My Brother's Best Friend, My Boss, My Bewitching Night

Chapter 3 - Livvy

That was true, our night out was tonight, arranged with a few more of our friends, for when we got home. I just needed to get this mess out of the way.

We pulled up outside the apartment block, and I was glad to see Theo’s car was not there, so we rushed inside. My heart racing, an even bigger rush of emotions filling my body as we walked inside. A rush of pain, like all the memories of a few days ago, hit me. Was it really only days ago? It felt like a lifetime ago, yet at the same time only a moment ago… How is that even possible?

I see Summer watching me, I think she can sense my unease at being here again, “Let us not hang around Liv, let us get packed and gone, yeah? Before Theo turns up.”

She is right, I don’t know what his schedule is today, so I want to get my things and get gone. I nod, grabbing the bags we brought in with us. And marching into the bedroom. I see trash bags full of clothes on the floor. I feel a sharp pain in my chest as I look at them.

“Seems he saved us a job.” I tell her, realizing he has already emptied all of my clothes. I walk to the wardrobes and look inside to check if there are any more of my things inside, only to find them replaced by somebody else’s clothes…

I feel myself gasping for air. I stumbled backward to the bed. “Liv? Are you okay?” Summer’s arms were around me in a second.

“He moved someone else in” I stuttered.

I saw anger flash across her face. “Look sweetie, you go to the car, I will bring your bags down. We will get out of here, Okay?”

I nod. And with that, I walked from the apartment I shared with Theo for the second time in a matter of days, feeling like my heart was shattered into unfixable pieces. How could he continue to find new ways to hurt me?

I sat in the car, my hands shaking, tears pouring from my eyes. My body wracked with huge sobs. Summer was back and forth bringing bags for me; I don’t think I had the strength in me. So, her help was a godsend right now, or else there would be no doubt Theo or his new f**k-buddy, sorry house-mate, would have come back to find me there.

How can he have replaced me so easily? Days, literally days, I had been gone, and he had moved someone else in. My clothes are already in bags. I guess I should be grateful they weren’t thrown out. Disposed of like I had been. I hated him. I truly hope his d**k falls off now. He deserved nothing but pain and suffering.

“All done babes” Summer’s voice disturbed my thoughts of ways Theo could suffer.

“Thank you so much” I tell her.

“Hey, you were in no fit state. Besides, I had some fun.” She grinned as I started the engine.

I glanced across at her, dread filling me. “What did you do?” I ask.

“Brought your clothes out.” She smiles sweetly at me.

“And?” I question.

“Oh Liv, what makes you think I would do anything else?” She chuckles.

“Erm, because it is you, and you said you would.” I told her.

She has the biggest smile on her face. “I may have picked up a few pretty things for the house. I had a terrible accident with some scissor though” she looks at me solemnly.

“What do you mean Sum?” I ask, worried at what she had done.

“I happened to have them in my hand, Liv, and they just happened to cut some of Theo’s suits… so terrible.” She pouts at me, moving her eyes side to side playfully, like she thinks it is amusing. “And maybe a few of the pretty dresses in the wardrobe too…”

“Summer!” I exclaimed, finding it hard to believe my friend had done that. Theo was in for a shock when he got home.

“What? I behaved…” she sighed at the sight of my raised eyebrows. “Okay, okay, I lowered my bad behavior, I could have really trashed the place. I just hacked a few clothes... no, I mean I had a terrible accident with the scissors. They took control, I couldn’t help it” she grins. “He wants to be glad he wasn’t there, or he would have been a lot worse off. He deserved a lot worse than that for hurting my best friend, and for treating her like that!”

I want to get angry, but I find myself laughing. He did deserve it. And she did it because she was angry that he hurt me. Could I complain at my friend for wanting to defend me?

“He is in for a shock then when he gets home” I say with a smile.

“Well, he wants to be glad he still has his balls attached.” She says with a wink.

I laughed again. “Yeah. Can always hope they drop off.”

“Too right! He keeps sleeping around like he does, they are likely to anyway! But, now for a fresh start for you. We aren’t thinking of Theo the Trollop and his trashy balls, we are thinking of fresh starts and good times ahead for you Liv. He is in the past.” She tells me as we drive away and head home. Home to the place I had avoided for the last few years.

All unpacked, and a few drinks down as we got ready for our girly night. I stand looking at my reflection in the mirror in the bedroom Summer has given me. Finding it hard to believe the woman looking back at me. The last few days I had looked a mess, hair in a scruffy bun, skin pale and drawn. A shadow of my usual self. Feeling empty.

Tonight, I look almost presentable. My long black hair is sleek and shiny, in loose waves down my back. My make-up was dark and sultry thanks to my friend, who had offered to make me look a million dollars. I kind of dreaded that she meant I would end up looking like a hooker that cost a million dollars, but thankfully, she has made me look pretty good.

A lot better than I have done in recent days. The tired and drawn skin from lack of sleep is long gone, a fresh, dewy appearance in its place. Dark eyeliner and smoky eyeshadow are only going to enhance my bright blue eyes. And the red lipstick pale enough to just make my lips look appealing but not over the top. Summer gave me a new navy-blue mini dress that clung to the curves of my body, so different to what I am used to wearing, but yet it makes me feel unbelievably confident. She had bought it saying it would look good on me with my navy wedged heels.

So, I am standing looking at my reflection, wondering if I am really ready to go out. As a single woman again. It has been so long. And it has not been like Theo would let me go out without him, so going out alone, even with my friends will be strange. But the excitement coming from Summer is becoming infectious.

I had not even heard from Theo, so he was clearly not even bothered by the fact I had been to collect my things. He had to have seen that the bags of my things had gone, not to mention the damage Summer had kindly left. Can’t say I wasn’t a little hurt he hadn’t even acknowledged that I had gone. Officially moved out. Though the clothes in place of mine in my wardrobe told me he had already moved on.

“Right, let’s go Liv” Summer’s voice interrupted my thoughts as she dragged me toward the front door.

She was dressed in a little black dress and chunky black heels. Her long blond hair twisted into a bun on her head, and her make-up done simply, yet she was beautiful, so she did not need much make-up. Her blue eyes sparkled as she smiled at me. “You ready for some fun?”

Too right I was! It had been too long, and I needed to think of something other than Theo…

We headed into the bar, to find our friends Kali and Grace waiting for us. Both with a fancy looking cocktail in hand, and a big smile on their faces when they saw us walking toward them.

“Hey!” they yelled over the already booming music.

I smiled in response. It had been so long since seeing my friends, Theo wasn’t keen on them, and they not so much on him either, so I rarely got to spend time with them, and contact was mainly through text or video calls. Despite that, we had all stayed close.

“Drinks?” Summer grinned.

I nod with a smile, as I join our friends at the table they have already claimed as ours.

“I am sorry about Theo” Kali says, gripping my hand.

I shrugged. “Let’s not go there, yeah? Here to forget, right?” I tell her.

She smiles. I looked around the bar feeling awkward already, knowing that they must already have been discussing all that had been happening. Likely chatting about how stupid I have been…

As my eyes wandered around the bar, avoiding conversation with my friends, my eyes fell to a man leaning by the bar. Tall, dark and handsome was a perfect way to describe him, stood there in a suit. Looking like he had just come straight from the office. I realized his dark eyes were on me… a slow and seductive smile began to form on his lips. I felt my heart beginning to pound, and quickly looked away. Embarrassed to be caught staring at him…

Though, what was he looking at? I quickly try to glance back, without making it obvious, and notice he is now chatting to another man in a suit who has just arrived. My heart rate eases slightly.

“Here you go Liv” Summer passes me a cocktail to match the ones our friends had.

“Now are we going to dance?” Kali asks with a grin. “Has been a while since we did that, right?”

I feel myself rolling my eyes. Are they for real? What was wrong with just having a quiet drink? I have a sip of my cocktail; the fruity taste is delicious as it hits my tastebuds. I find Summer tugging me toward the dance floor, a big grin on her face. Drink in one hand, my hand in the other. Just like old times…

Ah well, I was here to have fun. Here to forget. I followed her and my friends, and we were soon laughing and dancing along to the songs playing loudly around the bar. The cocktail goes down far too easily. I place my empty glass down on a nearby table as Summer takes my hand and whizzes me around in a dance like spin, making me laugh.

As I come to a stop, I find my eyes are looking around the bar again, and realize that the tall, dark handsome stranger from earlier is watching me once again. His dark eyes, gazing at me intently, as he smiles at me. Again, my heart began to pound in my chest.

Dammit, how does he have that effect so easily? I quickly turn back to Summer to continue our dancing, but realize we are heading to the bar to replace the long-gone cocktails.

As I leaned against the bar waiting to be served, my mind wandering as I seemed to be waiting ages, I felt a hand on my lower waist, making me jump. Assuming it is Summer I say, “What’s up?” and turn, only to find the man from earlier…

He is smiling. His dark, chocolaty brown eyes sparkling in the lights of the bar, as he looks down at me, his dark hair falling into his face slightly. “Hello to you too, beautiful, though I do believe you forgot my hello.” He chuckles. “And nothing is up. Or I hope not. I just wondered if I could buy you a drink?”