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I clenched my teeth until it felt like they were about to crack, then turned on the engine and followed them.32CharliOnce I showered and changed, I met Clint in the parking lot. I tried explaining that Cassian wasn’t lying about us to him after practice, but all I managed to do was convince him we needed to talk “somewhere more private.”
I walked up to him and gave an irritated shrug. As much as I felt terrible for everything I’d had to put him through on Cassian’s behalf, and now mine—I was also starting to lose my patience for the way he was handling things.
“Is this private enough? Or are you still worried Cassian has a sniper rifle pointed at my head from a bush, or something?”
Clint gestured toward his truck. “Come on, just sit in my truck for a few minutes and we’ll talk.”
With a sigh, I followed him to his truck. Once we were inside, he turned on the engine and pulled out of the parking spot.
“What are you doing?”
Clint stared ahead. “Don’t worry, I’m not doing anything creepy. I just… It felt like we were good, then suddenly we weren’t. And every time I try to talk to you, it’s seemed like something wasn’t right. I thought if we just were completely by ourselves for once, maybe you could tell me the truth.”
“I did like you, Clint. But I had feelings for Cassian, too. It wasn’t fair to you, especially after what he did.”
“I don’t care about fair. Give me a chance to prove I can be whatever you think it is that makes him so special.”
I let my head fall back against the headrest and stared out the window. “Clint… You can’t talk someone into having feelings for you. If it’s not there, it’s not there. Right?”
He was quiet for a while as we drove down the road toward town. He looked in his rear-view mirror and cursed. “Shit. I fucking knew it.”
“You knew what?” I turned, looking behind us. A sleek, expensive sport’s car was following. Cassian’s car.
“He’s still controlling you, isn’t he? What’d he say he’d do if you didn’t lie to me again?”
“I swear it’s not like that, Clint. Cassian is screwed up, yeah. He’s possessive and jealous. But I still have feelings for him, even if I can’t explain it.”
Clint turned sharply, pulling the truck down a dirt road leading into the trees. A second later, I heard the screech of wheels behind us as Cassian followed.
“Clint, please. This is crazy. Just stop the car and we can all talk.”
“Talk?” Clint laughed. “You think he wants to talk?”
“Clint… I want out of the car.”
He clenched his jaw, then slammed on the breaks. The truck skidded in the dirt before coming to a stop. I got out just as Cassian stepped out of his car. He was still wearing his pads and football gear and his hair was a sweaty mess, but as usual, he looked strong and beautiful.
Clint got out fists clenched at his side. “Let her live her life, man.”
Cassian’s nostrils flared. “Sorry I stopped you two from fucking.”
“What?” I felt like screaming. First Clint was assuming things about me, now Cassian. It was enough to make me want to break something. “I was trying to explain that I have feelings for you.”
“We both know that’s bullshit,” Clint said. “She does have feelings for me. The only thing stopping her from admitting it is you.”
“Clint, you’re not helping.”
Cassian walked closer so he was face to face with Clint. “Would you kill for her? Because I would.”
My stomach went icy cold. It dawned on me that we were in the middle of nowhere. Clint’s little detour meant there was nobody to intervene this time. No other members of his pack to pull him off if he lost control. And Clint seemed to be living in a delusion where he thought he could survive another encounter with Cassian.
I grabbed Clint’s hand, hoping to think of anything I could to get him to back off, even if it was only temporary so I could have time to think. “Clint… you have to just let it go. This is dangerous.”
Cassian grabbed my arm, ripping my hand away from him.
Like an explosive detonating, it all erupted from there within seconds.
Clint stepped into a punch aimed for Cassian’s face.
Cassian caught his arm and pulled him into a punch that hit Clint’s stomach like a thunderclap.
There was a confusion of bodies and swinging limbs as they both started grappling with each other and fighting. Before long, Cassian had the upper hand on Clint again and was shoving him down into the ground by his chest with one arm pulled back.
“Stop!” I screamed. “Just fucking stop!”
Clint smiled up at Cassian through bloody teeth. “Hear that? She’s telling you to get off me.”
