If Only...

Chapter 8: Only His

I don't know how long I can keep up with this. Marcus was so demanding I felt more like his puppy than his girlfriend.

When we got back to my dorm I faked stomach cramps so he'd leave and with all efforts he made to stay with me, he finally left.

I slumped into the room where Drew stretched herself on the floor, heels kicked up on our desk chair while she read aloud an MCAT preparatory guide book.

"Feels like I haven't seen ya in ages," she chimed when she saw me, "Marcus sure wants to keep ya all to himself." She said it with a giggle but if only she knew how true that was.

I slipped my phone into my apricot colored shoulder purse and headed back out.

"Where you goin?"

"Riley's," I muttered then closed the door shut behind me.

Riley's room was two flights above ours. She didn't have a roommate. She even payed the extra bucks to be alone. With the extra space, she lined the walls with antique shelves that she then stocked with loads of books.

Each one was a hard cover and her favorite genre was well, sad.

I knew so on account of how many times I borrowed her books.

I knocked softly on her painted red door and heard her yell to come in.

She's added a new poster since the last time I was here. Over her purple lava lamp, was a taped portrait of her favorite author signed by John Green himself.

"Hey when did that happen?" I grinned.

She was sat straight up on her wooden stool flipping through a novel when she looked up, "Yesterday he had a signing after he was filming for The Fault of Our Stars."

She gave a small smile and returned to her book.

"How are you and Liam?" I asked breaking the silence. She always had something new to say about her love life whether good or bad.

But usually, bad.

She sighed and pushed her book back inside her drawer.

"Melany was at his house," she mumbled spinning the loose thread of the hem of her skirt around her finger.

Melany was his ex girlfriend. I gave her an inquisitive look cheering her to continue.

"She came to his house with a pret-a-manger smoothie and he literally stepped outside and shut the door with me standing right there!" tears swelled in her eyes.

I scooted over and layed a gentle arm around her. She was always sensitive about boys. We've been friends since primary school and I still remember being let out early for break and her pushing me past the jungle gym where nobody could see or hear us.

She told me there was a man that her mum made her call uncle but he wasn't really her uncle. She said he told her that he was feeling really lonely since his wife died and asked her to help him. She told him she would because that's what kids are taught. To help adults. But he manipulated her innocence and touched her.

Her parents never suspected a thing when he'd come over and ask to take her out for ice cream, they thought nothing of it.

Nowadays Riley was always so willing. To be there in every form for a guy she loves and always clinging to the hope that he may love her in the same way.

Liam was all but good for her, he was snarky and demanding and never let Riley have a single thought for herself.

"I never liked Liam," I admitted with a subtle shake of my head.

"I love Liam," she spat back in such defense you'd think I insulted her personally.

"Riley, it's always something that Liam does. He doesn't let you go out with me and Drew or he rekindles with an ex girlfriend or he doesn't call every weekend. It doesn't help that he goes to Lincoln Uni. You've no idea what he's up to."

"You don't know him like I do, Lennox," she whined.

"I know enough to realize he doesn't deserve you, Ri," she looked down and remained in silence.

I hated when she centered herself around Liam. Because it always put our friendship aback. Riley was my longest friend, but when a boyfriend came along, she always played the girlfriend role even when he wasn't around.

I gave her hair a soft pat and knowing this was one of Riley's moods where she could go three days without talking again, I showed myself out the door and walked out the dorms.

I was lost in a trance when I suddenly found myself entering through the gates of Hyde's Park.

I passed the rush of words spewing from the speaker atop a wooden crate and hurried over to a small spot next to the direction post and underneath a great willow tree. The tips of the green mossy leaves drooping sadly and brushing against the top of my head with each gust of wind.

I sprawled out under the protective shade of the tree, even with the gloom of the day, the suns shine had no chance at trickling onto me with the umbrella protection of this willow tree.

"Lovely, isn't she?"

I looked up to a smiling Louis admiring the tree. My heart sunk lower into my chest.

"Lennox will you walk with me?"

I nodded and helped myself to my feet ignoring his gesture to lift me up.

It was silent as we walked side by side. When we reached the fountain, Louis stopped abruptly and turned to me, "I think you made a mistake."

My eyebrows knitted together and I stared at him blankly.

"And I'm willing to look past it because I can't stop thinking about you and.. I just need to hear your side," he continued.

"Louis what are you..?" I wasn't even sure in the slightest what the hell he was bringing up but before I could think of what to say next Marcus was rushing up behind Louis.

"Lennox! What are you doing here?" He called out.

How the hell did he know I was here.

"We're leaving," Marcus growled through gritted teeth.

"Let her be, mate," Louis defended protectively positioning himself in front of me.

"She doesn't want you. Her actions were clear enough weren't they, Lou?" Marcus grinned sarcastically and Louis looked back down at me hurt tinging his eyes and he stormed away.

I ran after him and screamed when Marcus tackled me down.

"Get off of me," I noticed I was crying and people began to peel away from speakers to see what the chaos was all about.

He pulled me up to my feet and shoved me back against the bark of the willow tree. I could feel the scrapes of the trunk tear through my sheer blouse and into my skin.

"We are going to go back to my dorm. We're going to talk and by that I mean you're going to listen."

I looked into his eyes trying to find a hint of the good in him, searching hopelessly to find a reason to believe that this wasn't him.

"Marcus you're hurting me," I whimpered but that made him push harder and to shut up my cries he pressed his lips firmly against mine. I could feel the angst of his lips and refused to return the gesture. With my eyes flung open, I noticed the people flee back with disproving head shakes probably assuming we were just hormonal teenagers.

Tears still spilling from my cheeks, the scratches on my back dug deeper.

"Shall we continue this or will you be nice and cooperate?" He spat.

"Lets go," I said barely audibly because the pain was shooting all across my body.

Marcus noticed the cuts just as much as I felt them so in order to keep his abuse unnoticed by the crowd he smeared the tears from my reddened cheeks and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind as we walked to his car.

He covered me in small soft kisses and whispered about how much he loved me.

Our drive back home was silent.