I feel like a total failure as a friend. After Willa enlightened me to Dax’s extracurricular activities, I had to know if Ellie was another notch on his headboard. Apparently, I love to torture myself. What she confesses instead literally renders me speechless.
“I still don’t understand. What does Adam being stabbed have to do with Dax walking you home every day?”
Ellie sighs, flopping back on my bed. Our families live in the same crappy council flats, so we tend to see each other a lot, usually to walk to school, but sometimes for a chat. When I invited her over to gently finagle some information out of her about her after school walks with Dax, I had no idea she was going to drop a bomb of this magnitude in my lap. Make that two bombs—Adam was stabbed and Ellie was attacked.
“It’s a long story, Kate.” Ellie’s eyes glisten with moisture and her lip begins to quiver. My best friend is falling to pieces and all I can think about is my selfish desire to get with Dax.
Some friend I am.
I lay back on the bed next to El, taking her trembling hand in mine. “I’m here to listen, El. Tell me everything.”
I am floored, literally gob smacked by Ellie’s story. Right when the school term started, Callum Murray attacked her in a vacant lot and the only reason she wasn’t defiled was because Adam and Dax intervened at the last second. They beat the crap out of Callum and his mate Ryan, which explains why Callum is holding a grudge against Ellie. And why Callum and Ryan looked so banged up a few weeks ago.
To keep Ellie safe from Callum, Adam made an arrangement with his drug-dealing brother Danny. Everyone at school knows about Danny and his criminal activities. Heck, half the kids buy from him. In exchange, Adam had to run Danny’s drugs for him. That’s when Adam was jumped, Danny’s drugs and money nicked, and Adam left for dead.
Dax has taken Adam’s place in walking Ellie home every day so Callum won’t try to get her again when no one is looking. I always knew that Callum Murray was a complete prick. I’m glad Adam and Dax hurt him. Now I feel about two feet tall for thinking Ellie was hooking up with Dax. Clearly, she loves Adam. The expression on her face can only be described as heartbroken.
“I know you fancy Dax, Kate.”
I blink rapidly, opening and closing my mouth like a fish at the abrupt change in topic to focus on my embarrassing lack of a love life. Ellie’s eyes bore into mine, open and honest. There’s no use denying it. Not to my best mate. Especially not after she opened up to me like she did.
I shrink back, the weight of everything pressing down on my body. “Yeah. Since we were kids.”
Ellie scoots to lie on her side, propping her head up on one hand. “Why haven’t you ever talked to him?”
I snort. “Right. Chat up Dax Davies. Okay, El.” The familiar cracks in the ceiling distract me enough to keep the tears at bay.
Her brows pull together as she stares at me. “I know he acts like he has no soul,” she giggles, “but honestly, he’s a nice bloke. Give me a good reason why you won’t talk to him?”
“Would you walk up to Adam and chat him up?”
Her cheeks redden and her gaze drops to my faded quilt. “I did. On the first day of school. He yelled at me for looking at his sketchbook. It was humiliating.”
I can’t help it. The laughter bubbles out uncontrollably. Soon, Ellie joins in and it feels great to be able to have some tiny bit of joy in our lives when it seems everything around us seems to be crumbling to dust.
Dax
“So we’re going to have a practice this Saturday morning at the DK. That way we can see how we sound in the pub for the gig that night.”
I nod at Adam as he goes on and on about the band. This is only his second week back at school after missing a week recuperating from being stabbed. He looks better, not great, but functional. He can’t fool me with his happy act. I’ve known him too long, plus, I’m an expert at hiding pain, having been busted up in the cage many, many times. I know all the signs. Adam is in agony, but he’s a passionate bastard, unwilling to let anything keep him from his music—or from Ellie. And since she’s at school, that’s where he wants to be.
“Right. Gavin and Hawke seem to fit in okay.”
Adam frowns when I mention the two Americans that have joined up to complete our band, Gavin Walker a blonde bloke who looks more like a posh model than a bass player, and Hawke Evans, a tattooed, pierced drummer with a geek chic fetish.
I’m about to tell Adam for the millionth time that he doesn’t have to worry about Gavin or Hawke making a move on Ellie because I already threatened them both within an inch of their lives, when a warm, curvy body presses up against my back, long fingers reaching out to wrap tightly around my arm.
“Dax, when are you going to let me have another go at you, you sexy thing?”
I don’t bother to turn around in the crowded school hallway. It doesn’t matter who’s whispering in my ear because the answer I give would be exactly the same.
“Never, so bugger off.” I shake whoever’s hand it is off of my arm and stay silent until the girl takes the hint and leaves.
A glance at Adam shows him covering his mouth, trying not to laugh. Fuck him. Maybe he likes to stay friends with his shags, but not me. They serve a purpose—one purpose—to get me off during my dad-sanctioned weeks. After that, I don’t need them for anything else.
Rule 4—Women who act like slags can be treated like slags.
That’s what Adam doesn’t understand. Any girl willing to disrespect herself by getting to her knees the second you meet isn’t worth the effort it takes to be nice. In trying so hard to not be a bastard like his father, Adam’s kindness has the potential to be easily taken advantage of. If nothing else, my dad was right to teach me that lesson.