Resolution (Heart of Stone) (19 page)

“Oh shit, I
forgot about you” I told him and he gasped jokingly.

“How the
hell could anyone forget me?” he feigned offense and I patted his arm.

“Not a
chance” I laughed.

“So then she
fucking says, ‘But Baby, what about last night?’” Jay said and everybody
laughed.

“Really?”
Liv choked.

“Well I
didn’t have the heart to tell her it was John she slept with and not me. Hell,
I think she’d remember if it was me” he winked at me and I shook my head in
exasperation.

 Nate had
been right about Jay, Liv and Nate’s 20 year old son, who was the spit image of
his Dad; right from his piercing blue eyes to his blond curly hair but Jay
sported a long scar that ran down his right cheek but I thought it fitted his
bad boy/playboy image.

His eyes had
lit up like a Christmas tree when they landed on my chest and Liv had slapped
him when he named them personally. Apparently my left breast was called ‘Henrietta’
and the right one was ‘Hermione’.

I took it in
good humour which it was intended but he hadn’t stopped playfully flirting
since I had arrived back from hospital.

They had
cleaned my bites, injected them with anaesthetic and stitched each one before
covering them with gauze and I looked like a fucking freak show so Jay had took
it into his personal agenda to cheer me up.  

“You’re so
much like your Dad that it scares me” Liv moaned as she stood up and stretched.
“I’m off up” she said and Nate stood and kissed her.

“Night Angel,
I won’t be long” he cupped her cheek lovingly and I smiled at his intense love
for her, they were the real deal, university sweethearts that had lost touch
for twenty years only to rekindle their love when Liv found herself working for
Nate.

I knew
they’d had their problems as Nate had filled me in the New Year we spent in
Belgium but they had pulled through it and were now stronger than ever and I
felt the small pang of jealousy as I watched their interactions.

“Night Hun”
I said as she winked and climbed the stairs.

“Right Dad,
fuck off and let me have my wicked way with Ava” Jay told Nate seriously and
Nate scoffed.

“If you
think I’m leaving you alone with my best friend for two seconds you’ve got
another thing coming” he said with raised eyebrows. “I don’t wanna find you
dead from exhaustion in the morning” he smirked and I poked my tongue out at
him.

“Oh I dunno.
I’m sure I could handle her” he winked.

I laughed.
“You sure about that, hot stuff?” I flirted playfully and Nate snorted.

“You’ve no
chance, Jay” he laughed. “Courtney showed me the DVD” he barked in laughter at my
expression as Jay looked at us both in confusion.

“God damn
Courtney and that bloody DVD” I sighed as I poured another vodka, well on my
way to oblivion.

“Ava, go
steady sweetheart” Nate sighed as he grabbed my hand and squeezed it as I
rolled my head round my neck.

“Nah I’m
good” I grinned and he shrugged.

“I’m off to
squeeze my wife” he winked and I grinned at him.

“Have fun” I
laughed as he bent and kissed my cheek.

“Try and get
some sleep sweetheart, the guys are all about so don’t worry” he said as he
stroked my cheek and I nodded.

He turned to
Jay. “Behave” he warned and Jay laughed.

“Don’t worry,
pops. I shall leave Ava alone with her vodka and climb in my pit” he winked as
he stood up and followed his dad up the stairs.

 Sighing I
closed my eyes and rested my head on the back of the sofa as my mind wandered.
I didn’t have a clue what came next. Did I finally end this fucked up
relationship? Did I make him go into rehab if I wanted any kind of
reconciliation? Should I let him back in? Should I suggest he had sex with a
man to figure himself out? Did I love him enough to want to work this out? And
the last question was the only one I had the answer to… Yes! But he had broken
my trust in him again and to be frank and honest I wasn’t sure how much more I
could take.

Since
meeting Mason eighteen months ago, our relationship had been on and off more
times than my kettle. I had been hurt by him so many times and even I wasn’t
sure how much of my heart was still pumping the blood through my veins.

I felt the
sofa dip beside me and I opened my eyes to see Elijah’s bright smile. “How ya
doing?” he sighed and I shrugged.

“I’ll get
over it” I said bluntly but he frowned.

“Will you
though?” His eyes bore into mine with an intensity that I had seen before, the
night on the kitchen floor and I quickly rose, not wanting to go there again.

“I will! I’m
off to bed, I’m exhausted” I told him and from the look on his face he knew I
was avoiding him.

He turned
away from me and nodded and I sighed. “Don’t do this Elijah” I whispered and
his face shot round to mine.

“Why do you
let him hurt you Ava? I can’t get my head round it.” He shook his head in
confusion. “He doesn’t fucking deserve you. You’re bright, funny, and beautiful
and he’s hell bent on fucking destroying you” he said bitterly as he stood up
and grabbed my arms.

I winced at
the pain from the bruises marring my arms from Mason’s hard grip. Elijah
narrowed his eyes and swept my t-shirt sleeves up and hissed as he saw the raw
finger grip bruises.

“Jesus
Christ! Why Ava?” he bit out and I pulled my arm back.

“I said
don’t
do this!”
I snapped and turned towards the stairs and stopped when I saw
Nate watching us from the top step.

He frowned
at me but I shook my head at him as I passed him on the way to my room. “What
the hell is going on?” he spat out and pulled me into my room.

“Nothing is
going on” I defended.

“Don’t
bullshit me, Ava. You’re playing with fucking fire! If Mason finds out he’ll… Well
he’ll fucking kill him.”

I closed my
eyes in frustration. “Nothing is going on, we shared a kiss, that was it. End
of” I declared and he scoffed.

“Does Elijah
know that cos’ from where I was stood the man has it bad for you?”

I huffed and
rubbed my face in exhaustion. “Nate, please. I can’t deal with this right now.
I’ve told him there’s nothing between us, I’ve backed well away and I haven’t
given him any encouragement. Okay?” I snapped.

He sighed,
“You want me to have a word with him?” he asked and I shook my head.

“No, just
leave it.”

He regarded me
curiously for a while and then nodded, “Okay but you tell me if it gets any
worse.”

I nodded and
he opened my door then turned back to me and the sadness in his eyes scorched
my heart. “I’m always here for you, Ava. I hate to see you like this.”

I smiled
softly. “I know, it’ll work out” I told him as I turned and walked further into
the room, not wanting to say any more.

The door
clicked shut behind me and I stripped down to my underwear and climbed across
the bed thoroughly exhausted and drained and within minutes I was asleep.

“Ava.” I
flinched at the whisper, somewhere in the darkness of the room, its chilling
tone sending ice within my veins, freezing my organs on its route through my
body.

“Ava.”

It seemed
to be getting closer and I rapidly blinked my eyes, trying to grow accustomed
to the blackness. I felt something tickle my spine and I spun around only then
realising I was strung up on the hook and chain.

I
whimpered at the sudden tightness around my wrists. “Ava.” It broke through the
silence again but this time it seemed to be coming from in front of me. I
screamed at the sudden crack of the whip, its bite on my back sending bolts of
pain and electricity to my brain as the nerves on my skin cried out in torture.

“Please
Don’t!” I whimpered.

He
laughed then. “But you like it rough Ava” he cackled, “You’re a dirty little
bitch aren’t you?”

I
screamed and thrashed as the whip thrashed me again and again and my body began
jolting and flailing in desperation to remove itself from the horror and pain
of the pasting.

Vomit was
rising swiftly and I fought it back desperately as I could now feel the
singeing and crinkling of my skin under the searing hot poker. I screamed in
agony, the burning biting through my hazy consciousness.

“NO get
if off…. it burns” I begged as I bucked against my restraints. I gasped as I
suddenly felt teeth bite my breast and I flung myself backwards frenziedly
trying to stop the sting on my sensitive skin.

I choked
out a sob as another mouth landed on my neck. “You love my bite don’t you Ava,
you need it cause you’re a dirty little bitch aren’t you?” Mason’s voice
growled in the darkness and then he ripped a chunk of flesh out of my neck. I
screamed at the intense agony as the lights suddenly flickered on and Mason
grinned malevolently at me, my flesh and blood dripping off his mouth.

He came
back down for more as Dane tore a piece of my breast between his teeth. My
throat exploded in a blood curdling scream as they continued to rip and tear at
me….

“AVA!” Nate
shook me furiously. “Fuck Ava” he breathed as my eyes shot open and I saw the
terror and agony in his. I choked back the vomit as I flung my hand over my
mouth and made a mad dash for the en suite.

Mason and Dane’s
bloody mouths were still in my vision as I heaved into the toilet. “Fuck Ava”
Nate choked and I turned to look at him and saw him staring at the scars on my
back. His hand shot out to the door frame to steady himself as I saw Liv appear
beside him.

“Okay, freak
shows over” I spat, their gawps slicing me in two.

“No Ava…”
Nate apologised but I turned back to the toilet and heaved up another mouthful.
I groaned and turned back round but they had disappeared.

I cringed
when I took in my appearance, still wearing my black bra and knickers I had
fell asleep in. Could this get any more embarrassing? It was bad enough them
seeing my scars but to stare while I’m in my underwear was just humiliating.

I sighed and
pushed myself off the wall and stepped back into my bedroom and gasped and
froze as I looked wide eyed at Liv who was stood with her bare back to me.

“Jesus” I
rasped as I took in her own display of scars, welts and wounds. “Is this what
your husband did to you?” I asked bluntly as I stroked my finger along one of
her longest welts.

She nodded.
“Those you are touching are the whip scars” she divulged.

I sighed.
“You wanna compare?” I chuckled and she turned her head and grinned at me.

“I was just
showing you that I wasn’t staring because I thought you were a freak show but
just… well just how much we have in common and that I… well I understand, Ava.”
She shrugged as she slipped her t-shirt back over her head before she turned to
now study my back.

I heard both
of their intakes of breath and I had forgotten Nate was there. “I hope you’re
not copping an eyeful of my arse, Nate” I laughed.

“I haven’t
even looked Ava. Though that’s some pretty nice underwear you’re wearing” he
smirked.

I shook my
head at him. “It’s a good job you understand our relationship Liv otherwise I’m
sure my hair would be getting ripped out right about now.”

Liv laughed
but then I felt her fingertip stroke across the worst of my scars, “What’s
these?” she asked slowly.

“They’re
where he branded me” I explained, my embarrassment completely forgotten under
Liv’s experienced fingers.

She knew
exactly how I felt and for some reason that gave me a great deal of comfort.
“What do you mean?” she asked as her finger now followed the groove of another
burn scar.

“He… he
burnt me with a hot poker” I cringed as they both sucked in a breath and I
turned round so they could see the ones across the top of my chest and stomach.

“Christ, I
thought the whip had hurt but these… these are way beyond the next level” she
whispered, disbelief and sickness etched on her face.

Nate was
looking at the floor and I sighed. “Hey, I’m fine” I told them but Nate stood
up quickly.

“Sure Ava,
that’s why you were just screaming ‘Get it off, it burns” he growled in anger
and I looked away.

“How often
do you have nightmares, Ava?” Liv asked as she took my hand and pulled me down
next to her on the bed.

“I dunno.”

Nate
narrowed his eyes on me, “A lot?” I just shrugged and he sighed.

“Listen Ava,
I really think you should see someone, you know to talk things through with”
Liv advised.

“I’m already
seeing one” I informed her and she tipped her head and smiled.

“Good, it
helps. Anyway we’ll leave you to sleep” I nodded as she pulled back the duvet
and patted the bed for me to climb in before she lovingly tucked me in.