Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 98418 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98418 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
"Well fucking cut her off. Jesus Hugo." I grit my teeth.
"I have, but well let’s just say the sharks are circling. They keep buying her bloody drinks. I've already had four kicked out, but they just keep coming. She won't listen to me or Molly. That girl is on serious self-destruct mode Theo. You need to get the fuck down here."
"For fuck’s sake. Give me ten minutes."
"Thank you." He sounds relieved.
I leave the Range Rover parked on the curb right outside the club, before jumping out and jogging inside. The bass of the music thrums through my body, the flashing of strobe lights and coloured lasers across the dance floor daze my senses. I turn when I feel a hand on my arm. Molly's face is white. She looks like she's been crying.
"Molly. Are you okay?" I ask, concerned.
"Theo. I'm so glad you're here." Before I can reply she throws her arms around my neck and hugs me. "Thank you." She says against my shoulder. I push her back and look at her face.
"Molly, where is she?"
She points across the dance floor. At first I don't see her, until I spot the form of a woman slumped and being physically held up by a man. Another man stands close behind her.
Once again, the familiar rage of the past few days surfaces. A rage that only she has the ability to rile in me, derived form a fierce need to protect her. I feel it burn through my veins. Except this time I have a target for it. An outlet.
"Molly, follow me." I say coldly.
I storm across the dance floor with one thing in mind.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck. Theo no!" I hear Hugo's voice nearby, but I'm too focused to turn away. I don't even break stride as I pull my elbow back and drive my fist forward with all my force into the face of the guy behind her. He goes down hard and doesn't move.
"Ah, shit." Hugo appears beside me. I turn to look at the guy still holding Lilly. She's slumped forward, barely able to hold her own weight.
"I'm going to give you three seconds. If you're still fucking touching her you're a dead man." I roar over the music.
I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her backwards against my chest. The guy steps away, holding his hands up before seeing to his unconscious friend.
I brush the hair off of her face and look at her, her eyes are shut as her body falls limp in my arms. "Theo." She says so quietly I can barely hear her.
"Its okay sugar, I've got you." I scoop her up and hold her against my chest as I carry her out of the club.
She mumbles incoherently, but otherwise makes no attempt to move.
"Is she Okay?" Molly jogs along beside me, her heels clicking along the pavement.
"She's unconscious. I'll make sure she's okay." I say shortly, because I don't want to shout at Molly, but right now I want to just for letting her get into this state.
"Okay." She whispers. "Thanks Theo." I nod.
I recline the passenger seat of the Range Rover and lay Lilly down on it. I brush her hair to the side and stroke her cheek. The feisty, take no shit woman seems so far away now and it breaks my heart.
When I get her home I carry her to bed. I take off her dress and manage to dress her limp body in one of my T-shirts. I climb into bed with her and hold her, wishing desperately that I could shield her from all the shit the world has already inflicted on her.
I'm cooking dinner when Lilly finally steps into the living area. She's been out cold all day. Her eyebrows are pulled together in confusion.
"Hey." I say, trying to break the silence.
"Hey." Her voice is raspy. "How...Why am I...?" She stammers.
"Hugo called me last night. Asked me to come and get you. He was worried." I say curtly whilst still cutting veg.
"I...I can't remember." She stares at a spot on the ground. "Thank you." She whispers before turning to descend the stairs again.
"What were you thinking Lilly?" I say through gritted teeth, trying hard not to allow my anger to surface. "Anything could have happened to you last night." She stills, her back still turned toward me. Her shoulders stiffen.
"I just needed to forget again." She whispers. I say nothing. She sounds so lost. "It’s easier to pretend it never happened.” She pauses. “Any of it. So I got drunk, and I forgot..." She takes a step toward the stairs.
"Where are you going?" I ask.
She stops and glances over her shoulder. "Home." She says quietly.
"Lilly." I say her name, my voice breaking, one word with a thousand different words hiding behind it, words I wish I could tell her.