of me.

“Thanks.” When my voice shakes, I realize I’m silently crying.

“Kat, are you crying?” I try to turn away but Hunter pulls me up and hugs me to him. “Talk to him. Maybe whatever it is that has you pissed isn’t as bad as you think.”

Talk to him. Yes, let’s see how well that goes.
I don’t want anything to do with him. I text my brother, asking if it’s safe to call him. A few seconds later, he replies, saying give him ten minutes. I thank Hunter again for helping me out, and walk back to the bus stop. Once I’m back near the hotel, I realize it’s time to call Drew, so as I enter my room, I dial his number.

“Hey.”

He goes on a rant about my fucking disappearing act, and then he says the one thing that makes me realize how much my brother cares about me.

“That was a douche thing Cole did. He let that chick hang on him because his own jealousy was eating at him.”

“What the fuck are you talking about, Drew?”

“Oh, Kat, my dear sister who is so naïve sometimes. Even I was having a hard time at the party last night watching all those guys eye fuck you. You were so unaware of it.”

That’s what last night was all about? Because guys were eye fucking me. Like I had any control over that. I didn’t doing anything to make them look at me. I was completely focused on Cole until I went to dance with Julie, and then Justin joined us. That’s when he let the chick climb all over him.
Holy Fuck, he got pissed cause I danced with Justin!

“Justin sent him over the top, didn’t he?”

“Yes. He knows Justin has a thing for you, so he got pissed.”

“Fuck, I live in the same house with him. Why did last night make a difference? I’ve never been anything but friends with Justin. That’s all we will ever be.”

“Cole was already pissed. I’m not sticking up for the ass. I’m just telling you what happened. He has guys looking for you all over town.”

“I thought so. I’m locked in my hotel, right now. I got a prepaid and had a friend wire the shit so I can’t be traced.” I pace back and forth across the small space in the hotel room. I don’t know what to do about Cole right now. “Look, I’ve got to think. I’ll get back in touch with you later,” I say before hanging up.

I peek out the window and see things look clear. I don’t notice anyone watching the building, so I go across the street to the diner and order lunch to go. It would be stupid for me to risk getting caught out of my room. As soon as my food is ready, I’m back across the street, constantly sweeping the doorways and alleys, looking for anyone who might work for the Knights.

Once I get back in my room, I engage all the locks. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, I pick at the burger and fries. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want Cole thinking he can get angry and let girls paw him. I’m not going to put up with that shit. I toss the fry in my hand back into the container, pick up my phone, and dial a rarely used number.

A deep hello comes across the line.

“Bruce, I need your help.”