“Please, Lizzie. I just need to explain,” he pleaded, as I heard him take another step inside the room.
“No,” I shouted, as I shook my head. “Just leave. I can’t talk to you yet,” I yelled again.
“Come on Chase, you can talk to her later,” I heard Jax say, as he, too, came into the room.
“Get the fuck off of me, Jax,” Chase yelled.
I could hear a scuffle as Chase and Jax began to argue with one another. I continued to keep my eyes closed, afraid that if I were to see Chase’s face, I would melt back into him.
“What is going on here?” a nurse yelled, as the men argued.
As she screamed for security, I could still hear Jax pulling Chase out of the doorway. I began to sob as the thought of Chase being pulled away from me, broke my heart.
It finally took three security guards and Jax to restrain Chase and remove him from my room and the hospital. Avery rushed into my room and held me while I cried. Holding my head in her arms, she soothed me as I struggled to breathe.
“It will all be ok,” Avery whispered, as she rocked me in her arms.
I wish that I could believe that.
CHAPTER 25
Chase
Watching that bastard look at Lizzie like she was his almost drove me mad.
I loved Lizzie more than I loved myself. She was my entire world and I swore I would do anything and everything I could to make her happy. Even if it meant hurting myself.
I hated Allan’s preppy style and the way he just sauntered into my casino like he belonged here. Lizzie belonged here with me. Allan belonged in her past. Even though he looked more like someone she should be with, I knew in my heart that I was the only one for her.
As I struggled to hear their conversation from where Avery and Jax had dragged me to in the bar, I saw the way Lizzie’s eyes lit up when Allan spoke to her. Her smile, my smile, broke my fucking heart as I realized she didn’t just smile at me that way, but at him too.
When he stood and she wrapped her arms around him, something broke deep down inside of me. I couldn’t explain the hatred I felt for a man who I had just met, but I longed to tear his arms away from my girl. Before I knew what I was doing, I was across the bar and I had lifted Allan from the ground.
Everything around me went black and it was like I was experiencing an out-of-body experience. I felt like I was watching everything from above and had no control over my actions. I wasn’t sure how or when, but when I finally woke, Lizzie was on the ground next to Allan.
Hatred for myself swelled deep inside my broken heart as I feared I may have been the cause of Lizzie lying on the ground. I wanted to hold her and console her, but the way she looked at me like I was some type of villain made me step away from her.
Having Jax and a bunch of hospital guards pull me out of that hospital and away from the woman I loved, nearly broke me. I needed to apologize to her. I needed her to understand and forgive me, but she didn’t want to see me.
I had ruined everything. Just like I always did. I was about to fuck up and lose the best thing that had ever happened to me. If I lost Lizzie, that would destroy all of the good that was inside of me. My anger took hold of me and I couldn’t control my actions any longer. What I did next would haunt me forever.
CHAPTER 26
The next morning, I woke more tired than ever and sore.
I hoped and prayed that the events from the night before had all been one terrible nightmare. Only, the bruises on my arms and the tears that still clung to my cheeks told me it had all been real. Very, very real.
“Are you awake?” Avery asked, as she lay beside me on my bed.
“Yes, what are you doing?” I asked, as I slowly sat up in bed.
“You were so upset last night that I stayed in your bed with you. I was worried,” Avery confessed, as she looked at me for any sign of an answer.
Sucking in a deep breath, I fought back my tears again. I had cried enough, I just couldn’t do it anymore.
“I’m devastated,” I admitted. “I don’t understand what got into Chase to make him attack Allan, but it frightened me,” I said slowly. I didn’t trust myself to talk and not start crying again.
Holding my hand, Avery looked over at me. “Lizzie, I talked with Jax last night and this morning. Chase is really upset,” she said, as she watched me carefully.