On the Edge (The Grange Complex Book 1)

Sasha

I didn’t want to see him at all, but he had to pick up his stuff. Our three long years together meant nothing to him. I had been sitting on pins and needles all day, wondering how he was going to act when he showed up.

My heart was shattered, broken, and I hadn’t stopped crying since the moment I realised that it was truly over. It was the second time it happened. My last boyfriend had cheated on me with my roommate and now Kirk had done exactly the same, but with my childhood friend.

I packed whatever I could into boxes. We had stuff that we’d collected together and I wanted to be sure that he wouldn’t take anything that didn’t belong to him. Our relationship had been intense and at the time I thought it was also real. I couldn’t believe that it was over. I felt betrayed, betrayed and lost. The contract for the flat was coming to an end next month and I didn’t know what I was going to do after that.

I heard the car outside and looked out the window. Kirk got out, looking like his usual self, and a few minutes later he was upstairs. He knocked. It was funny, because this flat was still under his name, but we had to act like we were civilised.

I opened the door and let him in.

“Here’s your stuff. I packed it up for you,” I said, trying to sound strong, but it came out like I had swallowed a wooden stick. I was so weak when he was around, always ready to fulfill his every need.

“What about the stuff that we bought together?” he asked and then I noticed that he had been drinking. His voice had that familiar hard edge to it, like when he enjoyed provoking an argument. I shouldn’t have let him in.

“Kirk, how much have you had to drink?” I asked shyly.

“It’s none of your fucking business. I do whatever I want now that we aren’t together,” he shouted straight into my face.

“What happened to us? Why did you do this?” I whispered to myself, knowing that he wouldn’t listen, but he took a step towards me.

“Nothing. Nothing happened. I got bored of you telling me what to do all the time.”

I dragged some air into my lungs, not even realising that he had heard me. This wasn’t how I imagined our last meeting would go. I thought he would at least apologise to me, but it looked like he had other plans.

“We were happy, Kirk. I can’t under–”

“There is nothing to understand, you stupid bitch. You were boring, always worried about what our friends thought about you. Jessica seemed like a better candidate all along.”

“She was my best friend!” I shouted.

“And a very good fuck!”

Tears began streaming down my cheeks then. I couldn’t believe he was behaving as if I meant nothing to him.

“We need to discuss the money now, Kirk. You’ve been avoiding talking about it for some time.”

A couple of months ago, I took a loan from the bank for eight thousand pounds so he could get a new car. Kirk had bad credit, so he asked me to apply for it. I agreed, but so far I had been the only one paying it back.

I don’t know what happened then, but Kirk’s eyes shifted and I saw a mad gleam in them. His fists were clenched. Before I knew it, he had pushed me over to the sofa.

“I ain’t giving you anything. We are not together!” he shouted and then stormed to the kitchen.

Something snapped in me. I was done with being pushed around, done with being treated like an idiot. I went after him, knowing that I couldn’t let it go. I was going to get this money back from him no matter what.

a tendency to hide some emergency cash in the kitchen, away from him, but he could

face

stuff. I want you to

and he could afford to pay back the loan. He didn’t stop opening and closing the cupboards, talking to himself, so I

stuff and get

fast, so unexpectedly. He was so much stronger that I couldn’t do anything. Next thing I knew, I felt excruciating pain in my cheek. A warm and sticky

bitch. You were always weak. Don’t you fucking dare talk to me about money. I took care of you when you were in the hospital, so you owe

the floor and was standing above me, his eyes wild, unrecognisable. Although I was in pain and shock, I couldn’t let

is mine, Kirk. I paid for it!” I yelled, trying to get up, but then he kicked me, knocking over the bottle that was on the kitchen

made you! It was me that created you. You would be nothing without me,” he kept saying, picking the pieces of glass off the floor. I screamed when he launched at me again, realising it was just the

fuck’s sake, snap out of it.

I didn’t even realise we’d arrived back on my street. I didn’t know why I brought these awful memories back up. It had been a long year and

parents insisted that I press charges, so I did. He was arrested for domestic assault and actual bodily harm, but he was bailed a week later. That was just the beginning of my

I just want to go home,” I

then why is that

gone through. I looked at Dexter, then took a deep breath and started explaining what happened that night. I told him about Kirk, about his drunken episodes, about what he did to me and about the fact that I’d been ready to do anything for a guy that I loved. By the time I was finished, Dexter’s fists were clenched, his face unrecognisable, twisted with anger

in my hands.

please. That isn’t everything. There is more,” I managed to say, dropping my head

“Jesus Christ, Sasha, more?!”

believed him and because we had the same circle of friends, it was easy for him to convince them. I was very insecure then, not the

things out about Dexter, pushed him to go to the hospital

a nightmare and Kirk only got a few months. I didn’t get any justice.”

off his balls and dick in that hotel. Fuck, I was so close,” Dexter growled. “What about that woman from the restaurant? Was

of pressure at work, that he was stressed and depressed, which culminated in an unprecedented attack. He had all his friends telling the judge that we loved each other, that I slashed myself with a broken bottle for attention, because I couldn’t take it that he broke up with me. Sharon

you should have punched her. At least you’d make yourself

to London because I couldn’t take Scotland anymore. That’s why I stopped dancing and socialising. I needed to get away, to start over, to bury myself in a new environment. Kirk ruined my life. I haven’t had much luck in love or relationships. With you, it was just sex and I enjoyed it. It was fine that we didn’t have to label

Dexter

I was hearing. That fuckface from the hotel, that pig, dared to lift his hand to my Barbie. He violated her and then turned everyone against her. I’d had a chance to kill him, to pull his eyes out of his sockets, but I let him go. I fucked up. I’d known Sasha for over two months now and I never tried to find out more about her past, never asked any questions. I was so blind, so obsessed with sex that I didn’t dare to look further. I hadn’t recognised her pain. And now I couldn’t fucking get my head around the fact that she had done so much for some douche. I’d guessed that she was damaged, but I’d chosen to ignore it, because

to take her to my fucking apartment and hold her, tell her that she didn’t have to think about this shit anymore, but I had lost my chance. This whole fucking love and emotions stuff was new to me. I had never paid enough attention to her feelings. Or my own. Straight after Pap’s death, I shut out my inner turmoil with sex and drugs. It worked, but I drove myself crazy trying to numb the grief. I promised myself that I would never let anyone else in because I

a different story.

shit wasn’t going to work, not after weeks of convincing her that I wasn’t

and the fact that her asshole ex got away with hurting her, that I made a phone call to Ronny. There was no way

“What’s up, brother?”

to pull up for me a few weeks ago, on Sasha

about it?”

was shattered. It looked

or if he has something in his pocket, anything that could help me to bring him down. I’ll pay you double rate for it if you get me something tonight,” I said, knowing that Ronny was the best. Either way, that douche was going to pay.

from Ronny. It was still early, but I needed

and a new one had been reborn. I was still stubborn as fuck,

sent an email, saying that he needed more time. Apparently