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Before I can beg her to stay, she escapes out the backdoor as if the hounds of hell are nipping at her heels, leaving me to face him on my own.
It takes a moment to gather my courage and force my feet into movement. It feels very much like I’m marching to my death as I walk into the living room and find Jasper loitering near the front door.
He looks terrible.
His eyes are bloodshot, and his hair is disheveled, sticking up at odd angles. If I’m not mistaken, he’s still wearing the same clothing from last night. He looks rumpled. It’s a far cry from his usual put-together self. It’s highly doubtful concern for my welfare is what has him looking like this. If I had to guess, I’d say he probably partied into the wee hours of the morning.
His gaze locks on mine and I stutter to a stop, unwilling to get any closer.
“Where did you disappear to last night?” There’s a beat of silence. “I texted a bunch of times and you didn’t answer.”
So much for an apology. I really should have known better. He probably doesn’t even remember trying to maul me in his parents’ bedroom. Disgust burns at the bottom of my belly and anger explodes inside me.
“I went home,” I say in a clipped tone. Like I owe him any explanations after what he did.
He arches a brow when I don’t elaborate. “How?”
“I walked.”
“All the way home? That’s at least ten miles.”
“I got a ride,” I grudgingly admit.
His demeanor changesas his eyes narrow. “From whom?”
“Does it really matter?” My voice sharpens as I cross my arms tightly over my chest. “Shouldn’t you be relieved that I arrived home safely?”
When he explodes into movement, swiftly swallowing up the distance between us, I straighten, ready to run. I refuse to put myself in a position to be taken advantage of again by this guy.
Never.
Again.
“Yeah, it does. I want to know who gavemygirlfriend a ride home.”
That’s not a title I plan on keeping for long.
“Austin.” The name pops out before I can stuff it back inside. It would have been better if I’d pulled a random girl’s name out of my ass. Then, we could have avoided the explosion that is sure to follow.
The muscle in his jaw tics as he grits his teeth and battles back his temper. “How many times do I need to tell you that I don’t want you anywhere near him?” he growls, sounding like a rabid dog.
I draw in a deep breath before slowly releasing it back into the atmosphere. I need to pull the plug on this before I lose my nerve.
“This isn’t working anymore. I want to break up.”
For a long moment, he stares as if he didn’t hear me correctly. With every beat of silence that slips by, my heartbeat thunders against my ribcage.
I tense, waiting for his reaction.
What I don’t expect is the laughter that bursts from his lips as if I’ve just told him a hilarious joke.
He shakes his head as he continues to chuckle. “You don’t get to break up with me.”
I stare silently, unsure how to respond to that statement.
With a wave around the tiny living room, he says, “For fuck’s sake, you live like a cockroach in a shithole.” All amusement vanishes as his eyes sharpen until I can feel them clawing at my flesh, trying to rip me apart with his spiteful words. “Do you have any idea how lucky you are that I lowered my standards to date someone who can’t even afford to pay for their own tuition and shops at secondhand stores?”
The beat of my heart turns agonizing. Any moment, it’ll burst free from my chest. It’s tempting to lift my hand and rub the area.
