Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Once Burned

Kendra's P.O.V:

I knew this was inevitable, that there was no way I could escape this, but it was still a punch to the gut seeing him standing right in front of me and yet, so far away.

Victor, Tory Summers.

My best friend Grace’s younger brother, the baby of their family. But that baby had grown up a long time ago, had more intuition than most people I’ve met, age no bar. And it was also why I’d made sure he would never come close to me, ever again.

He’s changed over the last two years. His hair was darker, the golden streaks in them more prominent, just like his older sister’s; his jaw squarish with defined cheekbones and broad shoulders. As a matter of fact, he look exactly like Grace now; same hair, same eyes, except for the fact that he towered over us with his six feet two height, but still ended up being shoulder length to Grace’s ginormus boyfriend. He had also grown into his body and I could already see some leath muscles under the loose t-shirt he wore today. If I’d thought him handsome two years ago, he was now catastrophic.

“Why are you staring at my brother like you’re about to eat him alive?”

I snapped my attention back to Grace who was sitting between me and my other best friend Tatiana on the living room sofa opposite to the sofa which held Grace’s fiancé, Daniel and Tory, her parents having decided to retire for the day. She’d just dropped the bomb of her engagement and moving in together with her new boyfriend and for people who had had such conservative believes for their entire life, it must be a lot to take in.

“Come to think of it,” Tatiana, Ty as we like to call her, mused as she took a sip of her sparkling red before turning to me. “I remember you two getting along quite well with him when we went to Grace’s house after graduation. But by the time we came back, you two were ready to claw each other’s eyes out.”

Grace nodded her head vigorously, her brunette curls bouncing with every movement. “I have to agree with Ty, I’d noticed that too. My brother is the sweetest person I know, how can you be mad at him and what on Earth for?”

“Because he’s your brother Grace,” I glared at her even as my eyes flickered momentarily to the man in question, but he didn’t seem to have noticed. “Of course he’s your little angle. I just find him to be an immature little brat.”

“He got under your skin, didn’t he?” Ty grinned before ducking out of the way as I hauled a cushion at her.

“Hey, no violence in our house,” Grace complained, but she too was laughing.

I looked over at the boys to find them looking at us in amusement, having stopped their conversation when Ty had jumped out of the way to avoid the cushion. Daniel, as usual, was looking at Grace as she too stood up from the sofa to refill our drinks. But when I looked at Tory, his gaze was on Ty as she chided him for being the only one with a fruit punch. But Tory took the playful scolding good-naturedly and raised his glass with the rest of us as we offered a toast to Daniel and Grace.

Relationships were highly unpredictable, as we’d just witnessed with Ty and her long term boyfriend Connor. The bastard had ended his relationship with Ty in a violent manner instead of discussing things through. Ty was heartbroken and it was clear in her eyes every time she saw Grace and Daniel together, but it was also Daniel who had taken the worse hit for her and had earned both of our respect. But their relationship was still new and if Daniel did have the guts to physically hurt a woman, I wouldn’t be standing quietly behind a wall. But the way he looked at Grace, it was proof enough that he’d never be that stupid as to let her go.

“Grace, Daniel,” Ty said as she placed her empty glass on the coffee table. “It’s getting pretty late; I think we should head home right now.” Ty looked at me, indicating with her eyes that we should leave the couple be.

“I think you’re right,” I told her as I too stood from the sofa. Normally, I would’ve stayed behind just to tease Grace as we’d often done with Connor when he was still dating Ty, but today, with Tory Summers looming in my line of sight, I didn’t think I could stand another second of his company, although he’d never so much as looked my way since I’d arrived at the party.

“You guys are leaving so soon?” Grace made a face at us, but we could both see the delight in her eyes. Weirdo. “Wait; let me get you guys the leftovers I’ve packed.”

I shook my head as she ran to the kitchen to get us the boxes she’s packed. Daniel has got some damn good skills there. I’m happy that at least one of my friends had found someone perfect for her.

As we waited for Grace to show up, I took another peek at Tory, just to make sure he was still avoiding me or not. As it turns out, he was. Good, that’s for the best. But even as I reminded myself of that, I still felt this emptiness in my chest that couldn’t be filled. The only time I’d felt complete, like I’d finally been freed from all my nightmares...it was when I’d been with Tory during the short week I’d spent at Clovefield right after graduating from college.

But the experience had been as frightening as it had been beautiful. And it had made me do something I could never take back. And that is why Tory won’t even look at me anymore. And that’s a good thing, because I don’t think I had the strength to see the hurt and betrayal in his eyes.

It wasn’t long before Grace was back with the boxes and Ty and I placed them inside our bags carefully before we gave Grace one big group hug and left through the front door.

“You’re going home now?” I asked Ty as she took out her phone to receive a call.

“Yup,” she said after hanging up. “That was my Uber driver.”

We parted ways as soon as the elevator doors opened at the ground floor and we exited the building. Ty got into her cab and I took the road in the opposite direction, walking towards the bus stand so I could catch a bus home. But as soon as I turned a corner, reaching a section of the road that had no shops, only large buildings, I felt a hand cover my mouth and pull me into an alley.