Torn by Love (Scarred by Love #4) (3 page)

Chapter Five

Lily

I had managed to avoid all of Shawn’s calls. The pig even went as far as having flowers delivered to my house. My neighbor Mrs. Garrison loved them. At least that’s what her husband told me. He said she squealed when he gave them to her. I figured since they were well into their seventies, he probably hadn’t gotten her flowers in a while. I agreed to keep it our little secret.

Unfortunately Shawn knew my class schedule. I hadn’t thought I would regret him knowing a detail like that until now. Walking toward the parking lot just after my last class of the day, I found him sitting on the hood of his patrol car, which was parked next to mine. So yeah, seeing him in his uniform was sexy and a little distracting. But remembering that he’d cheated on me helped devalue his sex appeal.

I chose to give him the silent treatment and walked right past him to my car, where I threw my bag into the passenger seat before crawling in. When his hand stopped me from slamming the door shut, I shot an evil look in his direction. “Let go, jackass.”

“Five minutes, please,” he pleaded, still holding my door.

“You have sixty seconds before I run your cheating ass over.” I think my attitude surprised us both. But then, I guess being cheated on and made to feel like you weren’t worth shit made being a bitch a little easier.

“I never meant to hurt you. I shouldn’t have been seeing Gabby at the same time. I know that.”

How the hell did he think I’d feel when I found out? Did he feel like that pathetic explanation was even worth my time?

“I know you care about him,” he confessed, hanging his head. “I knew from the beginning that I was just a stand-in. I’m not blind. I saw the way you looked at him whenever he was around.”

I looked back at him, completely confused.

“Carson’s brother, Tanner. It really didn’t matter how great I could have been, I would never have been enough.” He released my door and took a step back. “It still isn’t a good enough reason for cheating, but it’s true. You know it is. I was just something to pass the time until he woke up.”

What the hell?

Shawn stared at me, silently begging for me to understand his pathetic reasoning. But I refused to give him the satisfaction of agreeing. Instead I slammed my door and drove away.

***

“Seriously?” Riley gasped from across the table. “He tried to blame it on you. What an ass.”

I had met the girls at Macy’s Coffee Shop before my evening class. I needed some girl time after yesterday’s run-in with Shawn.

“So, what? He actually thinks he had a good enough excuse for cheating? There is no such thing,” Kate said as she lowered her latte to the table. “So you and Tanner kissed, like, forever ago. You flirted on occasion. But that was it. Tanner is a man-whore.”

The mention of Tanner’s bedroom gymnastics made my stomach hurt.

“Yeah.” I sighed. “I thought Shawn was one of the good guys. I felt comfortable with him, like I was safe. So much for sticking with the nice guys. They all apparently think with their penises.”

Riley snorted while taking a drink, which led to her coughing. Bree patted her on the back as we all laughed.

Somehow a little time with the girls always seemed to help. We had all grown so close over the last year. I truly adored each of them and treasured our time together.

I left the café later than I had hoped. Time always got away from me when I was spending it with my girlfriends. The parking lot next to Hannigan Hall was full, leaving me no other option than to park along the street. After getting out, I hurried toward the building, rushing past a group of students that were just exiting. I arrived just as the professor was pulling the door shut and apologized profusely as I snuck past him, ducking my head.

My major was literature. There was just something about a great journey through the imaginations of others, about the world of words that could grab ahold of you and take you along for the ride into the unknown. I wanted nothing more than to instill that love in others as a teacher.

When class ended I stayed after a few minutes to finish up with my research. I was completely engrossed in my Lit paper. I was so close to having it exactly where I wanted it.

Professor Whitman cleared his throat, catching my attention. “Miss Peterson, it’s getting late.”

“Sorry, I sort of lost track of time,” I replied. I quickly packed up my things and tossed them in my shoulder bag before I rushed from the room. “Thank you for allowing me a little extra time.”

“Have a nice evening,” he said as he closed the door behind us and walked in the opposite direction.

When I stepped outside, the sun had already begun to set, and the parking lot was almost deserted. I hurried down the steps and walked toward the street just to the east of the building.

A noticeable shuffle behind me made my heart speed up as a chill washed over me. The dark shadow of what appeared to be a man along the edge of the parking lot set off sheer panic within me. I began walking faster, almost running, toward my car.

My hands shook as I tried to find the key fob buried in the bottom of my bag. Finally, my hand brushed against it, and the click of the doors unlocking filled the silence. I jerked open the door and quickly began to crawl inside.

A sharp pain spiked across my scalp as my hair was yanked back. I stumbled backward, grabbing for anything in the car I could use to protect myself.

My back slammed against the ground, and a heavy body covered me. Randy’s angry, devilish glare bored into me, his face within inches of mine.

“You ruined my life, you little bitch. Because of you, my wife left. She took everything—my kids, my money. You fucked up everything.” His spittle hit my face as he snarled. “You’ll pay for all your lies. You’ll pay for everything you took from me.”

I screamed, and his hand connected with my cheek. I kicked and twisted beneath him, trying to break free of his hold.

“You whored yourself around. Then when I take the bait, you cry wolf. Who’s gonna help you now, Lily? Where are your friends now?” He looked around the deserted street. “Looks like we’re all alone.”

Terror filled me. “Please,” I begged, “don’t.”

“You think I have anything left to lose? You took it all.” He inched closer, sliding his hand under the hem of my shirt. “Figure I may as well get something out of it. Don’t you think you owe me that?”

I shook my head, a scream bubbling in my chest just as his hand covered my mouth.

“This is gonna be a lot worse if you scream, Lily,” he whispered next to my ear as he used his knee to nudge my legs apart.

Tears filled my eyes, and my heart beat rapidly.

“There you go, just relax.”

I stopped fighting him, giving him the impression I had succumbed to his power. Just when he let his guard down, slowly removing his hand, I raised my knee and connected with his dick. He howled and tucked into himself, and I used this opportunity to twist away and crawl toward my car. If I could just get inside, I could lock the door and get my phone. I had no idea where my keys were at this point, but I had to try. I could hit my horn over and over, hoping help would come.

Randy grabbed my ankle and yanked me back. He groaned in pain as he crawled closer, pulling me backward and scraping my knees along the pavement. I cried out once more when his fist connected with the back of my head. My screams echoed through the deserted streets. I was once again on my back, with Randy’s body pressing me to the ground. The last thing I saw just before the blackness took over was my attacker’s fist as it connected with my temple.

Chapter Six

Tanner

“We could go to my place,” Olivia cooed. She had her breasts pressed against my arm, her finger hooked in the waistband of my jeans. I had stopped at Gilbert’s for a drink after work and regretted that decision the moment she sat down on the stool beside me.

I only stayed long enough to finish the beer I had already paid for. Now I just wanted to get the hell out of here. “I got plans, Liv, got places to be,” I told her as I pulled her hand out of my pants.

She pouted, and I fought against the desire to laugh. She started to say something, and I praised my phone for ringing at that very moment.

“Running late, catch ya later.” I waved her off as I rushed out of the door while pulling my phone out.

“Yeah,” I barked as I dug in my pocket for my car keys.

“T,” Zander said, “where you at?”

The sound of his voice made my heart race. “What’s going on, Z-man? And don’t pull this shit about it being nothing to panic over. I can hear it in your voice.”

“We need you at the hospital.”

I stopped dead in my tracks, bracing myself against the bed of my truck. It was then that I heard crying in the background.

“What the fuck is going on, man?” My throat felt as if it were closing, and I could barely breathe. “My mom? Dad? Riley, is she okay? Give me something here.”

“Lily was attacked tonight. Shawn was on duty when it happened, and he was the first cop to arrive at the college. Carson and Jason arrived about ten minutes later in a second patrol car.”

“Was she…?” My throat ached. I couldn’t even ask the question. It faded away as my voice cracked.

“Just drive safe. You’re needed here,” he said.

I nodded as if he could actually see me. I didn’t remember saying good-bye or the drive to the hospital.

As soon as I parked the truck, I ran into the emergency room’s waiting area. The look on all the broken faces of those who loved Lily made my heart drop to my stomach. Bree clung to Max as she cried against his chest. A distraught-looking Zander held Kate and Riley close. Carson and Jason stood to the side of the room, alongside Shawn, talking to each other in hushed tones. Logan and his friend Sam stared out the window at the opposite side of the waiting area, comforting one another the best they could. Everyone looked devastated and worried.

The silence was eating away at me, and not knowing how Lily was doing was killing me slowly. “What happened?” All gazes connected with mine, but still no one spoke. “Will someone fucking talk?” I growled. I was getting angrier with each passing second.

Carson and Jason approached me first, leaving Shawn where he stood. Carson reached out to place his hand on my shoulder, and I shoved it away. “No fucking games, bro. I don’t need you to console me. Give it to me straight. What the hell happened to Lily?”

I could see the pain in his eyes as he began to explain. “She was attacked tonight, just after her night class. She had parked on a road alongside the parking lot. Someone heard her screams and called for help, but…” He paused, looking over his shoulder. Kate stared at him as her lower lip quivered and tears flowed down her cheeks.

He turned back to me, taking in a deep breath. “She was beaten pretty badly, but, um, the sirens scared off her attacker.”

“Was she raped?” I asked. The thought tore at something deep inside me. I wasn’t sure I would be able to handle it if he said yes.

“No,” he replied.

I hung my head as foreign, staggering emotions took over. I didn’t want anyone to touch me, and I didn’t need anyone checking to see if I was all right. I was on the edge of destruction, a ticking bomb ready to explode. I needed space.

A murderous rage filled my soul as I thought about Lily being hurt with no one to stop it. It was a vision I could not shake. A pain I could not swallow.

The longer I sat there looking around the room, the more enraged I became. What the fuck were they all staring at? I was unable to rein in the overpowering fury. I wanted to tear something apart. I stood from the chair and headed for the exit. I had to get some air. I was about to lose my shit, and the ER wasn’t the place for me to act like some evil lunatic.

I’d just made it to my truck when I broke loose, and my SUV paid the price. One fist after another connected with the fender. Blood covered my knuckles, yet I felt no pain.

Strong arms wrapped around me from behind, and I was taken to the ground. “Let me go,” I grunted, twisting from side to side as adrenaline took over. I turned to get in Max’s face and gripped his shirt in my fists. “I said let go. Back the fuck off.”

He squeezed me tighter. “This ain’t helping shit, T. You need to keep your cool. It’s hard, and I know you’re falling apart, man, but keep it cool. She’s gonna need all of us when she comes to.” He bore down on me as he stared directly at me. “All of us.” He stressed his words.

I took in a deep, shuddering breath. A feeling I was very unfamiliar with engulfed my chest and settled deep in my gut.

I had never in my life felt so torn and helpless.