She’s not sloppy drunk, and now the tears seem to have stopped, it looks like she’s enjoying herself. And I’m glad. I want her to have a good night. I want her to remember the night we met as a happy one, and I can’t help but smile right along with her as she throws her head back and sings along to the band’s cover of the Eagles classic.
“What the fuck is going on with you?”
I turn and look at Cooper, who’s looking back at me wearing a frown. I scratch my head as I ponder both the questions posed by my brothers.
“I do not have a clue what’s going on with me because yes, I think I do still want to get involved, even with all the drama she’s got going on.” I address both of them.
“I knew it. You gave Alysa Hawkins the flick earlier, so I knew you liked her.” Zac nods his head towards the dance floor.
“Her name’s Lauren,” I inform him.
“She’s gonna be a mess, Gabe. You sure you’re up for that? Don’t fuck the girl about if you’re not.”
My eyes meet Cooper’s. “Don’t doubt me, brother. I like her. Fucking women about is not my thing. I do everything I can to set them straight, not my fault they get their knickers in a knot when they’re trying to put them back on, but this one’s different. I like her. I don’t know much more than that, I just know that something feels different about her. I like her, and if it’s what I’ve gotta do, then I’ll wait until she’s ready.”
My gaze slides to Zac as he examines his beer bottle. “What the fuck is in this stuff? I think it’s got me tripping, or did Gabe just admit to liking a woman and that he’s willing to wait for her to be ready?”
“Get fucked,” I tell him as he throws his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into him.
“Didn’t we tell you earlier that you’ll know when it hits?”
“You did,” I admit while trying to push Zac away. “But I don’t know if this is that, or what it even is. It just is, and I’m gonna run with it and see where it takes me.”
“Thanks for the drinks and everything tonight, Gabe, I’m heading off now.” Lauren, flushed from her antics on the dance floor, smiles in front of me. Most of the makeup she was wearing earlier has been rubbed from her face, and I instantly notice the light blue and green bruising along her jaw.
I open my mouth to say something, but I’m not entirely sure what I should say. My gut churns, and the alcohol buzz has been replaced by something else. A strange vibration hums through me, making my fingertips tingle.
“You getting a cab? I’ll walk you to the rank,” I offer.
“No, that’s fine, the girls are with me.”
I study her smile, wondering what it’s hiding. She hasn’t realised her makeup has been wiped away and that her bruises are on show, and that makes me feel so fucking sad. She’s cute and funny, with just the right amount of sass, and why anyone would want to hurt her, I have no idea. I don’t want to point the bruises out and embarrass her, but I also can’t let her leave here without knowing exactly what it is she has going on in her life.
“I’m leaving now anyway; I’ll walk with you.”
“Pussay,” Zac coughs the word into his hand, Coop says nothing because he sees exactly what I am.
“Dude,” he leans in and says into my ear.
“I know. I know, I see it.” My eyes remain on the girls as they put on their coats and jackets in front of us.
As Lauren pushes her arm through the sleeve of her leather jacket, the cuff of her blouse rides up, and that’s when I see she has more bruises around her wrist.
“Man, that’s just fucked up,” Cooper says.
My mouth fills with saliva, and for a moment I think I’m going to vomit. Someone’s obviously been putting their hands on her, and I’m pretty convinced that someone is her husband, and that would explain why she’s leaving him.
My head spins as I try and work out exactly what to do with this information, especially as she’s still oblivious that I know.
“I’m gonna walk with the girls to the taxi rank, then head home. I’ll see you at Carroll’s at six?”
After agreeing on a time for a morning meet with my brothers, I say my goodbyes and make my way outside with the girls. Without a word, I grab Lauren’s hand and walk at a slower pace, so we fall behind the others.
“You got my card, right?” I ask.
“Yep, put it in my pocket.”
“Use it for anything. Whatever you need, you need help with something, call me. I don’t pick up, leave a message, or text me. My office number’s on there as well.”
“Thanks, I will,” she says quietly as she walks while staring down at the pavement. I give her hand a squeeze before I stop walking and pull her against me. Head tilted back, wide blue eyes darting over my face, I look down and realise just how short she is. Why the fuck would anyone want to hurt her? Keeping my gaze pinned to hers, I focus on not letting them wander to the blue and green staining her jawline.
“Don’t wait until you’ve got your shit together. Call me tomorrow and let me know what happens with you moving out, or if you need help with that, just, for whatever reason, call me will ya please, Lauren?”
She pulls her head back and tilts it to the side. With her perfect brows pulled down into a frown, she looks between me and her friends.
“Did Jo say something to you?”
So, Jo knows what’s going on? She’ll be the first person I’ll be calling in the morning, maybe even tonight. I’m not sure what she must see in my face, but she pushes her hands against my chest and tries to pull away.
“I don’t fucking need this. . .”
“Don’t,” I cut her off. “No one said anything. Your makeup has rubbed off your face.”
Her hand instantly moves from where it was pushing against me to the side of her face.
“I can see the bruises, Lauren. Then when you put your jacket on, your sleeve rode up.”
“Stop.” Her lips tremble, and she turns her head away from me. “Just fucking stop.”
I hate that I’ve made her cry, but I need her to know I want to help—need to help.
“Who did it, Lauren? Is your husband putting his hands on you? Is that why you’re leaving him?”
“None of your . . .”
“Yeah, nah. See, that’s where you’re wrong,” I interrupt her again. “No matter where this goes, I’ve seen the bruises. Whatever goes on between us, even if it goes nowhere, if he’s putting his hands on you and causing those bruises, then me and him are gonna have a problem, a big fucking problem.”
When she tilts her face up to meet mine, tears coat her cheeks.
My hands instinctively go to her hips. I don’t pull her closer, I just hold her in place.
“I’ve got this. I’m getting out. I’m leaving him. Not that any of this has anything to do with you. He’s not your problem, he’s mine, and I’ve got it covered.”
I turn my head, looking from one side of the street to the other while I rein in my temper and loosen my jaw.
“Don’t keep telling me it’s not my business. Yesterday I didn’t know you, so no, it wasn’t my business, it’s after midnight now, a new day. Now, I know you. Now, I’ve seen the bruises. Now, it absolutely is my fucking business.”