Twisted Mind (Chequered Flag #2) (9 page)

“Two weeks. It’s taking forever to heal.”

“How did it happen?”

Tazia stiffened, sitting up straighter. For a moment only the sound of the clock ticking filled the room. I was about to ask again when a knock sounded on my door and I glanced over the back of the sofa with a scowl.

“Expecting someone?” Tazia asked, focused on her lap where her fingers dug into her palms.

I shook my head in the hope she could see me from the corner of her eye. Hauling myself from the chair with a groan, I stalked towards the door. I wanted to stay in my bubble with Taz and find out what had her reacting like I’d shot her.

Removing the chain on the door, I undid the lock.

“He’s alive!” two voices shouted simultaneously before I even opened the door fully. I didn’t need to see the faces of two of my best friends to know who was out in the hallway. Their accents were major giveaways. Cale with his thick Finnish and Raffele with his Italian drawl.

When I had the door opened wide, I blocked the living room, and in turn Tazia, from view. Bracing my arm on the door above my head, I said, “Of course I am. Why would you think otherwise?”

“Anthony’s been giving us the run-around. The guy is like ex-Secret Service with the way he can avoid questions,” Cale said. “We decided to come and see you for ourselves. What’s been going on, Dustin? Where have you been?”

A scrape along the floorboards caused both of them to lock on to Tazia over my shoulder.

“Oh, I see.” Raffele grinned knowingly and socked me on the arm. “I wouldn’t want to see us either if I had her.”

“Not what it looks like, man. She’s my neighbour.”

“Then I definitely wouldn’t leave the house. Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

I rolled my eyes and grudgingly stepped out of the doorway. “Guys, meet Tazia. Taz, this is Cale, and that embarrassing flirt is Raffele. Ignore anything they say.”

I expected her to liven up a bit and be her usually bubbly self, yet Taz only gave the guys a wave. Then she faced me. “I should probably head back home.”

She already had her crutches in her hands. From the corner of my eye I saw the guys’ shock at the sight of her cast. She refused to meet my eyes as she hobbled over to us, though Cale and Raffele got a brief smile.

What the hell had I done?

I glared at the guys and pointed at the sofa. Thankfully, they moved without question and I headed after Taz. I closed the door behind me and reached for Taz’s wrist. Gently, I pulled, forcing her to stand toe-to-toe with me.

“What’s going on?”

She stared at my chest like she could burn a hole through it. “I forgot I have some stuff I need to do.”

I placed my fingers under her chin lightly. Tilting her head back, I forced her to meet my gaze. “What did I say about lying to me, Taz?”

“I’m not lying,” she said without blinking.

I took a step forward and she mirrored the movement by taking a step backwards. Her back hit her door as she tried to widen the gap.

“There you go again. Don’t lie to me, Taz. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I needed to go.” Her door clicked open and she slipped inside her flat.

“Taz—”

“I’m fine.” She poked her head out of the tiny gap she left open. “Really, go hang out with your friends.”

She shut the door in my face and even though I’d only known her a few weeks, I knew full well the final smile she’d given me wasn’t real. Her eyes said everything her mouth didn’t. They had been swirling with some kind of trouble Taz had been working hard to hide from me.

She’d warned me from the beginning she was fucked up, and I’d brushed it off. This was the first time I got a glimpse not everything in Tazia’s life was as perfect as she wanted everyone to believe.

“Hey, I think she forgot her phone. Max hung up before I could get it to you,” Cale said coming out of my home. He held up Tazia’s mobile and the mention of Max sent a prickle of irritation down my spine. Everything had been fine until she’d received that phone call. Who was Max and what was he to Tazia?

I glanced at her door and took the phone from Cale. Slipping it into my pocket, I decided to give it back later once the guys had gone. That way I could talk to her and hopefully get some answers, because I needed to know what she was keeping from me. I refused to be taken for a ride again, and the more time I spent with her, the harder she became to resist. The only option left was the truth.

Chapter Thirteen

Tazia

I overreacted. I figured it out as soon as I shut my door and by then it was too late. The damage had been done and I could tell from Dustin’s hardened expression he wasn’t going to let the subject go.

If only I’d had the brains to figure that out earlier. Had I acted more reasonably, I could have avoided all of the questions bound to come my way.

I couldn’t help it though. The last person I’d expected to be calling me was Max. Seeing his name threw me off balance, and combined with Dustin’s questions about my leg it became too much. I couldn’t have been more relieved when Cale and Raffele interrupted us. They gave me the perfect excuse to disappear and avoid the inquisition I saw forming in Dustin’s eyes.

I had no intention of spilling my secrets. After everything Dustin revealed I couldn’t. I’d already seen how my hints caused him to react and I could understand why. If he knew the full extent of what I concealed he would run away from me, and he needed me.

At least that was what I told myself.

I had done everything so far because I worried about him. I wanted to fix Dustin and my past would only break him further.

Yeah, I was lying to myself.

If it had been the truth, the thought of losing him wouldn’t have felt like a stab to the heart with a serrated knife.

We’d only known each other a few weeks, yet being over there every day gave me something to look forward to. I enjoyed his company and since his darker days had become more infrequent he was even more of a laugh to be around. I could easily fall for Dustin, and it took a conscious effort to remind myself it wasn’t an option. I couldn’t be the one to build him up only to destroy him all over again.

It was why I stared at my front door for the rest of the evening, trying to come up with a believable lie. I assumed Dustin would be knocking on my door as soon as his mates left and I wanted to be ready. However, as it neared eleven o’clock he still hadn’t appeared.

When it reached eleven thirty I thought I’d chanced my luck enough and headed to bed.

* * *

I didn’t get a chance to evade Dustin the next morning. Before I’d even slipped out of bed the hammering on my door began.

“Taz!”

I pulled the duvet over my head with a groan. The warmth embraced me and I sank further into the mattress. Burying my head into the pillow and darkness, I curled it up around my ears too, yet nothing deadened the sound of Dustin’s pounding.

“Tazia, open the door.”

I wondered how long it would take for him to get the message I wasn’t coming.

“I’ll break it down, Taz. Don’t test me.”

What is he? A bloody mind reader now?

With a curse I threw back my duvet. I lifted my cast on to the floor first and then hauled myself up into a sitting position. Grabbing my crutches from beside my nightstand, I tugged them on roughly and stood up.

The entire way to the front door I grumbled under my breath, swearing to kill Dustin when I got my hands on him.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? It’s eight a.m. on a
Saturday,
” I hissed as soon as I yanked my door open and planted myself firmly in the entrance. His smirk only served to irritate me further. When his gaze dropped to take in my attire, an intense hunger filled his eyes as they lingered on my breasts.

I probably should have thrown on a robe considering my top had a few embarrassingly placed holes and worn patches, yet I hadn’t been thinking in my aggravated state.

“Up here, Dustin,” I growled. Snapping my fingers, I pointed at my chin but his stare remained glued to my chest. “Dustin! You did not get me out of bed at this time on the weekend just to ogle my boobs.”

“I should have though.”

I huffed and stepped back. When I moved to shut the door his hand shot out and finally his eyes met mine.

“Damn it. Taz, wait. I’m sorry.”

Luckily for him a hint of remorse shone through, otherwise he’d have received a crutch to the balls.

“I really did want to talk to you.”

“What are the chances of me getting you to leave without saying what you want?”

He pretended to think about it for a second with his fingers splayed over his jaw. “Pretty much non-existent.”

“Fine.” I stepped back far enough to allow him in. Pointing at the sofa I said, “Sit there and wait while I get dressed.”

“I’ll be good.”

I regarded him with suspicion. When I found nothing to betray his words I left him alone and went about washing and dressing, albeit slower than usual. The need to postpone the imminent conversation had me dragging out every step of my morning routine to an agonising pace. Even though I knew the reason for Dustin’s wakeup call and I had time to prepare I still couldn’t figure out what to tell him.

Finally, I couldn’t stall any longer.

I fluffed up my freshly dried hair, added a touch of lip gloss, and then slumped out into the living room only to find it empty.

Hope flared in my chest. Maybe Dustin got bored and gave up. A grin started to prick at the corners of my lips, then a hiss of a frying pan stifled it. I found Dustin standing by the stove in my kitchen, pushing eggs around a pan. He beamed at me over his shoulder when he heard my crutches.

“I made you breakfast. With any luck it will go towards making up for waking you so early.”

He slid the omelette onto a plate and pushed it over to me with a knife, fork, and a glass of orange juice.

I studied it warily, spinning my plate to get every angle.

“It’s not going to poison you, Taz. I swear. You’re not the only one who can cook.”

I picked up my forkful dubiously. The anticipation of his questions fuelled my suspicions, but I figured I could use it to my advantage and stall the conversation for a little longer. “Where did you get all of this? My cupboards are bare.”

“I noticed.” Dustin’s tone filled with disapproval as he placed the dried pan on the counter. “I went home and got some stuff from there. Why haven’t you gone shopping?”

“The delivery is coming later today.” I’d finally installed my internet because living without it had become a pain in the ass.

“Oh,” Dustin said, pulling something out of his back pocket. “I forgot. You left your mobile at the flat yesterday.”

He handed me the phone and my stomach rolled when the screen lit up to five missed calls and two texts.

All from Max.

“I ended up switching it off the third time he rang.”

“Sorry. I didn’t even notice it missing.” Not looking up from the screen I continued to poke at the device. With every deleted message the lines on my forehead deepened. I didn’t want to know what Max wanted.

“Taz?”

I hummed and deleted another unread text.

“Tazia,” Dustin said more forcefully, creating a pull I couldn’t resist. I glanced up from my phone to peer at him.

“Who is he?”

“A nobody.” Technically it was the truth. After what he’d done he
was
a nobody to me.

“Doesn’t look or feel like a nobody.”

My eyes narrowed with my scowl and I snapped my teeth together. “Well he is.”

Dustin braced his forearms on the counter and stared at me. “Bullshit. If he meant nothing you wouldn’t be getting defensive. Who is he, Taz, and why did you change so quickly yesterday?”

“I told you, he’s nobody you need to concern yourself with. I don’t.”

I pushed away the plate of eggs, leaving half of it untouched and a crease of hurt flashed across Dustin’s face. Instantly I felt bad, yet I couldn’t stomach any more. My gut churned like I’d been placed on a boat in the middle of a storm and the meal left the bitter taste of a bribe lingering in my mouth.

“Don’t you like it?”

“It tasted great. I’m just not hungry anymore.”

Sighing, Dustin rounded the counter until he moved in front of me. I swivelled on my seat, tracking his movements to keep him in sight at all times.

“Why can’t you let me in, Taz?” Dustin took my hands in his. They were surprisingly smooth for a guy’s hands. Each sweep of his thumb over my palm made me want to melt into his touch a little further.

Dustin stepped in between my legs and brushed a tendril of hair back behind my ear. When he pulled away his palm lingered to cup my jaw. He tilted my head back, keeping me focused on him and nothing else.

“You know all there is to my story.” He swiped his thumb over my lip and I found myself wanting to draw it in between my lips to suck on. “Why can’t you do the same? I won’t judge you.”

“I never thought you would,” I lied.

“Then tell me. Who is Max and what does he want? Let me help you.”

I cast my gaze down between us. My heart thrummed from both nerves and Dustin’s presence. Every beat came harder than the previous until it felt like the damned thing was going to break out of my chest. I wet my lips and when I raised my eyes to meet his once more, the intensity I found in them sucked all of the air from the room.

“I’m not ready,” I whispered pleadingly.

“Come on, Taz. I know it’s scary, but trust in me. You forced me to talk so I’m not going to give up on you. Why do you admit to being fucked up?”

I stared at him with wild eyes, imploring him not to continue. “I can’t. You’ll hate me.”

He leaned in, so close I could feel his every breath sweeping across my cheek. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

“I couldn’t ever hate you, Taz. You’ve revived me. Without knowing it you pulled me back from the edge. Let me do the same for you.”

I focused on his lips and before I realised what I was doing I closed the distance between us. I touched my lips to his, gently at first. It was only meant to distract him, yet as soon as our lips met I couldn’t pull away. My hands found his hips, sliding around his waist and linking behind his back. I pressed my lips against his harder and Dustin responded. His hand tangled into my hair, holding me in place while he deepened the kiss. Each caress from him sent a spark of electricity over my skin until my body hummed.

Dustin ran his tongue over my bottom lip, demanding entry. With a moan I parted them. He tasted like mint toothpaste.

I wound my arms tighter around him, not wanting to let him go. With every stroke of his tongue a fresh burst of pleasure shot through my body. I whimpered when he took my bottom lip between his and pulled on it gently. Heat soared through me and my heart beat erratically.

I clawed at the back of his shirt, fisting the material.

With a grunt, Dustin pulled away. His chest heaving, he gazed down at me hungrily.

Slowly, he untangled his hand from my hair. He brushed his knuckles over my cheek and I leaned into his hand.

Dustin opened his mouth to say something when the shrill of my phone interrupted him. Jumping apart from him, I glanced over at the device and ignored the call from Max. When I returned my attention to Dustin, all traces of passion vanished.

The eyes that had once been filled with need were now hard with irritation. His jaw clenched and his nostrils flared.

“Who is he, Tazia?”

“Dustin, please.” I wanted to go back to how things were seconds ago. I hadn’t expected him to feel so good and I needed to feel it again. I reached for him. When he stepped back that single action hurt more than a punch to the gut.

“I need to know,” he gritted out.

“I-I can’t. Not yet.”

He balled his hands into fists. “Then what just happened can’t happen again.”

“Why? From where I was sitting it felt pretty spectacular.” My shoulders slumped and I huffed dramatically.

“I can’t let you in, Taz. You know why. Until you tell me everything I can’t take that chance again.”

I did know why, and I hated it. It was a fucking catch twenty-two. He wanted me to tell him to protect himself, and I shielded him for the same reason.

Regardless, I’d rather have Dustin as a friend or neighbour than not in my life at all. As soon as I told him he’d look at me differently. He’d compare me to Elora and as soon as he linked me to her whatever we had going on would be over before the spark could ignite.

“I can’t, Dustin. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.”