Chapter Twenty-Six
I was soon walking back into the apartment, I was hoping Austin wouldn't ask too many questions on why I took so long. I wasn't that long, but it definitely took longer than taking a bin out should take. As I walk into the kitchen I see Austin wasn't at the table anymore, but as at the sink cleaning all the mess up.
'I could have done that" I say pointing to what he was doing, I know he'll do a good job at the washing up but I'm the one that cooked, I made the mess I should be the one to clean it.
'I can handle it, you cooked so it's only right that I wash up. Go and eat your food before it gets cold" he tells me with a look, I knew this meant he wouldn't take no for an answer.
I thank him walking over to take my seat at the table, it kind of puzzled me that he didn't ask me why I took so long. Maybe he was too focused on the washing up to notice, should I come up with an excuse or just leave it? It it be suspicious if I don't?
'Sorry I took so long, I got caught up in conversation with one of the neighbours' I say deciding it would be better just to tell him, but then I soon remember Markus and how I hadn't told him yet. 'Talking about having a conversation, take a guess at who turned up at my work toady" I say taking a bite from my dinner, he stops washing up to look over at me where I send him a nod.
'What did he want?" He asks shaking his hands over the sink, before he turns to take a seat at the table with me while I ate.
'We have plans this Saturday, he told me he's having this meet up with some higher ups in his company, he wants you to go as you're his best worker and apparently, I need to go as a beautiful woman makes any man look good" I say rolling my eyes at his stupid comment, he can call me beautiful all he wants but I only have eyes for one man and that's Roman. 'Before you say you're sorry you brought me into this mess, like I keep saying we're in this together now, we'll find a way out soon" I say reaching over the table to take his hand, he looks up smiling at my comment nodding his head.
~~
After the interaction Brooke had with Payton, she knew something wasn't right with her friend and she somehow had to help her. But she also knew Payton well, if Payton didn't want to tell her something she wouldn't. Brooke worried that whatever was happening with Payton, she was way in over her head and couldn't see that. There was only one person that Brooke knew Payton would listen to, Roman.
She walks into her house after work, where her mother left a note on the fridge telling her she wouldn't be back until next month, she was visiting her longtime boyfriend. Brooke takes a coke from the fridge whilst pulling her phone out, she had Roman's number for the times Payton's phone dies at work and she needs to ring him. She clicks on his name bringing her phone to her ear.
'Hello" Roman's voice soon comes through the phone, Brooke knew he never saved her number so he was clueless who was on the other end.
'Hi Roman, it's Brooke, Payton's friend" she says understanding if she just started telling him what she knew he'd be majorly concerned on who he was talking to you.
'Hello Brooke, what can I do for you?" He asks politely, Roman was rather busy but as soon as he heard Payton's name, he had to stay on the phone.
'If I'm being honest, I'm really worried about Payton. She has hardly been at work since you left and then just last week, Dustin told us that she wouldn't be in for awhile" Brooke starts to explain just getting all of this off her chest, if she didn't she felt like she was going to explode. 'Today was her first day back which was fine and I was more than happy to see her, but when I looked at her, she was beaten up really badly, she had cuts and bruises all over her face and arms" she tells him, she didn't know if he knew about this but she had check.
'She was?" He asks sounding rather shocked and sad, which tells Brooke he indeed didn't know a thing about what she was telling him.
'I asked her what happened where she told me the week before she was jumped, but I've known Payton for awhile and I don't know why, I didn't believe her" she says being completely honest with him, she was going to ask Payton at the time but they were both called to work. 'Payton just isn't herself, she's so jumpy and worried about everything. It only got worse when this man walks into the restaurant, as soon as she looked at him I could see the fright in her eyes which she was trying to hide. He sat at the counter just staring at her as she worked, which I could tell made her super uncomfortable. When she walked away I went over and asked who the guy was, she tells me he's one of Austin's friends before she turned away but as she did, I looked her in eyes and she looked terrified" she says while she hears a sigh on the other end of the phone, this was hard for Roman to hear.
'I knew something was off when I've been ringing her and Austin" he says which he'd been thinking for a few weeks now, but whenever he asked they both gave him some elaborate excuse.
'Talking of Austin, today was the only day that he hadn't been hovering around her since you left. He drops her off to work and picks her up, but not even that, when she's at work she has loads of missed calls and texts from him, he's obsessed" she exclaims which she thought was weird, in her opinion it goes beyond them just being friends. 'Do you think there's a possibility that Austin or even that friend of his, could be hurting Payton while you're away?" She asks where Roman immediately gets angry on hearing this, he trusted Austin to look after his girlfriend when he was away.
'I've known Austin for years and I've never thought he would be capable of doing anything like that, but it's my job to look after her and obviously, that's not being done while I'm away. I need to cut this business trip short, I'll be on the next plane home" Roman says in a sense talking to himself, in his mind he had got enough companies to invest and the safety of his girlfriend is much more important than any of that. 'Don't tell Payton, I'm coming home early" he tells Brooke, he doesn't want Austin or that friend of his catching wind before it happens.
'I can assure you this will stay between us, I just want whatever's happening to Payton to stop" Brooke tells him honestly, she knows her and Payton were at each other's throats before, but that doesn't mean she stopped caring.
Roman thanks her for telling him before hanging up the phone, she sighs placing her phone on the counter to charge as her front door knocks. She wasn't expecting anyone but she does walk over to the door, once she opens up the door she's surprised and terrified at who is standing on the other side.
'I heard you were getting some bad vibes from me, how about we have a little chat" Markus smirks before pushing her out of the way and slamming the door behind them.