Six feet of rage stuffed into a stained jean jacket.
Sofia’s ex.
His hands twitched at his sides. His jaw worked like he was chewing rocks. Eyes scanning, zeroed in.
“You, Ava?”
I didn’t answer. Not yet. I planted my feet. Took a breath that didn’t calm anything.
“She ruined my life,” he growled. “That bitch filled her head with bullshit. Told her to leave me.”
I kept my tone neutral. Measured. “I am not sure who you are talking about. But I assure you, we don't force any of our patients. They make their own choices.”
He stepped forward, and I could see it in his eyes, the rage. “You think you can fuck with people’s lives and walk away clean?”
God. That voice. That threat. I’d heard too many versions of it over the years.
I stepped back, heat crawling up my back, heart kicking up, trying to figure out a way out of this.
Then the door opened again. The stifling sensation was replaced with icy dread.
Remi.
She waltzed into the clinic and then came to an abrupt stop.
She had two paper cups in her hands and a furrow in her brow. She took one look at him, at me, at the tension snapping in the air, and didn’t hesitate.
“Get away from her.”
He turned toward her, and that’s when I saw the glint of silver.
A knife.
"Are you Ava?" He growled.
Remi looked me over quickly; in the way she had since we were 16... in the way that begged to make sure I was ok... Whole. A look that would forever be burned into my memory because I had unfortunately seen it too many times.
"You know what, it doesn’t fucking matter which one of you bitches is Ava... this clinic is ruining lives, bitches thinking they can just walk away... and that happened since you came to town."
He turned and lurched towards me.
Remi moved before my brain even caught up.
I felt the wind first; his fingers graze my cheek... trail my hair... a whisper of a touch on my collarbone.
No no no no
Remi moved fast and threw the tea at his face, scalding liquid and all. I turned mine away from him to avoid the splash. He screamed and dropped the weapon, both hands flying up to his face.
The knife clattered to the floor.
He lunged at me again, eyes wild, face red. “You crazy bitch!”
Remi shoved me aside and collided with him mid-swing. They went down hard. I stumbled back, gasping, heart hammering against my ribs as they struggled.
She fought like she meant it. Like she had most of her life.
I watched her wrestle him, adrenaline surging. She got the knife again, a brutal twist, practiced motion.
