Chapter 14

14

Perrie

I wince at the pain shooting through my ribs as I gently unroll the wrap from around my body.

I really shouldn’t have allowed the Dodger—yes, that was his name—to get that last hit in, but I needed the thoughts to leave.

Natalie’s in a coma, and my sister is back, oh no, not back, she’s been here all this stupid ass time. My body shakes with anger at that notion but flinch.

Dammit….

Taking a deep breath, I brace myself to continue wrapping my ribs, refusing to think of Cass, refusing to think of Acid, when the front door opens and instantly, and I mutter, “I knew I should have changed the locks….”

I watch as my sister, who is still in her scrubs, takes in the differences of Dad’s gym. Her mouth opens a little in shock before she whispers, “Wow.”

I swallow hard, trying to ignore the pride I feel.

She left me yet stayed in the city….

Taking another deep breath, I ignore Cassidy and continue to wrap my ribs but end up grunting when I lift my left arm too high.

“Oh my God, Perrie!” she gasps in shock as she runs over to me.

“I’m okay,” I lie, and she snorts.

“And I’m the Virgin Mary,” she retorts, and I tilt my head at her.

I only heard from Cassidy once, and that was nearly a year after she left. There was no message, only a picture.

She clears her throat before gently grabbing the bandage from me and confirms, “She’s okay….”

But she didn’t bring her.

I nod, unwilling to start an argument, and ask, “And Natalie?”

She gives me a sad smile and admits, “Stable,” and I nod again as her eyes take in my bruises before she asks, “I thought you were the reigning champion?”

“I am,” I admit, “but I needed a distraction; I still won, though.”

Concern shines in her hazel eyes before they lower to my thighs, and I sigh when she whispers, “Cutting?”

I try not to flinch at the concern in her eyes, the hope that I haven’t done it.

“I haven’t in three years,” I answer reluctantly. “If I get the itch for it, I fight.”

Anger takes hold of her before she snaps, “You promised me you’d quit fighting, Perrie!”

Tears build, and I hate myself for it instantly. She’s got no right to lecture me when she left me alone.

“And then you left,” I spit back, and her eyes tear up, “and Acid slept with me then screwed Andrea a week later.” I bite back a sob. “She’s pregnant, Cass, and dear old Mother is on her side—surprise-surprise.”

“That son of….” Her words trail off as her hands shake with anger.

I sniffle as I wipe my cheeks, and look down, eyeing the cuts on my knuckles as I admit, “I needed to keep out of my head, Cass, otherwise, I’ll pick the razor up again. I know it.”

After Dad died, after finding out about Mom’s betrayal, and Acid knocking me back, I became depressed, not knowing how to handle my feelings, and I’d accidentally cut myself with a knife. The pain of the cut quieted my mind, and without thinking, I pressed the blade to my thigh. Cassidy found out three months later, catching me in the act.

“But, counseling, Pez, that was helping, wasn’t it?” she pleads, and my tears fall again.

I hate that I broke my promise, but I hate even more that she left.

“It was,” I admit, “but fighting gave me that reprieve I needed, and I swore it would be just that once, to get the pain out with you leaving but-but….” I squeeze my eyes tight before I speak the words that I haven’t been able to before, “Two men raped me….”

She freezes, her hands no longer moving, and I look at her.

She shakes her head, her tears falling, and she chokes, “No….”

I swallow hard and whisper, “It was the Aldo brothers, and I-I, I was pregnant, Cassidy, they knocked me up. I had an abortion….”

Her body trembles, her tears flowing, but I don’t move; I wait, trying to control the urge to cry my heart out.

“Who else knows?” she finally asks after a few minutes of silence.

I chew my bottom lip and admit, “No one.”

Her nostrils flare. “You didn’t tell Acid?” she demands, and I chuckle darkly.

“You mean the man who screwed my so-called friend and knocked her up? I tried to call him that night, but he never called back.” I can’t help the bitterness in my voice; it was then, that night, I realized I could only rely on myself.

I sigh at a shocked and angry Cass and admit, “I got my revenge.”

Taking a steady breath, she continues to wrap my ribs and asks, “And how exactly did you do that, huh?” She tightens her grip on the wrap, and I wince, but she ignores it and demands, “Let me guess, you beat them up, so they got away with it.”

Cassidy grabs the tape from beside me, taping up my side roughly, and I snap, “Be more careful, Cass…. I thought doctors were supposed to be gentler.”

She glares at me and sneers, “Not when my sister got raped and didn’t get the club to deal with it! They took your virginity, and don’t deny it. I know you were saving it!”

I sigh and admit, “I dealt with it myself, Cass; I stabbed them.”

She takes a step back, crosses her arm over her chest with a disbelieving look, and repeats, “You stabbed them?” as if it’s hard to believe.

I nod once and whisper, “I stabbed them where no man wants to be stabbed, and they had stayed clear from me until today. Normally, I don’t fight when I know they are there, but I needed to get out of my head before I-I….”

She finishes, “Before you cut.” I nod again, and she sighs before picking up the sterile solution and gauze. “I never should have made you think I left….”

I swallow hard. “No, you shouldn’t have,” I confirm, and she nods before gently cleaning up my lip.

I wince at the sting, but she ignores it and checks me over, ensuring I don’t have a concussion.

“I like what you’ve done with the gym,” she says half an hour later as she clears up the bloody gauze.

I look around and smile a little before replying, “Thanks. It’s still not completely finished, but baby steps.” I look at her. “I sold the house.” Her eyes shoot to mine in shock, and I shrug, admitting, “Mom was using me, Cass. I paid all the bills, and I couldn’t continue it when I wanted to do this place up. We both know Dad never wanted that house, and besides, I found papers in Dad’s safe; he hired a private investigator who got records showing Andrea’s dad was paying off Mom.”

Cass blinks, then blinks again before she laughs, and I grin.

“Glad to know you’re not hurt that I sold it,” I remark, needing a little reassurance.

She snorts. “Pez, I spent most of my time at Steal’s after we got together, before that, I barely came out of my room when mom forced me to stay there, or I’d stay here. I hated that house. None of the décor was Dad….”

Which is true. Mom wanted what she wanted, only to screw Dad over after he gave in.

I nod and sigh. “I know. I put all your stuff in storage, and I went through Dad’s things, kept all the stuff I thought you’d want to keep.” I walk over to the reception desk, the brand-new dark oak one that arrived this morning, and open the drawer, grabbing the watch before walking over to Cass. I hold my hand out, and she opens hers underneath mine. Her gasp echoes in the room as I drop the watch into her palm, and I whisper, “I managed to grab this before Mom could hide it. I also transferred $115,000 into your account this morning from the sale of the house, which I know will come in handy.”

Her tears fall before she takes me in her arms, and I squeeze her tight, ignoring the pain in my ribs. Her sighed words, “You need at least a month off from the ring and diner,” hit my ears, making me laugh.

She’s really back….

I squeeze my phone in my hand the next morning. I ache like mad, and I really cannot be bothered with this call, but doctor’s orders and all that.

Taking a deep breath, I press on the number, which rings four times before his voice echoes in my ear, and my heart breaks.

I miss him, and I have for years, but I know even a friendship is out the window at this point.

“Perrie?” Acid answers, a little bit of hope in his voice, hope he has no right to feel.

I clear my throat and state as firmly as I can, without bursting into tears, “I won’t be at work today.”

He’s quiet for a moment before he murmurs, “I can understand; you probably want to spend a little bit of time with Cassidy….”

That and I need my ribs to flipping heal….

I wince, hoping he doesn’t see right through me as I lie, “Yep, but also I won’t be in for the next month.”

“Tinker—” he starts, but I cut him off and remind him, “First, don’t call me that anymore, and second, I haven’t had one day off in years, so I’m cashing in.”

“Wait a sec?—”

I hang up on him, and seconds later, my phone rings, but I silence it as my tears fall.

Yeah, a month off is definitely what the doctor ordered, as is Chinese food later after Cass is finished work.

She has someone for me to meet, and honestly, I can’t wait….