AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I rolled my eyes but fought for a neutral expression as I faced him. It was the first time I’d reallyseenhim since returning to school. Yes, he’d gotten me out of the burning building. I had a vague memory of him carrying me out. Of the guitar…
Then nothing.
The last time I saw him, he probably didn’t remember. Dad. He and Dad were close. That much had been clear. That also killed any desire to open up a dialogue. “I’ll be there.” I managed to push those out.
“Good.” He frowned. “You feeling okay?”
“I’m great. Thanks.” Then because he started it, I added, “You?”
“I’m fine.” He gave me a faint, if polite smile. The smile deepened a fraction and it softened some of the harder lines to his face. Had he grown more stern over the summer? Or was it just all the current chaos?
Also, why did he still have to be so hot? Dix arrived, giving me something else to focus on. “More furniture coming up in a minute,” he said, before carrying the box toward the bedroom Aubrey and I would be sharing.
Instead of leaving, Ramsey frowned at Dix. Not that Dix gave a damn. He walked out of my room and glanced at me.
“That’s not resting.” He pointed toward the sofa. “Take it easy.”
At the door, he paused when Ramsey stepped into his path. “I’m the RA for this building,” he said. “Ramsey Malone. You are?”
Dix didn’t even slow down, cutting around Ramsey and out the door. It left Douchebag Two with no choice but to follow him if he wanted more answers.
I blew out a breath, but a hand slapped against my shoulder in a shove from behind. Stumbling a step, I turned to find Payton invading my space.
“You’re going to keep your slutty hands off Ramsey,” she practically snarled the words in warning. “He doesn’t want you. He doesn’t even like you. You’re just his stepfather’s spoiled little bastard. Stay. Away. From. Him.”
Flecks of spit landed against my face as she yelled at me.
Yeah…
She raised her hands as if to shove me again.
No.
I raised an arm, using my hand and wrist to divert her shove away from me. It was her turn to stumble this time. She let out a little sound of outrage. Or maybe she just screamed.
I didn’t care.
When she whirled around to face me, I slapped her right across the face. The blow made my palm burn and then she charged at me. My coffee cup went flying. Splattering us with espresso, milk, and chocolate.
What a waste. Her slaps landed, but so did mine. I got a fistful of her hair and jerked her around. Yanking her stupid blonde hair, I shoved her forward at the same time. She bounced against the sink.
She fumbled for something in the sink and I dodged the bottle of shampoo she flung at me. It hit the wall with a noisy thud. Then she threw a few more items. I blocked one and dodged another. The third hit my wrist hard enough to bruise and pain shot through my hand.
Bitch.
The water was on in the sink and I grappled with her, twisting her arm in a painful fashion to get her to drop the next item she planned to throw. The sink was filling up with water and I shoved her—face down—into it.
Her screams were silenced for a moment as she flailed and water went everywhere. Twice she shoved back at me and the third time, my hands slipped and she caught me in the cheek with her elbow.
I staggered back. Pain bloomed in my face, but I curled the fingers of my right hand into my palm and got my thumb out of the way.
We’d all learned to jab, hit, and defend ourselves. Just a fact of life on the road. I punched her. It magnified the pain in my hand, but watching her go down was satisfying as fuck.
One moment she was glaring up at me, and then she let out a real scream as she rushed toward me. I never got to make contact because an arm wrapped around my waist and hauled me upward.
Ramsey was between us, he had a hold of Payton, dragging her back as Dix all but carried me to the other side of the room and put himself between me and everyone else.
The others included Aubrey who stood in the doorway, her expression a comical mixture of shock and fury. What startled me was Jonas stood right next to her, the scowl on his face terrifying.
