My heart beats frantically. "Go inside, Flick," I say, swallowing hard, feigning anger but feeling weak. . .weak. Like I want to shrink into him where I am safe and hide from him all at once. It hurts. It stirs my insides. Wanting to clutch at my stomach as nausea rolls through me, I curl a little in on myself. "Don't" –I shake my head slowly– "ever threaten my sister, Max."
He fastens his eyes shut, muttering under his breath. "Fuck."
He's not Erik.
I force myself to press my shaky palm to his cheek. Force myself to remember who he is to me. "Menace," I whisper, the word breaking. Trying to steady my voice in the face of his anger, I call over to my sister again. "Flick, go inside. I'm fine."
Peering past him, I watch as she moves inside the house unhappily.
He opens his eyes, seeking out mine. "Don't take this away from me," he says, his voice tightly coiled.
God, my emotions run riot inside me - a little fear, a little discomfort, and a bucket-load of confusion. "It's just one night," I say, but I know things won't just go back to normal tomorrow. I also know he needs to hear that they may.
He's not Erik.
My trembling fingers move up to caress the swelling on his cheek and under his eye. "What happened to your beautiful face?"
"Boxing."
I lift onto my tippy toes and press my lips to his bruised cheek. "With the hulk?"
He lets out a sound that toes the line between a scoff and a chuckle. "Say, this is what I want." His feverish lips meet mine in a chaste and yet, helplessly needy kiss. Need takes control. His lips become punishing against mine. Demanding something I can't give him tonight.
I recoil.
Stilling, his mouth freezes on mine.
He leans back to gaze at my face, eyes moving around each aspect of my expression. His mien turns dark, distorting into one of pure fury. "You're hearinghim, aren't you?" He growls.
He pushes off the car and moves around to the driver's side, every piece of him radiating with rage.
My world tilts a little at his sudden absence. "Don't leave things like this." I rush after him, but when he turns around to meet me, I stumble backwards, my feet taking me away from him. Away from his dark, bruised face. Narrowed eyes.
"Fuck!"he roars. He tears himself away again, ready to just leave, to take away the thing that has my pulse shuddering through my veins.Him. He's scaring me. And it'skillinghim.
It's breaking me.
How could I let this happen to us?
"Max!" I beg, the heat of tears tightening my throat. "Not like this." My heart leaps out to be with him, but my feet stay rooted to the ground.
Opening the door, he puts one foot up on the step. "Little one, if I don't walk away from you right now, you'll end up over my shoulder. And after that, I don't know what I'll do."
I cover my face, tears bursting from my eyes. I cry for Max. For me. I move away from the car while he climbs inside, knowing I can't push him away and pull him back and mess with his head anymore. The lights flick on, illuminating me in the dark. Through the windscreen, he stares at me for a few seconds as if he's worried it might be the last time. But it won't! That's not what's happening here, is it?
I can’t breathe through that thought.
But then he pulls away.
Cassidy
I tooktwo Phenergan last night to help me fall asleep.
I still woke up before my alarm.
And the antihistamines make me foggy. I welcome the feeling.
After a quick run followed by an even quicker breakfast, I am now on my way to my ballet academy. To keep from analysing what happened last night with Max, I stare at my phone, idly flipping through photos and messages.