Endless Bonds Copyright © 2016-2017 xXMopelXx All Rights Reserved.

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m sick out of my mind with worry.

It's been almost sixteen hours since I took Teagan to the abortion clinic – sixteen hours since she made me promise not to breathe a word to anyone. Anyone heavily meaning our friends.

I didn't the get the full story. Last night she was a blubbering mess. I held her close and let her spill her tears all over my shirt. I don't know how she got pregnant or who got her pregnant. Just that she'd flown from Boston to Vancouver on the first flight available because she didn't know where else to go.

I took comfort in the thought that she hadn't been raped. She swore to me. Or else nothing would have stopped me from going there myself and beating the guy to a pulp.

Holy fvck. It was probably a smart thing for her to come here. If I was there, guaranteed I'd be in jail right now.

Moreover, I'm glad she came to me and didn't go alone. I would have hated knowing she went to that clinic alone. I'd rather people think I'm her boyfriend, then them making false judgements about her if she were there on her own.

Physically she seemed okay after the procedure. Mentally it was anyone's guess. Her tense eyes and ashen complexion spoke volumes. I gave her the biggest hug known in history and asked her if I could get her some breakfast.

She said no, until I kept insisting. She allowed me to buy her a bagel from Tim Hortons. She barely ate it, driving me insane until I practically begged her to shove it down her throat. She picked at it upon my constant pleading.

"Can you drop me at Elsie's house?" Teagan had asked.

I drove her to her cousin's house wordlessly.

I haven't heard from her since then. It's driving me crazy. I need to know if she's okay.

I'm lying down in bed with my phone, my hands shaking. Something's not right. I'm tempted to go over at her cousin's and ask why she's been avoiding my calls for hours now.

It takes her twenty minutes to reply to my last text.

My phone falls and lands on my face. I frown, plucking it away and narrowing my eyes. Did I read that right? I don't like the fact that she left without even saying goodbye.

I don't get it, but I get it. If she told the girls, they would have never let her leave. They would have moved heaven and hell to make sure she remained here, where she'd be taken care of properly. Dammit. She needed that kind of moral support. We all know she'd never get it from her neglecting parents. Fvck. But I understand being ashamed of your own mistakes. Being scared of everyone around you seeing them. Having to run away because of those very reasons.

I add in a smiling emoji just for good measure.

I'm obviously kidding. I'd go alone and find the fucker who didn't know how to wrap his cock properly. Figure out if it was a shitty one-night stand, or an even shittier boyfriend who doesn't know how to take care of my friend.

I take a deep breath and give her my final reply.

Satisfied, I'm about to put my phone away when it buzzes once more.

I grit my teeth. If I hadn't spoken to Cher in a year and a half, then it's been longer since Oliver spoke to his best friend.

Oliver and Teagan used to be the ultimate duo, until he confessed his feelings for her and she didn't feel the same way. It all went to shit from there.

I stare at my phone, not believing what I'm reading. Anger shoots up my veins and I wish she was here so I could shake some sense into her. He can't think that. No. Oliver doesn't think that.

She never answers me.

* * *

It's almost midnight.

I've showered and changed into a pair of fresh jeans and a new blue Henley. I'm scavenging in my kitchen for food and maybe some alcohol. I find a sealed bag of chocolate covered pretzels and a half empty bottle of JD.

I'm picking Cher up in fifteen minutes.

I need to see her.

To be alone with her like we used to be after the hell of a day I went through. Taking Teagan to the abortion clinic was hard enough. Seeing my ex-girlfriend, still in town, after she claimed she was moving to Australia, cut me to the quick. Having lunch with my friends and having to act like it was all okay was even worse.

I just needed to see her.

I drive over and wait in her parking lot.

I'm a mixture of nerves and relief when I see Cher's silhouette through the window on the second story as she descends the staircase.

She pushes the glass entrance door and steps outside. Her long hair is tied in a ponytail and it billows softly in the warm breeze. She's got on white sneakers and a green dress that's skin-tight and hugging every possible curve on her damn body.

My mouth goes dry as she nears the passenger side of my SUV.

Cheryl looks good – actually better than good. Lord have mercy, because I'm mortified by my next thought. My ex-almost-current best friend looks fvcking hot.

She slips inside in the seat. "Hey."

I'm dumbstruck by her pretty bare face and the modest cleavage that's proudly showcased by the low neckline of her dress.

She blinks at me as I continue to stare at her like I've lost all control of my motor functions. Cher's eyes widen. I'm pretty sure I look like one of Pavlov's dogs, imaginary drool and all smeared across my chin.

"Hey." There's a sudden change in my voice. It's huskier. Deeper.

"Hey," she says again and laughs nervously. A perfectly groomed eyebrow goes up. "You okay?"

I was two minutes ago. I'm trying really hard to be a good honorable guy and keep my eyes on hers. Then I remember I'm not honorable and kind of an axshole, so I allow my gaze to skirt the surface of her perky t*its before dipping down to her – Holy. Fvcking. Shit. Her dress is shorter than sin and rides up her toned thighs. Her tanned legs look like they go on for a mile.

If there's one thing I've learned about Cher in the last two weeks is that she likes itty bitty skirts and dresses. She was more of a jeans and t-shirt girl back in the days. I'm not complaining though. I don't mind the change.

"Great." I rasp, practically tearing my eyes from her perfect assets. Kill me now. I try hard to focus my attention backing out of the lot. "Peachy."

There's an awkward silence in the car and I'm spiralling into nervousness. I sure as fvck hope she didn't catch me checking her out, because I don't know how I'll justify that.

I hand her my phone wordlessly and she unlocks it. Music blares through the car as she picks a rap number for my sake – always for my sake.

"So where are we going?" Her voice is background noise as I hit the highway.

I can barely concentrate on the route to the abandoned field – our field – as her scent continues to invade every inch of the car. It's something light and citrusy.

"Trent?" She shifts her legs and leans closer, putting her hand on my arm.

I stiffen a little. "Yeah?"

"Where are we going?"

I flick her a look and find her eyes gentle and imploring. I debate ruining the surprise. "Told you earlier. Somewhere."

She huffs all cute and leans back in her seat, kicking her feet up on the dashboard. She ignores my glare. I hate when people park their feet up on the board like that. Usually it's Jared and I'm quick to cuss him out. I let it slide with Cher.

Partly because I'm trying to make amends. Partly because her legs looking fvcking sexy like that. Fvck. I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't know how we're going to reverse back into our old patterns if I can't stop checking her out. This is going to turn awkward real soon. Fvck, it's already awkward. I'm finding Cheryl Anderson, my childhood best friend, hot.

I got to admit though. She's usually put together in little wrinkle-free skirts, heels and her beret. I like this girl more – the one that seems casual and laid back.

"Is this the part where you reveal yourself as a psycho and take me to the woods to murder me?"

Oh, goodie. She's talking. Conversation. Yes that's good. I'm thinking less and less about her awesome legs and the fact that I'm picturing those legs – OK. No. Not going there.

Wait. What? It takes me a second too long to realize what she's said.

"Ha. Ha. Ha," I deadpan. "Very funny, sweetheart. I'm not going to kill you."

"It's just a thought."

"Well it's not a very good one." I wouldn't hurt her again, at least not intentionally.

"You're grumpy," she scoffs and her face changes as something flickers in her head. "Aww. Does someone need to get laid?"

I cut her another quick blank look.

Cher realizes a beat later that she caught me outside of Tonya's dorm room after getting laid. Right after I caught her getting laid.

"Never mind," she croons and twirls a lock of bronze hair around her finger.

"I think I've have enough pvssy to keep me satisfied throughout the weekend."

There's a pregnant pause after my admission and I panic for a second, thinking I've said too much. I mean, she and I used to joke about these kind of things all the time.

Cheryl surprises me by bursting out a stream of laughter. Her hand covers her mouth in a scandalous manner. "Oh, my God. You didn't just say that!"

I shrug, fighting the smile at hearing the sweet sound of her laugh. I made her laugh. I actually fvcking made her laugh. It's oddly refreshing.

"You haven't changed much, eh?"

I look at her as I get off the highway. "Not at all."

"You still into –"Another row of laughter is bubbling in the pit of her stomach, I can tell. "-cheer pvssy?"

I groan now. "Fucking stop, Cher. We're not going there."

Teagan, Cher, Tara and my sister made fun of my back in high school because I'd hooked up twice with Paulina Weston (resident psycho of Eastwood High's cheerleading squad). I only realized the psycho part once she started leaving love letters and lipstick marks all over my locker. They all laughed and said I had a weakness for "cheer pvssy" after that encounter.

I really don't. I like my girls smart and intellectual. Regardless if they're on a cheer team or not. I like knowing that I can hold a real intelligible conversation with my partner about anything and everything.

There was nothing wrong with the cheerleaders back in high school, but not all of them were the, uh, brightest in the IQ department, which always majorly turned me off.

Cher's still laughing until I take it upon myself to flip the tables.

"You still into licking Nerdy Ned's balls, sweetheart?"

That manages to shut her up for two point five seconds, before she guffaws. My bicep is thwacked by her pathetic punch. "You fvcking moron! I only gave him a tour of the library once!"

I'm laughing with her. "You sure it wasn't a tour of your –"

"Finish that sentence and I swear I'll tell everyone you had oral sxx with Kesha from Mrs. Willey's class sophomore year and said it tasted like barf –"

"OK. Shut the fvck up. No one needs to know whose pvssy I licked, all right?" I laugh. If I'm not careful, she's going to start pulling out all these old receipts. "I hate you. You don't deserve my friendship."

"Oh, cry me a river!" She's holding it together as her frame quakes. "B-Better yet, why don't you go p-prematurely ejacxlate in your pants – thank you Nora Morrison for that reference – the next time you're trying to get a girl off?"

I was fourteen when that happened. Another moment I'm not proud of, but at least I got the girl to cxme. "Keep talking that talk, honey, and I swear, by tomorrow morning, everyone's going to know how your drunk self begged me for pointers on how to svck d!ck so you could give Brando Redman the bl*wjob of his life. Oh, and how you almost castrated the poor boy with your teeth. Such a nice story isn't it?"

Her head jerks back against the headrest with her next giggle, exposing the slender column of her throat. "Yeah, right. You and I both know damn well he liked his bl*wjobs on the sloppier side. While we're talking about head, should I even delve into the topic of how much action the backseat of your car's gotten?"

I take a right. "Bite me." I stutter out a chuckle. "Actually, please don't. I like my d!ck and bxlls the way they are."

She jokingly kicks my thigh and I realize Cheryl's a hazard to any driver. The girl's got kickass legs and she's violent when she's not properly buckled into a moving vehicle. "You're honestly such a horn dog. You. Literally. Haven't. Changed."

I like sxx and I have lots of it. I make sure to damn well enjoy it thoroughly, while tending to my needs as well as my partners. There's no use in feeling insulted by something you get so much pleasure out of. So Cher's words don't faze me. Plus I know there's no underlying insult hidden beneath. It's our playful banter making an appearance after all these years.

I give her a half-smirk. "You wouldn't have me any other way."

She glances down at her polished nails in a snobby fashion. "I suppose so."

We joke around for a few minutes. It's nice. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard that my cheeks hurt from smiling. It's more than nice. Great even. The fifteen minute ride to the abandon field is almost over.

It finally clicks in her head when she sees the street I take. Cher turns to me, excitement painted all over her features, her blue eyes alight. "Are you taking me to the field?"

"No. I'm taking you to the moon," I mock.

That earns me another shove, before she smiles genuinely. "I'm good with that, too."

* * *

"Catch."

The taut lines in her back tighten and Cher pivots around quickly to receive the flying bag of chocolate-covered pretzels I've brought. She catches it with one hand, continuing to text with the other.

"I didn't know we were having a full on picnic," she remarks with amusement as she watches me pull out an old fleece blanket. She eyes the bottle of JD suspiciously. "Are you drinking?"

"Nah, jackaxs. You're drinking. I drove here remember?" My smile falters. "Is Jack Daniels still your favorite?"

She nods. "I don't drink as much as before, but yes, it's still a favorite. Now, stop yapping and give me the alcohol."

I lock the car and hand her the bottle. We walk side by side, crossing the fence and carefully stepping over mud and dead grass.

There's a look of wonderment on her face as she absorbs the scenery before her. The ground is still wretched, but the large clearing can't lose its appeal during nightfall. You can see all the stars, and the trees are scarce. No one comes here. Ever. Cheryl and I discovered this field when we were fifteen, hidden strategically behind an old abandoned barn like house.

Back when I didn't have my license, I would help Cher sneak out of the house and we'd go vagabonding around the town late at night. We came across this place one night when I had a lot of my mind and was trying to walk it off.

We lay under the stars, not saying a word until we fell asleep amongst the overgrown weeds and muddy ground. It was gross. It was the best night of my life. Discovering this field had changed something in me. I'd never forget that night. We ran back home when we got wind of the time. I got grounded for a week and Cheryl for an entire month.

"I didn't realize how much I missed this place," she whispers.

I look at her. "Yeah. Me neither."

"You come here often."

My eyes capture hers and I don't let go. "Not since you left."

My words ignite something inside of her and she teeters. "I'm sorry."

"Don't sweat it." I yank open the material and lay the blanket on the ground. "It's our place. I couldn't come here when you were gone."

"Well, I'm glad we're talking again," she grins, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "I've missed this place too much."

She sits down like a lady, even without her beret and high heels. The little dress is threatening to expose it all, but she's damn lucky it's dark, because I'm sure I would be getting an eyeful of whatever's hidden beneath thanks to the way she's sitting.

"You want to talk about the real reason I'm here?" Cher opens the bottle and takes one swig.

"What makes you think there's a reason? Maybe I just wanted to see you."

"Bullshxt. You saw me today. I know you too well."

I sigh deeply through my nose and flicker my gaze heavenwards. "Cher."

"Trent."

I prop my knees up and balance my forearms over them. When I twist my neck to look at her, she's already staring at me. Of course she is. She's always been so in tune with me. She knows why I needed to see her. Why I've been such a mess this whole day.

"You know," she starts. "It's okay to talk about her. I saw the look on your face today when you spotted her in the courtyard."

I'm breaking. I'm breaking and I want to spill my guts.

"Talk to me." It's the gentle note in her voice – the reassurance in them that resonates deeply within me.

"Seeing her today killed me," I admit roughly. "Seeing her was like salt in my healing cuts. She broke up with me because she said we were too different, because she was moving to Australia. She's still here, Cher. She never left."

Cheryl's eyebrows pucker. "I don't know enough to pass a judgement, Trent. I don't know why she broke up with you when you gave her the world. But as a friend, I will listen to everything you need to say to get this off your chest."

I breathe deeply. She understands me. She's always understood me. "You know those giant stuffed animals you win at a carnival – the rare kind?"

She doesn't say anything.