DRASTIC (Book 4 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 55: Smart Girls Fight With Drummer Boys

Marley

"Darius, get in the car!" I yell as I clamber down the stairs. "I'm taking you back to TJ's now!"

Darius is in the kitchen, his bags already by the door. His sandwich is dripping mustard as he stares at me. "But you're...you're not dressed."

Bodie is beating down the stairs, his phone still in hand. "Yes I'm fucking pissed!" he barks into the phone. "You had no fucking right to tell her like that—"

"She didn't have a right to tell me!?!?" I yell at him. "Are you fucking kidding me!?!?I don't have a fucking right to know that you—"

"Marley!" Bodie snaps at me, holding out a quelling hand and shooting me a warning look that slides to Darius. "That is not what I meant. And this is not the time. Let me take Darius over to TJ's and let's figure this out—"

"What the hell is going on?" Darius says, catching our anger and putting his sandwich down, looking...scared.

Only the look on his face causes me to master myself. I want to throw everything in this house at Bodie right now. I am so angry.

At him. At me. How could he do that? Bells is bad enough but he likes multiple women in his bed? Our first full night of sex and he was already acting out fantasies. Are the girl-on-girl fantasies what he's going to want next from me?

How the hell have I put myself into the position to get an STI from this...this...man whore? Why didn't he get tested when he came back from Thailand?

What the hell is wrong with me that I didn't make him get tested?

I can't fucking believe this. I am a clinical therapist with a phD and I specialize in abusive relationships and now the man I've professed my undying commitment to, no matter how right or wrong he is, no matter what he does, has probably given me a sexually transmitted infection right out of the gate.

And I let him.

Am I just...dumb? Am I deluded like so many of the patients I have counseled?

Bodie calls me Jasmine. I guess I still am—that stupid girl who will do anything for a man.

"Darius," I repeat through gritted teeth. "Please get in the car. We need to go to TJ's right now. This is nothing you need to worry about, okay?"

"What is going on?" he repeats.

"Nothing that can't be fixed," Bodie says calmly. "It's not a big deal."

That pisses me off all over again. "It's not a big deal?!?!"

Bodie sighs. "Again, not what I mean. I'm sorry, I'm very sorry, but...can we please talk about this in private?"

I can hear Arabella through the phone. She sounds like she's sobbing. I'm afraid she's going to forget all about our agreement and start spilling her guts about the police investigating Cain's disappearance. "OH MY GOD ARABELLA JUST SHUT UP!" I screech.

Bodie narrows his eyes at me. "Jesus, Marley. I'm really surprised at you. This is not the attitude I would think a clinical psychologist would take about this," he turns away from me slightly, speaking into the phone. "Listen, Bells, Imma have to call you back, okay? Don't worry, you'll be fine, I'll be fine, she'll be fine. It will be okay. I'll see you soon."

He turns back to me. "It's not her fault. You know that, Dr. Watkins..."

The way he defends her? The way he talks to her so much more sweetly than me? I lose my shit. I pick up the mustard bottle and throw it at him.