+++++
Chapter Four
"What the hell happened to her?" Sebastian's voice was loud, deafening even.
I clumsily stumbled over to the couch, clutching the flimsy fabric close to my bloody nose. My head pounded as I slouched into the plush cushions of the couch, allowing my body to relax and unwind.
"She didn't block herself properly," Callum answered, handing me a handful of tissues over to me.
I accepted them with a weak smile, quickly replacing the soaking cloth from my face.
"I can't believe you agreed to train with Callum," Nate muttered, his eyes trailing over my bruised and battered form.
Even though my eyes were on the verge of shutting at any given moment, I was distinctively aware of the way everyone was watching me ever so carefully.
"Would you all just stop staring?" I grumbled, sitting up straighter as my eyes opened up to glare at all the people who had decided to gather in the room and watch me as though I were an animal at the zoo.
Sebastian's eyes burned over my skin as they grazed over my feeble form. His dark brows were furrowed and I could practically see the gears in his head turning as he mulled over whatever it was on his mind.
"You used to be able to challenge Callum." Sebastian stated, his eyes boring into my own. "What happened?"
I gently pulled the tissues away from my throbbing nose, my face twisting with discomfort as their eyes continued to scorch my skin.
"He's right," Callum agreed. "You were barely away to dodge a single blow I sent your way. You used to have this ferocity within you, and now, well it's just not there."
His words sent me over the edge. With one last burst of energy, I pushed myself onto my feet.
"I used to be this, I used to do that." I spat out. "What's with the use of past tense? Oh!" I laughed, my eyes now sparking wildly. "That's right! I fucking left for ten months."
Silence was my only response as I stared at each and every person in the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kate creep down the stairs, her worried eyes meeting my animalistic ones.
"Evie," Nate said quietly, "They were just pointing out that your not as strong as you used to be. No one is trying to shed more light on the fact that you left for ten months. It's just a surprise that you didn't keep up with your training. It's, it's just weird to see you like this."
My chin quivered and my mind raced, as well as my heart.
When I had left, I never intended to turn out this way. I had been so sure that I was going to become stronger. That being away from the Kings would change me for the better, and that I would no longer feel weak and inferior to those around me.
But instead, I spent those months suffering.
Let me tell you something-
Anxiety is crippling.
And when you're crippled, you don't have a chance of becoming stronger. In fact, you're forced to hop onto a one-way elevator that only goes downward.
I felt my breathing become shallower, and slowly but surely I felt the walls around me begin to grow closer and closer. I was being suffocated. I was drowning. Air was escaping me rapidly, leaving my lungs empty.
I was on the verge of a full-blown anxiety attack.
I saw Kate rush towards me, recognition flashing through her features as she began uttering unrecognizable words. I couldn't hear what everyone was saying, yet all around me, people's mouths began moving, paired with worried expressions.
It was as if I were deaf, slowly becoming blind.
My vision was fading, when suddenly screams filled my ears. I felt a pair of hands knot into my hair, tugging and pulling as the screams and cries resonated throughout the room.
It was only then that I recognized the screams as my own.
I felt my cries die down as I began choking on my tears. My legs stumbled forwards and I found myself moving forwards, until my body pitched towards the ground.
I instantly curled into a fetal position, whimpers escaping my fragile lips.
With all the shit that has happened over the last week, taking my anxiety pills hadn't been a priority for me. Ironically enough, I was too focused on trying to stay sane, and I guess that in the midst of it all, I fell into a dark abyss of madness.
I felt a body crouch next to my own, my eyes instantly fixated on the two white pills that she held in her hand. I snatched them quickly, along with the glass of water Kate offered out to me.
My breaths slowed considerably compared to the way I had been hyperventilating before. As my heart regained it's normal pace, my vision fully cleared, and it was as if my deafness had suddenly been cured.
"Is she okay?" Nate.
"What in the world was that?" Callum.
"God damn it, what the fuck just happened?" Sebastian. Definitely Sebastian.
"She had an anxiety attack," Kate's soft voice answered. "She has them a lot. She must have forgotten to take her pills."
"Her pills?" Sebastian sneered with anger and confusion heavy in his tone.
I managed to prop myself into a sitting position on the floor, despite the painful headache that was spreading rapidly. I felt my stomach twist as I shakily stood, ignoring the way everyone looked at me.
And I thought they were staring before.
"I need to go." I mumbled out, stumbling forwards as I pushed myself towards the stairs. As soon as I reached my destination, I forced myself to take a few calming breaths. "I promise this won't happen again. I don't want to talk about it either."
Everyone seemed to recognize and understand the cold front I was putting off. Everyone, that is, except for Sebastian King of course.
While he made no movement to stop me from going up the stairs, his dark and angered expression made it clear that he wasn't going to just let it go any time soon.
The second I entered my room; I locked the door and shuffled into the bathroom. I was sore and stiff all over, and there were a few bruises already forming on my pale skin.
To be honest, I had no idea why I ever decided to train with Callum. I was well aware that he was much too strong for me, and that I was essentially setting myself up for failure, but I did it anyways.
I guess some part of me was hoping that I'd be able to make myself physically stronger, to compensate with my mental weakness. That or I had turned into some sick and twisted masochist.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror before opening the drawer underneath the sink. My eyes landed on the dark wooden box, my arms stretching out for it. I bit my lip carefully before opening the box, my eyes grazing over the pills and powder that filled the box.
My shaky hand withdrew two of the pills from one of the baggies, a small smile forming on my face as I raised them to my lips.
It was sickening, the way I looked at these drugs as though they were god sent.
I pushed the two pills into my mouth and hunched over the sink, readily gulping the water that flowed from the faucet.
The best thing about percs was that it took only a few minutes for them to kick in. Sure enough, I was high as a kite only moments after, the pain of living completely numbed away.
+++++
I was staring at the ceiling, sprawled across my bed. My breathing was slow and dramatic; yet I was in a state of peace and relaxation.
I found myself dancing around my room in only a t-shirt as my hair flew around my head and laughter escaped my lips. It was surprising that no one had come upstairs yet, but who was I to question that.
I couldn't have given a lesser fuck at that point.
In the midst of all my dancing, my weak, lanky legs crossed over each other, making me collapse forwards and fall onto the carpet covered floor. An obnoxious laugh burst through my lips as I ran my hands over the soft carpet, and I found more giggles quickly following.
"Hey, are you..."
My door opened slowly, revealing a confused and worried Mason Walker. I frowned at the sight of him, my eyes drifting between him and the door.
"I locked that. How did you do that?" My voice was childish, and the pout I wore on my face matched the one of a four year olds.
His eyes flickered to the door before returning to my face.
"You need to push the lock in all the way," he trailed off, slowly shutting the door behind him.
"Evie, are you high?"
A giggle paired with a smirk quickly followed his question.
"As a fucking blimp."
+++++
Remember when you were a kid, and the worst thing that could ever happen was to get caught with your hand in the cookie jar?
Well, I guess I just got caught.
Mason sat on a chair in front of my door, effectively locking me in my room. I, on the other hand, was curled up tightly on my bed, with my chin resting on my knees and my eyes boring into Mason's.
I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but all I knew was that my high had worn off and I was sitting in painful soberness.
"When did it start?"
I shifted, my eyes staying on his.
"Were you abusing before you left?"
My eyes drifted down to me sock covered feet before rising up to meet his once more.
"How bad is it?"
I shrugged slightly before allowing myself to utter out a simple response.
"Bad."
He stared at me and I stared back.
"Do you have any drugs with you right now?"
My mind immediately went to the wooden box hidden underneath my sink underneath all the feminine products that I was sure none of the boys would even dare to touch.
"No." My voice was hardly loud enough to be audible, but Mason's short nod indicated that he had heard.
"This better be the last time."
I restrained myself from scoffing. If only he really knew.
"I mean it Evie," Mason said, standing up from his chair and folding his arms across his chest as if he was trying to look authoritative towards me.
My eyes tore away from his when I saw the door open slightly, revealing Will's short blonde hair.
"We have a meeting in a few minutes. I suggest you guys head down soon, Sebastian seems really pissed." Will eyes traced over the scene in front of him, confusion flashing over his features before he pushed the door open further.
I slowly uncurled and slid off the bed, my eyes fixated on Mason as I shuffled quietly out the door, behind Will. Just as I exited, Mason's hand quickly wrapped around my wrist and pulled me to a halt.
"You know Danny and Sebastian would kill you if they knew you were using." He warned, his tone low and threatening.
I gritted my teeth and yanked my hand from his grip while keeping my eyes on Will's retreating back.
"That's why they're not going to find out." My tone was equally as threatening, as well as the glare I sent his way.
Without another word, I walked down the stairs and entered the living room, where everyone except Mason was sitting. I offered a bland smile before taking a seat next to Nate, ignoring Sebastian's pointed stare from across the room. Instead, I turned my gaze to meet Emily's, who instantly turned red and quickly looked away from me.
"The bust we had Sunday night," Danny started, drawing in all our attention. "It clearly didn't end like it was supposed to."
"Spencer, our lead man, was shot dead, and now we have nothing." Sebastian cut in, his dark eyes focused on my light ones. "Unless you managed to get some sort of information out of him during your completely inappropriate hook up, Evie?"
I felt my eyes narrow at the obvious shade Sebastian had thrown my way, making me boil with anger and frustration.
"Actually," Kate announced entering the room, "Evie did snag this during their 'completely inappropriate' hook up." She held up the small black phone, her eyes meeting mine as she made her way to the table.
"Why the hell do you have it?" Sebastian snapped, fed up that he has been wrong.
"Because," I cut in, "She knows how to trace shit with phones and I wanted to see what she could find before I turned it over to you lot."
While the boys seemed to be trying to understand my words, Mason was staring at Kate as though he was a blind man who had his sight suddenly restored. My heart clenched as I watched her blush lightly before handing the phone to him.
"I wasn't able to find much, but I'm sure you'll be able to."
It wasn't until Sebastian cleared his throat that I tore my eyes away from them, my face flushing with heat and my stomach twisting with emotions that I struggled to keep hidden.
"Well now that thathas been brought to our attention," Sebastian announced, pointedly staring at me, "I would like to hope that Spencer wasn't killed for absolutely nothing."
"Mason," Danny spoke, "Try to see what you can find out, and make it quick. As for the rest of us, word has gotten around that a certain someone is back, and people are talking about whether or not it's the time to attack us. Rumor has it that we are now at our weakest point-"
"Because I'm back."
In all honestly, I felt as though I was going to vomit. Guilt, anger, and misery pooled at the pit of my stomach as I stared at Danny and Sebastian, waiting for one of them to say something. When silence was my only response, I felt my mouth moving on its own accord.
"Because now that the weak link is back, everyone should just finally get rid of the Kings, right?" My tone was bitter and sarcastic. "It's great to be back guys. What a great boost of fucking self confidence this has been."
I stood up quickly, causing my chair to screech backwards. Instantly a hand wrapped around my wrist, preventing me from the escape I so desperately desired.
"Are you going to have another attack?" Nate questioned, standing up a bit so that he could fully block me from leaving.
His words sent shocks of vexation to spark across my already fully charged body. His words were just another reminder that I was the weak one in the group, the one that everyone had to constantly worry about because of her god damn crippling attacks that made her want to commit suicide sometimes.
"I'm not anxious right now," I sneered, forcing an icy glare to my lifeless eyes. "I'm just really fucking pissed."
"Well I don't give a fuck about what you are right now," Sebastian interrupted, annoyance weighing down on his tone. "We have much more important matters to discuss rather than Evie's mental stability."
"What do you mean another attack?" Danny questioned, confusion clouding his features.
Danny's question went right over my head as I stared at Sebastian. His insensitive remark had slapped the stone mask off of my face, leaving my shock and hurt visible to all those who looked.
Was it not only a few days ago that he had been proclaiming his love for me? I thought he had told me that I was his.
And when something is yours, aren't you supposed to care about it?
"You don't own me Sebastian. You never will."
Congratulations, I thought to myself, once again, you have completely fucked up, and you're the only person to blame. Why can't you do anything right for once? Why do you have to screw up everything?
My body thirsted to become numb under the power of the drugs that could take all this pain away.
I didn't want to feel anything anymore. It hurt too much. But the worst part of it all, was that it was self-inflicted pain. Sebastian put himself on the line, and clearly my stubborn antics were not worth fighting with anymore, and he no longer cared.
"Evie!"
My eyes met his, and he frowned.
"Have you even been listening?" He asked, somewhat glaring at me. "For the love of god, it's not all about you, you have a gang to think about now."
My body slumped back into my chair without protest, and I forced myself to swallow the fighting words that wanted to come out.
These mixed feelings were taking over me, and I was positive they were all the side effects of the percs I had taken earlier.
The one bad part of numbing yourself was that eventually, all your emotions were going to catch up with you.
And frankly, they were going to beat the shit right out of you.
+++++
THIRD PERSON POV
"Mate, don't you think you were a bit harsh to Evie?" Callum asked, frowning as the obviously shaken girl made her way upstairs silently, her shoulders shaking as though she was crying.
Sebastian growled and exited the room, heading straight to his office. Mason and Callum entered in behind him, before Will and Nate joined them.
"Where is Danny?" Sebastian asked.
"He went to check on Evie," Will answered quickly and cautiously, as though Sebastian might reject his answer.
"She wasn't listening to me at all," Sebastian practically whined, "She just sits there with that blank expression and it's so fucking frustrating because she knows, oh she knows I can't stand it. It's like it's her life goal to piss me off and god damn it, she's doing a great job at it so far."
Nate snorted, "Don't flatter yourself, King."
Sebastian's brow rose at Nate's tone while the rest of the boys watched uncomfortably, unsure of what was about to occur.
"Well spit it out then," Sebastian challenged, his eyes narrowing.
Nate readily accepted his challenge, as he didn't hesitate to answer. "I know you'd like to think that Evie's act is just to screw with you, but you should know that she's always been like this. Ever since we were younger, she's always seemed emotionally detached, and that's something people take advantage of."
Now it was Sebastian's turn to snort. "Take advantage of? What in the world does that-"
"She may seem like she's emotionally detached, but she's far from it. She gets hurt just like anyone else does, but it always takes a larger toll when the person who hurts her is someone she cares about."
Nate ended his speech with a shrug, "I get it. I get that she can be fucking irritating, but that's the thing. She really does care so much, and she'd do anything for anyone here."
The rest of the boys nodded in agreement, their eyes drifting towards Sebastian.
His response was interrupted by a knock on the door. Glancing around at the guys in the room, Sebastian rolled his eyes before saying, "Danny, you know you don't have to knock-"
"It's Kate."
The scrawny girl entered the room, giving everyone a shy smile as she slowly inched in.
Sebastian stared at her blankly, wondering why she had decided to walk in.
"I was hoping that I could speak to Sebastian for just a bit," she said slowly, her voice trailing off in question as her eyes met his for only a moment. "I mean, if I can't that's fine, I'll just-"
Before she could make a move to exit, Sebastian held out his hand.
"Wait." His eyes shot around the room, before he gave a quick nod, signaling for everyone to leave. As they did so, Sebastian couldn't help but notice the way that Mason lingered back, his eyes glimmering with concern as he stared at Kate.
"Mason," Sebastian snapped gruffly, "you too."
The second it was just Kate and Sebastian in the room, she instantly began shifting awkwardly and uncomfortably. Sebastian remained silent for a moment, his eyes watching her closely as she squirmed under his dark gaze.
"Well? Have you anything to say?" He suddenly demanded, making Kate jump with fright.
"Er," she hesitated, "Yes, of course." Her shaky hand ran through her hair as she forced her eyes to meet his.
"I wanted to tell you that the way you talked to Evie tonight-"
"Was harsh and unnecessary." Sebastian snapped, already fed up. "Yes, I am well aware of that."
"I was actually going to say that it was exactly what she needed to hear." Kate admitted, running her hand once again through her hair. It was a nervous habit of hers, and at a time like this, Kate couldn't help but feel extremely anxious.
Sebastian was taken aback by her words, as they clearly had caught him off guard.
"What I meant was," Kate quickly said, "Evie is really unstable. It's not just because she's back here, it's been this way since she left. There were nights that I'd find her crying, throwing up, and screaming for help, and there was nothing I could do for her. I thought that if I just acted as though nothing was wrong, she would be all better. I thought that by talking about it, she would only be in more pain. But I was wrong."
Sebastian nodded, urging her to continue.
"Evie never drank much back in America, except there was this one night-Well, she went off her rocker. I had never seen anyone so completely wasted, honestly. I just assumed I only had to take her to bed and stay with her in case she got sick, but instead she kept me up all night, telling me about all the shit she had bottled up."
Kate went silent for a moment, before regaining her composure.
"She wasn't okay, and she still isn't. She needed someone to talk to, and while she opened up to me that night, it was obvious that I was never intended to hear the things she said. In fact, she was so confused that night, that she hadn't even realized she had told me anything."
"What are you saying, Kate? Am I just supposed to try to get her to open up to me?"
Kate shook her head quickly. "No. You see my mistake was acting as if nothing had happened. I didn't call her out on all her pain and misery, because I thought that she didn't want to tell me about it. You're different."
There was newfound confidence in Kate's eyes as she spoke. "While your words may be brutal, they're exactly what Evie needs to hear. The longer people baby her around, the more she lets her emotions take control, and then you'll lose her."
"I thought emotions were good."
"For a normal person, yes. For Evie?" Kate let out a bitter laugh. "They suffocate her if she cannot control them."
"What do you suggest I do?"
"I can guarantee that right now, Evie is wondering why you're not acting like you want her back anymore-"
"But I do!" Sebastian protested. "But it's just so hard-"
"If anything can scare Evie senseless, it's the thought of losing you. Because if she thinks you're gone, she will break. She's a girl built on pride and stubbornness, but all that doesn't mean shit if she can't have you."
Sebastian's face shifted with realization. "Then she will open up to me, purely out of fear that she will lose me if she doesn't?"
Kate nodded. "Bingo."
Sebastian thought over her words, his mind racing as his heart pumped adrenaline into his veins.
"I know this doesn't seem like a very nice way of getting Evie to open up, but it's your only chance."
Sebastian nodded grimly. "So all I have to do is scare Evie senseless?"
Kate nodded.
"Make her think she lost you."
+++++
Evie's blue eyes were rimmed with red, though her tears had long since been gone. Danny had been sitting on the edge of her bed, watching her carefully as she numbly stared at her hands.
"What did Nate mean?" He finally spoke, his voice soft in hopes to not upset Evie. "Are you having anxiety attacks now?"
She bit her lip, unwilling to lift her eyes to meet his.
"Evie," Danny pleaded, "Please talk to me. You don't have to tell me everything, but I need to know why this is happening, please."
She surprised him when she started talking, for Danny assumed that she was only going to continue to ignore him. "They started ever since I left to go to America. I thought they were just side effects of leaving the one place I thought was home."
Evie barked out of a laugh and shook her head slightly.
"They weren't." She rubbed her hands soothingly over her arms before continuing. "Every day I would break down. Every night I would be haunted. I was miserable, helpless, and hopeless if anything else."
Danny cringed at her words, his eyes swimming with guilt as he watched her.
"They were happening every day, and there were multiple attacks per day. I wasn't sure how to even live normally. I would stay inside for days on end, and I too scared to go out in public."
"I'm supposed to take these pills," Evie stated, "they're supposed to make me better. But now I'm pretty much dependent on them. This past week, I've been so caught up with everything, that I must have forgotten to take them for a few days."
Evie ran her hand through her hair, sighing as she did so.
"I had an attack this morning," she admitted. "It was bad, and it was in front of Nate, Callum, and Sebastian. Kate, she's already used to them."
"Jesus Christ," Danny muttered under his breath. "Are you okay? Are you going to be okay?"
Evie laughed harshly. "I don't know. I want to be. It's just-"
She shifted slightly on her bed, her mind wandering off to the drugs in her small wooden box, and the damaging effects they gave her. She thought of how pained and hurt she was on the inside, and knew she would only continue to suffer more if she couldn't control herself.
"It's just what?" He asked, leaning closer to catch her attention.
She shrugged. "It's difficult."
Danny nodded in agreement.
"But enough of me," Evie said with a dry laugh. "When am I going to find out about everything that happened when I was gone?"
It was the question that had been pressing down on her ever since she had been caught. Ever since she saw the deadly, hateful glares of the people she once was so close to.
She wanted to know what happened.
She needed to.
"Evie, I'm not sure if I'm the right person to tell you any of this," Danny confessed.
"Please," Evie nearly begged. "You need to tell me something."
Danny sighed and ran his hand over his face. "From what I know, when you left, Mason, Sebastian, and Callum managed to break out of the county jail. It was only hours after you had left, but I assume you had already boarded your plane at that time. Anyways, word had gotten out that you were gone, and suddenly it was like a feeding frenzy."
Evie's stomach tightened at his words, unable to prevent herself from feeling guilty.
"Small, low-life gangs began teaming up, hoping to knock Kings straight onto their asses. It was only after Mason got shot that Sebastian called me, telling me that London's Eyes needed to come back."
"Wait," Evie cut him off. "Then why did you guys join the Kings? If they needed your help-"
"Oddly enough, even at their lowest, the Kings were still extremely strong. And honestly, ever since we lost you, London's Eyes had been struggling. I guess joining Kings just seemed like the best option."
"But what about London's Eyes? What about everything Dad worked for? Everything you've worked for?" Evie asked, her brows furrowing with disbelief. "How did you just give it all up like that?"
Danny tore his eyes from mine and let out a long sigh. "Evie, you and I both know that our dad was anything but a noble man. He didn't build this gang off of hard work and determination; he would only belittle and ruin the lives of others-Especially the innocent. Sebastian King built this gang when he was only seventeen. It was the right choice."
Evie's brows furrowed. "So what happened then? You guys joined the Kings and that was it?"
Danny shook his head slightly. "It's not just that. Even after we joined, gangs kept attacking. Everyday someone was injured or killed and we were suffering in all this chaos, that is, until we were tipped off that you were in New York City. And just like that, we dropped everything to get you back."
She bit her lip slightly, lifting her eyes to meet his own. "Well you got me. I'm back."
Danny nodded, although he seemed to hesitate.
"I guess you are."
+++++
Evie's POV
"You know what you need to do?" Mason asked, peering at me as we entered the busy bar.
Unlike the normal clubs I would bait at, this bar was quiet with next to nothing happening inside. My eyes flickered across the room, scanning for anyone that who would stand out.
Nate and Will were working with Emily, who was down at the club baiting a well-known gang member. Unfortunately for me, Sebastian decided to assign me the pathetic excuse of hunting down some low life drug dealer who apparently went to this bar to drink away his problems.
"Oh and by the way," Mason said, bringing me to a stop. "Try not to buy anything from him, okay?"
My lips parted at his words, before a glare found its way to my eyes.
"Shut the hell up," I snarled at Mason, resisted the urge to slap him across the face.
"I mean it," he hissed lowly, making my eyes widen at his tone.
With a short nod, I pulled away and made my way to the closest bar stool that I could find. Sitting down, I ordered myself water, ignoring the way the bartender rolled his eyes at my ridiculous order.
"You do know you're at a bar, right?" He questioned as slid the glass my way.
I gave a small smile before laughing. "Oh am I really? I had absolutely no idea."
He grinned at my snarky response, and leaned against the counter, drawing his head to mine. My eyes noticed the small black tattoo underneath the collar of his shirt, and I knew I had my guy.
I bit my lip nervously. Not only was my target the most obvious person in the room, but also not exactly the easiest person to bait out of the bar.
What the fuck was Sebastian thinking?
I turned slightly in my chair, my eyes meeting Mason's across the room. He sat with Callum, who had seemed to just arrive. They were acting as if they were two friends who hadn't seen the other in far too long, but I knew better.
They were just waiting for me to lure this bartender out into the alley.
"Which one do you have your eyes on?"
I jumped at the proximity of his voice, and blushed furiously as a sly smirk took over his lips.
"What's your name, love?" He asked, his hazel eyes burning into me.
I hesitated before answering. "Sarah."
His brow quirked at my answer, but he seemed to accept it. "Sarah...?"
"Sarah Thompson."
My heart was beating quickly. Normally I didn't have to do names. Normally I would just dance like a drunken slut and that's all it would take. It didn't help that our interaction had caught the attention of a few customers.
"Sarah Thompson," he repeated quietly, almost as if he was checking to see if it was my real name.
"And what would yours be?" I asked, taking a small sip of water to calm my jumping nerves.
His eyes were studying my face as he responded. "Ed O'Connell."
I nodded, although I could see right through his lie. I was too busy trying to figure out how I was going to manage to lure him away from his job and into the alley.
"So which one was it?" He questioned, breaking my away from my thoughts.
I glanced back to Mason and Callum before shrugging. "Neither, I suppose."
"Oh really, because from the way you were looking at them-"
"I'm more interested in you."
My bold words had definitely caught him off guard, and his brows rose in slight surprise. I held my breath, hoping he would say something back, but the grin that rose to his lips was enough reassurance that I hadn't scared him off just yet.
You can do this, I thought to myself.
"Is that so?" His tone was lower now, husky even. There was a mischievous spark in his eyes, and I felt myself relax a bit.
He had gone for the bait.
"Listen," I murmured, dropping my voice as he did. "There's been some talk around here. I heard you can hook me up with some things, and I wanted to know if that was true."
He seemed caught off guard, before he leaned closer. "Is that all you wanted? Some drugs? Because to be honest, I feel a bit used." He feigned a hurt expression, making me let out a light laugh.
"Sure, when I first came here it was for the drugs," I whispered, "But now something else seems more appealing."
A smirk broke out across his face and he ran his hand through his hair. "Meet you in the back alley in five, got it?"
I nodded and gave him a flirty wink as I exited the bar, making sure to text Mason and Callum to wait a bit before coming out. As I sent the text, I lifted my eyes to see three guys in the alley.
"What's a bird like you doing here?" One of them asked, pushing himself off the wall of a nearby building.
My stomach was tingling and I felt my heart take off in an uncomfortable manner as I looked at what I was faced with.
"Just waiting for someone." I said, forcing my voice to be strong as the men looked me over.
"How about we keep you company while you wait?" One of the men answered, moving closer over to me.
I frowned at his words, and took a step back. "No thank you."
"You sure look a hell of a lot like Evelyn Summers," another observed, his eyes tracing over me in a sickeningly slow manner.
"I have no idea who that is." I remained passive, knowing fully well that my act was over.
"Is that so, Sarah Thompson?"
He was directly behind me.
Before I had time to turn around, I felt his arms sneak around me, and a cold blade was pressed to my throat. Instantly, my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, and I felt as though I was going to pass out.
It was also at that exact moment that Mason and Callum decided to enter through the back door. I watched as their expressions twisted with fury at the sight of me and the state I was in.
"What the fuck are you playing at, Marcus?" Mason challenged.
"Haven't a clue who you're referring to," Marcus responded, "My name is Ed O'Connell."
I gritted my teeth. "Ed O'Connell my ass."
He face bent down so that it was nearly pressing against my own. "And a fine one at that."
My body jerked as his free hand squeezed my bum rather roughly, and I forced myself to contain the yelp of pain that resulted in his action.
"This was far to easy," Marcus announced while the rest of the men around us nodded in agreement. "I knew you guys were weak, but holy shit. This was too fucking easy."
"What do you want from us?" Callum asked. His eyes trained on the blade that was on the verge of slitting my throat.
"Well," Marcus started, "It's clear that you guys had planned to take me out tonight, so why don't we do you guys the favor."
I felt his arm tighten, and the blade move. Acting on pure instinct, I kicked back and launched my body out of his hold. I collapsed onto the ground as Mason and Callum shot the other three in record timing. Marcus turned away and began running, but Callum caught him easily and threw him to the ground.
I slowly rose to my feet, watching the way Callum threatened Marcus and shoved the gun to his head. Turning away, I heard the shot go off, and with that, the life drained out of Marcus.
"Shit Evie," Mason said, making me look at him. "He got you good."
My eyes shifted down to the cut that went from my collar bone to the top of my shoulder. When I had broken away from his hold, his knife had missed its intended target.
"Better this than my throat." I joked, my trembling fingers wiping away the blood that was trailing from the wound.
"I don't think it's deep enough for stitches," Callum declared as he studied the wound, his fingers gently touching my skin.
"We should get out of here," I muttered, stepping away from the concerned boys.
"Everyone is at the club still," Mason announced as soon as we got into the car. He sat in the drivers seat while Callum tended to my wound in the backseat.
I hissed as he applied peroxide to clean it, and leaned away from him as my skin burned under the acid.
"It would be a lot easier if you took off your sweater," Callum muttered.
My eyes darted around the car, and after deciding it was dark enough, I pulled off my sweater, leaving me in my simple, loose crop top.
I remained silent as Callum bandaged my injury, only lifting my eyes from it when I realized we had pulled up in front of the club.
"Why the hell are we here?" I asked. "I did my job, I get to go home. It's not my problem if fucking Emily can't get her shit together."
"Why do you hate her so much?" Callum asked, eyeing me closely. I rolled my eyes before glaring at Mason through the rearview mirror.
"Are you really that desperate to see Kate?"
"Shut the fuck up."
But as we exited the car, I couldn't help but notice the pink that tinted his cheeks and the shy smile he now wore on his face.
"Pussy." I muttered.
"Bitch." He shot back.
And with that, we entered the club.
+++++
There is this saying, 'You only want the things you cant have.' And there is another saying that is, 'You never know what you have until it's gone.'
Well at that moment, I was standing there, with a fucking bandage on my shoulder, watching Emily and Sebastian talk closely, his head dipped down to reach hers.
And it was that moment, that those fucking sayings slapped my like a bitch on her period.
In other words, it hurt a lot.
It really fucking did.
I forced myself to walk past them and over to Kate, who was watching me carefully, a small smile on her face. I frowned at her expression, when a hand wrapped around my wrist, pulling me to a stop.
"What happened?" Sebastian asked, his eyes focused on my shoulder.
It was only then that I realized I had left my sweater in the car. Feeling uncomfortably exposed, I pulled my wrist away from him and shied away.
"It was nothing. I got the job done." Was my stiff, emotionless response.
Before he could ask any more questions, I sat down next to Kate, ignoring the way her eyes were focused on me, as if she knew something I didn't.
"Could you stop?" I snarled, throwing her a harsh glare.
Kate only smirked before picking up her drink and taking a small sip. "I couldn't help but notice the way you were staring at Sebastian and Emily when you walked in. Is someone a little jealous?"
I clenched my jaw, refraining myself from saying anything else.
"I suppose it doesn't matter though, since you like to bottle everything up." She stated casually, her eyes now scanning through the crowd below.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped.
"It means, that I think you and Sebastian need to have a long talk-"
"I think you should shut up and go back to staring at Mason with that pathetic, lovesick expression you always wear whenever he's around."
Kate looked embarrassed and hurt by my words, but my emotions were getting out of hand and my self-control was slipping rapidly.
"Ev, are you using again?" She asked quietly, instantly recognizing my fiery temper and unstable emotions.
"Of course not," I bit out, leaning back into the seat.
"Because you told me that you would." She said, pressing the subject. "You told me that it was over. That it was just one time thing."
I couldn't help the heartless smirk that rose to my lips.
"Guess what? I lied."
"Evie!" She said loudly, disappointment flashing through her features.
"What?" I yelled back, standing up now. "Are you going to give me another talk? Are we going to talk about how extremely fucked up I am? Is that it?"
The boys, including Emily, were now watching us. Mason and Danny had moved to separate us. I allowed myself to be led away by Danny, watching the way Mason sat by Kate and pulled her to his chest.
An ache shot through my chest at the sight, and I felt my eyes burn with tears. Refusing to let them fall, I pushed away from Danny and exited the VIP room before anyone else could stop me.
I pushed my way outside, where I was greeted by harsh, chilling winds. In my frustration, I ripped the bandage from my arm, pain erupting through me as the cut was reopened.
I moved to the side of the building, where no one was standing. Slumping against the wall, I felt sobs rise in my chest, and whimpers left my lips. I felt my body slid to the ground, where I tucked my jean clad knees under my chin and cried.
Kate was right to react that way. I shouldn't have taken the drugs. I shouldn't have used. Its effects were more destructive than helpful, and they were driving me to absolute madness.
"I heard you almost got killed tonight."
Why was he here?
Couldn't he see that I was miserable enough on my own?
"Your have a lot of scars on your back and shoulders," he observed softly, "Not to mention your bloody wound."
"What happened to you?" He asked softly, referring to the scars that marred my back.
I wish I had my sweater.
"You don't want to talk it." He stated. "I get that."
Do you really?
"You know, Kate had this brilliant plan for me to treat you like I normally would, and then make you think you've lost me."
Haven't I?
"She thought that would be enough to crack you and get you finally open up to me."
Fucking Kate Preston.
"The problem is, treating you like I normally would has two different meanings. Everyone assumes that I'd want to make you feel like shit, but frankly, seeing you like this, I just want to comfort you. I don't want to tell you to stop crying because it's pathetic, but that's what everyone would expect that I'd do."
"And you know what, I can't make you crack. Why? Because I don't want to. I don't want to hurt you any more. I don't want to add any pain to your suffering and misery."
I couldn't help but look at him, tears still trailing down my face.
He was sitting next to me, his eyes trained on my watery eyes.
"You're breaking my heart, Evie."
That made a loud sob erupt from my lips, and I covered my face crying harder than I had before.
He pulled me to his chest, burying his face in my hair.
"I know it doesn't seem like it, but I care about you."
In a frantic manner, I pushed myself to my feet, Sebastian followed quickly, concern coating his features.
"Don't say that," I choked out, struggling to breath. "Please don't say something you don't mean."
Sebastian shook his head, his brows furrowing. "But I do mean it! I care about you, Evie!"
I whimpered at his words, backing away from him.
"That's a lie." I whispered. "You stopped caring about me a long time ago. Whatever emotion you mistook as love for me has gone and left the fucking station, okay?"
He shook his head desperately. "I never stopped loving you, Evie."
"Yes you did." I fought back quietly.
"No," he repeated, shaking his head again. "I only stopped showing it."
I breathed in deeply, the tears making me feel tired and anxious; yet at the sound of his words, adrenaline shot through my body.
I used to think that Sebastian was nothing but a heartless monster. I didn't think he was the spawn of Satan, I thought he was Satan.
But now, I didn't know what to think of him.
We stared at each other soundlessly, until I cracked and my eyes lowered to his lips.
I used to be the girl who only acted on impulse, and guess what?
I still am.
So I pushed my body towards his, and wrapped my arms around his head, pulling his head down to mine.
His lips met mine with fervor and an indescribable intensity, effectively taking my breath away. His arms wrapped me up and held me to his body. His brought a hand up to cup my face, holding me as closely as possibly.
He tasted of sin, corruption, and wickedness.
He was no monster, or even Satan himself.
He was an angelic disaster.
He had the ability to take you to hell or heaven.
And right now, I was in heaven.
+++++
I wanted them to kiss so I made them kiss.
.xx