“Are you sure?” I wasn’t convinced. “Baby, please tell me what happened,” I said, trying to hide the harshness of my angry voice.
“No.” Her voice sounded small. “But he tried. He kept grabbing my legs and trying to force them open,” she choked out. “Kept calling me a cock tease, then kissing me on my lips and neck.” She started to shake. “He would have kept going if you hadn’t shown up,” she cried out before falling into me.
I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight and kissing the top of her head. “Baby girl, nothing would have happened. I am always going to show up for you. When will you realise that you’re mine? Always,” I muttered. “Come, let’s get you upstairs,” I said softly as I ushered her out the pool house, Robyn behind us.
I needed to get her upstairs and in her room without any attention. This is where being a nobody comes in handy for her.
My baby girl.
This is not the night I had envisaged for us on her birthday.
DARCEY
I felt numb as I sat on the edge of my bed, Robyn wrapping her arm around me.
“Boo, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have let you go off with him,” she said, guilt lacing her timid voice, her eyes burning into me.
I turned my head to look at her. “Don’t you dare.” I shook my head. “This wasn’t your fault. I wanted to go, I needed to get Conor out of my head.” I sniffed. “It’s my fault,” I said quietly, my voice shaking.
I nibbled on the inside of my mouth to try and stop my tears. Robyn had helped me get undressed and take my make-up off. She kissed the side of my head.
“I’m just popping to the loo, I’ll be back in five. Will you be okay?” she asked, her face showing her concern.
“I’ll be fine.” I nodded, blowing my nose in my tissue. She smiled at me as she walked into the bathroom, closing the door. Conor and Chase had told my parents what happened, so they were currently trying to clear the house out while waiting for the police, not that they were going to do anything. I wasn’t underage, he technically didn’t do anything wrong, as such.
I threw my head back, focussing on the ceiling. What a fucked up night.
I was distracted when I heard a knock on my door and saw Conor standing there, still looking as handsome as anything in his clothes.
“Can I come in?” he asked quietly.
“You never normally ask.” I rolled my eyes in humour before laughing. “Of course you can.”
I shuffled up my bed slightly, wrapping my blanket round me to cover me up, now very conscious that I was only in a silk vest top and matching shorts. Conor had never seen me in so little. His eyes stayed on mine, not wandering down my body.
“Here,” he said, handing me a hot cup of tea. “Thought it would help,” he mumbled, fidgeting on the spot and then pushing his hands into his pockets, rocking back and forth on his feet.
“You can sit down.” I smiled at him, my eyes looking at the spot next to me. “Thank you for this,” I said, bringing the hot cup of tea up to my lips and taking a sip. I watched as he sat down warily next to me. We sat quietly for a moment or two, his eyes still on me.
“Well, I have never met this Conor before.” I giggled, placing my cup on my side table.
“I’m not a complete monster,” he said defensively.
“I never said you were.” I raised my eyebrow at him. I felt sad that he thought that.
“I know you didn’t, but I just want you to know, I am human. I do feel. I do have empathy.” He sighed, pulling his eyes away from mine as he looked at his red, swollen knuckles.
“Maybe you should get some ice for that.”
“I’ll be fine. I just want to make sure you are,” he said, his green eyes back on mine, and I swear I could see so deeply into his soul.
“I’ll be okay,” I assured him, then reached for his hand and gripped it tightly. “I will never be able to thank you enough for tonight. If it wasn’t for you…” my voice trailed off before I started crying.
“Hey, come on, don’t think like that. I was there. I would have always been there, Darce. I promise you,” he said, pulling his hand from mine and wrapping his arm round my shoulders, pulling me towards him. I didn’t say anything else, I just sat there, listening to his steady heartbeat when I felt his mouth on the top of my head. My heart fluttered.
I turned my head up to face him, his hand reaching to my chin and tilting it up slightly.
We were inches apart.
His mouth started moving down towards mine, our lips millimetres apart when we heard Robyn cough.
I bolted back towards the headboard, Conor shot up off the bed and walked towards the door.
“Okay, anyway...” he said, his eyes on Robyn, Robyn’s eyes flitting back and forth from me and him. Her eyebrows furrowed, hands on her hips.
“I’m gonna hit the hay, Darce, I’m glad you’re okay. Try and get some rest,” he said before nodding and walking out the room.
I let out the breath I had been holding before falling back on my bed. “Shit,” I muttered.
“Would you have kissed him if I wasn’t here?” she asked, still standing in the middle of the bedroom floor, hands still firmly on her hips.
I took a moment to think about her question. I wanted to blurt out yes, but I knew I couldn’t, I shouldn’t.
“I don’t know,” I lied, my eyes narrowing in on her.
“You’re a liar,” she said, shaking her head before kneeling next to me. “You’re allowed to be attracted to him, heck, the guy is a God.” She grabbed her red hair from the back of her neck, holding it up and fanning her face with her spare hand.
“He is hot.” I sighed. “And yeah, I probably would’ve kissed him if you weren’t here.” I let out a little laugh. “It’s Conor fucking Royce, who wouldn’t want to kiss him?” I shrugged at her.
“Exactly. I think you should go to his room,” she encouraged as she slipped under the covers.
“What?” I asked her, shock on my face.
“Don’t act dumb. You heard me. Go to his room, see what happens,” she said before yawning and getting herself comfortable.
I contemplated it for a moment. I knew nothing would happen, he would probably push me away, but part of me was desperate to find out.
“Fine,” I agreed. “But don’t throw this back in my face when I start moaning about him.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She nodded, too engrossed in the tele. “Go,” she bossed me.
“Okay, okay,” I said, holding my hands up.
I threw my blanket off of me and stood, putting my slippers on. I walked over to my dressing table, pulled my fishtail plait out, then ran my fingers through my long, now wavy, hair.
I flicked my lashes with a light layer of mascara and rubbed some lip balm into my lips. I walked back over to the bed, grabbing my blanket, wrapping it back round myself.
I took a deep breath as I got to my bedroom door.
“Wish me luck,” I said to Robyn who was quite happy taking over my bed.
“Good luck,” she called out from her tele coma as I walked out the door.
I couldn’t believe I was doing this, he probably wasn’t even in bed.