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He turns away, shaking his head before he fists his hair. “I’m jealous because he had you, Charlie. He had you and fucked it up. He hurt you—he fucking broke you! You should hate him!” His voice is a roaring boom.
I’m sure the shock shows on my face, because suddenly, his features grow soft. He steps closer and tries to reach for me. “Charlie, I’m sorry.”
I jerk away and hold up my hand. “Don’t.”
I walk to the tiny closet and start putting my things in a bag. I’m so fucking sick of this. Sick of the fighting, sick of hurting, sick of life. If I’m going to be forced inside, I’ll do it somewhere I want to be.
“What are you doing?” I can hear him come behind me, but I ignore him. “Charlotte.” He turns me around. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going home.” The word makes me feel warm. Sure, Teddy’s place doesn’t have the greatest memories, but it has some, and I like the picture in my head. I like the way it makes me feel. Safe. Content. Almost happy…
“You can’t do that. We still don’t know where Cameron is. I haven’t heard from Carl yet. Don’t be stupid, Charlie.”
“Are you going to stop me?” I ask, raising a brow.
“I will if I need to.” He crosses his arms.
“I’d like to see you try.” I drop my bag and grab his shoulders, then ram my knee into his dick. He crumples to the floor like wet paper, cupping himself.
I pick my bag back up and step around him, but his hand catches my ankle. I look down on him for a split second, then kick him in the ribs with my other foot. “You’re not stopping me.”
I make it out my door, but he isn’t far behind me. His breaths are still heavy and labored as he clamps my arm. “You can’t.”
“Fuck you. I’m going to go whether you like it or not. I don’t want to be here anymore.”
“Fuckkkkk.” He draws the word out as I open the front door.
I start marching to my old Pontiac, thankful I still have it, and try to ignore that Teddy’s Challenger is sitting right next to it. “Can you at least wait two seconds so I can tell Jules?”
I turn on my heel as I open the driver’s door. “You can call him from the car. I’m tired of fucking waiting.”
I slide into the seat and push in the clutch to start it as Lucas enters the other side. He’s shirtless and barefoot, but I don’t care. If he wants to be an asshole, I’ll show him I can be a bigger one. I’m done being a man’s doormat. I gave that shit up after what Teddy did.
I put the car in reverse and hit the gas. Gravel kicks up as I speed out and the engine strains, but I don’t stop. I drive until I reach my destination.
The only house on Asher Hill.
I slow down as we get to the peak. Not only is there a guard sitting in the shack, but Sloan is parked across the drive too. “Are you fucking serious?” I whisper.
“What?” I had almost forgotten Lucas was with me until he said something.
“There has been a guard here this whole fucking time and I couldn’t come back why?”
He stays silent as we pull into the drive. Normally, the gate swings open, but this time it doesn’t. I roll down my window and look at the guard. He gives me a curious look but doesn’t speak. “Are you going to open it or what?”
“Open the gate, Joe,” Lucas says, leaning over the center console. He nods, then hits a button, and the gate opens.
I swallow down all of my words I want to blurt out as I pull through. Everything looks the same. The blossoms are all dormant because of the cold, but you can see they are still there, ready to bloom again when the warmth comes. The gargoyles on the top of the house still stare down on us the same way they used to, but it’s almost like their angry faces have turned sad.
I put the car in park and pull the e-brake up, then step out. I take my time walking up the steps and stare at the door. Memories of my first time here flash through my mind, starting a ripple effect of everything I’ve endured while inside. I smile, and then I frown. I want to be happy, but I’m sad. This is somewhere I considered my home, but something is off.
Teddy isn’t here.
Lucas walks in front of me and pushes open the big wooden door, then steps to the side, sweeping his hand in front of him. “Welcome home, Flower.”
I step through the threshold and close the door behind me. I drop my bag to the floor, then walk to the stairs. I look up them but don’t bother going up. Instead, I walk to the kitchen. It doesn’t smell like good cooking how it used to, but I guess that’s to be expected.
A glint on the counter catches my eye. I step closer and pick up the golden brass knuckles. “Whose are these?”
