Cabin Fever | ✓

(25) The Cheerio Effect

Triple Update: If your notification took you here, go back to start at Chapter 24

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"Trish?"

Aiden's head snapped to where Marley was looking, releasing her hand to step in front of her, "I'd never hit a girl but if you don't get the fuck away from her-"

"I think we need to talk," Trish interrupted calmly, knitting her fingers together, "about what happened yesterday."

"What happened yesterday was that you and fucking Jordan cornered my girl in a bathroom and attacked her. Does that sound about right?"

Marley wrapped a hand around his bicep as he shook with anger. She could understand why though, she was angry too. Trish stood by and did nothing. No matter the reason why, it was an awful thing to do.

Her impassive blue eyes flickered between Marley and Aiden, who was vibrating with rage but that didn't seem to faze her at all.

"There was nothing I could've done. If I tried, he would've turned on me and gotten even angrier. He'd probably have done worse to the both of us."

Marley chewed on her bottom lip, sort of seeing where Trish was coming from. But Aiden didn't, at all.

"You scream for help. You run out the door. I was right outside. You stood there and watched him intimidate her and you did nothing. You're no goddamn victim and the only reason why we're validating your story is because Marley has asked me to. I'm doing it for her - only for her."

Trish still didn't appear fazed, locking eyes with Marley's hazel ones, "You're lucky, you know. I don't think you even realize how lucky you are."

"Lucky?!" Aiden boomed, "In what situation is she lucky?! That she wasn't fucking molested?! You're sick. Get the fuck away from us."

Marley watched Trish shake her head in disagreement, "That's not what I meant. I meant she's lucky in that she has you."

She recoiled, momentarily stunned just like Aiden. The both of them assumed that Trish was saying something about how Marley was lucky she wasn't hurt any worse. But then...this?

"Trish I don't...I don't understand," Marley breathed out from behind Aiden's bicep, a frown on her face.

She leaned back on her hands, "Of course you don't. I'm just guessing that he's your first boyfriend, right? So you've never had to flip through the catalogue of assholes. He respects you, he protects you, he treats you right and he doesn't do it for anything else but the fact that he loves you. You stumbled upon a diamond in a field of thousands of coals, and trust me. I would know."

Marley studied Trish's impassive expression and felt bad for her immediately. She was telling the truth - that she's seen a lot of bad relationships in her past.

Marley stepped out of Aiden's shadow, "There's someone out there for you, Trish. And I'm sorry that you've had to experience the bad before the good. In a way, I understand why you couldn't step in. It just, it was hard for me."

Aiden grabbed her hand while Trish just flicked her hair behind her ear and watched the movement, "You deserve it anyway. There isn't a single bitch cell in your body. I'm sorry about what Jordan said."

Aiden froze from beside her, "Marley. What did he say?"

She looked down at her shoes, her eyes burning as she remembered the lashing words.

"Shit about how she's a virgin - well, not that we know for sure he was just blowing smoke. Threatened to smash her head against the ti-"

"That's enough," Marley cut in harshly, feeling Aiden's shaking and quickly kissing his bicep, resting her cheek on his arm and hugging it.