Beaten By Love

Chapter 9

My head whipped round. Before I even had time to think, I shoved the book back in the drawer, pocketed the chain but put the box it was kept in back. Shut the drawer quietly and headed straight for the door.

Just as I shut it quietly behind me, the front door was shut too.

I stepped onto the other side of the hallway, next to the entrance to my room, the door wide open so that when Jace then walked around the corner, and I stepped away from my door, it appeared as though I had just walked out of my room.

"Hi...um...I'm glad you're back" I muttered quietly.

He stopped outside his door and turned to me.

"Why?"

I stumbled for my response, I wasn't expecting his.

"Um...how long do I have to stay here?"

He shook his head and smirked.

"You don't have to stay at all. I don't give a shit what you do"

My mouth dropped open. Hot and cold.

"Why did you bring me here in the first place? I thought you were protecting me from people wanting to hurt me to hurt you, so to speak"

He looked away from me then, his face still as he searched for a response.

Then he sighed.

"Yeah, I'm trying to protect you. So why don't you let me sort this out and stop trying to push in and ask questions, alright? I'm handling it"

Then he opened his door, and slammed it behind him.

Nope, not this time. I was getting answers now.

I stormed over to the door and pounded my fist on it until he swung it back open.

"What?" He asked, his tone threatening. Ironic.

"You don't get to walk away from me, not today. You say you're handling it but what is 'it'? What are you handling, Jace? Tell me! What have you dragged me in to?"

His face was livid. Oops.

"Oh I dragged you into this, did I? I'm sorry, I won't save your ass from a gang rape next time. Shall I just carry on driving instead?"

I was stunned into silence.

"I...I...I don't know what to say," I looked anywhere but at his face. I didn't quite mean it like that. Anger raged through me - he still owed me answers, at least. I looked back up at his glaring eyes.

"I just need to know more than what I do. I need to know when I can see my brother again. When it's safe to see him again. And what was all the smashing about last night, huh?"

He wouldn't look at me. Instead, he kept his eyes trained at the floor, or on his hand leaning on the doorframe.

"Shay, you need to trust that I know what I'm doing. I don't know when it'll be sorted but I'm trying, that's all you need to know. If I told you anything, you'll just end up further into this mess, and I'd rather not have to look out for your ass as well as mine. And just forget what you saw last night, it doesn't matter"

Then he closed the door, in my face.

I let out a frustrated cry, and marched back to my room and slammed the door behind me, before flopping down onto my bed amidst the books. That was when I remembered I'd taken the bracelet.

I took it out of my pocket and studied it again. I knew it from somewhere, I recognised it, but...from where? And if I did know it, why did Jace have it?

***

I was sitting on the sofa in the living room, books open, pen in one hand, and a cheese and ham sandwich in the other, when the front door opened up.

I froze. Jace hadn't left his room. So who was coming in the front door?

I swung my head round to see who the intruder was – bracing for the worst – to see a lanky, tall man swagger through the door, and shut it behind him by swinging his right foot back and kicking it shut. I hate the term 'swagger', but in this case, it was all I could think of to describe the way he casually walked through the apartment, as if he was the one who lived here.

Then his eyes landed on me, and they lit up.

"You must be the infamous Shay."

When he started towards me, I jumped up, knocking the books all over the floor along with the other half of my sandwich. I was looking forward to that.

Before I knew what was happening, he wrapped me up in what felt like a bear's hug.

Feeling my body stiffen, he pulled away and gave me a goofy grin. His hair was much darker than Jace's dirty blonde shade, and much shorter.

"Sorry, you probably have no idea who I am do you. I guess I should be insulted that Jace hasn't told you, but, then, this is Jace, we're talking about, right?" Then he winked at me.

I instantly liked him more than Jace.

"The name's Brannigan Flannigan, but you can call me Bran"

Was he being serious? His name was...

"The name, right?" My expression probably gave a way how baffled I was. "The last part isn't real, but some class clown decided that it was funny to call me that, then it ended up sticking, and now I'm more popular than him so look who's better off?"

I laughed out loud, I definitely liked him.

"Um...hi, Bran. You obviously already know who I am. So...you're a friend of Jace?"

"Unfortunately for me, yes. But we're more like brothers than anything. So, I hear you're bunking with my lovely friend until all the commotion over you dies down"

A new voice sounded from the hallway. Bran and I both turned to look at him. He wasn't wearing what he had been when he came home earlier today - simple dark jeans, black top and a grey jacket – instead he was wearing light grey joggers, and a black vest, refining the muscles in his arms. How had I noticed those before?

"Unfortunately for you, Bran, she's taken your usual spot, so I'm afraid you can't stay here tonight"

Bran laughed and walked over to Jace to force him into another of his bear hugs – they seemed to be his speciality. He towered over Jace, standing half a head taller than him. Jace reluctantly embraced the hug, patting Bran's back awkwardly.

Bran turned back towards me and pulled an angry mocking face.

"Cheers, Shay. I hope you know whilst you sleep in your perfect bed, in a warm thick quilt, with the city laid out in front of you, I will have to sleep..."

He made a fake crying noise. Boy, he was some actor.

"...at my parents' house!" To which he placed a hand on his chest, and stumbled backwards, whilst holding a hand over his eyes. "Oh, the horror!"

I couldn't help but burst into laughter, bending over and holding my stomach from the pain of it. As I stood back up straight and wiped a few tears from my eyes, I noticed Jace was looking at me in a strange way, his eyes a mixture of emotions. As soon as I met his gaze, he quickly looked away, before clearing his throat and muttering to Bran about 'work' they had to do, and he walked away without a second glance back at me.

Bran gave me a 'what can you do' look and raised both hands in the air, referring to Jace's blunt departure.

"Well it was good to finally meet you, Shay. Good luck with that one in there" He said, nodding his head in the direction of Jace's room.

And with that, he turned and sauntered into the room and shut the door behind him.

I needed all the luck I could get, and it was comforting to know I wasn't the only one who had to deal with Jace's mood swings.

But why did Bran say 'finally'? I'd only properly met Jace a few days ago. What did he mean by that?