As two girls winced inside the circle, Elle figured one of them must be his sister.
Elle returned her eyes to the three guys now laughing at the destruction they had caused. Elle then looked at the four unmoving on the floor. They were a bloody mess.
Elle looked up and took a step forward. “Nero?”
She watched the three guys cease their laughing and look toward her.
Nero looked at her like she was crazy. “Elle, what the hell are you doing here?”
Elle thought he acted like he definitely didn’t ask her to be here. “You texted me to come here.” When he still looked confused, she repeated his text, “Meet me at Poison, urgent?”
Nero shook his head, still confused. “I didn’t text you.”
Elle saw three girls appear in glittery, tight dresses. They each wrapped their arms around Nero, Amo, and Vincent.
“That was so fucking hot,” the one holding Nero around his waist said.
Elle stepped forward. “Who are you?”
Nero, stunned, went to push her off and tried to speak, but she beat him to it.
“His date. And who the hell are you, bitch?” The girl spoke and looked just like Cassandra.
Elle backed up before the tears started to well in her eyes. She pushed through the crowd even though she heard Nero yelling her name. She ran as fast as she could through the people, starting to suffocate. She felt the shattering of her heart take place. Finally, she reached the doors taking her outside and greeted the cool air. Stopping to turn around, Chloe was right there, thankfully. She returned to her escape, going for Chloe’s car.
“Elle, stop!” Nero’s voice commanded again.
Elle stopped in place. I’m done doing what you say, and I’m fucking done running from you!
Elle quickly spun around and saw that Nero had stopped in his tracks along with Chloe, Amo, and Vincent, waiting to see what took place.
Elle picked up her feet faster and faster, heading right toward Nero. She could see the oh, shit written all over his face.
Elle hit as hard as she could on Nero’s chest, repeatedly making him back up a step with each hit. “Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you! fuck you!”
Nero grabbed her arms, stopping her. “Elle, it wasn’t what it looked like. I promise.”
Elle laughed mockingly through the tears that ran down her face. “Oh, it wasn’t what it looked like? Just like how yesterday it wasn’t what it looked like when you were sandwiched between two other fake blondes? You fucking promised me yesterday!"
Nero brought her closer to him. “I need you to trust me.”
Elle looked up into his emerald eyes. “I am sick of all your bullshit promises, and the ‘I give you my word.’” Elle’s shattering heart finally crumbled. “I will never ever trust you again, Nero.”
She watched Nero’s determined eyes. “Elle, listen—”
Elle spat in his face. “No! I’m done listening to you. I’m done doing what you ask. Don’t fucking talk to me again.” Elle’s voice rose louder. “Just leave me the fuck alone!” Elle snatched her arms back as the inside of her started picking up the broken pieces, attempting to place them back together.
Nero had been bad news from the start, and Elle had known it. Nero is not worth this.
She backed up and looked toward Chloe. “Let’s go.”
She watched Chloe’s face turn into one she had never seen before. Chloe walked up to Amo and kicked him right in his shin.
Amo grabbed his shin. “Ow! What the fuck did I do?”
“You should be ashamed of yourself. And you, too.” She pointed to Vincent as he backed up a few steps. “I know you put him up to this.”
Chloe turned around and stomped off toward Elle. When she passed Nero, she stopped. “I have nothing to say to you. You know what you just lost.”
Chloe finally kept walking to Elle, who was stunned at Chloe’s behavior and happy her friend had stood up for her.
Elle silently thanked God this had happened sooner rather than later as she walked toward Chloe’s car. She questioned what her sanity could have been if she had spent a long time with Nero.
Opening her door and getting in, she slammed it. Shutting her eyes, she replayed his words. ‘I promise, baby.’ Her tears started falling again.
Elle wiped them away when Chloe got in the car. She didn’t speak, just drove to Elle’s house.
Chloe parked her car in Elle’s driveway, and then they slowly got out of the car, going in her home and to her bedroom. Elle sat on her bed with her head in her hands.
“Do you want me to leave?” Chloe whispered to her as she sat down beside her.
Elle shook her head and looked up. “No, stay.”
“Okay, I can go make some popcorn and ice cream and we can watch your favorite movie, The Little Mermaid.”
Elle chuckled through her new tears; her friend could always cheer her up.
“I’ll be right back,” Chloe said, getting up.
Elle watched her walk out the door then scrunched herself up in a ball. No matter how much she tried, the pieces kept falling. There wasn’t enough glue in the world to keep her shattered heart together.
* * *
Nero stood there, watching Elle get in the car. Fuck!
He had no idea how he was going to fix this colossal fuck-up. Elle had dealt with enough, and that had been the last straw for her. The look on her crying face had killed him. He didn’t even know where to start on telling her the truth.
‘You know what you just lost.’ Chloe’s words had struck him. He did know, and that was what killed him the most.
Nero didn’t even understand why she was here. I didn’t text her. Nero pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and went to his messages. Sure enough, Elle’s exact words from earlier displayed on his screen. Nero knew no one had taken it from his pocket. How in the hell did that happen?
“We need to get out of here before the cops show!” Adalyn said as she and Lake came out of Poison’s doors.