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  “Let’s go,” I said to Briar immediately, ignoring the stares from everyone else.

  “Okay,” she agreed, ushering me towards the car.

  “Wait on!” Alec protested.

  “Who’s Harvey?” Fredi demanded again.

  “None of your business,” Briar snapped at them, “Leave it be.”

  “Let’s go,” Stone growled, storming towards his car.

  “I call shot gun!” Chloe giggled moving toward the passenger side.

  “No room,” Stone told her shortly, thrusting a twenty dollar note in her hand, “Get a cab.”

  Chloe’s jaw practically hit the dirt and Briar fell into a fit of laughter as we climbed into Mason’s car with Candy. I couldn’t hold back the tiny vindictive giggle that slipped past my lips. I really didn’t like her. I cast a worried look at Stone’s angry face and wondered whether he’d still come to my room that night.

  He did…and again the night after.

  nine

  Harvey sent me a text two days later, apologising for the way he had yelled at me. I was almost tempted to give him the silent treatment, but sent him back a message to let him know he was forgiven. I couldn’t stay mad at any of my brothers.

  I’d told Briar about Harvey on the drive home and then, after she’d demanded just how many siblings I had, I had to spend the next thirty minutes giving her an in-depth description of my family. What my siblings looked like, where they lived, how old they were, were they single…etc. I also admitted that I’d told Donny about them as well. She’d immediately left to go hunt him down.

  I sat down to dinner on Monday night, crossing my fingers beneath the table and hoping that none of my family would call. I wanted to fade into the background tonight. I didn’t need anyone bringing any attention to me. I ate my dinner quietly, content to just listen to the conversations going on around me. Our table number was smaller tonight. Only the band, Briar and I were sitting at it. Usually, a number of other people joined us, but tonight they’d stayed away. It was nice, especially since I didn’t have to endure Chloe’s glares. Chloe often sat with us, much to Briar’s visible disgust. I usually just ignored her.

  Alec, Jamie and Fredi seemed to be having an argument of some sort, but I wasn’t really listening. I played with my food and became lost in thought, concentrating on one of my photography assignments.

  “What do you think Evie?” Alec asked me.

  “Huh?” I asked, shaking my head to clear my thoughts.

  “Which version of ‘Brick in the Wall’ do you like better?” Fredi demanded, “One, two or three?”

  “Oh!” I said, furrowing my brow, “I’m not sure.”

  “Two is the best,” Jamie insisted.

  “No, three is!” Fredi shot back.

  “I say the first one is,” Alec contributed, “The first version is always the best.”

  “No, the last is,” Fredi said firmly, “It just keeps getting better.”

  “Stone, man, back me up,” Jamie said with a grin.

  Stone shook his head and held up one finger.

  Alec laughed, “That’s two votes for one!”

  “Briar,” Fredi snapped, “Which one is better?”

  “Oh…who sings it?” Briar asked with a small frown.

  “Pink Floyd,” Fredi supplied, “The third one is the best.”

  “Hey!” Alec growled, “Don’t put words in her mouth. Briar’s vote can’t count because she doesn’t know what we are talking about.”

  Briar smiled mysteriously and went back to her food. I’m pretty sure she knew exactly who Pink Floyd were. Stone’s quiet snort from across the table confirmed it. Mason and Candy chose that moment to join our table, sitting down next to Jamie.

  “Mase, you’re a DJ. Which version of ‘Brick in the wall’ is better: one, two or three?” Jamie asked.

  “Two,” he answered immediately.

  “Yes!” Jamie shouted holding up a hand for Mason to high five, “That’s two for me and two for Alec.”

  “Candy?” Fredi prompted.

  “Three,” Candy replied after a slight pause to think, “Definitely three.”

  Jamie growled. “Chicks,” he said roughly, shaking his head, “Now we’re back at the start, tied on two apiece.”

  “Evie,” Alec said firmly, “You have the deciding vote.”

  Everyone looked at me. I didn’t know what to say.

  “It’s alright Evie,” Candy said with a smile, “Just be honest. The losers will get over it.”

  “Well…” I started hesitantly, my voice barely above a whisper, “To be honest, I prefer Korn’s version of the song.”

  Mouths dropped around the table.

  “Blasphemy!” Fredi cried out.

  “What the hell?!” Jamie exploded.

  “Wrong, Evie. That’s wrong!” Alec muttered.

  Candy, Briar and Mason all laughed and I cautiously looked over at Stone. His bottom lip was twitching and his silver eyes were sparkling. It was clear that he was amused…I just wasn’t sure whether he was laughing with me…or at me.

  “Sorry guys,” I whispered.

  “Don’t worry about it Evie,” Briar said with a grin, “C’mon, I’m going to have an early night. Walk upstairs with me.”

  “Sure,” I mumbled, “Night everyone.”

  “Night,” Fredi and Alec grumbled.

  “Night,” Candy said cheerfully, glancing between Stone and I indiscreetly.

  Stone didn’t say anything, but rose from the table too. He clapped Jamie and Alec hard on the back in farewell and I suddenly realised Donny was missing.

  “Where’s Donny?” I asked with a frown.

  Briar scowled and Fredi laughed airily. “Off screwing some first year dance major,” Fredi told me.

  “Man, she is so hot,” Jamie said wistfully.

  “I’ve been with hotter,” Fredi said with a laugh.

  “I’d like to see that,” Jamie whistled.

  “You wish,” Fredi snorted.

  Alec remained silent, his eyes constantly checking Briar’s unhappy face.

  Briar put on a bright, fake smile and dragged me towards the stairs.

  “You know,” she said thoughtfully, “You’re starting to fill out those clothes a little better. You should let me take you shopping this weekend and buy you some nice, new things.”

  I shook my head briskly. I hated shopping. All those people. All that trying on of clothes too baggy for me. All that standing in line. No thanks.

  “No arguments,” she insisted, and with one look at her still unhappy face, I caved.

  Stupid Donny! It’s all your fault!

  I sighed and wearily reached for my doorknob.

  “I can’t wait!” Briar said excitedly, giving me a kiss on the cheek and racing down the hall to her own room. I pushed my door open, quickly used the shower, then turned the light off and crawled into bed. I pushed play on my CD player and snuggled under the covers as Metallica began to play the slow beginning of one of their S & M songs. I closed my eyes, relaxing as I waited for Stone to join me. I must have fallen asleep, because I started awake when two strong arms lifted me off the bed to shift me over.

  “Shh,” a deep, scary voice said, “It’s me.”

  I relaxed a fraction as I realised it was just Stone trying to make room on the bed. He slid in behind me, his front only a breath away from my back as we lay on our sides. In fact, I could feel his hot breath tickling the back of my neck. He placed one hand firmly on my hip, before slowly sliding it around to my stomach and curling his knees up behind mine. Little tingles of pleasure shimmied down my stomach and prickled over my arms. I waited nervously for him to move his hand either upward or down, but he didn’t. He simply spooned me. I breathed a sigh of relief and slowly let my body relax.

  ***

  Stone was already gone when I woke the next day, and each night after, he would drape an arm around my waist and curl up behind me. It felt warm and comfortable, but apprehension still made
me tense in his arms. I didn’t want to become involved with someone controlling like him. I was weak and Stone was one powerful man. His actions confused and frightened me. I didn’t know what he wanted or whether I would be allowed to say no. I tried not to worry too much, but it was always at the back of my mind. I was thankful that the only time he attempted to be close to me, was in my bedroom. It kept the jealous girls off my back and the gossip mongers quiet. That all changed that weekend…

  The first change occurred on the Friday. It was dinner time, and the band’s table was more crowded than usual. Several people I had never met were seated there. When Briar and I approached, there were no seats left and the surrounding tables had already been hit for extra chairs. Bri shrugged and simply pushed through some guys standing around the table to sit on Alec’s lap. I stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. There was no way I was going to sit on someone’s lap.

  I was about to turn around and leave, when Fredi waved at me from her spot on Stone’s left. She edged over on her seat, making room for me to share it. Stone looked over at me as I hesitated. The guy on his right let out a loud, annoying laugh and Stone stopped watching me to glare at him. He reached under the plastic chair and hefted it into the air, tipping the guy out of it. The guy swore when he hit the ground and immediately jumped up with an angry scowl, ready to threaten whoever had tipped him…until he realised it was Stone. He quickly left the table.

  Stone looked back at me and then tapped the chair beside him. I gulped, and knowing that everyone’s eyes were on me, quickly made my way over to him. I noticed Chloe sitting a few chairs away, on Donny’s lap. Her eyes shot daggers at me and I had to fight back a visible wince. There was nothing like having a jealous ex-girlfriend thinking you were moving in on her man. I wanted to reassure her we were just friends (if that), but knew she wouldn’t believe me and I’d probably end up with my face scratched to bits. Stone looked between Chloe and me with a frown, before turning his attention back to his food. I looked down at my plate and nervously started on mine. From then on, my seat at the table was always next to Stone.

  ***

  On the Saturday, I was granted yet another ‘privilege’. Briar had sweet talked Stone into taking us girls shopping and when we’d made our way to the car park, he was sitting impatiently on the bonnet of his muscle car, having a smoke.

  “Thank you so much for taking us GG!” Briar cooed. Stone glared at her and trod on his cigarette butt. Briar giggled and opened the front passenger door. Stone made a small noise and she paused to look up at him. He shook his head. Briar’s mouth dropped open.

  “But-” she started to protest, before shutting her mouth with a smile.

  “Evie,” she called, “You’re in front. Fredi and I will sit in the back.”

  “What?” I asked softly in surprise.

  “You’re riding shotgun,” Briar said, her smile widening into a devilish grin. She and Fredi climbed in the back and I slowly eased into the front seat. I darted a glance over at Stone, but he didn’t look back at me. He slid his aviators down off his head and onto his nose, then turned the key in the ignition and reversed out of the park. Briar and Fredi chatted away in the back seat, deciding which stores they wanted to go into. Briar was practically bouncing with energy and I guessed that was the real reason Stone wanted me to sit up front.

  As soon as we entered the shopping centre, Stone walked off without a word, merely placing a hand on Briar’s shoulder in goodbye. I watched his massive body part the Saturday crowds with awe. He was a whole head taller than most of the men and he moved with the powerful grace of an athlete. Briar grabbed my hand and tugged me after her and I reluctantly looked back at the girls. They dragged me from store to store, buying me form-fitting outfits that actually looked quite nice on me. I grinned at my reflection as I tried on clothes, thrilled that I actually filled out a size 8. Size 6 was as small as most stores provided (but often they only went down to 8) and I’d only fit into them because of my slightly taller than average height. I found myself actually enjoying the day, despite having to wait in horrifically long lines.

  I was a little unsure about some of the purchases, mainly the clubbing clothes and the lingerie. They were slightly more risqué than I was comfortable with. Briar did buy me some more respectable looking outfits though. For dates, she had informed me. I’d blushed and admitted that I didn’t think I’d be going on one of those any time soon. Briar had rolled her eyes, whilst Fredi had muttered that I was clueless.

  On top of that, they also bought me gym clothes, togs, sleepwear and casual wear. I felt incredibly uncomfortable with them buying me this much, but couldn’t get them to stop or to let me use some of my own money. In the end, Fredi suggested Briar not pay for anything, but let her foot the bill on her credit card. Fredi loved to piss her parents off and overspending in an ‘Outback’ shopping centre would make her mother faint. That made me feel mildly better about it, but not by much.

  Fredi and Briar had only bought two outfits each for themselves, but I had over ten large bags by the time we had finished. We struggled with all the bags as we made our way to the food court, where Briar said Stone would probably be waiting for us.

  Sure enough, he was sitting on the edge of the food court, leaning back in his chair as he closed his eyes and listened to his iPod. A group of giggling teenage girls were sitting at the table next to him, unabashedly checking him out. Two little frown lines had appeared between his brows, just above his nose, and I could tell he was getting annoyed. He opened his eyes and looked directly at us, before we were halfway over to him. He pushed out of his chair and strode toward us, clearly irritated. He raised an eyebrow at all of our bags, but simply took them from us and headed toward the exit.

  Briar and Fredi followed slowly, unconcerned that Stone was quite a way ahead. Stone stopped at Wendy’s though and looked back at Bri with a questioning tilt of the head. She grinned and ran to catch up to him. Fredi and I stepped up our pace.

  “Do you guys want thickshakes?” she asked us when we joined her, she’d already retrieved Stone’s wallet from his back pocket. Determined to pay for my own $4 shake, I pulled my purse out of my bag and moved closer to the counter. Stone shook his head at me and I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn’t feel particularly brave or stupid, but I wasn’t going to back down on this. I wasn’t a pauper by any stretch of the imagination and I could afford my own damned shake!

  Stone frowned at me and I pointedly glanced down at the bags in his hands. I’d had enough things bought for me today. I looked back up into his hard, grey eyes and stood firm. He broke the stare first, switching all fifteen or so bags to one hand and taking his wallet back from Briar, shoving it back into his rear pocket.

  “Hey!” she said with a laugh, “I haven’t paid yet Stone.”

  Stone pushed me forward, his big, warm hand pressing firmly against my lower back.

  Briar’s mouth dropped open in outrage, “You’re making Evie pay for all of us?”

  His eyes narrowed dangerously and Briar shut her mouth. I quickly handed the girl behind the counter a twenty and passed out the shakes, hoping to cool everyone’s tempers. I shoved my change in my jean pocket and smiled at Briar. She looked between Stone and I for a moment, before slowly smiling back.

  “C’mon,” she said, “Let’s go.”

  On the way back to the uni, I sat in the front again, while Fredi and Briar talked loudly about some club they were going to tonight. They were laughing and shouting like drunks and I could see Stone steadily becoming more annoyed. We were half way home when he shoved a case of CD’s into my lap. I didn’t bother to look at him. I knew he wanted me to shove a CD in to drown out the girls in the backseat. I flipped through the case quickly and then picked out the one I liked the most. I slid Disturbed’s ‘Down with the Sickness’ album in and turned the volume up high. I actually saw Stone smile for a moment, before he shoved a cigarette in his mouth and his impassive expression returned. Briar later told me that the a
lbum was one of his favourites.

  ***

  As it turned out, it wasn’t just Fredi and Briar going to the club tonight. They were dragging me along too. Apparently, the band often played there and tonight they were going to perform a whole set. I didn’t know how Briar and I were going to get in. This was a real club and not the uni club where seventeen year olds could enter as long as they were stamped for being underage.

  Briar tried to choose my outfit, but we were running short on time if we wanted to see the start of the band’s performance. I grabbed an outfit whilst she was umming and ahhing and hurried into the bathroom to change. When I came out, she examined me closely, taking in my grey skinny leg jeans, tight white camisole and cream jacket with approval.