Deep (Heavy Hearts Book 2) by Sarah Duncan (reading tree txt) 📕

of flying over my bed when Mike threw me across my room. As the images engulf my mind, I sway on my feet a little. Will I ever stop seeing the night Mike attacked me when I walk into this room? Probably not.

Taking a deep breath, I push forward and step over my threshold that remains door-less. Since I have no privacy with an open doorway, I hide in the corner of my room and change into my black leggings, a crop top and throw my black zip-up hoodie over the top. Since I have 20 minutes to kill while the food cooks, I slip on my sneakers and make my way back downstairs to the garage.

I ignore Marcus when he asks where I’m going because he’s still on my shit list from his comment to Rhys earlier. Shutting myself in the garage, I slide the gloves on and start pounding away at the bag hanging from a ceiling beam. Every time I throw punches at it, I picture Mike's face, followed by my dad’s, and then finish with the scary face of Muz. I beat the crap out of them in my mind, giving in to the anger that has been trying to break free all day. It’s only when my alarm goes off on my phone to alert me about the food cooking that I’m reminded I’m not alone in my house.

“If you ever want a sparring partner, let me know. I’d be happy to let you beat the shit out of me.”

I turn to Garrett’s voice and see him sitting on the floor just inside the access door that leads back into the house.

“You been here long?” I tug the gloves off and use a towel to wipe the sweat from the back of my neck.

“About fifteen minutes. I hope you don’t mind?” Garrett’s large hands are linked together, hanging lazily from his knees. It looks kind of funny with his hand bandaged up around a metal rod.

I shrug, not really caring, even though I probably should. Throwing the towel down by the treadmill, a strange noise floats through the walls, followed by arguing.

“What’s going on in there?”

Garrett grins, “They’re trying to put the doors back on upstairs. Marcus reckons he knows what he’s doing. It turns out he doesn’t.”

We both laugh.

“I’m going to need a repairman to fix their mistakes, aren’t I?”

“Probably.” Garrett stands from the concrete floor. “For the record, I’m glad you were able to hold your own against Tasha.”

I cringe, “I wouldn’t say that I held my own at all.”

“Oh, you did, trust me.” I’m pretty sure he’s just saying that to make me feel better, so I accept it with a smile.

Garrett follows me back into the house and heads upstairs to sort out the idiots who think they can hang a door while I go into the kitchen. Taking the food out of the oven, I let it cool on the bench and then grab six cans of soft drink out of the fridge. When I close the fridge, I notice that the pictures of me and mum that have lived on the fridge for like, years, are gone.

That’s weird; I could have sworn they were there this morning. Maybe I just thought they were there because I’m so used to seeing them. Maybe mum took them off a couple of weeks ago, or perhaps they got damaged when Mike trashed the house. Valarie’s mum might remember if she came across them when she was cleaning up.

“Oh honey, did you cook for us?”

I turn from the fridge, poking my tongue out at Shaun before piling the hot food on a plate.

“Tell your moron friends that their food is ready.”

“Hey moron’s, come get some grub!” Shaun yells from the seat he claims at the table.

“I could have done that, Shaun!” Shaking my head and fighting back a grin, I place the plate on the table as well as the ketchup.

“Done what?” He asks innocently.

“Yelled at the top of my lungs.” My hands are on my hips as I scold Shaun, and I’ve never felt more domesticated than in this moment. For fuck’s sake, I feel like their damn mum or something!

Shaun chuckles right before the room fills with male laughter. One by one, they file in and grin at me, giving me a “Thanks” or a wink before sitting down to eat. I shake my head at them and turn to hide my grin. I really enjoy having them around, even if I do feel like their mum. No, mum isn’t right. Maybe their wife, just without the sex.

“Here, Lex, I grabbed you some before these pigs eat it all.”

Turning back at Marcus’s voice, he stands awkwardly holding out a plate piled with party pies and sausage rolls. Stepping forward slowly, I take the plate with a small smile. There’s too much on it for me to eat, but I don’t want to be rude, so I keep that to myself.

“Sorry, Lex,” Marcus whispers.

Looking up to his pained face, I realise that the plate of food is a peace offering. I sigh.

“I don’t know what your problem is, Marcus, but you need to stop having digs at me about Ayden. I know I should never have let him get mixed up in my bullshit. I know he is suffering now because of me. But you have to know that I care about him, and for a moment there, I was selfish and gave into my emotions for him. For a moment, I thought I could have something more than what I deserve.”

Marcus gapes at me, “Is that what you really think, Lex? That what he is going through now is because of you?”

“Well, isn’t it? And isn’t that why you keep having digs at me?” Part of me knows it’s because he has a thing for me, but that can’t be the whole reason.

“Jesus, no. What happened at that party in Melbourne has nothing to do with you, Lexi. If anything, it’s