Elude [H.S.]

TWENTY-FOUR

*This is a double update. Please read 'TWENTY-THREE' first.*

*TW: Mentions of excessive drinking, physical and emotional abuse*

Grey, Lyn and I stand on the front porch of the Bardot residence as we watch guest after guest file out of the house. After the whole situation with Maeve and Heidi, Conrad suggested that everyone leave and that the dinner be cut short. Natalia had left after dinner since she had to work at Minx tonight so she was thankfully already gone and didn't see what happened.

I still can't believe that she and Maeve know each other. It's so hard for me to process that Natalia was the roommate that Maeve had mentioned when she told me a little bit about her past. It makes the whole situation so much more complicated.

Seeing Maeve today was tough. It wasn't just because it was the first time I was seeing her outside of our run in at the office, it was because I could tell she was drunk from the moment she opened her mouth and spoke to me.

I was worried to say the least. I had never seen her drunk. Very tipsy, yes, but never like that. She was a stumbling mess and she wasn't playing it off as well as she thought she was.

The fact she kept throwing Natalia in my face had my blood boiling and then she had to bring up the fact that I still had her underwear.

Of course I still had them.

I had every intention of giving them back to her but I guess that idea is long gone now. I need to remember to just get rid of them when I get home later.

Natalia and I's relationship had been going well but I still couldn't find it in myself to go all the way with her yet. We've done everything except actually having sex. I don't know when I'd be ready open myself up to somebody like that again.

Conrad closes the front door and the Harts and I stand there as we watch everyone pile into their cars or Ubers. I had Ubered here myself with Natalia because I knew I'd be drinking but Grey and Lyn drove.

"Did you see the way he grabbed her?" I asked, staring out at the flakes of snow coming down.

Lyn nods and pulls her coat around herself more. "I did."

We all look at each other before we hear a loud scream come from inside the house. My eyes widen and I look over to them.

"Was that her?" Grey asks, his tone showing just how concerned he was.

My heart pounds in my chest and I shake my head. "I-I can't leave without knowing she's okay."

"We'll stay with you. We don't want to leave her either," Lyn says as she walks forward and places a hand on my arm.

Grey reaches out and twists the knob on the front door and looks over to us. He slowly pushes the door open and tilts his head. "We have to be quiet. He can't know we're here."