Page 64 of Fake Rocks
“Where are you?”
“At home, at my aunt and uncle’s place. Why?”
“You need to get here now.”
My blood ran cold. I didn’t know exactly where ‘there’ was but I knew Darren wouldn’t have contacted me unless it was something serious. “What’s going on, Darren?”
“It’s Saff. She’s with some bloke and I don’t think he’s good for her.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “And you think me turning up is going to stop her? This is Saff we’re talking about.”
Darren’s silent disapproval of my last comment crackled over the line.
“Okay, okay. I’ll come.”
“Good, because I’ve already sent an Uber.”
He cut the call, leaving me to wonder exactly what had gone on. But if I didn’t go, I wouldn’t find out. I pushed back the covers, dressing quickly in jeans and a sweater before shoving my feet into a pair of trainers. While I was doing that, my phone went again with a notification from Darren showing me the details of the Uber. It was almost outside.
I barrelled out of my bedroom, almost bumping into Uncle Col on the landing.
He yawned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “You okay, Tris?” He spotted I was dressed. “Where are you going at this time of night?”
“It’s Saff. She, um, needs me.” There seemed little point in making something up. And who else would want me at this time of night.
“At one in the morning? Couldn’t it have waited until tomorrow?”
I shook my head.
“And how are you getting there?”
As if on cue, the sound of a car approaching the house rumbled through the building.
“I’m being picked up. I’ll be back… I don’t know when I’ll be back. But I’ll let you know what happens.”
Without looking back, I dashed down the stairs and opened the front door, gesturing to the driver I was on my way. I sank into the backseat and messaged Darren to tell him the same thing. I hoped I wasn’t going to be too late.
There wasn’t much in the way of traffic at that time of night and the car sped down the motorway, before driving through Central London. The whole journey, I wondered why Darren had called me. Why hadn’t he contacted Jonas instead? Surely he would have been more appropriate in this kind of situation? Saff had blanked me, she didn’t want anything to do with me. How was she going to react when I got there? I tortured myself with those thoughts until the driver pulled up outside the address he’d been given. It looked like any normal, Victorian terraced house, apart from the loud music coming from the inside. I bet the neighbours loved them.
Darren was waiting. “Thanks for coming, mate.”
“Where is she?”
“Upstairs.”
I pushed past him into the hallway, getting my bearings before heading up the stairs as he followed me. I called out Saff’s name as I knocked on a couple of doors, sticking my head in, then apologising to the couples I had disturbed. The last room was at the end of the corridor and I could hear voices chatting. One was definitely Saff.
Without hesitation, I threw open the door. Saff was lying on the bed, wearing just her bra and jeans, while a guy had his head buried in her cleavage. The room stank of beer and God only knew what else. My gaze fell on the discarded foil. Anger and disgust ran through me. If this is what Saff had got herself into, I should walk away. But something stopped me.
Perhaps it was the way he turned and winked at me, as if justifying his actions.
Perhaps it was the fact I wasn’t prepared to turn my back on Saff, even if she had done the same to me.
Perhaps my protective gene kicked in and I needed her to know I still had her back.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I lunged at him, dragging him off Saff, who blinked as she stared up at me. Her pupils were so dark, the whole of her eyes looked black. What had she taken?
He fought me, wrestling himself out of my grasp and faced me, looking me up and down. “I know you,” he said. “You’re one of her conquests.”
