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Dan steps forward. ‘You think I’m leaving her with you?’ He laughs. I pray for Dan to just shut the hell up because after what I’ve just witnessed, there is absolutely no question that Jesse will annihilate my brother. I turn slowly back to face Kate with a help face, but all I get is Kate’s pursed lips and the rest of them frantically flicking eyes from Dan to Jesse. They have seen madman Jesse. They’re not going to help.
Jesse takes my elbow and points his glare at Dan. ‘You don’t mind if I take my wife home, do you.’ It’s a statement, not a question.
‘Yes, actually, I do.’ Dan’s not going to back down here. I can see it in the steely sheen of his dark eyes.
‘Dan, it’s fine. I’m fine. Just go.’ I turn to face the rest of the group. ‘All of you, please, just go.’
But no one makes the first move to leave.
Jesse’s grip on me increases. ‘What the f**k do you think I’m going to do?’ he bellows. ‘This woman is my f**king life!’
I recoil at his fierce declaration, and so do the others, including Dan. If I’m his life, then where has he been for the last four days? Why did he take me like I’m nothing more than an object? And why did he have his hands on that woman at the bar? I wrench my arm from him and step back, taking a quick glance at my friend. I’m not sure what for—guidance, maybe, because I don’t know what to do. She gives me a subtle shake of her head. It’s a don’t-kick-up-a-stink shake. My argumentative side is shouting, don’t let him show you up and my fractionally sensible side is appeasing, don’t show YOURSELF up.
With the encouragement of Kate’s reassuring look, I walk over to her while pulling the hem of my dress down, and stupidly or not, in one last act of defiance, I grab her wine and down the lot.
‘Ava!’ She tries to stop me, but I’m on a mission now.
‘See you later.’ I say as I grab my clutch from her other hand and turn towards Jesse. His lip is curled in warning, but I couldn’t care less. Everything he has done tonight is playing on repeat in my head and with each re-play, I’m getting angrier. ‘Don’t bother following me.’
He looks down at me, the fury in his expression more than evident. I hope my displeasure is obvious, too, but just in case it’s not, I throw him a disgusted look before I push past him and use all of my concentration not to stagger. I shouldn’t have drunk that wine, for more reasons than one.
I haphazardly step into the road to hail a cab, but I don’t even get my arm in the air. ‘Don’t step out into the f**king road!’ he growls, slinging me over his shoulder. ‘You stupid woman!’
‘Fucking hell, Jesse!’ I’m taken from the road, back to the pavement. ‘Put me down!’
‘No!’
‘Jesse, you’re hurting me!’
I’m immediately lowered and instantly have concerned greens running all over my body. ‘You’re hurt? Where?’
I smack my palm on my chest. ‘Just there!’ I scream in his face.
He recoils, but then performs the same little rendition, thumping his own chest over his blood stained shirt. ‘Join the f**king club, Ava!’ he roars.
I flinch at the sound level of his voice before turning on my slightly drunken heels and storming off.
‘The car is this way.’ he shouts from behind me. I stop and carefully carry out an about turn before marching back in the other direction. There is little point in trying to get away. I’m tipsy, and he’s determined. ‘I don’t like your dress.’ I hear him snarl from behind me.
‘I do.’ I counter, walking on.
‘And why is that?’ He catches up with me. It’s not hard. I’m drunk and in heels.
I stop and swing to face him. ‘Because I knew you wouldn’t!’ I shout, drawing a little attention from passers-by.
‘You’re right!’ he yells back at me.
‘Good! Is that the only reason you’re pissed, or is it because I’m drunk, or is it because I kissed another man?’
‘All of the above but kissing another man gets the f**king gold!’ He’s shaking with anger.
‘You had your hand on another woman’s arse!’
‘I know!’ He glares at me, and I glare right back.
‘Why? Getting bored of keeping it for just one woman?’ I screech, and then tense, looking around to see who has heard my little outburst. I’m relieved to see our friends have all escaped the scene. I could have chosen to rebuke him on his possessiveness or jealousy but no, I pick his sexual history.
He narrows his dark green eyes on me, his lips forming a straight line. ‘You f**king asked for it, woman!’
‘Me? How?’
‘You left me! You promised you would never leave me!’
We stand opposite each other, staring each other down like a pair of circling wolves, neither one of us backing down. We both have cause for grievance. Of course, mine is the stronger argument, but I’m not prepared to stand in the middle of the street all night, just to prove a point. I’m not as stubborn as he is.
‘You shouldn’t have taken it upon yourself to decide my future.’ I say more calmly and carry on towards the car, staggering slightly towards the kerb. I’ve no idea where it is parked, but I’ve no doubt some directions will be barked at me soon enough.
‘You’re a f**king pain in the arse.’ he snaps. ‘And I was thinking about our future.’ He scoops me up from behind and carries me in his arms.
