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“Abel, I’m sorry. Tell Chan I’m sorry. She was Gloria.”
“Gloria’s dead,” I told him with the coldest voice and glared at him disgusted. “You knew it, and you hurt Chan. I’ll never forgive you for this.” I wrenched my arm out of his hold, and he kept sobbing as I nodded for the paramedics to take him away.
The crowd dispersed as cops were getting everybody’s statements. I returned to my girl and leaned against the counter while she finished her statement with the cop.
“Miss, it was self-defense, but we’ll stay in touch.” Chan kept shaking, and I wrapped my arms around her. “Sir, I need your statement now.”
Nodding, I said. “Do you mind if we head over to our suite? I want to get Chan out of here?”
“Yes, we can go.”
“Thanks.” I picked Chan up bridal style and tucked her face into my neck so she didn’t have to look at anybody. The female officer opened the doors, and we walked the hallway to our room.
Once I got Chan stripped her of her clothes and settled in the bed, I gave them to the officer along with mine and gave my statement. As soon as she said she had everything and gave me her card, she left.
Chan was packing as I went into the room. “I’m sorry, Abel, but I can’t stay here.”
“It’s okay, baby. We’ll get out of here. We’ll go back to my room. I still don’t want you at your dorm.”
The dorm room had the construction crew working on it. I wanted it to be a surprise for when we got back.
Chan nodded sadly, and I got everything together and checked us out. It took everything in me not to go postal and do something I’d regret. With my girl in constant danger, family drama, and now dealing with my fucked-up father, it made me fucking helpless. I hated that feeling with everything in me.
Chapter 23
Chantilla
It was a battle this morning to get Abel to leave and meet with his PI, but the man said he had news and needed to talk. After last night, Abel struggled to leave my side, which I appreciated. Now that we were away from the hotel, and I got to shower and decompress, I did a lot better. It also helped how I knew Chance didn’t see me when he attacked. In his inebriated mind, he thought I was my mother, and apparently they role-played because my mother liked that aspect of their relationship.
I’d like to have gone the rest of my life without knowing anything about that part of their lives, but it made it better for me to think he wouldn’t have hurt me if he had been in his right mind. It didn’t mean I forgave him. It’d take some time before I could be in the same room as him.
Abel had been adamant I’d never go around him again. We were done with his father, and I was never to speak or see him again. I had to leave and tell him immediately if his father came near me. I figured I’d let Abel cool off before we discussed it again.
Abel told me we weren’t discussing it anymore. I left it because, to be honest, I wanted to be done with it all. I was so tired and wanted a semblance of my normal life.
The chill of the winter hit me hard as I stayed bundled in my coat with my gloves on and walked from my dorm room to Abel’s frat house. Abel had called Evan to escort me, and he happily agreed to watch out for me if I left Abel’s room. Maintenance called Abel this morning and said the repairs were finished. Abel surprised me with the good news, and I wanted to check it over even though I wouldn’t be staying there for a while. The room looked good, the black smudges were gone from the wall, the floors were repaired, but I still didn’t want to stay. I told Abel everything was fine, which was true, but only because of him. He could be an asshole sometimes, but nobody else in the world made me safer. He proved it time and time again.
Evan and I walked along the path leading to the frat house. “Thanks again for going with me.”
“No problem. Happy to help. Are you heading to Abel’s room, or do you want to hang somewhere else in the house?”
Evan appeared nervous, hoping I’d pick Abel’s room because I’d bet my last dollar Abel instructed him to keep me in his room. I decided to make it easier for him because I liked Evan.
“Yeah. I’m going to take a nap. It’s been a long several weeks.”
Evan chuckled and waved me off as I climbed the stairs in the frat house, and he went into either the kitchen or living room.
At Abel’s door, I stopped and thought about going up the next flight of stairs toward Blake’s room. The house had several guys here and any noise would bring them running. I wanted to discuss the settlement with him and end the stress. I needed to understand what he thought and find out if I wasted my time. And I wouldn’t get any real answers with Abel present.
Even though I was uncomfortable being alone with him, my resolve to end everything kept me walking to his door. After last night, though, I kept all my layers on from when I walked with Evan. I knocked.
“Come in.” Blake slurred his words, and I steadied my shoulders and walked in. Blake sprawled across his couch as he had a little apartment instead of a room and bathroom like the others. “Chan, fuck, you’re so hot.” He licked his lips and laughed.
Blake’s eyes were glazed over. I watched him struggle to lift his head from the couch. The trashed room had drug paraphernalia covering his coffee table and dirty dishes and food containers piled everywhere. It was a far cry from when I’d visited his apartment in the senior wing, but I never did go into his room.
How did I not pick up on his addiction? The drugs and paraphernalia weren’t for a newbie. He had an entire addict collection. I’d know, after all, when my mother didn’t hide her secret from her husband, the house or trailer looked similar to this time and time again. She had a way of functioning better than most addicts. It was how she snagged so many rich husbands. It helped that she had stunning features. She could’ve been a model or a golden-era-like actress if she wanted.
Slowly, I unbuttoned my coat and started to pull my gloves off. Blake kept his room like an oven.
