"Where's Baylee?"
"At the sitter's. I dropped him off after Nick called me," Brian replied, sitting next to Holly on the couch with a First Aid kit in hand. He had ushered them inside to get out of the rain and gave her a pair of his basketball shorts and large t-shirt to change into. Her layered blonde locks hung over her slumped shoulders, still damp.
"He called you?"
"Yeah, I went over to his house and--"
"You must think I'm a bitch just like he does," she interrupted, looking down at her swollen hand.
"Excuse me?"
"Nick's been your best friend for almost fifteen years. We became friends less than two years ago and I understand--"
"Please stop before you really start," Brian interrupted with a frown. He took her injured hand and made their eyes connect. "Just because he's been my friend longer than you does not mean I will immediately take his side in situations like this. He told me what happened. I am so proud of you, Hollster."
"Say what?"
"You stood up to him. You did something none of the other women would do and he's pissed about that. I warned that kid for years that all these games were going to bite him in the ass, but he never listened."
Holly was just silent for a moment, studying the man's clear blue eyes. They were bright, not dark like Nick's. He didn't blame her. She could feel a weight lifting off her broken heart and a rush of relief washed over. She had been so worried about losing Brian's friendship after her 'battle' with Nick.
"You don't blame me?"
"Not at all! That punch in the jaw and broken teeth is what he deserved and much more," Brian praised with a gentle smile. He opened up the First Aid kit and pulled out cotton balls, gauze, antibiotic cream, tape and peroxide.
"So I did break his teeth?" Holly squeaked in surprise as Brian began to clean the clotting cuts.
"At least two of them. I sure am glad I bought you those self-defense classes last Christmas," he chuckled, blowing gently as she winced from the bubbling liquid on her skin.
"For once, something came in handy, I guess..." Holly turned her gaze to the large bay window facing the ocean. She could see the waves crash violently against the rocks. Part of her wished she was in that water, drowning away her pain.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Brian brought her attention back to him.
"It's nothing. Just stupid thoughts girls think about when they break up with someone..."
"Holly--"
"I really don't want to talk about it. Can you please finish dressing my hand?" Holly handed him the antibacterial ointment.
"Fine..." Brian dabbed some on a cotton ball and carefully placed it on the cuts.
"Please don't be like that."
"I want to help you."
"I just want to go to sleep and forget about tonight until tomorrow. That's not too much to ask, is it?"
"Do you promise we'll talk about it then?"
"I promise," Holly nodded, kissing his cheek as he wrapped gauze around her hand, taping it securely.
"Okay."
"Brian?"
"Yeah?"
"Will you sing to me?"
"Of course. What song?"
"Anything... I just want to fall asleep to your voice," Holly snuggled into his chest as they laid back on the couch.
"Okay," Brian nodded, pulling the blanket that draped over the back of the couch and covering them with it as he began to sing a song he wrote for her called Angels and Heroes.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"I can't believe that bitch stole my fucking car! She's going to pay..." Nick trailed off as he paced through his lavish master bedroom with an ice pack pressed against his swollen jaw. He hated to admit it, but Brian was right; his teeth were killing him and he ended up leaving a voicemail at the dentist's office.
Revenge. That was one thing he retained from his mother. He could still remember her saying You hurt me, I'll hurt you worse and he lived by that philosophy. But how could he hurt Holly the most... a police call was his first thought, but quickly realized that wasn't enough. Nowhere near enough. What could he go after that would cause the most damage? The most pain and suffering?
"PRIDE!" Nick exclaimed, ignoring the throb in his jaw. He had always remarked how defensive Holly was when it came to her pride.
She claimed that it stemmed from her upbringing. Nick always thought of it as being a stuck-up goody two-shoes like he had known in high school. She abided by every law, even down to going a mile under the speed limit to avoid getting pulled over. The only time she loosened up was at parties, and most of the time Nick had to slip something in her drink to get her going even further. She was more slutty when she was drunk, and always made it better in bed, though she rarely remembered it. He had a back-up story just in case she asked questions.
"I'll damage her fucking pride... Carter, you're a genius."
The only question was how. What could he possibly do to destroy the woman who dared cross him in a game where HE made the rules? Nick sat down on his bed, actually deep in thought as a storm raged on outside. In the music business, a singer always had battle with rumors printed in tabloids with incriminating pictures. Those made or broke careers along with the individual--
He interrupted his own brainstorm and stood up. He walked into his closet and pulled a shoebox off the shelf. Dumping the contents onto the silk sheets of his large bed, he began rooting through pictures. Ones that Holly didn't know he took during those parties she wasn't able to remember much. He pulled out a few and grinned. "Absolutely perfect. A few calls to tabloids and magazines... she'll be destroyed within weeks along with a visitor tomorrow..."
Pleased with himself, he picked up the cordless phone and began dialing, his ice pack laying forgotten on the floor. He had connections everywhere and knew exactly who to call for such a special project. Images of Holly reading the articles and falling apart made him grin almost sadistically.
"Jason? Nick. Yeah, I know. Want to make some extra money? Trust me. It's the story of a century."
Payback was such a bitch.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry about the long gap between updates! I don't have a computer of my own, and work has been keeping me busy. Thank you everyone for the nice reviews! =)
