Page 22 of Puck Off, She’s Mine

"Fucked up? Yeah, I know." He laughs ruefully, nudging at my tire with his foot. "I decided relationships weren't for me after that. Fun is as far as I go now, and that's not you." He peeks over at me, grinning. "But maybe I'm a little fucking jealous. And maybe giving Phoenix a hard time makes it suck a little less."

I have no idea what to say to any of that. In a way, I feel bad for him. He got dealt a shit hand, and he's clearly not over it. But pushing Phoenix's buttons isn't going to make him feel any better, not really. It's just going to lead to more of what happened today, and I don't want any part of that.

So I sigh instead, glancing back at the arena. "Is he okay?"

"You'll have to ask him."

"Fine." I hesitate for a minute, eyeing Corey. "One more question."

"Shoot."

"You didn't start that rumor about him, did you?"

"Nope." He meets my gaze. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"I…" I trail off and then nod.

Corey just winks like he's proud of me for figuring that one out. "See you later."

"Yeah, later," I mumble, my eyes still locked on the arena. I'm not sure how long I stand there, but Phoenix never comes out. Eventually, I give up waiting and climb into my car, my mind spinning through everything that happened today. It's…a lot.

Oddly, the fact that Corey used to be engaged isn't even the big mindfuck of the day. It's everything that happened before that revelation, like the look on Phoenix's face when he launched at Corey. And the defeated look on his face when he walked away.

I don't go back to my office when I leave the arena. I don't go home, either. Instead, I drive around for a while, lost in my own thoughts, trying to make sense of what the hell happened.

Part of me wants to just write Phoenix off as a violent, crazy person…but I know better. That isn't him. He doesn't just lash out like that, even when provoked.

The other part shies away from the implications of what's left. It feels too big. And yet…it feels just right, too.

Eventually, I find myself in his neighborhood, and I hate that I know where he lives. I hate that I know exactly which house is his. I hate that neither of those truths keeps me from pulling into his driveway, too.

"You're losing it," I mutter to my reflection in the rearview. The woman staring back looks a little wild. She's wide-eyed, with pink cheeks, and this glow I've never seen before now. Is she the version of myself brave enough to reach for what I want?

I don't know.

I climb from the car, smoothing my hands down my dress. My heart is a wild thing in my chest. My whole damn body vibrates with nerves as I make my way up the sidewalk on shaking legs, not entirely sure why I'm here.

The answer crystallizes as soon as he throws the front door open, his wild eyes locking with mine. The red spot on his cheek has turned into a nasty bruise, and there's a small cut above his right eyebrow. His hair is a mess, his expression fierce.

"What are you doing here, Cara?" he asks.

"I…" I open my mouth to lie, to make this less significant than it is, and then snap it closed again. We both know it'd be a lie anyway, so why bother? I'm here because he's here. I'm here because he got into a fight over me today, and I want to know why. I'm here because…well, because it's the only place I can imagine being right now.

"I'm not interested in Corey," I say instead.

"He's into you," he grunts, jealousy flickering in his gaze.

"Not really." I cross my arms. "He just likes pushing your buttons. You make it easy, you know."

"Can you blame me?" he asks, his expression raw as it climbs up and down my body. "Christ, Cara. I'm…"

"Are you going to hit everyone who flirts with me, Phoenix?" I ask before he can finish whatever he's going to say. "Because I'm not sure I can deal with that."

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On if they put their hands on you," he mutters. "You have any idea how fucking insane that made me?" He scrubs a hand through his hair, his gaze dead serious. "You melt for me, Cara. Every time I touch you, you melt. But you aren't mine yet. It's driving me nuts. Seeing him with his hand on you…" He expels a heavy breath. "I hated that shit."