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“An accident happens once. The second time, it’s a conscious decision. You made that decision multiple times. I still wouldn’t be able to forgive you, Aaron, even if it’d only been the once. But it’s not all your fault.” The quiet murmur of her voice tugs at my heart, which is kinda weird. “I just wish I hadn’t been stupid enough to believe you the first few times.”
Ah, fuck. I can’t do this. He cheated multiple times and she thinks she’s stupid? Nah, she needs a pep talk, and I’m ready to give it to her.
“I don’t trust you anymore,” Claire whispers. “And I certainly don’t like you.”
“But you love me,” he urges. “You love me still, right, Claire?”
Her silence lasts only a brief moment. “No. I don’t think I have for a while. Goodbye Aaron.”
The quick click of heels on the pavement starts, only to come to a sudden halt with her gasp. “Get your hands off me,” she growls.
Rounding the corner of the dark alley, anger licks at the base of my spine.
“Don’t be so uptight. Loosen up a little. I told you, it won’t happen again. I was drunk.”
I’m livid, watching her struggle against his chest when he pulls her into him.
“And I told you to get your fucking hands off me.”
“You’re not throwing three years down the drain.”
“Me? Are you fucking with me right now?”
“No, but I want to be.” He can’t be serious right now.
“Screw you! I’m not the one who stuck their dick in somebody who wasn’t their partner. Wasn’t that what we were supposed to be, Aaron? Partners? You single-handedly ruined this one, buddy. I’m done.”
Claire tears herself from his grasp, stumbling away from him, but he lunges after her, grabbing her around the waist and pushing her up against the wall.
The dim light overhead shimmers off the tears that start rolling down her cheeks and my fists flex at my sides. Her eyes flicker up to me when I come into the light and relief washes over her features.
As soon as Aaron’s within reach, I grip the back of his shirt, ripping him off Claire. “Claire asked you to take your hands off her.”
His eyes shine with rage when they settle on me. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he says with a sinister chuckle. “Who the fuck is this guy? Have you been fucking him this whole time?”
I step in front of Claire when he tries to advance, sweeping my arm out behind me, my hand settling on her hip. Her fingers curl around my forearm, gripping me tight. “She said she was done. Best you leave before this gets any uglier. Now.”
It’s been a while since I’ve been in a fistfight. I’d like to think I’m beyond that, but with this guy, I just might be due.
Aaron sizes me up, likely trying to decide if he can take me, but when I step into him, when I tower over him by an easy four inches, his mouth opens and closes, and he falters backwards a half-step. He swipes a hand haphazardly through the air. “Fuck, whatever. She’s not worth it.” I doubt that, but I’m not going to argue the point with him. He needs to go. Now.
Aaron brushes past me, sauntering down the alley and disappearing around the corner.
Twisting in Claire’s direction, I find her shaking against the wall, fingernails biting into the flesh of my arm. “Alright?” I ask her.
Her glossy eyes meet mine. She swallows. All she gives me is the tiniest bob of her head.
I hold my hand out to her, shaking my arm, and watch as her hand glides over the muscles flexing in my arm before her palm slips into mine.
“Thank you,” she breathes out, tucking a tendril behind her ear while we wander hand-in-hand back toward the bar.
“Not a problem.” I give her hand a squeeze. It feels nice in mine, small and warm. “He’s a persistent little shit, isn’t he?”
She snorts, swiping her free hand over her cheeks, brushing tears away. “You could say that.”
“You going back in?” I tip my chin toward the patio door as we approach the building.
She shakes her head softly, offering me a weak smile. “I think I’m going to head home. Enough excitement for one night.”
