Damage Control

Chapter 37

10 minutes into the ride, Stella cleared her throat and stared at me through the rearview mirror, wanting to say something.

"What, Stella?" I sighed.

She shrugged and gripped the steering wheel tighter and cleared her throat again. "I just think we should tell Nate."

I could feel my face getting hot, and my fists were clenched so tightly, the palm of my skin was starting to break.

"Stella drop it," Carter snapped, boring his eyes into the side of her head.

"No, I won't drop it because I know my cousin, and despite everything going on between the two of them, I know he'd want us to tell him what happened," she protested, swerving harshly into the next lane.

"No offense Stella, but I honestly don't care what you think. I'm tired of you trying to making decisions for me because you think it's for the best. This is my life, not yours, so if I say no, I mean no. I'm very thankful that you're here, but can you just do that? Just be here for me? And listen to me just this once?"

Irritation flashed across her face, but she nodded anyway.

"Thank you," I whispered, breathing a sigh of relief as I leaned my head against the window.

The rest of the car ride was ridden in awkward silence all the way until we were in my penthouse.

"Thanks for all your help, but I'm good now; you guys can go," I mumbled as I settled in on the living room sectional.

Stella snorted and shook her head. "As if Stazi, you can barely move; you need us, so we're staying."

"Do you wanna tell us what happened?" Carter asked softly as he took a seat on the edge of the chair diagonal from me.

I sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of my nose. I knew that if I didn't tell them, they'd never leave my side, and I needed them to go. I just wanted to be alone.

"My abusive ex-boyfriend found me and cornered me when I left to go find the bathroom. He beat me and told me that he was here to take me back with him, but before he could, I fucked him up a bit and ran. He smashed my phone before that, so I couldn't call you guys to explain what happened. But then I found Stella's keys and drove all the way home, and you guys know the rest from there." I rushed, letting out a shaky breath as I clutched my abdomen to dull the pain coursing through my bones.

Stella shuffled towards me with tears in her eyes and wrapped her arms gently around my bruised body.

"We need to go to the police Stazi, he's still out there somewhere," Stella sniffled, peering down at me through bright blue eyes, but I shook my head.

"Stella's right," Carter agreed with Stella for the first time.

"No." I shook my head again and wrapped the blanket tighter around my trembling body. "I don't want to involve the cops, they're gonna want statements and shit, and I don't want to go through that. I think I've been through enough."

Carter sighed and stuffed his hand in his pockets. "But they can find him and arrest him for what he did, don't you want that?"

Of course, I do, but Brandon has money, the top attorney's in the world; he'll get out as soon as the officers finish writing my statement, that is if his parents are still funding him, but I wasn't going to take that chance.

"Let me sleep on it, okay? Then we can talk more tomorrow," I lied, telling them what they wanted to hear.

Stella breathed a sigh of relief next to me, and Carter smiled and nodded.