Chapter 29

Leila POV

I look down at my phone reading the message that had come through.

AlecWhere are you? I'm at the bar birthday girl, I thought you said you out?

Just as I went to reply, another message came through.

Uncle TrickMiss Leila, where you at? You coming by or what? Alec is looking for you.

I stared at their names, thinking of the best possible excuse, knowing Christian and Alec were both quite protective of me, last thing I needed was Christian to turn up, with Alec in tow.

MeI've gone out with friends, I'm ok, I'll call you tomorrow.

I lean forward, placing the phone back down in front of me, and turn to look at him sitting next to me.

He took a swig of his drink, placing it down on the end table next to where he sat on the sofa, lazily looking down at me with his bloodshot eyes, reaching over and pulling me to sit in his lap, my body colliding with his soft warm chest, the smell of stale weed, vodka, sweet sweat mixed with his cologne making my head spin as his hand sat on my thigh, fingers playing with the hem of my dress...

I suddenly feel a presence behind me, turning I come face to face with a toned bare chest.

Marshall's standing there in nothing but a towel.

"What are you doing?"

"Well figure I can drop my towel right now and you can return the favour I did you that night"

"What do I look like?" I said glaring at him.

"Honestly?"

I frown at him as he rolls his eyes "Fuckin relax"

He reaches into the basket next to me pulling out a pair of joggers and dropping his towel revealing Calvin Klines, stepping into the joggers and pulling them up.

"Do you not own more than one pair?"

"Of course I do" He chortles with a playful expression "I just wanted to see your face when you thought I was naked, oh you got a little somethin'-" he reaches over and pretends to wipe drool off my chin.

"You're delusional, do you know that?"

"Baby the only delusional one in this room is you, I can hear your heartbeat from here"

I cross my arms over my chest.

"Why you pissed at me for? you came here chasing me remember? I told you I was busy"

"Busy being a jack ass"

He walked over and started to rummage through his cupboard, digging out a bag of chips, opening it, leaning with his back up against the counter and throwing them up in the air and catching them with his mouth.

"I have a confession to make"

He paused, raising a cocky eyebrow "You're a mean cock sucker?"

"No" I rolled my eyes "I went to see Stella after I heard she broke up with you"

His eyebrows knitted together in confusion "Why would you do that?"

"I thought it was because you came and spent the night with me after the attack, I thought she must have assumed that you cheated on her, I felt guilty and wanted to set the record straight"

His eyebrows shot up and he missed catching the chip, I watched as it fell to the floor.

"You didn't have to do that, that's not why we broke up"

I raised my eyes back to his and shrugged "I catch cheaters for a living and I didn't want you to get wrongfully accused"

"Did you really come here for validation because in ignored your picture or because you wanted to tell me that?"

"Don't need your validation"

"And I don't need my dick sucked" He said smirking.

I felt a flicker of irritation as I squinted at him, wanting so bad to slap him.

"Oh my bad, I thought we were stating the things that meant the opposite"

I stood walking over to him snatching the bag of chips and eating one.

"Why are you here Leila?" He said, standing in front of me, shoving his hands in his pockets, his bare chest begging to be marked.

Ignoring him I let my eyes drop to the forever iconic Tombstone tattoo that he still wore proudly like a fucking medal.

"Well since you invited yourself, and it seems no ones getting off, Do want to play some pool or somethin'?"

"Are you being serious?"

"Is it a yes or no Leila, it's not a trick question"

I mean I came all the way here because of my stupid pride for the better of me.

"Fine, lead the way"

He chuckled and started to walk down an adjacent hallway into a pool room that was filled with a bar, memorabilia, photos, arcade games, a foosball table and a pool table.

I stood by a cabinet that was full of photos, past and present, family members and friends.

One picture caught my eye.

It was a Marshall with his arm slung around someone next to Christian and a few other friends I recognised.

I frowned.

"Here, you look like a girl that can handle a big stick-"

"Do you know Tommy?"

He looked at me confused holding the pool stick "Your brother? No, I don't think so"

I reached in pulling the framed picture out, staring at it in disbelief.

It was definitely Tommy.

Marshall's face dropped from cocky to bewildered in a matter of minutes as he noticed my glare.

"You're lying"

"I swear to God Leila, that picture as taken back in 2006, I was that fucked up on the drugs that I don't remember that part of my life after my overdose, or the 4 years leading up to it"

My heart flipped in my chest.

He doesn't remember.

I looked down at the picture, faces smiling, Tommy's mischievous grin as he flipped off the camera standing next to Marshall who had his arm hanging lazily over Tommy's shoulder.

"Why didn't he tell me?"

Marshall shrugged "I can't answer that"

I frowned again staring down at the picture.

Tommy would be the first to tell me he had close contact with Marshall, why didn't he tell me?

Did Alec know?

Christian? Did he lie to me too all these years?

"You act like I've betrayed you, Leila, if you told me what the issue is with me, at least I would understand what I did"

I looked back up at him speechless.

Maybe I should.

The flashbacks were getting more realistic and often.

I handed him back the picture frame and snatches the pool stick from his hand.

"Lets play"

He sighed in defeat, placing the frame back on the shelf back in its place, giving it a lingering look before letting go of it, and turning back to me, standing a little closer then I realized.

"How about we set the mood and get some tunes going?"

I shook my head as I felt an overwhelming sense of deja vu as the past echoed present and they clashed.

Marshall reaches for the remote and turns the music on, smooth beats of the 2000s and 90s hip hop and RnB filling the room.

He then moves towards the pool table and starts to set it up.

"So you're just gonna go ahead and entertain your guest shirtless?"

"You're not a guest, guests are invited, and I didn't invite you, you invited yourself"

I snort as he stands there grinning at me.

"Then what am I?"

"If I play my cards right? mine"