Lacey

Chapter 30 - West

I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of Saint whisking Lacey away today. For once in my life, I was well and truly green with envy of my best friend. I had been too furious with Lacey the last few weeks to see through the haze of rage to help her when she needed it most. Seeing her car totalled after slut face had cruelly tipped her tray of food over Lacey's head in the cafeteria was too much. As much as I hated to admit it, Lacey had been through enough in her short life, and I was amazed that every time she held her head high like a fucking queen, not allowing anything or anyone to bring her down, nor stoop to their level with retaliation.

When Lacey had swung her metal lunch tray full force at Lyndsay's face, I lost my heart. It was hers. I didn't think I would ever find another woman as strong as her, and it was a knife to my heart knowing that I had already lost her due to my pride and stupidity. My friends didn't know that I had started binge drinking again most nights. Once everyone had gone to sleep, I headed out of the house and down to a seedy bar on the other side of town where the bartenders were easy to bribe with money to look the other way while I drank. I was careful to get home before my parents got out of bed to shower and prepare for school. After seeing Saint pick Lacey up and drive off with her, I couldn't help myself. I jumped in my car and headed for the familiar drinking spot, ignoring the texts from Saint and Ryder.

By 9 PM, I was drunk and still feeling sorry for myself, so I decided to get an Uber home. I would get my car from the bar in the morning before school. I had a bright idea on the way home, changing my destination to Ryders instead. I had to see Lacey. Five minutes later, I was stumbling up their front steps, trying my hardest to appear sober. Without knocking, I opened the front door and made my way towards her bedroom. "Hey West", Saint calls out as I pass the family room. Turning towards his voice, I notice that he is with Ryder and Lawson. They are sprawled out on the lounges watching T.V. "Don't hey me, traitor", I spit back, intent on ignoring them. Within seconds Saint is in my face. "What seems to be your problem, West" he replies in his monotonous robot voice. Saint has always reminded me of an alien trying to imitate humans. He can often get away with it, but typically, he comes across as a shell with no feelings. I loved him like a brother but couldn't deny I was pissed off with him right now. I couldn't pinpoint why, other than he had had the guts to do what I couldn't today. Instead of helping Lacey when half of the school was heckling and making fun of her over the state of her vehicle, I just stood back and watched in stunned silence. "You are my problem, Saint. I thought we agreed that Lacey was enemy number one and off-limits. Yet here you are, playing the white fucking knight and saving the day," I slurred, getting irritated by the second that he was in my way. "Excuse me", Saint replies incredulously. "Did I fucking stutter, Saint?" I reply angrily.

Saint suddenly lurches towards me, his fist curling around my school tie, yanking me viciously towards him. "Would you have preferred that I left Lace there to be humiliated and hurt further by that crowd of Neanderthals?" Saint says in a dangerously low voice. When I don't reply, he lets go of me with a push and steps back. "I didn't think so". The fucker was right, he had done the right thing, and I had no right to be upset with him. If anyone, it was Lyndsay who deserved my ire. That bitch had overstepped her boundaries big time and would soon learn that it would no longer be tolerated. If Ryder didn't put her in her place soon, I would. Fuck what he or his family thought. I had always considered Lyndsay beneath Ryder, a dried-up, social-climbing whore.

Sparing the guys one last glance, I stomp up the stairs towards Lacey's room, intent on trying to talk to her. Law calls out from behind me, his words halting me in my tracks. "Kitten isn't home". Turning around, I stumble back down the stairs. "Where the fuck is she?" I question no one in particular. "Matt picked her up for her shift at work. Instead of being able to stop her from leaving, we spent the evening trying to find you," Ryder says in a pissed off tone, making my anger come back in full force at how pissy he is being with me. I stride towards where Ryder is now standing in the lobby and punch him square in the face. Unfortunately, since I am drunk, it barely moves his face, and I am too slow to duck his haymaker as it clips me on the chin and drops me like a sack of shit. "If you two are done fucking, can we go and save my kitten now," Law says with a grin on his face.