I promise, I was.
“You’re a fucking waste,” he seethes, pulling back. He punches me hard in the jaw. I think he got my ear too. It’s ringing as I fall backward, but he keeps me upright. My vision is blurring. “No loyalty. Never had any, have you?”
This hurts. The blows from his hand and his words.
“Forker!” someone is screaming. The voice is loud, deep, and furious. “Fork!Stop!”
My eyes roll forward to meet his. I am no coward. I’ll let him have this conversation, regardless of how badly it kills me.
“Is that why your mommy and daddy picked the drugs over you, Boss?” he says, laughing a dry laugh. It hits me where he knows it will, right in the heart. The only weapon that stood a chance. The blade pierces me, but it’s by my own hand. I did this.
“That’s enough!” That’s Lowesy.
Forker can’t hear anyone around us.
“I’m going to fucking kill you,” he hisses, and he’s punching me again. This time, he isn’t stopping. I do everything I can to protect myself without hitting him. I won’t. Not now. Not ever. Regardless of what he said, Iamhis brother. I won’t hit my own.
“That’senough!”
I’m on the ground now, glass piercing my back. I groan, rolling onto my side, forcing my eyes open to make sure I’m not dead. I spit out a glob of blood. My team is surrounding us, and one look above me has me wanting to fucking die. Declan isholding Forker back, and there’s no way that he could do that on his own if Forker really wanted to hurt me. The look on Fork’s face is devastated, shattered, and…I betrayed him.
That’s not the worst of it.
Ariana stands between us, her blonde ponytail swishing behind her as she screams bloody murder at her brother who is finally—finally—looking elsewhere. His eyes are glued to her, face red and fists clenched. Declan has him by the collarbone, but he would never hurt his sister. Lowesy is protectingme.
Ari holds a broken beer bottle at her side—like she’d ever fucking use it on him. It breaks me a bit, seeing her armed and ready for battle, standing in between me and an atomic bomb.
“It’s over!” she’s screaming, her voice so raw that I wonder how long she’s been yelling. “It’s not his fault, it’s mine. I knew what I was getting myself into. This ismy fault, okay?”
“You had to go there, didn’t you?” Forker shouts. “I move you out here. I take care of you. I ask for one thing, Ari—One! Stay away from my team!”
“I love him,” she says, her voice breaking. My heart sinks, eyes fluttering closed. Forker blinks, startled by those words. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, butIpursuedhim, okay?I did this.”
I cough, brushing glass off my shirt. Hands find me, helping me up. It’s Saltzy, Reno, and Oz. Saltzy’s grip is tight on my shoulder. He isn’t going to let me go. He’s going to guard me and my broken body now, even as he shoots me a look that screams ‘you’re the stupidest man on planet earth.’
I grunt in response, spitting out another mouthful of blood. I’m well aware.
“Go home,” Forker demands. “Now.”
“No,” Ari says, shaking her head. “I’m not leaving you in the same room as him.”
This isn’t her fight. I can take it.
“Fine,” Carter snaps, eyes flashing to me for a quick second. “Then, I’ll take you home.”
He shouldn’t be driving. Not like this.
“Fine.”
Again, his blue eyes find mine over her head. He steps forward, but Declan’s still on him like a straitjacket. Carter reaches his sister and slowly pries the beer bottle from her hand, tossing it to the ground. It shatters, and in the same second, so does she. Her shoulders shake, but I know she won’t turn and meet my eyes. She won’t ever look back again. I don’t blame her.
Carter does though, even as he tucks his sister under his arm and passes her to Declan, who automatically guides Ari outside, away from this—away from me.
Saltzy’s hand snaps outward when Carter gets too close, stopping him from reaching me.
Carter smirks, like he’d break his arm if he still wanted this fight. He’s breathing heavily out of his nose, a look of pure disgust on his face.
“Forker,” I say quietly, my voice an apology in itself.
