God, I had it bad for him.
Chapter Fourteen
Aiden
We were about to leave the house when I saw Braxton leaning against the wall by the door. He was drinking right out of a bottle of vodka, his focus on Harlow and me. I had no doubt he’d been watching us for some time, probably glaring at me while I waited for Harlow. I knew he was still stewing about our altercation at school, and I had the feeling this would turn into something I really didn’t want it to. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to fight him, because I sure as fuck did. No, I didn’t want Harlow to see that side of me. I didn’t want to scare her, didn’t want to disgust her or have her thinking differently of me.
Just keep walking.
And as soon as we got to the front door, of course Braxton blocked it.
Dude. Just walk away.
I stopped Harlow and placed myself in front of her.
“Hey, Harlow,” Braxton said with a thickly slurred voice, trying to look over my shoulder to see her. Braxton looked sweaty, like he’d been running laps around the house. But I knew it was because he was trashed. This should be fun. He brought a beer bottle up to his mouth and took a long drink from it, finishing it off before tossing it aside as if he didn’t give a shit it could shatter on one of his parents’ no doubt expensive-as-fuck rugs. “I was hoping you’d come,” he mumbled out and chuckled, which caused his friends to do the same. I didn’t know what he thought was so funny or why his bonehead friends were following suit.
“Can you move the fuck out of the way? Harlow wants to leave.”
Braxton’s laughter died. “That true, Harlow?” Braxton looked at me then. “Or is this asshole taking you against your will?”
I snorted at that. “Get the fuck out of the way, dude.”
He didn’t move and instead smirked.
I let go of Harlow’s hand and curled my fingers into my palms, making fists at my sides. I should’ve found another way out, stepped away and not let him goad me. But I was already itching to fuck this guy up.
And then I felt Harlow touch the center of my back. “Come on, Aiden. It’s not worth it. Braxton is so not worth it.”
I looked at her and felt that anger start to lessen, knowing she was right. I was about to turn away, to leave and spend some time with Harlow, to put this bullshit behind me, when I heard Braxton laughing.
“Damn, dude, she must be giving her tight little virgin pussy up to you for her to have a chain wrapped around your dick like that.”
I felt my body tense, become like steel as his insult to Harlow filled my head.
“I’ve been trying to make Harlow spread her legs for me all year. I just wanted a taste before I tossed her used ass aside.”
By now, the music had been lowered and people had grown silent. I spied Pixie off to the side, her shocked expression turning to rage as she stared at Braxton.
“I don’t do sloppy seconds though, so you can have her uptight ass.”
I felt that self-control snap then, just crumble. He was grinning from ear-to-ear, but soon I’d wiped that fucking smile off his face. He’d be eating his teeth.
“Come on,” he taunted me.
I saw red as I felt my muscles contract. He pushed off the wall and gave me a wink.
This motherfucker.
I was on him a second later, tackling him against the front door hard enough a picture on the wall shook from the force. I slammed my fist into the side of his face, and his head cocked to the side. People started chanting, calling out for a fight. I was surprised his fucking friends didn’t try to pull me off of him. Maybe they knew they’d get rightly fucked up as well.
He got me in the gut before our momentum propelled us away from the door. I grunted from the contact but slammed my fist into his face again, had enough force and at just the right angle blood erupted from his mouth.
He used his body to move us backward until we slammed into a couch. The piece of furniture skidded across the floor before we followed suit. He used his strength to roll me over, so he was now the one on top, his fist connecting with my jaw. But he wouldn’t have the upper hand for long.
In a matter of seconds, I used my strength to dominate the situation until I was on top of him now. I threw punches, my anger and aggression coming through fiercely. All I saw was red. All I saw was this motherfucker insulting Harlow… wanting her. All I saw was this fucker wanting what was mine.