Page 39 of Stag

“Why didn’t someone send her away?”

He snorted. “You think Simon’s got the balls for that? He’s been begging everyone who’d listen for help with her, but even though the Pres and I have both tried, she’s not leaving until she gets to see Claudia. Last I heard, she was threatening to call the cops.”

Fuck’s sake. Why did nobody call us earlier?

Claudia

My phone was practically vibrating its way out of my hand with messages and missed calls. There were only eight missed calls, but there were over forty messages from her.

Some of them were fine, just asking me to call, to check in, saying she was sorry. Then there were the others.

Marissa: This is typical of you. You’re so selfish. All you need to do is come home.

Marissa: If you think this behaviour is impressing anyone, you’re an idiot.

Marissa: If you don’t reply, I’m calling the police. It’ll be all your fault.

Marissa: Why do you do this to me? Do you think I want to worry all the time?

Marissa: You’re such a selfish bitch! Why do you resent me so much?

I groaned and shoved the phone aside. I didn’t resent her, but I was really starting to feel afraid of her. She was getting too intense about me like I was her possession and I hated it.

Stag reappeared, grabbing a t-shirt and dragging it on, approaching me with a wary look on his face. He crouched in front of me and grabbed my hands, squeezing them gently.

“I’ll talk to her. You don’t have to come outside.”

I shook my head. “She’s… She’s my sister, I need to try, but I don’t…” I sighed again, “I don’t think I want to live with her anymore. It sounds weird, but I don’t feel safe there.”

Stag looked shocked, squeezing my hands again.

“Does she do stuff to hurt you?”

It wasn’t that simple, was it? “No. I mean, sometimes I wonder if she puts stuff in drinks to make me sleep so she can relax, but I can’t exactly prove that.”

“Jesus fuck! Okay, you’re not going back there. I’ll figure this out. I don’t know how. Say what you need to say to her, then we’re gonna get a few of the guys to come with us to your place, to grab whatever you need, and then…” he glanced at his room and sighed. “I’ll figure that out too.”

I hated being a burden on him like this. He was right, this wasn’t a place I could stay in long term, but first, and most importantly, we needed to deal with Marissa. He slipped his Phoenix cut on, and reached for my hand, tugging me outside and towards the people amassing at the gate. They were yelling, I could tell. I couldn’t hear them, of course, but I could see it in the tense postures, and the way their shoulders moved as they shouted.

I turned to Stag, wanting to ask what they were saying, but he was yelling out to someone else. Oh. The man I talked to earlier, the one who could sign. Henley, I think he said.

Stag said something I couldn’t see, and then Henley was nodding, and gesturing to me.

*They’re yelling at her to get lost, and she’s refusing. That’s what you can see. Don’t worry, we’ll back you.*

Wow. They’d back me? I didn’t even know what I needed backing for exactly, but knowing they were on my side made such a difference. As did Stag calling over the only person who could help me keep up with everything going on right now. As we stopped at the gate, I rose up on tiptoes and kissed his cheek, drawing a shocked expression from him as he turned to me.

“Claudia?”

“Thank you. For caring enough to get Henley involved for me.”

He shrugged, but that adorable blush heated his cheeks again as he stepped up to the gate, keeping me beside him.

“Marissa, you need to back the hell off,” I said, probably speaking over others, but somehow I felt the hush that fell around us. I couldn’t hear it, but I sensed all eyes on me as I locked gazes with her. She looked furious, almost terrifyingly so, and she’d clearly been crying.

“There you are! Do you have any idea what I’ve been going through all night?”

Stag pulled me in front of him, resting his hands on my shoulders to keep me close to him, his offer of support, and she didn’t miss it.