Tarnished

Chapter 9

"What?!" In his panic, he whirls upright and ends up completely knocking me off his lap and onto the ground, flat on my ass.

The hard impact knocks the breath straight out of my lungs. "What the fuck!" I yell, gasping for air.

His wide fearful eyes land on me as if he completely forgot I was on his freaking lap. "Shit! Fuck! I'm so sorry." He holds out a hand to help me up whilst his eyes frantically search the room.

If he didn't look so scared at the mention of his brother, I would swat his hand away and get up myself. But now I find myself worried for the guy. Is his brother abusive or something?

Oh my gosh, is that how he broke his rib?

I've barely made it upright when he absent-mindedly yanks his shaking hand out of mine, his breaths escaping in rough fast pants.

Of fuck is he having a panic attack?

"Listen, man," the intruder begins, the same fear coating his eyes. "Please don't let them find out it was me. I saw what they did to T—."

"Which one is it?" D rasps, his voice shaky and as unbalanced as him.

I'm so confused right now. Does he have more than one brother? Life can't be so cruel that they are both abusive, right?

He vigorously shakes his head. "I- I don't know man. It—."

"Was he wearing a suit or- fuck!" he buries his hands into his hair and tugs hard.

He's breathing too hard, his chest heaving frantically. I'm afraid he's going to pass out if he doesn't calm down.

Before I know what's happening, I'm cupping his cheeks. "Oi!" He doesn't look at me and I try to force his gaze to mine by pulling his head down. He still doesn't look at me, his eyes faraway.

"Please, man. Don't—."

"Shut up!" I shout to the selfish dumbass only out for his ass. If he's so scared, why isn't he running for the hills?

I turn back to the guy and do something I only do with my best friends'; I stroke his cheeks with the pads of my thumbs. "Look at me," my timbre is soft and soothing as I implore with him.

Nothing. Seriously? You'd think that would shock him out of it.

I do the only other thing I think will work. Keeping my eyes open, I press my lips to his. He sucks in a startled breath and closes his eyes.

Oh, come on!

Oh wait, never mind, I startled his breathing back into regulating.

I pull away from his lips and his eyes slowly open and land on mine. They are full of so much pain, and desperation... and guilt?

"Dariel please man. I'll never help you again..." a loud buzzing falls over the rest of the intruder's words as my heart drops into my stomach along with my hands as I stumble back a step.

What did he just say D's name was?

No. No. No. Fuck no. I couldn't have. There are so many people with the name. It's not like that bastard was the first one to be named Dariel. 

Suddenly Da— nope not going to say the name, regardless of it not being him. That name has been Tarnished for all of eternity. I marked it as cursed.

Shit did I curse him?

Suddenly D is moving over to the window and opening it.

What the hell! I burst into action, sprinting over to him and dragging him back as he leans out of the window. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

"I need to get out of here. It's not that big of a jump. I'll land on the grass." He gently pulls my arms off him and pushes me back.

My eyes bulge so wide I wouldn't be surprised if they fell to the ground between us. "It's a two-story height and you've got a broken freaking rib!" I grab him again.

Who's the hypocrite now? The dickhead disturbed my peace because he was afraid I was going to jump out of the goddamn window, and now he is trying to tell me it's not that big of a jump?

I wasn't even going to jump! I just wanted fresh air!

The intruder speaks again. "I saw a picture of what your brother did to—."

D twists around. "For fucks sake Will, which brother is it?!"

I fail to mask my shock. This guy has like three different personalities. And this is coming from the girl who spent her whole life pretending to be someone else.

"I don't know," the trespasser whines.

Why are these two so scared of his brothers'? Are they like a part of the mafia or some shit? Oh fuck, are they pigs?! I'm a month shy of eighteen but I'm over sixteen and high as a kite so they will most definitely arrest me.

I've never been to jail before!

D lets out an exasperated breath. "If it's Hayden, then no, he won't beat you up, he'll only threaten you but if it's Damien, then yes, he's going to beat the shit out of you so give me my fucking shit and start running. You don't want to get caught with me. I won't give them your bloody name."

His words cause the ceiling to break apart and fall on top of me, crushing me to the ground where that also gives way and I'm falling and falling and falling and falling back to that awful terrifying moment. Where I think I'm going to be okay only to be betrayed in the worst way imaginable.

He's Dariel Hunter, Hayden and Damien Hunters youngest brother. Hayden who is my best freaking friend's cheating ex-boyfriend.

Bile roses up my throat. And not just figuratively. Bile literally rises up my throat. Clamping a hand over my mouth, I rush out of the room and into the bathroom where a girl is washing her hands and puke into the bathtub because there's urine around the toilet seat.

"Perfect," the girl mutters before slamming the door.

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I immediately get onto my hands and knees and lock the door.

I fall back to the ground against the door. Everything hits me all at once and I slap my hands against my face. "What the fuck have I done?"