Rewind (9 page)

“Babe, they figured out it wasn’t the flu it was food poisoning from a bad batch of chicken served at the cafeteria.”  He said with a chuckle. 

“Oh, I really just want to stay here tonight.”  I waited for him to pound the door in but instead I heard the door of our dorm slam.  A few minutes later Theresa tapped on the door, “He’s gone Syd.”  I shut the shower off wrapped a towel around me and opened the door, “He’s fucking pissed, so bad he was shaking.  Surely he won’t come back will he?”

I rummaged through my dresser for some shorts and a t-shirt, “I hope not, I’m scared half to death.  If he’s that mad that I won’t go stay with him, he’s going to flip out when I break up with him.”

We sat in silence lost in our thoughts when my cell phone beeped with a message;

Ronnie
:  Please babe I have a really bad feeling I can’t lose you.

I showed it to Theresa, “God he sounds so sweet and caring when he says things like that but it’s all just to keep you coming back.  You’ve gotta get help Syd.  If you don’t call the MC I’m going to.  End of story.”

“Not my dad, he can’t find out about it.  He was almost murderous over a hickey, he will kill him with his own hands if he finds this out.”

At the same time we both said “Bryan.”

I scrolled through my phone contacts, my hands were shaking as I hovered over his name.  I took a deep breath and pressed the green call button.  The phone rang three times before he answered, “What’s up Syd?”  he said.

“Hey Bryan, I kind of need to talk to you.  Are you at the club?  If you’re busy you can just call me later.” 

“No I just walked in the house, everything okay?”

One thing about Bryan is he could always read people even without seeing them.  “Honestly no, not at all.  I really don’t want to talk about it over the phone though.  Can you come to campus tomorrow?  We can talk before the game.”

“Sure, is it okay if I bring Cade?  He’s been helping out a bunch at the MC, I think your dad is going to just patch him over to our club.”

Cade would know exactly why they were coming here and he would be furious.  “Yeah can you have him text or call me please?”

“Who?  Cade or your dad?”  he asked with a laugh. 

“Cade.  I’ll see you tomorrow after my last class.”

“Later Syd.”  The call disconnected. 

Theresa came out of the bathroom, “Is he coming?”

“Yeah and he’s brining Cade.  This could get really really ugly.” I laid down on my bed. 

“No, it’s already ugly, it’s going to get
real
for that asshole Syd.  If anybody can stop him and protect you, it’s those guys.”

We each shut our lamps off and laid there in the darkness not speaking both thinking.  I closed my eyes and felt the tears seep past my lashes.  I choked back a sob and sucked in a deep breath then my phone rang with a number I knew had to be Cade.

“Hello?”

“How bad is it?”  His voice sent a shiver through my body.

“It’s not good at all.  If you don’t want to come tomorrow that’s fine, I don’t blame you for not wanting to get mixed up in this mess.”  I told him.

The line was silent for a few seconds, “Can I tell you something?”  he spoke low and soft into the phone.

“Yes.”

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the night you watched me shower.”  This time it was me that was quiet, waiting for him to say more, “I’ll be there tomorrow.  You can fucking bet on that.”  He said. 

“Thank you.”  A tear slid down my cheek. 

“Syd, do not let yourself be alone with him.  He’s going to try everything in his power to get you alone.  I’ll be there tonight if you want me there.”

I remained quiet, “Would you and Bryan both be able to come?  We aren’t supposed to let guys stay the night but honestly.  I’m scared for me and Theresa.”

“We’ll be there in an hour, text me your info.”

“Okay, be careful.”  We hung up and I text him the dorm number.

Theresa started laughing, “Who in the hell is staying here?  Have you seen this dorm size?  There’s not even room for two guys on the floor Syd.”

“Bryan and Cade.”

She flipped her lamp on, “Bryan AND Cade?”

“Is that okay?”  I knew she was nervous too about Ronnie coming back. 

“Oh it’s more than okay.  I’ve always had the hot’s for Bryan.  I think we’re better off keeping the lights off until they get here.  I’m guessing Ronnie is out there lurking somewhere.”

A shiver of fear ran through me, part of me wanted to look out the window to see if he was out there but I chose to not look. 

My phone beeped with a message, I was hoping it was from Cade but it wasn’t:

Ronnie
:  Syd, please don’t ignore me.  I fucking love you to the moon & back.  I’m trying to change, I know I have problems.  I swear I will do whatever you want me to, please just talk to me babe.  I <3 you.

Me
:  You have no idea how much you’ve hurt me.  How can you tell me you love me knowing you haven’t been honest with me the entire relationship?

Ronnie
:  I have been honest with you, please can we just go somewhere and talk?

Me
:  Not tonight, we just need to take a break.  You need to get help and I need to figure out things in my head.  You really have no idea how much you hurt my heart.

Ronnie
:  Fuck taking a break Syd!! We are mature fucking adults, we can work through this together.  Please meet me at the beach so we can talk?  Please.  I’ll wait outside your door if I have to.

Me
:  Just focus on the last game tomorrow, let me have the weekend to think about my feelings and I’ll talk to you Sunday.

“Is that him texting you?”  Theresa broke the silence. 

I froze when I heard the sound of Ronnie’s motorcycle screaming away from the building.  “Oh my god he’s been outside the entire time.”  My voice shook.  I moved through the darkness to her bed and handed her my phone so she could read the messages.

“You are NOT going to be talking to him alone, do you understand me.”

“I know.”  I laid down beside her and tried to calm my shaking but nothing would stop it.  I woke up to my phone ringing.  “Hello?”

“We are coming in through the back way.”  Cade said and hung up. 

I climbed out of bed and waited by the door, the hallway lights were dim when I looked through the peep hole.  Then Bryan’s face came into view with Cade towering over him.  I quickly unlocked the deadbolt and the door knob and let them in. 

Bryan hugged me, “Calm down Syd the college knows we are here.  You’re not going to get in trouble.”

“What?  How do they know?”

He pointed a thumb over his shoulder, “He has connections.”  He said about Cade.  Theresa turned her lamp on, Bryan looked over at her and smiled.  “So fill us in on what’s going on.”  He said then looked back at me. 

“I’ll just show you some stuff and answer questions for now.” I handed him my phone with the pictures that Theresa had taken of me. 

Cade looked at them then at me, his jaw set tight and his shoulders tense.  “I’m going to kill the motherfucker.”  He said in a low whisper.

“You,” Bryan pointed at me, “Sit the fuck down and tell me why the fuck you are just now realizing this guy is a woman beating piece of shit.”

I walked over to my bed and sat down, I didn’t want to cry in front of them so I took a few deep breaths before I told them about everything that Shelby had told me.  Bryan and Cade remained standing and read the text messages Ronnie had sent me earlier.  When I told them he was outside the building the entire time they both shook their heads.  “We’ve got rooms booked for a hotel tomorrow night and Saturday if he comes to look for you here tough shit, you’re not here.”  Bryan said then started taking his riding gear off.  Theresa sat that staring at him and Cade both, Cade massive body made our room seem like it was the size of a card board box.  “Lights out girls.”  Bryan said with a grin and turned the lamp off.  I heard belt buckles and clothes hit the floor, Theresa squeaked when Bryan climbed in her bed.  They both laughed and started whispering.  When Cade touched my leg and climbed behind me my bed springs popped and squeaked causing him to laugh. 

I slid under the covers and tried to stay as close to the edge of the bed as possible, “Come here.”  Cade whispered and gently rolled me so I was facing him.  The moon was hitting his face through the blinds just enough I could see his eyes.  We laid there looking at each other, my nerves were still causing me to shake, “Tomorrow things have been changed up for the last game.  You guys are going to do a pep rally in the morning; in the afternoon a local grade school is coming to tour the campus.  They’ll split the kids off into groups; the cheer squad will be paired up with groups so you can show them around the campus.  I will always be within ear shot at all times.  If he approaches you, tighten your pony tail and I’ll make him go away.  After the game tomorrow night, you’ll ride with me and she’ll ride with Bryan.  Your cars will be moved to another local club house, Sunday morning you and her will be moving out of the dorms and into one of the safe houses they have here in town.” 

“My, dad though, him and mom will know something is up when I tell them we are moving out.”

“Your dad’s going to find out sooner or later, convincing him not to kill the asshole is what I’m worried about Syd.”

Cade was right, I shouldn’t be hiding this from my parents, but I knew that dad would go to drastic measures to protect me.  “What about the rest of the year?  He’ll still be on campus.”

Cade took a deep breath and slowly released it, “I know, you’re just going to have to make sure you and Theresa never separate.  Your class schedules are now exactly the same so you two will be connected at the hip until you graduate.  Try and get some sleep.” He kissed my forehead and pulled me as tight against his body as he could, avoiding my upper back.

I knew each time I called her little girl it pissed her off, she might be little but she was all fucking woman, never in my life had I felt such a strong pull to a woman as I did with Sydney.  The very second we collided at the back door of the club I wanted to drag her away from everybody.  But she flinched at my touch—then I seen the bruises.  My blood was boiling instantly, rage, anger, hate, you name it.  I wanted to kill that motherfucker Ronnie, I knew, fucking
knew
he had put those marks on her. 

~~~~

She’s scared to death, wrapped in my arms, she’s shaking…shaking just like my mom did when she would curl up in my bed after dad beat her. 
Dad yelling, moms body slamming against the wall, dad’s slurred words, his fist connecting with moms body—his massive foot kicking my bedroom door in.  “No Charley leave him alone!”  mom cried as she ran and jumped on dads back before he could smash his fist into my stomach again like he had so many times before.  Her face bruised, lip bleeding… “Get out Cade go!”  she yelled as he tipped his shoulder back and flung her off.  I darted for my bedroom door but my feet left the ground when dad grabbed my shirt and yanked me back.  His eyes not the normal green like mine, they were bloodshot and dark as midnight.  I was twelve years old the night my dad died, the night the single bullet went right through his heart stopping it.  My ears rang from the blast, mom dropped the pistol in the doorway and started crying.  She rushed over to me helped me up and carried me to the bed and shook with her sobs I wrapped my arms tightly around her until the silence was flooded with the sound of police sirens and the front door of our house being kicked in by the cops.  Guns drawn they shouted orders for whoever had the gun to surrender.  “He’s never going to hurt us again Cade.” mom whispered as she hugged me and brushed a hand through my hair.
 

Sydney wrapped her arms tighter around me, “I’ve never been this scared of a guy before.” 

“I won’t let anything happen to you.”  I kissed the top of her head and felt her relax and her shaking subsided.

I knew when Bryan said she needed us that things had gotten worse, just like I had told her they would.  When she told us what that Shelby chic had told her, when she showed us the pictures, and the text messages.  It took all I had not to leave her and go find Ronnie, the pleading look in her eyes made my mind up for me.  She needed to feel safe she needed to know that she was safe.  Her cell phone chimed with a text message, I stopped her from rolling over to grab it.  Nothing that motherfucker had to say was important, nothing he had to say was going to hurt her or scare her ever again if I had anything to do with it.  “Just ignore it.”  I whispered to her, I felt her nod against my chest then after a few minutes her breathing evened out when she fell asleep. 

I pried my eyes open when her alarm clock on her phone started quacking, “A duck are you fucking serious?”  I mumbled.  I reached over her shoulder and grabbed the phone to silence the alarm. 

“Shut the duck up for fucks sake.”  Bryan grumbled from Theresa’s bed. 

Sydney’s shoulders shook with her silent laugh, “You think it’s funny?”  I said and looked down at her. 

“Very.”  She smiled and ran her hand across my chest to one of my nipple rings and flicked it up and down.  “Did that hurt?” she looked up at me.