Inevitable (9 page)

Blaine

Last week
couldn’t have gone any fucking slower if it tried. I swear
Maddie was everywhere I went. The halls after every class, the
cafeteria at every break and lunch… Then Trudy said she was
supposed to be coming over to visit but she had to call and cancel
because her mom was sick. It feels like I won’t even be able to
escape her in my own fucking house.

Thank Christ my dad and Trudy
are taking Kara away for two weeks
tomorrow, then she’ll have no excuse to visit here with her psycho
mom. More importantly I welcomed the thought of two weeks away from
my dad. He’d been…
intense
, lately.

A text awaited
me when I got out of the shower. It was from Jason.

B there in
5

Jason was
coming round for pre-party drinks before we made our way to
Wayne’s. In all honesty I couldn’t be assed going, but then I
couldn’t be assed staying home with my dad and Trudy even more.

After
running a towel over myself I climbed into some black jeans and
pulled my KISS t-shirt over my head before eyeing myself up in the
full length mirror and deciding I looked pretty damn
hot.

“
Blain
e, honey? Your friend is here,” I heard Trudy
shout.

I’m not your
fucking honey.

I didn’t go out to meet
Jason. As usual, he just strolled into my
room carrying a six-pack of beer.

“
So, man, I was thinking of tapping
Dora tonight,” he said
apprehensively. I’d wondered why he hadn’t done it already but I
sure as hell wasn’t going to bring it up.

I was
surprised she was going to the party after the week she’d had.
There had been rumours about her mom being a hooker and Maddie
walking in on her screwing Noah Clements’ uncle. I’d lost count of
the amount of post-it’s I’d removed off her locker before she saw
them. Everything ranging from ‘hope your dad paid a good price’ to
‘I just found $5 on the street, is your mom free
tonight?’

“
Whatever.” I shrugged at him, resisting the urge to punch him
in the face.

“
I’ve been putting it off ‘cause I thought maybe you had a
thing for her. But, you’ve not made a move, so…”

“
I already told you I’m not into her, bro.”
Even though I so
fucking am.
“But she’s got a lot going on if those rumours are anything
to go by. Don’t mess her around.”

“
Don’t worry, man, I’ve brought a full wallet just in case it
runs in the family.”

I had him
pinned against the wall in a nanosecond.

“
What the fuck, man?”

“
Don’t- just- ah, fuck you!” I roared, giving him one last
shove into the wall before letting him go and storming out of my
room. If I’d stayed I’m pretty sure I’d have beat the living shit
out of him. I ran straight for the Lambo, hit the ignition and set
off without a destination in mind.

What the hell
was happening to me?

I ended up in the school parking lot
, smoking continuously until my lungs
started to burn. Each cigarette relaxed my tense fist a little and
when I got a text from Jason I thought I might finally be able to
stand being in the same room without feeling the overwhelming urge
to kill him again.

Sorry man. There’s something goin on with u and
Dora whether u
admit it or not. I’ll back off. K? Now stop being a douche and meet
me at Wayne’s place in 20.

I let out an
involuntary growl that I was glad no one was around to hear.

Whatever. C U
in 20.

After hitting send I pulled o
ut of the lot and began the ten-minute
drive to Wayne’s.

I was
buzzed into the grounds surrounding Wayne’s parent’s house – they
were in Barbados for a month. The long drive was trimmed with palm
trees decorated with twinkling fairy lights and I was sure this was
either a touch added by his older sister Wendy, or we were all in
for a ‘coming out’ party. I put the Lambo in park, adding onto a
row of at least twelve other cars, and climbed out to light a
cigarette whilst I waited for Jason.

“
There you are, baby!”

Oh fuck off,
Keeya.

“
Where’ve you been I’ve been texting you all day,” she beamed,
snaking her arms around my waist.

I know. Take
the hint you thick bitch.

“
Sorry, babe, my cell died. Not got round to charging it
yet.”

I prized her arms off me, giving my lungs room to absorb
the delicious nicotine. In that moment I saw Lori approaching. She
was linking arms with Maddie who looked fucking amazing in a short
black dress with a deep v at the front and a silver belt hugging
her tiny little waist. Somehow the sight of her even fifteen feet
away made me hard and I was
so pissed off with myself I did what I always do
to distract myself from her - I shoved my tongue so far down
Keeya’s throat I almost made her gag.

I’m such a
dick.

“
Wow, looks like Momma
’s been working extra hard this week,” Keeya
snickered loud enough to make damn sure Maddie heard her as she
weighed up her outfit.

“
Why are you such a god damn bitch?” I snapped, causing Keeya
to don her puppy dog eyes.

“
Oh come on, baby, her mom’s a whore! Why are you
being so
touchy?”

“
Screw you, Keeya. I’ve had enough of your
bullshit.”

“
What! Are you breaking up with me?” she asked
incredulously.

“
There’s nothing to break up.
You were just around to pass some time.
Now I’m bored, so fuck off.”

“
Blaine wait!” she called after me as I turned to go off in
search of Jason. “Are you screwing her or something?” she yelled,
causing our fellow partygoers to hone in on the spectacle she was
making of herself. “Blaine!” By now I was so far away her howls
were a mere whisper.

“
What-”

“
I need a beer,” I snapped, pushing past Jason by the pool and
stalking into the house, straight to the line up of
kegs.

Jason followed
me and from the expression on his face I could tell he was about to
spout some brotherly advice crap.

“
Don’t wanna hear it,” I said before he had chance to breathe a
single word. He raised his hands in front of him and closed his
mouth again.

Nirvana’s ‘In Bloom’ resonated in the air as
I filled two plastic
cups with beer and passed one to Jason. Then we headed outside and
claimed two recliners by the pool where we started the process of
drinking ourselves into an oblivion. Over the course of the next
hour I had to fight off three different pissed and half-naked girls
who tried to drape themselves over me or sit on my knee. Eventually
I think people started to notice I was in no mood for company and
they started leaving me alone. Even Jason fucked off after a
while.

I’d almost drank to the point where the only thing I could
focus on was the fact the house seemed to be moving from side to
side but then Lori came bursting outside dragging a giggling Maddie
behind her
,
sobering me instantly. Her rich brown eyes seemed to dart straight
to mine before quickly snatching themselves away. The sight of her
made my body stiffen – and I mean my
whole
body.

I huffed
loudly into my shoulder. If she was coming to sit out here, I would
have to leave. I knew I was being a first-class jackass and the
idea of being friends briefly crossed my mind before I swiftly
dismissed it again. I didn’t want to be ‘friends’. I wanted to hold
her and touch her and fuck her till she was numb. But I just knew
that wouldn’t be enough for me. Not with her. I wouldn’t be able to
just toss her aside and I’m damned if I knew why. That’s how I knew
she’d come closer than anyone to discovering just how weak and
screwed up I was.

I just
couldn’t risk that. She had enough fucked-up shit in her life.

Standing
from my recliner I made a cursory glance around for a trashcan
before tossing my empty cup on the floor with everyone else’s. On
my way to seek out Matt - tonight’s designated driver - I made the
mistake of looking at Maddie who flashed me a sweet, shy smile.
Instinctively my lips betrayed me and threw one back at her. It
took all my strength to hold myself back from walking the four
steps it would have taken to be in touching distance and talking to
her.

It was
then Sky Williams invaded the space between us, swishing her long
brunette hair over her shoulders and unleashing her vicious
tongue.

“
Your pimp buy you that dress? He’s got good taste.”

I was
expecting one of Maddie’s feisty comebacks and my heart dipped
towards my stomach when I watched her porcelain face drop. I
guessed everyone had a breaking point and I suddenly wondered if I
hadn’t in fact got to all the sticky notes on her locker first.
Then Sky ‘accidently’ bumped into her, emptying the contents of her
beer cup down Maddie’s front.

“
Oops!” the bitch said, throwing her hand over mouth as she
feigned shock. “My bad.”

“
What the hell is your problem, Sky?” I roared at her, closing
the gap between Maddie and me. We were easily two feet apart but I
swear I could feel the heat from her body wrapping around me like a
comforter.

Sky glared at me, eyes wide and astonished as if I was the
last person she expected to defend Maddie. In all honesty
I
wondered why
I
was
the last person to
stick up for her. Why the fuck was Lori just standing there with
her trap shut? She’s supposed to be Maddie’s friend.

“
Sorry, Blaine,” she replied sarcastically,” I didn’t know you
cared. But hey, I’m sure if you drop her a few dollars she’ll let
you peel her out of that wet dress.”

“
I’ve got to go,” Maddie said, her voice cracking as she
started running away as fast as her black heels would let her. Lori
started after her, mumbling something about her not being able to
afford to get home.

I opened my mouth to yell something spiteful at Sky but she
suddenly seemed unimportant. So instead, probably –
definitely
– stupidly, I ran
after Maddie.

Maddie stopped
after running the perimeter of the house until she found the front
where the cars were parked. Then she disappeared behind two palm
trees and buried her face in the wall of the house. Lori wasn’t far
behind her and I pulled her back by her arm.

“
Can I?” I asked, nodding my head towards the trees Maddie was
hiding behind.

“
Why?” she barked incredulously. “You can’t even bear to
look at her half the time. You’ve made her feel like shit since you
decided you wanted nothing to with her!”

I didn’t
know my heart was capable of beating any faster until it fought to
beat past the words which had been stabbed into it like a
knife.

“
Please, Lori. I know I’ve been a dick, okay? I just wanna talk
to her.” My face must have conveyed the desperation I was feeling
inside because Lori shrugged and gestured her hand for me to
pass.

“
Don’t you dare hurt her,” she warned firmly before walking
back to the house.

With a deep
breath I slipped between the trees and found Maddie facing the wall
with her hands over her face, her tiny body shuddering. She was
crying.

I had no idea
what I planned to say but my body seemed to know exactly how to
comfort her. My arms slipped round her waist of their own accord
and I buried my face in her hair. I was expecting her to jump or at
least turn around but she just sighed and wiped the tears from her
flushed cheeks.

“
What do you want, Blaine?” she asked despondently – somehow
knowing instantly it was me. What did I want? I had no freakin’
idea.

“
Are you alright?”

Course she’s not
, dumbfuck!

“
I will be. I’ve
just had enough for one night,” she practically
whispered as she slipped from my arms and turned around to face me.
“Seriously, Blaine, why are you here?”

I shook
my head, both at her because I didn’t know the answer, and myself
for being such a dick to her.

“
I’m sorry I’ve been such an ass to you, Maddie,” I said,
tracing soft flesh covering her cheekbone with my thumb. She looked
slightly alarmed, but she didn’t stop me.

“
I understand. I know what everyo
ne thinks about me, and what everyone
thinks of my mum. I don’t blame you for not wanting to be
associated with me.”

“
That’s bullshit!” I yelled, startling her. “Sorry, I just…
lish, I don’t give a rat’s ass what anyone else thinks. You’re not
responsible for you parent’s fuck ups, I know that better than
anybody.”

Shit…
I didn’t mean to let that slip. Damn, I knew she’d do that
to me. Thankfully after a few painfully long seconds of silence I
was sure it had gone over her head.

“
Then, why?”

“
Because I’m a dick, Maddie. Whatever shit you’ve got going
on I can guarantee I’ll only make it worse.”