Page 37 of Kiss Me Ever After
The staff roomat the hotel provided me with much-needed refuge. I spent the night there, trying to avoid the team on shift, huddled on the sofa, drifting in and out of consciousness, a blanket wrapped around me.
Every bone in my body ached.
I had no idea Ted could even hit that hard. Let alone after he’d had a skinful. I winced as I breathed in. Fuck, that hurt.
There was no way I could go home after what happened. How could I explain it to Mum? Her son and her boyfriend beating seven shades out of each other? I wondered what Ted had told her. Would he have made something up or would he have gone home with the woman from the bakery? Both thoughts made me sick.
All I knew was I had to get out of there.
Maybe I could stay with Alex for a while. The Kane’s house always welcomed an extra guest, and I’m sure his mum wouldn’t mind. I reached into my pocket for my phone, only to discover it had died at some point during the night. If I needed to go home for a charger, I might as well pack a bag while I was at it.
* * *
“Christ,Justin, did you shit the bed?” Alex dragged a hand through his hair as he answered the door, blinking as he took in my appearance. “What did you do last night?”
Lennon Cole, I answered in my head. The thought of her being next door lifted my spirits a little. Also, if he didn’t know, then maybe Lennon hadn’t told Amber yet.
“Had a bit of a run in with Ted. Can I come in?”
“Sure.” He stepped aside, and I walked into the hall.
There was a mirror on the side wall, and I clocked my reflection. Red and purple bruising stained my jaw, along with crusted blood from a split lip. A small cut marred my eye socket, surrounded by more swelling and discolouration. If those were the injuries I could see, I dreaded to think what my body looked like.
“Morning, Justin, you’re up and about early.” Sonya thudded down the stairs, dressed and ready for work. When she saw the state of me, her jaw dropped. “Good God, what happened to you?”
“Apparently, he got into a fight with his stepdad.” Alex wrinkled his nose.
“There is no way on earth that man is even close to being part of my family,” I said, through gritted teeth.
She frowned. “Do you need to tell someone?”
Vehemently, I shook my head. “If I report him, he’ll only take it out on Mum, and I don’t want her going through that.”
Sonya let out a hard breath and shook her head, as if she were silently judging my decision. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“Any chance of a shower first?” I asked. “And can I borrow some clothes?” I made puppy dog eyes at Alex.
“Doesn’t look like I have much of a choice, does it?” Alex shrugged. “Don’t use all the good shower stuff.”
Amber flew past me as I climbed the stairs.
“Hey, Justin, what are you doing here?” She ground to a halt a couple of steps below me and turned to look up. “What happened to your face?”
I hefted a sigh. “Long story.”
“Have you seen Lennon this morning? I’m sure she’d be happy to kiss it better.” She winked.
She definitely knew about us.
I chose not to respond and raised my eyebrows instead, forgetting about the cut and wincing from the sting. Then I bolted to the bathroom.
After I’d stripped off my clothes, I examined my body in the mirror. Bruising marred my ribs, and if the pain got any worse, I’d have to go to the docs. But for now, a hot shower and maybe some breakfast served with painkillers would make things better.
The hot water went some way to soothing the hurt. The good, the bad and the ugly events of the previous night swirled around my brain.
How was I going to explain this to Lennon?
To Mum?
