15. Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Maisie
It had been a few weeks since the break in and I was still struggling to be alone. Mack and I had spent a few nights together since then, mostly because I didn't feel very comfortable on my own.
The day the guys came here to tidy everything up, I'd spent it with Grace and we had really hit it off. She was a fast friend, the sweetest soul and I loved her fiercely already. She had invited me to go out for coffee and shopping with her and her sister Freya in a couple of weeks and I honestly couldn't wait. I'd been longing for friends, true friends, for such a long time. I felt incredibly lucky to have found them.
The guys had done a great job of tidying up the flat, but there had been literally nothing left. Nothing that I could keep, everything was gone. Clothes, plates and cups, furniture, toiletries. Everything gone in the space of one day. The only thing left untouched was my parents paperwork which was hidden in a plastic container under the bed .
I had to start a fresh, thankfully I had some of my inheritance left over from my parents passing so I could replace what I'd lost. Mack's parents had also been kind enough to give me some furniture, most of it from Mack's old bedroom there. There was something so comforting knowing that I was sleeping in Mack's bed every night, even though I wish the giant man himself was there with me too. He was adamant that he must be a gentleman though and didn't want to push his luck and expect something from me that I wasn't ready to give.
Little did he know, I'd been ready weeks ago. If that man gave me the go ahead, I'd climb him like a tree and make my home in his arms. Something funny was happening inside of me, something that I hadn't felt before and it all revolved around Mack.
It was weird not only being wanted for my body, nice, but strange. I'd never been treated like that before and if Mack wanted us to go slow then I was happy with that, even if I wore the battery out in my vibrator every damn night due to sexual frustration. I just knew that when it happened, it was going to be electric, mind blowing … our chemistry was off the charts. That day when I blew him in the kitchen for the first time, God I could have come from touching him alone.
He set my body ablaze and I don't think I'd ever get enough of him. Not only was he gorgeous as fuck, with a huge dick too. But he was the sweetest man I'd ever met and I appreciated him more than anything.
He had been my rock the past few weeks, he had insisted on installing security cameras and new locks on my door. The place was locked up tight and I was relieved. I still wasn't one hundred percent comfortable being here, Milo wasn't either. I don't know what had happened to him that day but he was jumpy and frightened. I wish I could make it better for him, he also seemed to be missing Ace. Whenever we saw him Milo was beyond excited and always cried when he left again. To be fair, Ace pretty much responded in the same way. What a bunch of fools.
Anyway, today was Friday afternoon and I was packing my suitcase ready for a camping weekend with our friends. Mack and I were joining Hugh, Grace, Ace, Jax and a few of the guys from their college course. We were going camping in Abbey Wood in London, I was beyond excited because we had also made plans to jump on the tube to central London. I'd never been before, I missed out on those kind of things being in foster care. I never stayed anywhere long enough to be taken out on trips.
Hugh was picking me up in his truck and the five of us were travelling up together, it would take us a few hours and I just knew the car journey was going to be an experience all on it's own. Ace had already mentioned something about playing I-spy, much to Hugh's annoyance. He was also bringing his portable DVD player so we could apparently watch rom coms … I think we were all secretly praying that he'd left The Notebook at home. Although, that was wickedly funny … I think we could all do without the drama.
Milo was coming too, it was going to be a very cramped car journey but it would be so worth it to spend some quality time getting to know these guys a bit better.
We were halfway there before the moaning started, we had played I-Spy and watched The Vow, which turned out to be just as much drama for Ace as The Notebook had been. Now he was complaining,
"Are we there yet?"
"Does it look like we're there yet, dickhead?" Hugh was getting frustrated, this wasn't the first time Ace had asked that question.
"But, I'm bored."
"We all are Ace, it won't be much longer. Why don't you try and have a nap?" Grace tried to pacify him like a parent while Mack and I were attempting to hold back our giggles. We were sat so closely together, me in the middle, him to my left. We would have had more space if Ace hadn't insisted on bringing a pillow … and a blanket.
I was practically on Mack's lap, hands clasped together. We couldn't keep our hands off each other. Our affection was easy and natural, the little touches and little kisses. He sent a swarm of butterflies into my belly every time he touched me.
Forehead kisses – that's all.
No further explanation needed.
Forehead kisses sent my heart into a tizzy and goose bumps pebbled across my skin every damn time. Between forehead kisses and neck kisses, I was pretty much a live wire ready to be set off.
We hadn't done anything sexual since that day in my kitchen, but that didn't mean we hadn't been making out like a couple of horny teenagers and there was a fair bit of dry humping going on too.
Hence … the vibrator battery dilemma. I hoped I'd get the real thing soon …
We eventually arrived at the campsite at three o'clock in the afternoon and immediately began setting up our tents. Us girls were in charge of gathering fire wood while the guys got the camp set up.
"So, how long have you and Hugh been together?" I asked Grace.
"A couple of years now, we met when Hugh started college. He didn't know he wanted to be a fireman right away so took a few random courses until he decided."
"You two seem perfect together."
"I think so too, just between us … he asked me to marry him. And I said yes!" she was beaming. She could barely contain her joy and I was beyond happy for her.
"I know we're still young but it just seems so right. He's the one, you know. Why wait when you know someone is the one you want to spend the rest of your life with?" I'm pretty sure I could see the love hearts shining in her eyes and she was right of course, why wait?
"I'm so happy for you Grace and you're right, why wait?"
"Hugh is telling the guys this weekend, he's so serious and stoic most of the time but he's the most loving and amazing guy. I can't wait to start our lives together. We aren't going to have a long engagement, we just want a small wedding. I can't wait."
"It sounds magical … truly. I hope I find something like that one day. I'm jealous of you girl!"
"I think you may have already found it?" she asked with a coy smile on her face. She was right of course. I'm pretty sure I had found it too, about as sure as I was about the fact that I was falling in love with Mack Richards.
We ate, we chatted, we danced around the campfire and it was the most magical evening. Perfect in fact, more perfect than any night I'd ever had.
Although, nothing can ever stay perfect for long can it, not in our world anyway.
We were all sitting around in our deck chairs, laughing around the fire, beers in hand when we heard the most god awful screeching voice. I'd never heard a voice like it and I hoped to God that I never had to hear it again after this night. You know that involuntary cringe you experience when finger nails are scraped down a blackboard. That is the exact same reaction this voice was giving me. It wasn't me I was worried about though, it was Mack.
I was sat on Mack's lap, his arms wrapped around my waist when we heard the words,
"Stretch, is that you?"
Mack's entire body froze, he stopped breathing, stopped moving, stopped caressing my back with his thumb. We all collectively turned to look at our intruders .
Two women stood side by side, they were identical. Sandy blonde hair, pinched faces, tits pushed up to their chins, skirts short enough that if they bent over their entire crusty minges would be on display. I hated them instantly.
I stood up, instantly defensive.
"Excuse me, can we help you? This is a private party."
Slut number one literally looked through me as slut number two bent at the waist to look around me.
"Stretch! It is you!"
I flicked my gaze back to Mack, he was still sat frozen. His body locked in place, his gaze burning into the fire. I could see his chest heaving up and down. Hugh picked up on this too and gently moved Grace off his lap to stand and move to Mack's side.
He still didn't move or respond when Hugh whispered something in his ear.
Ace stumbled to his feet, heavy on beer but intent on supporting his friends. Ace and Jax never got truly drunk, they had been through something when they were younger and were very strict on themselves.
"Ladies … I mean … whoever you are. Excuse my rudeness …" He chuckled his signature chuckle, laced with a pissed off edge.
"But … who the fuck are you and what the fuck do you want?"
Mack hadn't named names or given descriptions of his tormenters in school but I knew instantly who tweedle dipshit and tweedle dumbass were. As soon as that knowledge seeped into my bones, the fury that swept through by body was overwhelming.
"Oh come on, we only came over to say hello to Stretch. We were so worried when you disappeared off the face of the earth. We heard that you'd killed yourself, well that obviously isn't true. Is it Stretch?" she cackled, like a fucking witch.
"Call him Stretch one more time bitch and I'm gonna smack you so hard you won't be able to recognise your little weasel face in the mirror ever again!"
I was edging closer to these carbon copies of each other, they didn't seem to take the threat seriously but they really should have.
I wasn't aggressive by nature, but wrong someone I love … love … and you're going to meet the feisty redhead that lives inside of me.
Slut number one spoke up then.
"Oh come on ginge, don't get your knickers in a twist. We used to love our time with Stretch over here all those years ago. He's changed a bit since then though. Haven't you Stretch? You don't look like a lamp post anymore. How does it feel not being quite so awkwardly different anymore?"
Mack still hadn't moved, the only thing that had accelerated was his breathing. He was panicking, he was having a trauma response to whatever these bitches had done to him.
I inwardly gathered my thoughts and backtracked on all the things Mack had told me about his past, all the injuries he had sustained …
The injuries he had sustained … the burn marks on the back of his neck. Not just any burn marks but cigarette burns that had been pushed so deep into his skin that they had scarred so terribly.
My fists clenched, my eyes narrowed, and heat spread throughout my body as I came to the realisation of what these girls had done to my man. I took two steps forward and grabbed slut number one by the hair, I dragged her face right up to mine and asked her in such a devastatingly rage filled voice,
"Did you burn my man?"
She fumbled for her words, scrambled against the floor trying to get away. Slut number two came closer and told me to let go of her.
"I asked you a question bitch, let me repeat it just in case your two brain cells couldn't compute what I said."
I got right up into her face, my nose practically touching hers and asked her with such deathly calm,
"Did.You.Burn.My.Man?" I was seething with anger, it was seeping out of my pores. Everybody around us were stood silently watching, in shock or awe. I wasn't quite sure yet.
"It was only a jo..."
She didn't manage to finish her sentence before I swung my head back and smashed my forehead into her face with so much rage I could barely contain it. Bone cracked, blood rushed from her nose as she fell to the floor clutching her destroyed face.
Her sister stayed where she was, in fear probably. Snivelling little bitch. She was next.
I climbed on top of slut number one and rained punches down on her fucking face, I wanted to scar her just as badly as she had scarred Mack. My beautiful, sweet man who they had burned so brutally. If I gave myself a second to think too hard about what he'd been through then I'd break down and never regain my strength.
Slut number two was screaming at me to stop as I continued my pounding on her sister. She finally had enough of watching and gained the courage to step closer to me, she came around behind me and grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled with all her might. My scalp burned at the root from the pressure.
That was all it took for everybody to snap into action, everybody seemed to move around me at once. Until seven booming words made everyone freeze and pride bloom deep in my chest.
"GET THE FUCK OFF MY WOMAN NOW!"
Mack was beside me in an instant, grabbing slut number two by the back of the neck practically lifting her from the floor, she let go of my hair instantly. Now it was my turn to be frozen, ten seconds ago this man had been sat paralysed in fear of what these people had done to him. She laid one hand on me and it snapped him out of his inner turmoil.
I was still sat straddling this almost unconscious bitch on the floor, mouth hanging open and completely transfixed on the man that was hauling this woman away from me. He set her down in front of him, got right up into her face before gritting his teeth and snarling at her,
"Don't you fucking dare move an inch!" He turned and strode back to me and the other woman crumpled on the floor.
Gentle hands picked me up under my arms and brought me to stand in front of him, soft warm hands caressed my face,
"Are you okay baby? "
"I'm fine," truth be told my face hurt like a bitch and my knuckles were cut open and bleeding but in this moment I'd never been prouder.
"I'll be right back okay?" he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead – cue butterflies – before he strode behind me and picked the second woman up off the floor before placing her next to her sister.
He towered above them, the scene truly looked ridiculous.
"Stretch, come on … it was just a joke."
He cut them off immediately, bringing up a hand to silence them before telling them,
"Eight years ago, you thought you broke me. You did break me. And you're right, I did try to kill myself. Thankfully I failed, thankfully I had someone in my life who loved me enough to save me," he paused but carried on talking before they could interrupt.
"What you don't realise is that I'm stronger now, I'm not broken anymore and I'm not scared of you anymore. Who have you got to love you hey? Where are they? There doesn't seem to be anyone here riding to your rescue. Look around you, look at all of these people that love me and who are in my corner. You don't get to make me feel like shit anymore, I'm taking back my power. I'm the winner now, I won this time and I hope you burn in hell for the torture and pain you've caused so many others. You don't deserve happiness, you don't deserve forgiveness and I hope you live out the rest of your days as miserable as you made me."
Their chins were quivering but Mack was done, he didn't want to hear another word as he shouted in their ugly little faces,
"NOW FUCK OFF, AND LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE AND IF YOU EVER TOUCH MY WOMAN AGAIN I WON'T BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT I DO NEXT … NOW SCRAM!"
They legged it, and if I hadn't already been falling irrevocably in love with this man, then I was in freefall now.