Eyes Wide Shut

Chapter 23

Recap: After David attacked Frankie, he shows up and threatens Mollie, saying if she doesn’t help him he will tell everyone about her and Frankie being together. Wanting to protect Frankie’s wishes, she obeys. When Frankie asks who was at the door, Mollie lies and tells her it was Peter.

1 Week Later

            We’re curled up on the couch, eating Chinese and watching Sex and the City, per her request. Mollie grazes her fingers up and down my arm, carefully stroking the areas where the bruises lie, the dark purple starting to subside and the marks on my face looking much better than before. The phone rings and she answers.

            “We’re outside!” I hear Vanessa shout through the phone and we both laugh. Mollie heads for the door and I follow behind her.

            Mollie opens the door and Vanessa, Rochelle and Una rush through, grins covering their faces, each of them carrying a bottle of wine.

            “Look what we brought- whoa, Frank, what the hell?!” Vanessa’s smile quickly fades and is replaced by a look of disbelief as she takes in the wounds on my face. The rest of the group slows their eager hugs to look.

            “Presley got a little too excited the other day,” I lie, laughing.

            Vanessa lets out a huge sigh.

            “God, I thought David went for round two” she laughs, “Sorry, Moll.” I wince, but then quickly replace it with a smile. Mollie shrugs it off as well.

            “No, Pres just loves his mommy, maybe a little too much,” Mollie jokes.

            “You living here now, Mollie?” Rochelle asks as we all make our way to the kitchen, where the girls put the wine bottles on the counter and their bags on the floor.

            “No, just haven’t… I dunno, felt the need to go home,” she mumbles. Rochelle nods and makes her way to the couch. Una gives us a little smirk and leans against the counter.

            “How are you feeling?” She asks to Mollie.

            “I’m doing okay. Better with Frank here,” she replies, shooting me a cute smile.

            “Good, babe.” Shooting a genuine smile at her genuine answer. “And you, Frankie?”

            “Just glad I can be here for her,” and I return the glance Mollie gave to me.

            It was strange because for the past week she had been the one here for me. But the girls could never know. It was bad as it is that everyone knew what David did to her, but no one could ever know what he did to me.

            “Mollie, have you seen the papers recently?” Rochelle asks as she digs into the Chinese food, The Sun sitting on her lap.

            The three of us pull our attention back to Rochelle, Vanessa sits on the other end of the couch, serving herself.

            “Mollie Takes David Back,” Rochelle looks back to Mollie. “You didn’t did you.”

            The news hits a chord with Mollie and we all see it on her face.

            “Of course not.”

            “A source says David was seen exiting band mate, Frankie Sandford’s, home last week, where King has been residing-”