Embracing Trouble (Trouble Series) (20 page)

I sent it and then cringed at my words. He would think I was acting so “high school” after reading that, especially when I had only left his bed this afternoon.

But, he responded immediately.

Zac:
Would you kindly stay the fuck away from guys called Prince Lollipop James

I grinned at his response and longed to be with him. I had a sudden urge to leave right now. Zac soon sent another text.

Zac:
And keep thinking about last night and how you’re mine

My stomach flipped at his response, loving his possessiveness. I only had thirty days left with him and I suddenly wanted to make every hour count. I looked over at Janey, and I wanted to tell her that I needed to go, but I saw her get up from the benches with the same guy and walk off hand in hand. I stood up getting ready to follow.

“You going?” asked Prince Lollipop.

“Nice meeting you,” I shouted with a smile as I made my way back down.

I noticed Janey’s blonde hair in the distance and quickly went to follow. She left the main dance area and walked into another section of the warehouse. I followed her through a large chamber that led to a smaller section again, this one darker and private. I tried not to stare at the people inside, doing a lot more than kissing. It was like a dark wall-to-wall sex room, and I swallowed unsurely as I walked in further trying to see Janey.

I spotted her over in the corner, kissing the same guy while another guy was behind her, scraping his hands over her roughly before lifting her skirt. She leaned back against him and closed her eyes with pleasure. I quickly turned back, blindly making my way back out again. Did Will know she was doing this sort of stuff? Did Zac? It made me feel like I truly was an innocent.

“What are you doing in there?” asked Prince Lollipop suddenly appearing in front of me.

I gave him a dirty look. Was he following me now?

“My friend is in there.”

“You sure I can’t help you with anything?”

“Quite sure,” I said side-stepping him and moving on.

I moved out of the warehouse, through a side door and took a gulp of fresh air at the same time that my phone rang. Sophie. Surprised that she was calling me, I answered it hearing a club in the background.

“So you’ve blocked us from Facebook?” she stated.

“I thought the last thing you wanted was to be my friend, Sophie.”

“Where are you tonight?” she asked.

“At a warehouse party. Why? Where are you?”

“Clubbing with Antony and Nathan,” she slurred.

I realized she was drunk and had obviously called to talk or fight.

“Are you with the burners?” she asked next.

I rolled my eyes at her word choice, knowing it had come from Antony.

“They’re not burners. They’re my friends.”

“Who take drugs and waste their lives away,” she slurred. “Real classy.”

I felt my anger rise.

“What would you know hanging around such soft cocks like Antony and Nathan?”

“Soft cocks, Ava? Really?”

“Oh, Sophie, I don’t want to argue over these people.”

“Well, you started it by sleeping with a guy who was mine.”

“I didn’t sleep with him, Sophie,” I said, gritting my teeth. “He tried to rape me! He’s a repulsive pig!”

“Whatever, Ava! Go and have a joint,” she said ending the call.

I looked at my phone in disbelief. Well, fuck her, fuck everyone. I took the small pill from my pocket and put it on my tongue, waiting for the fun to begin.

Zac

My phone vibrated on the desk next to me and I saw that Janey was calling me.

“I’ve lost her,” she said in a panicked voice when I answered.

Dread filled me.

“What do you mean you’ve lost her?” I growled.

“I lost her in the party and I went back to the car to see if she was there, but she wasn’t. I’ve searched everywhere, Zac!”

“For fuck’s sake, Janey! I fucking warned you to look after her!” I snarled.

“I know,” she cried. “But I just lost her and now I don’t know what to do!”

“Stay fucking there. I’m on my way,” I said storming out of my room, my car keys in hand.

I checked my tracking app for her phone to see there was no signal, meaning her phone was off.
Fuck
. I ran out to my car and with a squeal of tires, sped off towards the dance party.

Ava

I danced feeling the beat of the music through my skin, moving in between other dancing bodies and letting go, feeling happy. The music was sharp to my ears and I could pick up every different note and sound, feeling like it was a part of me.

I saw Prince Lollipop in front of me and I laughed because he was still smiling at me. He got closer as he danced and I could see the beads of sweat running down his face.

The beat got heavier and I squealed in happiness, starting to jump alongside everyone. Prince Lollipop jumped with me and I laughed with him.

For the next few hours, I saw the dancers around me, their faces close and then far away. Some smiled and others were at a different place entirely to the one we shared. I wanted to jump higher and try and touch the roof. I wanted to go for a run and burn off all the energy I had. I looked down at my Converse and could see they were floating above the concrete floor. I laughed to myself, not believing I was floating. Where was Prince Lollipop? I had to show him I was floating.

Someone touched my arm and I felt the amazing heat. I touched them back, tingles sparking off all over my body. I thought of Zac and imagined touching his body, remembering last night. I closed my eyes at the extreme pleasure.

Zac

I stormed into the warehouse, looking around quickly, scanning the increasing crowd. Janey appeared beside me and grabbed my arm.

“I’m sorry, Zac.”

“Just fucking find her,” I barked walking in further.

I hated the thought of her being alone, or with someone who could take advantage.

“Did you give her E?” I asked angrily.

Janey nodded.

“But she might not have taken it.”

“For fuck’s sake,” I growled angrily, scanning the party. “Where the hell were you? You shouldn’t have separated!”

Janey looked down at her feet.

I swore again, knowing instantly.

“Tonight, Janey? You chose tonight to start losing your shit again? This is your fault, Janey. Find her!”

I hated when I didn’t feel in control of the situation. I was responsible for her, and if something happened to her, I would never forgive myself. She was mine for the month, and I had to keep her safe.

Ava

I looked around the room I was in and realized I had moved from the main dancing area. I felt really hot, like my skin was on fire. I leaned against a concrete wall and tried to enjoy the coolness from it on my bare skin.

Prince Lollipop was in front of me again.

“Don’t go any further in,” he shouted over the music. “You don’t want to do what they are doing in there.”

I looked at his face, seeing his mouth move and then I heard his muffled words.

“What?” I mumbled, my voice sounding far away even to my own ears.

“Where’s your boyfriend? I’m leaving now.”

“Boyfriend?” I mumbled.

He took my arm and led me back into the main room. He sat me down on the bench seat. My head swayed. I felt so hot and clammy. I wiped my face and felt wetness. I tried to focus on my fingers, but they looked too far away.

“Where is your boyfriend? Where’s your phone? Can I ring someone?”

I heard the words, but I didn’t respond. My head felt separate from my body, and I tried hard to breathe.

I heard the voice I was desperate to hear, and all my senses snapped together as I looked up into Zac’s beautiful brown, angry eyes.

Chapter Eleven: You Make Me Crazy

Ava

I tried to focus on the lights flashing past the car window and leaned my head back on the seat. The car turned a corner sharply, and I was flung to the other side of the back seat. The seat belt nearly choked me. I giggled uncontrollably.

“Get her to drink,” snarled Zac from the front seat.

Janey leaned over me and put a bottle of water to my lips. I gulped at it, feeling like I hadn’t had a drink in days. I gazed at Janey and saw that she was crying. I tried to process what was happening.

“I’m sorry, Ava,” she cried. “I fucked up. I always do.”

I pouted and said, “I had fun, because I floated.”

Then I giggled again, remembering.

“I specifically told you no drugs tonight,” shouted Zac. “I had one fucking request, and you couldn’t even follow that!”

“You can’t control me!” she screamed at him.

“You had fucking Ava with you,” he shouted back.

The car stopped with a skid and doors were flung open and then slammed closed. The sound made me laugh for some reason. My door opened and Zac lifted me out, kicking the door closed behind him as he carried me up to Noah’s.

“Jesus, Janey, what did you do?” asked Will as soon he saw me.

“Fuck you all,” she shouted heading into the kitchen and looking for a cigarette.

Zac placed me on the kitchen counter, and I looked at him properly for the first time that night and noticed that he had a beanie on. I licked my lips and smiled.

“You look so hot in that,” I said with a giggle.

“What did she take?” asked Noah, coming over.

“Einstein gave her E,” Zac said, annoyed.

“Oh, fuck you, Zac,” said Janey opening a drawer and slamming it closed. “So she took fucking E. Who cares? She had fun!”

“I had fun,” I said to no one in particular as I leaned back until my back felt the coolness of the bench.

“You gave her a full one?” asked Will looking over me.

“She’s fine!” shouted Janey lighting up a cigarette with shaking hands. “I just lost her in the crowd and panicked.”

“Anything could have happened to her,” said Zac through gritted teeth.

Janey rolled her eyes.

“But it didn’t!”

I closed my eyes with a smile and whispered, “I saw the dark room.”

The room went silent.

“What room?” asked Zac.

“The one with Janey,” I announced. “But Lollipop pulled me out of there, because I only want sex with Zac, no one else,” I said starting to giggle again.

“You can’t be fucking trusted,” shouted Zac. “Anything could have happened, and you allowed her to see you at your fucking worst.”

“Shut up,” screamed Janey bursting into tears.

“She needs to drink more water,” said Will.

“She’s burning up,” said Noah.

Will appeared at my side.

“Beautiful Ava, you need to drink this,” he said soothingly.

I felt hands pull me back up to a sitting position and a plastic bottle touched my lips. Water gushed out, nearly choking me, but I gulped it down.

“So thirsty,” I gasped.

“I’m sorry, okay?” sniffed Janey. “I’m fucking sorry. How many times can I say it?”

“You’ve said enough,” spat Zac angrily.

“She’s fine,” said Janey pointing at me.

Zac growled in frustration.

“I can’t deal with this shit,” he said as if to himself.

He lit up a cigarette and dragged on it as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Can’t deal with me or Ava?” asked Janey. “Or is it that you’re suddenly caring too much about her, and you don’t know how to handle it?”

“Fucking go home, Janey,” he muttered darkly.

“You can’t protect her from everything. Can’t you see that?” she returned.

“Maybe don’t give her drugs, and then fuck off somewhere,” he returned just as quietly.

“Whatever,” she said grabbing her bag. “Just try and hold on to her without being a total control freak. If she makes you feel things, then at least I know you’re human inside.”

“Janey,” warned Noah.

Zac exploded.

“As opposed to how you make yourself feel human by fucking around!”

“Get fucked,” she said angrily.

“You already did that tonight, remember?” he said.

Janey stormed across the unit, swung the front door open, and slammed it closed after her.

Noah let out a deep sigh and sat down on the couch. I closed my eyes and leaned onto Will’s warm chest in front of me.

Zac

I watched her sleep as I sat on the window sill in my bedroom contemplating what the fuck I was going to do. Morning had come and gone, and she slept soundly. I knew that she would be exhausted after last night.

I held her charged phone in my hand and saw that Sophie had called her last night. I wondered what had been said. I saw her texts to me and then looked at her photos to see two of her and the Prince Lollipop laughing together. I was kind of glad I hadn’t punched first and asked questions later, because he had looked after her last night, and for that, I was grateful.

I put her phone down on the desk beside me and then shoved my head back on the window frame, welcoming the pain and wondering how the fuck I was going to fix this.

She had to go. I couldn’t have her as my liability, especially with Janey in her life. I only had capacity for Janey, making sure she didn’t self-destruct too badly when she decided to let loose and get wasted on drugs. I couldn’t manage looking after Ava as well. I couldn’t let her into my life.

I hated not being in control. I hated the thought of Ava being hurt. I couldn’t breathe at the thought of anything more happening to her. She needed to go back to her own life, where she could be safe and be with the right people.

I had always been wrong for her, and I was furious with myself that I let it get this far. She was far too innocent and perfect for all of this.

Even though I was fucking pissed at Janey, she had been right last night in one way. I had started to care too much, and I didn’t know how to fucking handle it.