Page 55 of Fighting for the Forbidden
Chapter Sixteen
Lauren
My hand tremblesas I lift it to slide the key in the lock. I really don’t want to be forced to deal with all this bullshit and manipulation, but I know Ben’s right. I need to get everything out in the open with both Erica and Joe and see where we go once all the truths are on the table. I’m terrified that my relationships with two of my closest friends are going to be forever tarnished by my dad’s selfish actions, but I guess it’s something we’re all going to have to live with now.
Pushing the door open, I’m met by two shocked faces as they put photo frames and ornaments into boxes. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think this was an ambush.”
“We didn’t know…shit,” Joe says, looking down at the boxes at his feet.
“Moving out?”
“Erica offered me her spare room until I sort myself out. I didn’t know when you’d be back, so we just started. You didn’t answer any of our calls and—”
“It’s fine, really. You need to do what you need to do. I guess I’ll go pack too.”
“Where will you go?”
I shrug. “Do you care?”
“Jesus, Lauren.” His hands go to his head and he pulls at his hair. “Of course I care. You’re my best friend.”
“Am I? Because the last I heard, your position was a fully paid job.”
“It’s not like that. Please, just come and sit down and let me explain.”
Knowing it’s the reason I’m here, I do as he suggests.
“Shall I go or…” Erica says, standing awkwardly in the corner of the room.
“No, if we’re going to do this, we should do it properly. Sit.”
“I’ll get the wine,” Joe suggests, disappearing into the kitchen.
“Did you know?” I snap at Erica when she sits on the sofa opposite me.
“No, I had no clue until he turned up at my door on Friday night. I’m so sorry, Lauren. But he’s a mess. He really loves you.”
“This is so fucked up.”
“You’re telling me. But just hear him out. Hearmeout. There’s too much good here to allowhimto ruin everything.”
I agree, I do, but the last thing I want to do is spend my Sunday night hearing tales about what an arsehole my dead Dad was.
Joe comes back, and if it’s possible, the atmosphere gets even heavier. We all take a sip of wine, putting off the inevitable, but it can only last so long.
“Nick was a friend of my parents. I’ve known him for as long as I can remember. But as the years went on they drifted apart as people do. Everything you know about the beginning of how we met is true. I really did turn up that day after seeing an ad online for a job. I was desperate. My parents had kicked me out and cut me off after I ‘shamed’ them. I was never expecting to find Nick sitting in the office. I hadn’t seen or heard from him for years. He sat me down and interviewed me like he would any other employee before he started asking about my parents. I gave him a shortened version about what had happened and he offered to help. I thought he was just being friendly, but it turned out to be far from that. He told me he’d push me up through the ranks, pay me more and even put a roof over my head if I did one thing for him.”
“Be my friend,” I mutter.
“It wasn’t even that.” He lets out a sigh and casts his eyes to the ceiling. “He wanted me to distract you in any way I could.”
“Distract me?”
“He was concerned that you were going to go running after Ben. I think he took one look at me, another bad boy with tattoos, and thought I could make you forget him. Nick knew my parents. He knew that although I was going through a rough patch, I had ‘good blood’ or whatever bullshit he spewed.”
“I can’t believe you agreed,” I say, shaking my head at how ridiculous it all sounds.
“Why wouldn’t I? I had no money and nowhere to live. I’d been sleeping on friends’ sofas but the offers were drying up fast once they realised I could no longer fund the booze and drugs. Plus, Lauren’s hot…why wouldn’t I want to spend my time with her?” he adds with a laugh.
