Chapter 54

“So she went home?” Justin questioned Trace for the third time.

“Yes, Justin.  She went home.  She said she was tired and she needed to be alone.  It’s fine.” Trace replied, thoroughly annoyed.

“Do you think maybe I should go talk to her?” Justin questioned, somewhat hopeful that they would give him permission to leave.  But he wasn’t that lucky.

“J, didn’t we already talk about this?” JC groaned.  “I told ya.  Let her be tonight.  You can talk to her about this tomorrow.  Give her some room to breath, man.”

“I agree with Jace.  Let it go for tonight.  Worry about it tomorrow.” Trace agreed.

Becca shook her head in dismay.  “I still can’t believe you kissed her and then told her you thought she was Britney.”

“You’re not helping!” Justin grumbled.

“I’m not trying to.” Becca retorted with a smirk.

“I’m going home to talk to her.” Justin said getting up from the table, but was quickly pulled back into his seat by both JC and Trace.

“No you’re not.  You’re staying here.  So just drink your beer and deal with it.” Trace told him.

“Ugh!” Justin groaned.  They were treating him like a child and he hated it.  But he knew they were right in the long run.  He did need to give her room.  He didn’t need to go to the house and confront her right now.  No that wouldn’t be good.  “Can I call her at least?” he questioned.

JC rolled his eyes.  “She’s probably not even back at the house yet.  Give it a half hour or so then if you STILL want to call her you can.  Just calm down, J.  Damn.”

“Well, I’m sorry that I’m concerned about my friend.” Justin snapped, angrily.

“We understand you’re concerned Justin, but you’re only going to make things worse by acting the way you are.  So just relax for a while.  Give yourself some time to mellow out and think about things before you go running off to the house or calling her.  You don’t want to put your foot in your mouth again.” Trace warned.

Justin sighed.  “Fine.  I’ll wait a while, a half hour or so.  But then I’m calling her.”

“Why are you doing this?” Kerrigan cried, trying desperately to pull away from Cody.

He was angry because she had ran off to California with Justin and it was the only thing she had heard about for the last few minutes.  How he had come across a tabloid with a picture of her, Justin and Trace happily roaming the streets of Hollywood together.  Him questioning her, demanding answers on why she left him.  Why she had just walked away from him.  Why she had said she never wanted to see him again or have anything to do with him.

When she had tried to explain all she had received in return was him yelling about how she was lying, along with several blows to her face.  She was now sprawled out on the floor, crying helplessly.  She didn’t know what to do.  There was no one around.  The neighbors wouldn’t hear her cries for help.  Everyone she could depend on was at Justin’s party and she had no way to reach any of them.

“Why am I doing this?  WHY AM I DOING THIS?” Cody yelled.  “Kerrigan, you belong to me!  Not Justin.  Not anyone else, but ME!”

“I belong to no one.” she objected.  “I’m not some object.  I’m a person, Cody.  Nobody owns me!”

“You see that’s where you’re wrong, babe.  You’ve been mine since the moment I laid eyes on you.  I knew when I first seen you that I was going to have you and I did.  I also knew that it wouldn’t go over well with Mr. Timberlake, but I could tell that if given the proper attention and care you wouldn’t listen to him and would fall into my arms.  And I was right.  The problem is that you do listen to him when it comes to certain things.  And you LIED to me when you told me you loved me.  The whole time I was just some stand in for him.”

“Well, let me tell you something my dear.  Justin Timberlake doesn’t love you.  Not the way I do.  Not now.  Not ever.  He’s just your friend and you’re stupid if you think that’ll ever change.  So you need to pack your shit up and come with me.  We’ll go back to Florida, we’ll go to the courts tell them it was a big misunderstanding and then we’ll go off somewhere where nobody can find us and we’ll be happy.  The way things should be.  We’ll create another baby together and be a family.  The way it was all supposed to be until that stupid mother fucker got involved.”

“Would you listen to yourself.  You’re insane!” Kerrigan yelled.  “None of this is Justin’s fault.  It’s yours!  You’re the one that beat me up.  YOU’RE THE ONE THAT KILLED OUR BABY!” she yelled, as she got to her feet.

Cody whirled around and punched her in the stomach, sending Kerrigan crumbling back to the floor.  “Don’t you ever say that again!  EVER!” he yelled.  “I did not kill our baby, Timberlake did!  If he would have just minded his own God damned business none of this ever would of happened.  But noooooo, he’s gotta be Mr. Friend.  Mr. Protector.  Let’s see how he likes it when he can’t find your ass.  When he never gets to see you again!”

Kerrigan gasped into the carpet.  The blow to her abdomen had rendered her breathless.  Her ribs were healed but they were still very tender from the last time he had done this to her.  And tonight it was as if he had completely lost his mind.  He refused to take the blame for anything and instead was turning it all around and putting it either on her or Justin.

“Cody, please.” she begged.

“Please what?” he questioned walking over to her and turning her over to her back with his foot.

“Please, just go.  Don’t do this.  Please.” she continued to plead, not knowing what else to do.

“No, Kerrigan.  I can’t do that.  I’m going to take you upstairs and you’re going to pack a bag and then we’re leaving.  We’re going to get as far away from all of these so called friends of yours as we can and then we’ll be able to get on with our lives.” he said, pulling her to her feet.

Kerrigan stumbled along side Cody as he lead her towards the hallway, but he stopped when the phone began to ring.  They both turned and stared at the phone.

Immediately thoughts began racing through Kerrigan’s mind on how she could get away from him and get to the phone so she could seek help.  But apparently Cody was able to read her thoughts, because his grip on her arm tightened dramatically and there was no way she was going to be able to break free from that hold.

Cody jerked her arm and began to walk towards the hallway again when the machine picked up.  Just hearing Justin, Trace and Kerrigan’s chipper voices on the message was enough to piss him off further and he just wanted to get the hell out of there.  But he stopped suddenly when he heard Justin’s voice poring through the machine.

“Kerrigan, are you there?” he paused, waiting on her to pick up the phone.  “I guess maybe you’re asleep already.  Or maybe you’re just pissed and don’t wanna talk to me right now.  Whatever the case may be I just want you to know I’m sorry.  Sorry for a lot of things.  I’m sorry I kissed you tonight, that was wrong of me.  But I’m even more sorry that I said it was because I thought you were Britney.  I didn’t mean that.  I was just scared and I didn’t know what I was doing and I just said the first thing that came to mind and I know that comparing you to Brit really hurt you and for that I’m truly sorry.  It’s just I don’t want you to be upset with me.  I love ya, Kerr.  You’re my friend and I fucked up tonight.  I shouldn’t have kissed you.  I apparently had one too many beers and that damn song just had me all screwed up and I don’t know.  I guess I don’t really have a valid excuse.  Just know that I’m sorry.  Hopefully, we can talk about this tomorrow and sort everything out.  I hope you’re ok.  I guess I’ll talk to you in the morning.  Bye.”

Cody stood there seething with anger.  Yanking Kerrigan around to look at her.  “He kissed you?” he demanded angrily.

“He didn’t mean…”

Cody cut her off.  “He fucking kissed you?”

Kerrigan struggled to get free, but it was no use.  Cody’s grip was far too tight and she wasn’t going anywhere.  “You heard what he said.  He didn’t mean it.” she said, still struggling against him.

“Yeah, that’s right.  He didn’t mean it.  You’re not that lucky.” Cody sneered.  “I can see that hopeful look in your eyes.  You really thought he loved you back didn’t you?” he questioned.

“Cody, let me go.” she demanded.

He shook his head no, his anger growing at the mere thought of Justin kissing his girlfriend.  “You enjoyed it didn’t you?  Him kissing you?” he pushed.

“Shut up.” Kerrigan said, again attempting to jerk away from him.

“DIDN’T YOU?!” Cody demanded.

Tears began to pour down Kerrigan’s face again.  This was hopeless.  She remembered far too well what had happened the last time he was this angry.  And from the look in his eyes after hearing Justin’s words on the machine he was by far angrier than she had ever seen him before.  There was no way she was going to get out of this.  No way at all.

But this time she wasn’t going to go down without giving it her all.  This time she was NOT going to let him do the things he had done to her in the past without at least a fight.  She knew she had nothing on him.  He was double times her size and triple times her power, but she would fight.  She would fight with everything she had in her, because she just knew that if she didn’t get away from him he was going to kill her.  There was something in his eyes that told her if he couldn’t have her, no one else would.  And she was not going to let him kill her without a fight.  She was going to at least make Justin proud in this moment.  That way she could at least die knowing that she hadn’t disappointed him again.

“YES!” she finally yelled back at Cody.  “I did enjoy it.  His kiss was everything yours never were and NEVER could be!”

Angrily Cody jerked Kerrigan around and threw her across the room into a glass table that sat perched behind one of the leather sofas.  The glass gave way under the weight of Kerrigan’s body, cutting her back as she fell to the floor in the pile of broken glass.

“TAKE IT BACK!” Cody yelled, walking over to her limp body.  “TAKE IT BACK!” he yelled again when she didn’t respond, kicking her repeatedly.  “FUCKING TAKE IT BACK!”

“No.” Kerrigan’s weak voice came from the floor.  “You’re an awful person Cody and I hate you.”

Grabbing Kerrigan up by her hair, Cody threw her across the room again, into a wall.  Her body flinging against it forcefully, then sliding to the floor.  “You will take it back, Kerrigan.  You love me.  And I love you.  And you stand no chance in hell with Timberlake.  So give it up now.”

“Fuck you.” she mumbled from the floor.

Cody reach down and pulled her to a standing position in front of him.  “What did you say to me?” he demanded.

“I said FUCK YOU!” she yelled, reaching up and scratching him has forcefully as she could down the sides of his face.

Cody yelled out in pain and let her go grabbing his face.  Kerrigan ran for the front door, but it was locked.  Fumbling with the lock she had just managed to unlock it when Cody grabbed her from behind dragging her up the stairs by her hair.  “Oh no you don’t.” he said, yanking her hair when she tried to hold onto the banister.  “We’re getting that bag and we’re getting the hell out of here.”

Kerrigan began kicking and screaming with everything she had in her.  He may get his way in the end but she was going to  make him work for it.  She was not going to go along willingly.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Cody threw her up against a wall.  “Stop fighting me!” he demanded.  “You know you’re no match for me.  You’re weak, Kerrigan.”

Kerrigan struggled again to get free, attempting to make him lose his balance and fall backwards down the stairs, not caring if he took her with him or not.  But it didn’t work.  He merely smirked at her attempts and yanked her around and began to lead her down the hallway.  Opening each door and looking inside to see which room was hers.

When he finally found her room, he threw her inside, closing and locking the door behind them.  “Get your shit.” he demanded, but Kerrigan merely sat in her spot on the floor refusing to move.  “I SAID GET YOUR SHIT!” he yelled, walking over and grabbing her up, shoving her towards the closet.

Kerrigan shoved him back, trying to get free.  “NO!” she yelled, continuing to fight him.

“Damn it, Kerrigan!” he growled, hitting her forcefully across her face, knocking her to the floor.  “STOP FIGHTING ME!”

Tears once again began to roll down her cheeks.  She was growing tired and didn’t know how much longer she could continue to fight him.  Her body ached from the abuse he had rendered and her mind was slowly shutting down.  She just wanted to give up, but she couldn’t.  She would fight him until she could fight him no longer.  She already knew what the outcome would be, there was no doubt in her mind about that.  There was no way she was going to get away from him.  But she would try.  She would go down fighting.  She would make Justin proud.  And that was the only thing she could concentrate on right now.  If nothing else, as long as she made him proud and didn’t go down without a fight, then in the end it would be worth it.