“I have to help,” I whisper.
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Connor follows Ryke with a hurried, determined stride. Rose is in a rush to wash her hands, and I think if it wasn’t lighter fluid, she’d say fuck it and go help Daisy on instinct.
“What’s going on?” I ask Rose.
She squirts a huge glob of soap onto her palm and talks rapidly, “We were in the middle of breaking up with Julian for Daisy.” Her eyes flicker back to the scene. “Fuck.”
“Come again?” Lo snaps.
“Yeah, what?” I ask, my pulse speeding. I flinch as Julian slams his fist into the wall beside Daisy’s head. Fear bubbles in my chest. With Connor and Ryke helping, I know she’ll be okay.
Rose’s alarmed gaze stays fixed on the fight while she scrubs harder, faster. “Daisy wanted to dump him, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I thought that if Connor and I did it for her and embarrassed her a little bit, she’d have enough sense to do it herself next time.” She adds coldly, “If I’d known you were going to have a mini-meltdown during the middle of it, I would have rescheduled.”
Ouch. “I’m sorry.”
“It could have gone bad regardless.”
At least she called my meltdown mini.
We watch Ryke grab Julian by the shoulder. He throws a well-deserved punch into Julian’s jaw, the force knocking him back a couple steps. Then Julian regains his balance and careens into Ryke, attempting to pummel him to the floor. But Connor grips Ryke’s shoulder, keeping him upright.
Rose turns off the faucet in haste, just as Ryke slams his fist into Julian’s face again.
Daisy stands petrified by the wall, and I wish I could run over to her and bring her to safety—far, far away from her ex-boyfriend.
Rose is by my side. “Get her out of there,” she says under her breath. I don’t think she’s talking to me though.
Julian cusses and stops to touch his swollen eye. His chest rises and falls heavily. I wish Ryke would knee him in the nuts.
Julian sets his sights on Daisy, his face hardened in anger. Both Rose and I start forward on instinct, and Lo reaches out, clutching our arms. I think Rose would curse him out if she wasn’t so hypnotized by the ongoing fight.
“You’re just going to fucking stand there?!” Julian yells at our sister.
“What do you want from me?” Daisy questions.
“For you to give me back months of my life that I wasted with you, you stupid cunt.”
Whoa. Everything moves so fast. Connor holds Ryke by the shoulders while he shouts a series of expletives, some I’ve never heard before. And then Lo releases Rose and me, only so he can step in to help too.
But I want him in the fight just as much as he wants me in it.
I climb onto his back so he’ll stay put.
“Go fuck someone who actually likes you, Julius!” Lo yells. “Oh wait, that leaves no one on this planet. Better go find someone who can take you to Mars, you motherfucker!”
I award him extra points for creativity.
Without Lo restraining Rose from attack, she disappears into the kitchen, retrieving a can of pepper spray in a drawer. Oh yes. She charges the living room like a warrior queen, directing the can right at Julian’s bruised face.
“Get out,” she sneers, shoving his arm. “Or I will burn more than just your eyes.”
I wrap my arms around Lo’s neck, and his hands slide to my legs as he settles down. My sister has this under control.
Julian raises his hands, sending the room one long, useless glare before he exits the townhouse.
“One douchebag down,” Lo says under his breath.
One more to go.
{ 34 }
0 years : 09 months May
LOREN HALE
“Can I ask you both something?” Connor says, leaning against the dresser in our room. The clock blinks 4 a.m., but he stands there, fully clothed like he just returned from a business meeting.
Lily and I have had a few minutes to rub our eyes and sit up against the headboard. Her body rests against mine, basically using me as a pillow. My lethargic brain has trouble processing what topic this could be about.
“If it has to do with Scott or production, I’m going back to bed.” I just don’t have the energy to deal with that at four in the morning.
Lily lets out a small yawn, her eyes partially closed. We had sex for over an hour. She was a little compulsive…I think because Rose made her try on the wedding dress to see if it needed any alterations.
“It’s not about him,” Connor says, his voice quiet in the dead of night. “I want to know your feelings on your wedding in a month.”