PROTECT MY IMAGE AT ALL COST

LOLA

I wasn't sure how long I had passed out, but my eyes felt swollen as I tried to keep them open to the figures that moved in front of me.

My body was stiff, almost like all the bones that pulled me up were shattered and packed up.

I tried to stretch my leg, but a sharp pain climbed up my knee, discouraging me from seeking any other form of comfort.

Laying flat on the bed, in the same position I had woken up in, I managed to turn my neck to get a proper view.

"You had no right to lock her up, Eddison. What do you think she is? A piece of furniture you can pack up for storage whenever you like?"

My heart began to race as I blinked rapidly to confirm my reality.

That was Connor's voice.

He was here. Why? 

Again, he sounded like he was ready to throw a punch and stay unapologetic about it no matter what.

I swallowed. The sudden wetness against my throat itching me for some more.

Eddy groaned tiredly.

"Cut it, Connor Millow. Cut it. You're beginning to sound too obvious."

My heart skipped a beat.

Eddy was the type to say the best of the things he wasn't supposed to.

I fought to keep my eyes open despite the film of blur that clouded my vision.

"You must be an as*h*le," Connor said, cackling lightly.

My vision got better as the conversation proceeded with an unexpected heat.

When the light became brighter and the room became clearer, my eyes fell quickly on another figure, like he had appeared out of the blue and my brain was waiting for the perfect time to introduce him.

Freddy.

How is he here? I almost spoke out my thoughts loudly.

"Am I? I doubt it, because I am not the one wanting what clearly doesn't belong to me," Eddy's voice came again, as calm yet brutal, like always.

"Whatever you think is all in your head, I promise you," Connor snapped, and for some reason, his words tore through my chest.

I chewed on my lower lip, forcing myself to concentrate and not think about Connor and whatever it was he had just said.

"I made you a deal---"

"F*ck you and your insensitive plots. That's not the point of this conversation. I insist that you owe her a well presented apology and a promise to stop being a d*ckhead."

Connor had stretched a finger towards were I layed when he mentioned me, and I was sure he saw I was awake, because his eyes had lingered for a second longer than usual before his gaze finally shifted.

I didn't move. I couldn't move. I just watched.

"May I remind you, Dr. Connor, that Lola is still my wife," Eddy spoke, dragging each word to create an impact.

"Then, treat her like one," Connor snapped.

"And I haven't?" Eddy fired back.

"Have you? Locking her up just because of a mere mistake is the best treatment from a husband to a wife. Tell me something more shocking," Connor's voice followed, his anger rising fast.

I could see the two men clearly now, and they were both fuming with the kind of rage that if left to brew, it might get out of hand.

My gaze dashed to where Freddy still stood, by the side, like he had no business with whatever was going on.

"The choice is yours to make," Eddy's voice came again, gentler this time, but I could tell right away — he was plotting something.

"Take it or learn to look away," Eddy continued.

I knew what he was referring to, and deep down, I prayed all this was a dream.

Things weren't about to get messy before I even had the opportunity to control them.

"Lola, what the hell happened?"

My stomach sank.

Freddy was in the room, but I wasn't expecting him to speak. Not so soon. 

My lips trembled against themselves as I slowly pulled myself up from the bed.

I was afraid to look up, so I kept my head down and counted my fingers repeatedly.

But even at that, I could feel the three pairs of eyes bore into my skin in expectation.

It made me think about what had happened, and it was strange because all I could remember was dumbly standing in the middle of Eddy's party worried that I might just sink into the earth and then a young waiter being a total ass to me and then, another tasting the cup of her medicine before she had the chance to deal it.

"Lola, can you tell me why you were passed out flatly behind the locked door of the storage room, your body burning up like it would have been a disaster if I didn't find you when I did?"

My eyes stilled and my thoughts did a glitch — stopping abruptly, speedily running through the series of incidents from this morning as far as I could remember, then brooding curiously on Freddy's question.

I heard Connor gasp — not out of surprise, more like a knowing reaction.

I scratched my eyes, thinking of how best to reply when I couldn't even remember.

Thoughts that I might have done that to myself crossed my mind, but I wasn't sure I had gone so far with my outburst.

"So what! I did that," Eddy's voice, certain and bold, slapped heavily against my thoughts, reminding me of how unfortunate I just had to be whenever I was around him.

"You did what?" Freddy turned to him, his face roughened with a blooming anger.

Eddy didn't move.

"I did that. You asked a question," he muttered, lifting his glass off the table with his fingers clutching the top edge like a master in his territory, knowing that nothing could touch him.

I swallowed. Speechless.

My mind worked fast. I could feel Freddy's outburst building up. If he was any similar to who he was two years ago, he would go down relentlessly with Eddy and that would definitely trigger Eddy to come at me in front of the other men.

Connor sighed.

"Make this make sense, Eddy!" Connor snapped, clicking his fingers to the heaviness with which he had spoken.

No. This wasn't going to happen.

"I asked him to," my voice rang through the room, delivering a clear message of confusion, Eddy himself was surprised at my words.

"Lola!”