“No.” I whimpered, afraid to look at either one of them.
I wanted to be anywhere but here right now. I dug my nails into the back of my thighs, wishing that someone would come to save me. That I was back in my childhood bedroom when I was thirteen years old. Listening to Taylor Swift and Katy Perry when I was starting to realize that I wasn’t like the other boys in my class. Before everything got so complicated.
“I should put you in the hospital just like you did to Ezra,” CC growled.
“I’d like to see you try, Carey. You were always bark but never any bite. Mister big NASCAR driver,” Ty sneered. “Forgot about your best friend, left him behind. Someone had to take care of him.”
CC grunted. “Is that what you think you did?”
I whimpered softly. “Stop it.”
The sound of breaking wood caused me to look up. CC was standing over Ty, who was lying across my now-broken coffee table. “I should call the police. Have them haul your ass right back to jail. You broke in, you hit him, and then what did you plan on doing?”
“Stop it!” I exclaimed. “Please, just stop. Get him out and then just leave.”
Ty started to climb to his feet, but CC pushed him back down. “You’re not going anywhere. I meant when I said.” He placed a foot over his sternum. “Ez, I’m not going anywhere. The cops need to be involved in this. He hit you.”
“He also didn’t break in.”
CC’s eyes darted over to me. “He... You gave him a key?”
“Let me up, asshole. I belong here just as much as you do,” Ty hissed.
CC’s fist met his nose, and I felt sick to my stomach. I swore I heard the sound of his bone breaking when he did it again. It was like history was repeating itself. CC did the same thing in high school.
“CC, stop, please,” I pleaded. “I don’t want any more fighting or bloodshed in my apartment. I’m the one who won’t get my deposit back,” I begged as I climbed up on shaky legs. My face hurt from where Ty hit me. All I wanted was for everyone to leave so I could crawl into bed and cry myself to sleep for the next week.
My best friend had his arm cocked back, but when he saw me, he dropped it to his side, and he released Ty. “Give me that key and get the fuck out. If I ever see you around or near Ezra again, I’ll do more than just break your nose.”
“Fuck you.” Ty spat blood onto my carpet. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. Ezra loves me, isn’t that right, baby?” He glanced over at me, and I looked away.
“Don’t look at him,” CC warned. “Ezra could never love someone like you.”
I winced as I waited for what was coming. The words I regretted ever saying, even though at the time, yeah, at the time, I thought I meant them. Before the abuse started. Because Ty felt different then. He said I was pretty and that he thought maybe he could love me, too. Someday.
“He told me loved me all the time.” Ty sounded so proud of himself, knowing he could hurt CC that way. “Isn’t that right, baby?”
I kept my eyes pinned on my feet. “No.”
“Aw, don’t be shy now, Ezra. You told me I made you happy. That you wanted to share forever with me. That I—”
“That was before you put me in the hospital! Before you hit me, pushed me around, and made me feel like a dirty secret. Get out. Get out and don’t come back.” My voice was barely a whisper as my resolve crumbled, and I sank back down onto the couch.
I was such an idiot getting myself into this mess, but now I had to get out of it. I heard the sound of the front door opening and then shutting. I lifted my legs back up onto the couch so I could press my face into my knees and waited for CC to yell at me. Waited for him to tell me how stupid I was for dating Ty, for being dumb enough to think I loved him. Instead, I felt the cushions dip beside me, and then I was lifted up, and he placed me in his lap.
“How’s your face, princess?” His voice was soft in my ear. “You want to put some ice on it?” I shook my head. “You want to go to bed?” CC murmured as he stroked my hair. “It’s been a busy night for you.”
I pushed my nose into his shirt and inhaled his scent. He smelled like soap and his spicy aftershave. I wasn’t sure why he was still here. Why he hadn’t gotten angry with me, but I couldn’t let my guard down.
I dug my fingers into the front of his shirt. “Just get it over with.”
“Get what over with?”
“How foolish I was. How you don’t want me. That you want your key to your condo back and don’t want me living with you. I understand.”
CC tipped my head back. “Is that what you are think I’m going to do?”
“Isn’t it?” I watched the way the lights danced in his dark eyes. I let out a low hiss when he traced a thumb over my cheek.
