Chapter 4

Alice's head lowered further and further as she listened to Jamie's tale. By the time he finished speaking, every muscle in her body had slumped so dramatically she was almost one with the sofa.

"And that was just one particularly horrible day," Jamie said. "Every day was like that. School was a warzone. It was hell. I spent most nights staring at a pile of pills, trying to pluck up the courage to kill myself."

The thought of Adam stomping on her little brother because he had the nerve to piss himself in fear made her stomach turn. How could he be that cruel? How could anyone be that cruel? To drive another kid almost to suicide and for what? To entertain himself? To make himself feel powerful?

'He was just as cruel to you,' she realised. Images of the night he tried to tie her up like a dog and pull her out into the street flashed through her mind. Then there was the time he almost let his friends rape her.

"I'm so sorry, Jamie. I had no idea it was that bad to you. I wish you'd told me—" 

As she spoke these words, she could hear how it sounded. Victim blaming.

"I'm sorry. I understand now... why you turned out this way—"

"And you'll finish it with him?" Jamie interrupted. His eyes were wide, staring into hers with crushing intensity.

"Uh..." Alice thought about it for a moment. It wasn't an easy choice—her brother or the guy she loved—but as she looked at the pain in Jamie's eyes she nodded. As much as her heart wanted Adam, her brain knew he was a bad guy. A dangerous guy who would end up hurting her and others in her life. It wasn't fair on herself or anyone else to keep seeing him.

"I will. Tonight," she said. 

Jamie shocked her by smiling and pulling her in for a hug. "I love you, Alice."

"Love you too."

###

On the way to Adam’s house, Alice texted him, making sure he would be in. He said he was getting home that night, but he wasn't replying which made her think he might have been delayed. The Wi-Fi in the hospital wasn't great, so it was difficult to contact him.

Music blasted from the open windows upstairs, meaning somebody was home. Not that they would hear her knocking. Neither Mike nor Adam minded if she let herself in the back door, and Roxy was always excited to see her. The dog bounded over, her claws skittering on the tiles as she ran over to jump up at Alice.

"Hey, good girl," she said, petting the dog. As the dog calmed and she stroked her head, Alice realised she wouldn't see Roxy again and her eyes filled with tears. "Who's a good girl?"

A loud crash from outside prompted the dog to run off. She wasn't exactly what you'd call a guard dog and was terrified of males she didn't recognise. 

'So it's not Adam then,' Alice thought, frowning. She didn't recognise the voices as the newcomers conversed, one of them whooping as he kicked the bin into the fence. 

It was then that Mike ran into the room, stared out of the window in horror, then did a double-take to find Alice crouched by the dog bowl.

"What? Oh, shit," he mumbled to himself. "You need to hide. Get under the table."

Crawling over toast crumbs, she obeyed, feeling her heart race. 'What the heck is going on?'

Mike pulled the tablecloth down over the edge of the table to conceal her just as the sound of footsteps entered the kitchen. Peeking under the tablecloth, she could see one pair of boots and three sets of trainers. They advanced on Mike as he chocked out the words, "Alright lads?"

"I think you know why we're here," one of them said. 

"I know, right, look... Riley, your brother said I could have more time to pay—" Mike started to say.

"My brother's an idiot," Riley interrupted him, making his companions snicker. "That's why he's in prison and I'm here."

Alice jumped as one of the chairs snapped away from the table. Riley scraped the legs across the tiles as he pulled it into position and sat. 

"So you've had this loan out for quite some time." Riley tutted. "A grand over two years, even with the mates rate of ten percent interest a week is still a lot. Felix?"

"Give me a second," Felix said. After a few seconds and muttering of numbers, the boy made a wincing sound. "With the interest, your loan amount comes to a total of eleven thousand, four hundred and fifty-seven pounds, fourteen pence."

"What?" Mike cried. "That's insane? How did you come up with eleven grand?" 

"It's pretty simple math," Felix sneered. "Using the formula A is equal to P times the sum of one plus rt—"

"Okay, I—I'll take your word for it," Mike stuttered. "Look... I've had to close up shop because of this covid thing and I'm having trouble getting any help from the government. My books aren't exactly legit, you know?"

"Yes, yes, times are hard for everyone at the minute," Felix drawled. "But do you know which business isn't suffering?"

"I can't go back to dealing," Mike whined. "I just got clean, Man."

"Hmm." Riley sighed. "Well, if you don't work for me, I guess you need to pay me back."

'Who are these guys?' Alice wondered. She found herself wishing Adam was there and questioning if they would dare turn up like this if he wasn't in the hospital.

"T—there's no way—" Mike began to argue.

"No?" Riley asked. He punctuated the word by whacking the floor. 

Alice sucked in her breath as she saw a baseball bat resting on the floor between his feet. She jumped as he stood, pushing herself back against the wall.

"Come on, don't..." Mike argued weakly. His words quickly became drowned out by the sounds of destruction. Plates smashed on the floor. The kettle was next to go, spilling its contents as it fell to the floor in bits. 

Alice screamed when someone kicked over the table, grabbing their attention away from the wanton destruction.

Now that she could see them, Alice wasn't convinced Adam's presence would make much difference. Riley stood over her, maybe six foot eight with a strong build and broad shoulders. Two of his companions—also wielding bats—were of similar stature. The other guy—presumably Felix—was only slightly smaller and dressed smartly in black as opposed to the grey hoodie and sweatpants look his mates sported. Instead of smashing the place up, he sat on the work surface, watching, no weapon in his hands. 

Riley leered down at her with a maniacal grin.

"Well, well, well," Riley said. "Who do we have here?"

"Erm." Alice swallowed. She wasn't sure what to tell the enormous thug staring down at her. He shifted, taking a squatting position to get closer. 

"Erm?" he asked, cocking his head.

"It's Adam's Missus," Mike input. "Just... leave her alone, yeah?"

As Riley ignored him, continuing to look Alice up and down, she couldn't help but stare back at him. She watched as he pushed a mess of chocolate brown hair back from his face. Her eyes narrowed, squinting as she noticed his eyes. One turquoise, one hazel—both with golden flecks.

"Heterochromia," she whispered.

"Huh?" Riley frowned. "Oh... my eyes?" 

Alice nodded dully, still staring.

"Yeah, it's freaky, right?" he asked with a dopey grin, as if completely unaware of how beautiful it looked. 

"Uh." Alice shook her head. "Please stop smashing things."

When he stared at her with a faint smile, saying nothing, she repeated, "Please?"

He continued to hold eye contact as he stood. "Okay. Since you asked me so nicely. But I'll be back for my money and next time, it won't just be things I break. You get me?"

Mike nodded, his mouth hanging open. Mum would say he was catching flies—wherever that dumb and weird saying came from.

After Riley left, his henchmen close on his heels, Alice helped Mike pick up the mess in silence. 

He placed the last of the broken crockery on the pile, paused, and looked around at Alice.

"You're breaking up with him, aren't you?" he asked.

Guiltily, Alice bit her lip. She nodded.

"Good," Mike said. When Alice frowned in confusion he added, "What he did to you was disgusting. He needs to know he can't treat a girl that way and get away with it. He needs to grow up."

"Thanks for telling me first," Adam's voice sounded from behind them. 

How long he'd been standing out there, Alice was unsure. She hadn't heard his sneakers on the concrete slabs. 

Her heart sank in her chest, sending little cold tingles along her extremities. Strangely, although sick with guilt, she also felt relief. This way she wouldn't have to explain it to him. Wouldn't have to have that awkward 'we need to talk' style conversation.

"Adam, I—" she went to explain. To explain her reasons, but when she looked at his face, all she wanted to do was backtrack—tell him she wanted to be with him no matter what. He could beat her, rape her, even torture her family and she'd still be at his side.

The words stuck in her throat.

"Just get out of here," Adam said. He screwed up his face, looking down his nose at her as he passed. "I thought you were different."