The Only Thing I Ever Really Loved (Corey Taylor)

Chapter 9

By the time I had made it back to my apartment my eyes were bloodshot and my face was sticky from all my tears. I can't believe I allowed that to happen, why did I do that? I went right for the couch and dropped my body on it before falling in a restless sleep.

Well it ended up being more of a cat nap because I was woken up twenty or so minutes later from Miranda opening the door.

"I am not talking to you right now." I grumbled at her as I rolled around to face the back of the couch. 

"Okay." She muttered in a flat tone and that peeked my interest, she never sounds like that.

Also whenever I tell her things like I'm not going to talk to her she immediately demands to know whats going on. So I changed my position so I could sit up and look at her and I noticed she basically appeared to have been chewed up and spit out. Her purse and a grocery bag hung limply in her hands, while her hair and makeup was a mess.

"What happened to you?" I questioned.

She tossed her purse on the couch before grumbling, "I thought you said you weren't going to talk to me?"

"Well I changed my mind, now what the hell happened?"

She shrugged and began heading down the hall, but before she could disappear into her room I got up to grab onto the tail of her shirt and then I saw something that made me gasp loudly.

"Miry what happened?" 

"It was an accident." She says in a nervous tone.

"Did Patrick do this?" I demanded as I stared at the large hand-like bruises on her back.

She turned back to me with tears welling up in her eyes as she nodded. I felt my jaw and fists clench at the same time before I carefully wrapped my arms around my now sobbing friend. "I don't know what to do Ashley. He had been flirting with this other girl, so I got mad and started an argument then he..."

She couldn't even finish her sentence as a fresh new wave of tears and sadness seemed to wash over her. I could barely contain my rage, I was going to make that mother fucker pay. After a few minutes of silence Miranda dropped her arms from me and I did the same.

"That's not even the worst part, " She paused to reach into the shopping bag and pulled out a small white box.

My jaw dropped, it was a pregnancy test. My words came out as a stutter, "Y-you don't think that..."

"I'm late and I've been getting sick a lot lately." She informs me in a little voice.

I gave a hard swallow before saying, "Alright well you go take care of that and I'll be right out here if you need me." 

She nodded and hurried into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. I began pacing the tiny hall as I wondered exactly what I was going to do about Patrick. A buzzing noise caught my attention before I could get too in deep inside my brain and I realized that it was coming from Miranda's purse. So I fished out her cell phone so I could hand it to her until I saw who was calling, Patrick.

I didn't hesitate to answer the call myself, even if it did make me seem crazy for doing it.

"M-Miranda I'm so sorry baby, I didn't mean to hurt you. I s-shouldn't have messed around like that, come on don't be mad at me." He whined sounding pretty drunk or he was just hamming it up too much. 

"You're fucking pathetic." I growl into the cell.

"Ashley? Where the fuck is Miranda?"

"Wow you sure sobered up quick." I responded with a laugh, totally ignoring his question.

I could hear him sigh heavily on the other end, "I'm coming over and she better be there."

"The hell you are." I scoff and before I can another word out he hangs up.

I felt a knot twist in my stomach as I realized that I would have to be dealing with this by myself, this is what I get for letting my big mouth get the best of me when I don't have my brother around. I hurry back to the bathroom and then it dawned on me if Miranda really is pregnant then I can't put any sort of stress on her. I let out a frustrated sigh as I tried to think of what to do and nothing really came to mind. Until I remembered the fact some of the scariest guys I knew were in town for once. So I quickly called them up, but sadly the only one to answer was Joey.

"Hey Ash, it's been awhile since I've heard from you." He says sounding pleasantly surprised.

"Hey Joey, I know and I'm sorry about that man."

"It's all good we're both busy people."

"Speaking of that, are you doing anything at the moment?"

"Yeah, I'm tracking some drums at the moment in the studio."

"The old one or the new one?"

"New one of course." He tells me and then I guess he hears my light sound of frustration at the fact he was so far away from here, "Why what's wrong?"

In an embarrassed mutter I say, "Um I kind of got myself into some trouble and I'm in need of some man power."

"I'm sorry I can't help, but hey Corey's fat ass isn't doing anything but cake tasting with Sarah, see if you can get him to drop by. What kind of trouble are you in anyway?"

Just to help dismiss the idea of having Corey pulled into this situation I explained to Joey what was going on and when I was done he didn't seem to happy about it. Unfortunately before anything else could be said the sound of a fist pounding on the door caught my attention.

"Shit he's here. Don't call Corey, just call my brother and tell him to get here fast." I tell Joey before quickly hanging up.

"Miranda? You in there?" Patrick yells before continuing his assault to our front door.

"Patrick you better get out of here if you know what's good for you!" I shout with my heart pounding in my ears, I didn't know what this guy was capable of. I could be digging myself in a deeper hole.

"Somebody better come out here or I'm kicking the fucking door down!"

"Ash? Is that Patrick?" I hear Miranda nervously ask from the back of the apartment.

I bite my lip as I make my decision and open the door, quickly slipping out to press my back against the door knob. "Alright you happy now?"

"Where is she?" He demanded.

I stare into his darkened eyes as I try to weigh my options, this guy is a lot bigger than me and I don't think I can do as much damage to him as he would do to me.

"Well?!" He snapped.

"She's busy." I reply lamely.

"She can't stay in there forever."

"Well she is until you leave." I retort trying to keep up my tough act.

"Ashley there isn't a man on this planet that would be afraid of you, who do you think you're fooling?"

"I don't know, maybe they should start."

He rolled his eyes seeming to be fed up with talking to me and suddenly my whole body seemed to shrink in on itself as he reared his fist back and punched me in the stomach.

I let out a cry of pain and from the floor above me I hear my neighbor shout out, "I'm calling the cops!"

That was all the persuasion Patrick needed and he quickly hopped back in his car, leaving me clutching my torso on the sidewalk. The older gentlemen raced down the steps to help me into a sitting position.

"Are you alright Ms. Adams?"

I nodded, "I'm fine now, thank you."

Suddenly the sound of two cars pulling up catches our attention and I see that Joey half way listened to me because Anthony dashed out of his car to my side and out of the other car Corey steps out.

Well shit.