The Good Girls (17 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Cara

“I
’m sure she’ll be home soon,” Dawn said as I clutched my phone in my hand, staring out of the passenger window.

“Do you think we can swing by the library?” I looked to Dawn with a pleading expression. I knew she was apprehensive about me being anywhere in town after what had happened. Fortunately, they didn’t know the extent of what happened. “El is there with Brody, and I’d like to see him. I miss my friends.”

She huffed out a breath, and I knew she was worried about what David would say, but she also didn’t want to deny me after all I’d been through. She really did have a kind heart. “We can stop in for a few minutes. Have Brody come back to the house, and you guys can order pizza and watch some movies.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I think it would be good for you to have friends over, and Brody is a decent guy.”

That made me laugh. A lot had changed since I’d been gone. That was the power of Ellie though. She changed everyone she touched with her life. “Thanks, Dawn.”

We pulled up to the library a few minutes later, and I inched out of the car, glancing up and down the sidewalk as if Tristan was going to jump out from behind the bushes.

Dawn waited in the car, and I knew she was nervous about me going in alone, but I insisted she stay in the car; I wouldn’t be long. I hated how everyone was treating me like I was breakable. It made me sick that Tristan had gained so much power over me.

I climbed the stairs, wincing as my ribs stabbed with pain. Grabbing the railing, I took each step slowly and used my arm to help pull me higher. As I reached the door, I stepped to the side as an older woman exited, smiling at her while she held the door for me because I was too weak.

I stepped inside as memories of the day I’d left Ellie washed over me. My eyes scanned the racks of books. There were a few scattered patrons, but the place was pretty much desolate. I wandered back toward the floor-to-ceiling shelving. With each empty row I passed, my heart began to pound rapidly in my chest. Panic settled into me, spreading throughout my veins.

I’d been getting attacks since the incident with Tristan, and it usually took Ellie cradling me in her arms to calm me down. But now the fear was caused by her absence, and it was killing me inside. I sank down to the floor and pulled my knees to my chest as I rocked slowly, crying into my knees.

A hand on my shoulder caused me to jump, releasing a yelp as I looked up to meet Dawn’s gaze.

“It’s just me,” she said softly as she slid her hand under my arm and pulled me to my feet. “What happened?”

“Ellie.” I looked down the aisle. “She’s not here.”

“It’s okay. She probably went for ice cream or something. You know how she is.” Dawn gave a small smile, but it did not ease the tension. “Come on. We can go check at Larson’s Deli.”

I yanked my arm free from her grasp and stumbled back into the shelf of books. “No. No, I don’t want to go there,” I was shaking my head back and forth, desperate to rid my mind of the horrible memories of that night with Tristan.

“Okay. It’s okay. We can just call her. She is probably already back home, waiting for you.”

Reluctantly I let her loop my arm around my back and guide me to the front door. The few people who were inside the library stared at me as if I had lost my mind.

When we stepped out into the warm Georgia air, I felt like I couldn’t breathe, as if I was suffocating under the weight of what had happened. What if it was too much for Ellie? What if she left me for Brody? I couldn’t blame her. Who would choose this life? Who would decide to be ostracized by the world and be forced to keep their love a secret? But I knew that just as I had no choice, neither did Ellie.

Still, I couldn’t deny how important Brody was to her. He had held her up when I left her behind. As I climbed slowly into the car, I felt like what I had suffered only days ago would pale in comparison to what lay ahead.

We drove home in silence as I held my phone in my hand, too scared to call her. As we pulled down the long driveway, I noticed that Brody’s car wasn’t parked by the house. He could have dropped her off and left, knowing that I wasn’t up for visitors yet. She was always thinking of me first, and here I was worried that she would just run away.

Dawn hurried to my side of the car and helped me from my seat. I waved her away and refused her help as I climbed the stairs to the front door. Once inside the quiet house, I began the arduous task of making it up to the second floor. I bypassed my bedroom, which I no longer used, and went straight for her door. I pushed it open, nearly crumbling when I looked over the unmade bed.

As I fought against the lump in my throat, I hit call on my phone, my heart fracturing with each unanswered ring.

I crossed the room and crawled into the bed, curling up with her pillow against my face to muffle my cries as I breathed in the faint scent of her.

As I drifted off to sleep the events of that horrible night assaulted me. I could feel the weight of Tristan’s body on mine as I struggled to free myself from his grip. And as I did on that fateful night, I thought of Ellie to help me survive it. But her vision wouldn’t come clearly, and soon it morphed into her and Brody.

I reached for her, begging her to free me from the pain as Brody took her in his arms and they drifted farther away from me.

Two hands gripped my shoulders, and I gasped for air, struggling to break their hold. As a scream ripped from my throat, my eyes opened, and my body stilled.

“It was just a dream. Shhh…” Ellie whispered as she pulled me against her chest. As I wrapped my arms around her, my eyes landed on Brody, and I released her, pushing her back from me.

“Where were you?” I asked accusingly.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you when you slept.” She tucked my hair behind my ear, and I swatted her hand away as my eyes narrowed at him.

“Where
were
you?” I asked through gritted teeth.

“We went to the library,” El replied, glancing back at Brody before her eyes met mine. There was no emotion on her face, and I wanted to scream. I knew she was lying, and now she was doing it so effortlessly that had I not witnessed it myself, I’d have never known.

“Get out!” I shouted. El may have perfected her lying, but there was nothing but guilt on Brody’s face. He was my friend. I knew he cared about Ellie, but he was my
friend.
I’d somehow managed to lose everyone who meant anything to me, and I’d never felt so alone in my life. Not even when I woke up in that field, my face turned up to the sun, my mind taking me to the day I’d walked through town with Ellie. The day she challenged me to stop caring about what others thought of me.

The only reason I forced myself to get to my feet and find help was because I couldn’t put El through the pain of losing me that way. I had to see her one last time. But now, looking her in the eye, I wished I had spared myself the suffering. Hot tears slicked my cheeks as I pushed my sweaty hair from my face. My entire body ached from tossing and turning. I grabbed a bottle of pills from the nightstand beside me, struggling with the childproof cap.

El reached for them, and I held them out of her reach. “Let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help,” I growled as the lid popped free, sending pain killers flying and scattering across the bed. Sobbing in frustration I grabbed one and tossed it in my mouth before chugging half a bottle of water that I’d left there from last night.

I looked between the two of them as the anger built inside of me. I was so helpless and weak, and it was killing me.

“Why are you both still here?” I asked in the most even tone I could manage. “I told you to leave,” I snapped. I looked directly at Ellie, who shrank back as if I’d physically assaulted her.

“Why are you being so mean to me?” Her voice was so small, she sounded like a child.

“Mean? You think
I’m
being mean to
you
?” I asked incredulously.

“Ellie,” Brody said quietly, my attention snapping to him.

“Don’t talk to her. Don’t you dare come in here and try to soothe my cheating girlfriend.”

His eyes narrowed before he took a step closer. “Ellie isn’t…we’re not…” But he was unable to form a coherent thought.

“Cara, it’s not what you think.” Ellie reached for my hand, and I pulled it back, wrapping my arms around myself. “You just have to trust me, okay?”

“Then what is it? Because you fucking lied to me! Now you ask me to trust you?” My voice rose as I tried to keep from breaking down again. Brody put his hand on Ellie’s shoulder from behind her, and my eyes drifted over his busted knuckles.

I scanned her, petrified that he’d hurt her. I knew he’d never lay a finger on her but after what Tristan had done, I no longer felt safe around any man.
Tristan
. My eyes locked on Brody’s as I sat up on my knees, swallowing hard against the fear of even speaking his name.

“You went after him?” My eyes fell to Ellie’s. “You
saw
him? You went to see the fucking guy who nearly killed me?” My entire body was trembling. I was scared for her safety and felt betrayed by her going behind my back. I was going to be sick.

The medication began to take effect, surrounding my brain in a cloud. I looked back to Brody, and I wanted to knock his hand from her shoulder. “How could you take her near him after what he did to me? How could you put her safety in jeopardy like that?”

“She was never in any danger.” He tried to reassure me, but I was blinded with anger as I watched his grip flex against her.

“He blames her for his humiliation. If this is what he’d do to a girl he supposedly loved, what do you think he’d do to Ellie?”

“He never had a chance,” Brody bit out. I knew he didn’t want to upset me. He really was a good guy, but he was refusing to back down. I looked at his busted hand again as I closed my eyes, shaking my head.

“One of you needs to tell me what happened.”

“We never wanted to lie to you, Cara. I never thought you’d think…” His voice trailed off as he scratched the back of his head. “I would never hurt you like that. We were just scared to bring him up around you.”

“So where were you really?”

“Brody didn’t want Tristan to get away with what he did to you,” Ellie said quietly as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

“You told him…everything?” I asked as my heart sank.

“Cara, I couldn’t keep it in anymore. I’ve tried to be strong for you and to be what you need, but it was killing me inside.”

I nodded, hating that she’d ever been put in that position. I didn’t think of how hard it must have been for her during this time.

“It’s okay. Come here.” I pushed to my knees and reached for her, wrapping my arms around her neck and pulling her against my chest. Her arms slid around my sides, and she buried her face in the crook of my neck.

“Ellie didn’t want any part of what happened, but I couldn’t just let it go, Cara. He would have hurt someone else if someone didn’t stop him.” Brody sank down on the edge of the bed.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Ellie

I
t felt incredible to be cradled in Cara’s arms. It was torturous to have her upset at me. I couldn’t believe that she’d think I’d ever betray her in that way, but we’d been through a lot over the course of our tumultuous relationship. I pulled back from her to look into her damp green eyes as I wiped away her tears with my thumbs.

“There is
nothing
I wouldn’t do for you, Cara. I’d go into hell and fight the devil himself.”

Her forehead fell against mine, and I could feel her cheeks pull up as she smiled. “It sounds like you did.”

“Brody did most of the work.” I almost laughed as I pulled back and looked over my shoulder to him.

“This isn’t funny, El.” Cara’s face was wrought with concern, and it made my heart break. I’d tried to avoid all of this, but I’d be lying if I said I regretted it.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Her anger dissipated, and she sighed as she leaned back against my headboard. “So tell me what happened.” She wiped her hands over her cheeks as she grabbed my pillow, clutching it against her chest as if it would lessen the blows of our words.

“I’ll be honest, I wanted to hurt him. I wanted to make him suffer every ounce as much as he’d made you,” Brody said as Cara’s gaze fell to the bed. I knew she was feeling guilty about her accusations. “We knew his mom was in town, so we went to find them. Ellie was completely against it.”

His words earned me a small smile, and I couldn’t help but get lost in her emerald gaze.

“We let his mother know what he’d done. She won’t support him any longer. He’s going to have to move to Chicago with his parents.” I reached for her hand, and she let me pull it free from the pillow, looking hopeful.

“He’s gone? He’s going to leave?” Her eyes searched Brody’s, and he nodded. A happy yelp escaped her as she lurched forward and wrapped her arms around me. As she pulled back, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Then what happened to your hands?”

I couldn’t tell Cara the evil words he’d spewed as we told his transgressions to his mother. He’d tried to deny what he’d done, but when he ran out of excuses, his telltale temper got the best of him.

He began shouting in the middle of Sable’s Grill that she’d begged him for it because he had something I’d never be able to give her. I was able to ignore most of it, and surprisingly, Brody kept his cool in the presence of his mother, until Tristan said something that pushed him over the edge.

With a sneer on his lips and ice in his veins, Tristan looked Brody in the eye and told him that he would make sure the same thing happened to me.

All hell broke loose. Brody was on Tristan as they both slammed into the ground. The growl that ripped from Brody’s chest as his fists slammed into Tristan’s face was absolutely terrifying.

Fortunately for Brody, most of the patrons had heard the disgusting things Tristan had said, and none were quick to step in and lend him a hand.

When the police eventually showed up, Brody and Tristan were immediately cuffed. I was sobbing as they pulled him through the doors of the restaurant and shoved him against a car to pat him down.

I stood on the sidewalk next to Tristan’s mother as they were read their rights. Even as they were held by the cops, Tristan continued to run his mouth as blood poured from a wound in his lip.

He was screaming that he’d press charges, and Brody would suffer in prison for laying a hand on him. But as he continued to spew his bile, his mother stepped forward, holding up her hand to stop him from speaking.

“Violence is a disgusting act that plagues our communities.” As she spoke, Tristan struggled to smile, proud that he was able to hide behind his mother’s skirt. “I only wish that someone had come to
my
defense when I was alone at college and a boy thought he could take advantage of me.”

Tristan’s face fell as if he’d been hit again. “Mom?”

“We won’t be pressing any charges.” Her eyes locked on her son’s. “You got exactly what you deserved. You should be thankful you weren’t charged, because I doubt they would have been as merciful in prison.”

After talking to the police, they were both eventually released. Tristan was terrified that the details behind the fight would be revealed.

“There was a small fight, but in the end he left with his mom,” Brody explained, and Cara’s shoulders fell as she relaxed.

“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered as I pulled her against my chest and pressed my lips to her forehead.

“Bro,” she called out as she waved him to us. He crawled across the bed and wrapped his arms around the pair of us, crushing us under his arms.

“I don’t know how I can thank you,” Cara whispered as she pulled us both tighter against her.

“Threesome?” Brody pulled back, but not fast enough. Cara smacked him hard across the arm as he laughed uncontrollably.

“I love you, Brody. Don’t push it,” she warned as I grabbed us both, pulling us back in for another hug.