Aspiring Nobody

Chapter 44 No police

ERIN'S POV

"I know what I said. But I need to call Styles right now and tell him what he's up to. The rest I'll figure out later." I grab my phone from the table. "Do not call anyone, especially the police."

"Erin, you're crazy, you know that!"

No sooner am I through the bathroom door, I'm sliding down the closed door until my butt hits the cold tiles. What the hell is happening to me? One day I'm a starving student; now I am involved in this. I press my phone to my forehead. He could have hurt me, maybe even kill me. He still could. I could imagine the headlines — 'Uni student found dead' — further investigations discover she could be bought if the price was right'. I wipe the stream of tears from my cheeks.

"Erin!" Simone pounds on the bathroom door. "What if he comes back? Should I call your brother to come over?"

"No! God no! I don't want my brother involved in this. That sickos liable to hurt him just to get at me. So no, don't call anyone. I mean it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." I lick the salty tear from my lip and cradle my head in my hands, thinking Michael is more dangerous than I thought. He may be gone for now, but Simone's right, he could come back. And as he and I both know; this is far from over.

Fact is, I should have already told Styles, but I've been too miserable to consider anyone else but myself. Not anymore, though. I'm sick of letting people walk over me. This is my life, and I need to stop compromising myself before I screw it up any more than I already have. Whatever happens to me happens? Today I tell Styles and nothing will stop me from doing what I should have already done.

Within seconds, his phone is ringing. He answers on the second ring. "Erin. Hello. How are you? Are you ok?"

I'm not interested in wasting time on his pointless questions. "Who is Joey to you?"

"An old friend. I had no interest in clubs, but he had this big idea about running his own. Not that he had the funds to make it happen. So, I said I'd back him since I had the money. Plus, I owed Joseph after everything that had happened with Miranda."

He's talking like I should be able to follow along, but I'm not following, my brain isn't running at its normal speed. "Miranda. I don't understand?"

"Joseph and Miranda. The car accident. Joey is Joseph, Erin."

I'm shocked. And it's not so much from discovering their connection, but how intricate this whole thing is.

"Erin, I hate myself for what I did to you, put you through."

"Don't start pretending you care about my feelings now."

"I'm not pretending. Everything I've said to you is real and hasn't changed. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

I sigh into the phone. " What happened the night you saved me?"

"Excuse me."

"You know what I'm talking about. After the rave. Those men. The gun shots. I know I heard gun shots... You did it, didn't you?"

"I have no regrets about that night, Erin. I did what I did to protect you. When we got there, he was on top of you... your dress was up around your waist and he was... shit!"

My breathing is heavy and my chest is rising and falling fast. "N-no more. I can't... deal with that as well as everything else right now." I exhale and suddenly my head spins. "I need to tell you about Michael."

"I don't give a fuck about him. You're the only one on my mind."

I force back the sob threatening to burst from me. "Well, that's your problem. Because I'm not open to any discussions with you, about us, about what happened, or what happens from here. This is about Michael. So please, allow me to say what I need to." So I jump straight in and go for it.

Nothing will hold me back this time. And within a short period, I have told him everything I was too scared to tell him before about Michael: from the edited footage of the lap dance, to the non-disclosure agreement he wants. I even tell him about the odd comment he made about them not getting his boy for nothing. I leave nothing out. "And that's all of it." I tell him.

"That dirty fucking CUNT!" His loud, piercing voice hits my eardrum like an explosion. I pull the phone from my ear, still listening to his volatile outburst. He sounds just as hostile as he did at the club—which has me ending the call. The most important thing is he knows what Michael is doing. As for me, well, I'll just have to deal with any repercussions that follow on from this.

When I leave the bathroom, Simone looks up from her phone at me. "You tell him?"

I nod as I drop my phone on the desk.

"You look empty. Like your spirits left your body."

If I look empty it's because I am. But I am also scared, weak, at my lowest, and going through the hardest period in my life. I settle back on my bed, stretching my legs out, "my heads all over the place, Simone."

"Yeah, I realize that. You're going through a lot of shit right now. But seriously, babes, if you don't get it together soon, you'll lose your place here?"

With everything's that's going on, I don't care. As hard as that is for me to admit, I don't.

I'm still trying to come to terms with the mess that is now my life. Yet, Simone doesn't understand that I need time to deal with everything that's happened to me, what I brought on myself. "I can't focus on any of that... not with everything else that's happening in my life. All I want is my old life back... how I felt before I met Styles."

"That's not about to happen unless you make it, babes. But if I'm honest, I'd be more worried about that idiot you were just talking to."

"Yeah, that should take precedence over everything else, I'm aware. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm hurting over Styles." I draw in a breath. "I've been thinking about going home for a bit." A tingle stirs in my heart at the thought of going home.

"Sounds like a good idea. But please tell me you'll go to the cops about that man before you leave?"

"I can't. You heard what he said, Simone." I know she thinks I'm an idiot, and my reasons for holding back are ridiculous. But she is not the one this is happening to. She doesn't understand my hesitation about going to the police, and it's not all about Michael. It's about me being too humiliated to dredge up the worst experience of my life. Besides that, I don't see how rushing to the police is the best thing, not yet, anyway. And getting a restraining order put on him won't make me feel safe, nor do I believe it will keep him away. If anything, it could make this situation worse. And I'd be lying if I said I am not scared of what he could do to me.

Simone pushes my stretched-out legs aside, sits on the end of the bed, and then folds her legs. "I need to tell you something, Erin." She nibbles at her lip, looking unsure of herself. Which is not like her? She always looks sure of herself. I'm the one always second guessing everything I do. I'm the weakling here: not Simone.

"What is it?" I ask.

Her eyes close and dread washes across her soft features. "I spoke to Styles a few weeks ago. I was on my way out, and he was knocking on your door. He asked me where you were. I-I told him you were out searching for a job because you were desperate for one." She swallows. "So, he gave me April's name and number." She nibbles at her lip. "He said to contact her about a job... and that I should give it to you."

"So, April wasn't your friend. And you didn't know who she was when you set all that up?"

With a downcast gaze, Simone shakes her head. "No. He was so adamant that you wouldn't accept the opportunity if you knew it came from him. And I... well, I was the only person who knew how desperate you were. So I figured it would be easier if I said she was my friend... I'm sorry, Erin. Swear to God, I wasn't aware of what he was doing, what he had planned. I swear. He fooled me. And I assumed he was trying to help, not cause you grief."

"Yeah, well, you wouldn't be the only one he fooled."

Please don't forget to vote or leave a comment.

Thank you!