Because what the hell?
He probably still smelled like her.
I hated him.
He’d broken me.
And he hadn’t even apologized—or flinched.
No, he broke me, knowing full well that he was playing with me. Who did that? That wasn’t love.
It wasn’t.
I was clenching my teeth without realizing it.
King walked up to the breakfast table and tossed a USB next to the syrup. “I have a thought.”
“Dangerous,” Maksim joked.
I kicked him under the table because I liked his dad enough to not murder his firstborn.
“Shit.” Maksim rubbed his shin.
I looked over at King. “What do you have?”
“I think it’s a girl.” He gave a shrug. “A hot girl trying to blow you up into tiny pieces. Her blond hair was poking out from underneath her beanie; we had Sergio piece it together. It was dark, but the guy’s a genius, so yeah… that’s where we’re at. Probably best you stay here. The only other option would be to lure whoever they are out.”
“No!” yelled Maks. “She stays safe here. If you guys want to do your own stakeout, be my guest, but Izzy stays here.”
I was so pissed I wanted to scream. “Yeah,” I bit out. “Because Maksim is totally Izzy’s parent.”
He glared. “Your parents don’t get back until tomorrow.”
“Then I’ll live on the dangerous side!” I shouted. “Someone, please take me home. The last thing I need is one more night listening to this dipshit fuck dum-dum!”
Ash coughed out a laugh behind his hand then got hit by Annie.
Both Junior and Serena looked at me like they were sad, I was so bummed out, and I hated it all.
“I’m gone.” I shoved back from the table. “First person to get me to my house gets a hundred bucks.”
“In!” King shouted. “I love easy money.”
“King!” Maksim yelled. “What the hell, man?”
King frowned. “Bro, isn’t Jenna on her way here right now?”
“Yeah, but—”
“So, what’s the problem? You got your bitch already; let me take the princess home.”
“She’s not a bitch,” he snapped, making me feel worse.
“I’ll go grab my purse.” I shoved past Maksim only to have him grab me by the arm.
“Ten minutes.” His eyes begged. “King, give us a few, and I’ll bring her down myself.”
I have no clue why I let Maksim shove me into the nearest bathroom and lock the door; all I knew was that I wanted to knee him in the balls then waterboard him with the nearest wash rag.
“What?” I demanded. “What could you possibly need?”
“If you knew,” Maksim said in a low growl. “Just don’t… don’t get me mad, all right?”
“Don’t get you mad?” I yell. “You?”
“Iz!” His eyes widened. “I’m serious; I just need to calmly talk to you, all right?”
“Why!” I almost shrieked. “Why the hell do you even care anymore?” I shoved his chest again and again until he was pressed up against the door. “I hate you! I fucking hate you!”
“No.” His eyes darkened. “You don’t, you don’t get it.”
“Oh, I get it!” I punched him in the chest once, twice, “You’re a miserable manwhore, who likes to play with my heart. I was your friend first, Maks! And then, and then we crossed that line, and you promised. You promised until our heart stopped beating, but guess what? Mine won’t stop no matter how many times I tell it to! I tell it to ignore you. I tell it that you aren’t ours anymore, and it still beats, it beats so hard.” Tears streamed down my cheeks. “It’s yours, and I hate you for it. Why can’t you just let me go? Why do you have to pull me close then push me away the minute things get hard?”
His expression was thunderous. He opened his mouth and inhaled slowly, followed by a few exhales that seemed like he was meditating. “I said not to piss me off.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you angry? Offended?” I shoved away from him. “I’m going to go grab my shit.”
“Keep walking, and you’ll regret it!” He slammed his fist against the door.
I jumped a foot and turned. “What’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me?” he bellowed. “I’m trying to protect you, and you don’t even see it! I’m saving you!”
“You’re killing me!”
“NO!” He thundered. “I’m the one being killed.”
“Hey um…” Ash knocked on the door. “Everything okay in there?”
“Fine!” we shouted in unison.
“King’s ready.” Ash cleared his throat. “Thin walls and all…”
“Fuck.” Maksim turned and pounded his fists against the other wall until blood started trickling down his knuckles.
I’d never seen him so out of control.
And we’d been best friends.
“Go!” His voice was hoarse. “Go before I hurt you.”
I shook my head and opened the door, whispering over my shoulder. “Too late.”
Chapter Thirteen
“But he had an approved tolerance for others; sometimes wondering, almost with envy, at the high pressure of spirits involved in their misdeeds; and in any extremity inclined to help rather than to reprove.” —Robert Louis Stevenson.