FIGHT Part 1 (8 page)

Chapter 17

Gwynn

Between the three dozen calls and texts from Jase, the pounding headache from the fight, and the current situation my body is in, where it doesn’t want to do anything but Eddie, I got zero to NO hours of sleep last night. To add to it, Mr. Light-Foot over there just pounded up the steps at seven in the fucking morning, breaking my incredibly peaceful silence.

Done.

I’m forcing myself to tell him off, to be done with him. This is borderline obsessive, the way I can’t stop thinking about him. It needs to end. I throw open my door, not giving any fucks about the current state of my appearance, and storm across the hall, slamming on his door until he answers. Finally, the door swings open.

Oh dear Lord I’ve died and gone to heaven.

Maybe telling him off isn’t a good idea. He’s looking at me like he could devour me, his eyes trail up and down my body making me warm in all the incredibly right places.

“You,” I growl, trying to put off the meanest vibe I can. Every moment that I look at him, though, I get less and less mad and more and more turned on.

By now he has an amused smirk on his face, holding the towel with one hand and resting the other on his door frame, leaning on it just enough to make every muscle on his beautiful, wet, tattooed arm to pop. I can’t keep my eyes from grazing even lower to the top of the towel. My eyes pull together as I realize he has a tattoo that’s peeking above the towel...hmm interesting.

“Yes?” His deep voice cuts through my thoughts of just how low that one went, bringing my eyes back up to his. He’s full blown smiling now and I totally forgot why I came here.

Oh, that’s right. To tell him off and completely forget about him.

Instead of following my mind, I follow other parts of me and before I know it, we’re tangled on the kitchen floor, tugging at all of the layers between us until there is nothing left.

“You,” he says between kisses and sucks “Still have my favorite shirt.”

“Mm...so? It’s comfortable.” I gasp as he pinches my nipple, hard.

“God, Red. I can’t seem to get you or your fucking body out of my mind.” He kisses his way across my neck to that spot right below my ear. I gasp and I feel him smile against my neck.

Lowering his kisses, his hands play with my tits, squeezing and pulling in just the right motion to practically send me over the edge before the real fun even begins. I arch against him, not able to move much more of my body but searching for the pressure and friction I need.

“Ah, God Eddie.” I gasp as his fingers make it lower and push inside me hard and fast. He pulls them out of me and sucks my juices off of them, moaning as he pulls his fingers out of his mouth. His eyes don’t leave mine the entire time. Good lord that was hot.

“So fucking delicious.”

His kisses kept trailing down, but as soon as he gets to my mid-section they stop. Actually, everything stops. I open my eyes and he is about a foot away, looking at me like he’d just seen a ghost. White as a sheet, stone faced. Not the man that was just with me a moment ago.

What. The. Fuck.

“What is that?” His voice is barely a whisper as he glares at my stomach.

I look down and realize that for the first time ever, I had forgotten about the markings that fighting leaves on a body. Son of a bitch.

“Nothing, it’s nothing.” I say as I quickly get up and grab my clothes. I need to get out of there. That was the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to me, and it just had to happen with the man I can’t seem to get enough of. Shit.

“That doesn’t look like nothing, Gwynn.” He won’t stop staring at my stomach, like he can see through the shirt I just pulled over my head.

“It’s nothing. I’m fine. Just...excuse me,” I say as he blocks the doorway. He doesn’t move, though. If someone were to walk in his apartment right now they would have a rather impressive view.

“Sit” he orders. My body obeys his command, while my mind is screaming at it ‘what the fuck! You don’t take orders from him!’

He starts pacing the area between the kitchen and living room like a caged animal. His muscles flex as he puts his arms up and rests his hands on his head. I swallow hard, watching this god of a man, one who seems to be a massive walking contradiction, pace in front of me with nothing on, showing no shame. Not that he should, hell even pissed I can see how aroused he is. It’s the best thing I’ve ever seen, but boy he’s pissed.

I’ve taken people twice my size without any difficulty before, but right now, in this room, I know I would lose if he got mean. Not only is he more than double my size, he is also insanely built. I need an escape plan in case he decides to turn into some psycho.

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Red.”

I smile at his revelation, and at the insanely cute nickname that he has given me. I never wanted red hair. I always wanted to have hair like my daddy. So much has changed.

“I could say the same, Tex,” I say and sit back on the couch. He laughs at my random nickname, but it’s sticking. Because he is most definitely not a Texan, far from it, but he is also a giant walking contradiction. It fits him, so I smile and he glares at me. Smile gone, got it. No smiling around him. I try for a stern face, but I can’t do it. I start laughing, trying my hardest to keep in the giggles. What the hell is wrong with me!?

“What is your problem? Are you high?” he asks as he stops to watch me and my fit of laughter on his couch.

“No, sorry. I’m..I’m sorry. So, what do you need?” I ask, trying to compose myself.

“You don’t get it, do you? Do you know what you do to me?” he asks, grabbing his shorts and pulling them on. Damn, I was enjoying that view. To confirm, yes...the tattoo definitely goes lower.

“Let me see- insane thoughts about me when you should be thinking about anything else; randomly   finding yourself daydreaming back to yesterday in my bed...and on my door; wondering what I’m doing when we are both in our apartments; wondering what I’m doing when I’m not in my apartment; dreams full of me and my awesome self? How’d I do?” He stares at me dumbfounded, like a girl had never been a smartass to him before. Oh lord, I hope that wasn’t the case or else he’s going to have his hands full with me as his neighbor.

“See...I don’t-......HOW do you do that? Are you a fucking mind reader, some psychic shit?”

I laugh out loud at his insane behavior. Where is he getting this, and what the hell is wrong with him? He is sweating just standing there talking to me, poor guy. Maybe he was a virgin before me. Nah, that can’t be...he was too good for that being his first time.

“No dumbass. It pisses me off, but I can’t focus either. It’s like we have a fricking connection or something. I can’t get you out of my head, so I said those things figuring you would be feeling about the same way right now.” Or, at least hoping that he was.

He looks at me, bewildered for a moment, then there’s a knock on the door. He curse and throws on a t-shirt before answering the door to a woman dressed incredibly inappropriately...for any occasion.

“Erica, what are you doing here?” He growls at his incredibly intimidating guest.

“We have a meeting, Eddie. Remember?” She purrs. Bitch. And fuck Eddie for having a girlfriend but doing ...this...to me. This is insane. I get up and push past both of them.

“Wonderful meeting you Erica. Eddie, have a great day.” I emphasize ‘great’ just to be more of a smartass to him. Asshole, what guy does that?!

He calls after me and when I get to my door I look at him before slamming the door. It had to be hope inside of me that saw the crushed look on his face right before I slammed the door.

Chapter 18

Eddie

              I need to get Erica out of the hallway. Damnit why did she have to show up early, and straight from work?! I knew I shouldn’t help out people like her, but she’s been a friend for so long I can’t NOT help her. Next time, though. Next time we are meeting someplace public, and she will not show up in her hooker outfit if I have anything to say about it.

“I interrupt something, Milky?” she asks as she takes her shoes off and goes to search through the fridge.

I fucking hate that nickname. There are only a few people left that know it but they all insist on using it every chance they get. When we were in grade school I was always the kid who would spill his milk. Biggest fucking klutz; that was me. One day, after I had spilled white milk all over my shorts, some asshole started calling me Milky and it stuck. All throughout grade school, high school, and now into fucking adulthood.

“You know I hate that name, Erica,” I sigh as I sit on the couch and raked my hands through my short buzzed hair. I haven’t been able to grow my hair out in a long time, I don’t want to be reminded of my father every time I look in the mirror.

“And you know it’s not going anywhere, so deal with it,” she says as she opens a can of soda and sits down on the chair across from me. “So you have anything on the bastard yet?”

Erica’s husband of six years is known to be a flirt, and we went to school together so it’s been easy for me to keep tabs on him. It is not easy, however, to keep tabs on him without him knowing it.

“I’ve got my eyes on him, when he makes a move we will see it. Right now the only suspicious activity he has going on is an out of the building lunch date every day.”

“So get images Ed! He’s cheating, I just KNOW it!” She slams her soda on the arm rest of my grandmother’s chair. If she gets soda on Grandma’s chair, she’s dropped as a client. I don’t have much shit that I held on to from my life, but that chair is the last of her that I have.

“I can’t exactly put fucking cameras on him at all times, Erica. I’m one man. I will follow him this week, one week, to see where he goes. If it doesn’t lead to anything, though, I don’t know what else you want me to do.” Hopefully that will keep her happy. I don’t even think she truly cares if he is cheating or not, but he’s loaded so if she can prove infidelity before a divorce is filed she’ll be set.

“Fine, that’s all I can ask I guess” she huffs and gets up to slip her shoes back on, thank God this meeting is over. I need to get back to the situation with Red.

“Nice girl you had in here, not gonna keep that one either?” She wouldn’t look at me while talking. She didn’t know the half of it.

“I’ll let you know what I find, Erica,” I say and she leans in to hug me. I gave her a light hug then she leaves, clicking her heels hard on the stairs as she goes.

Running back to my room I grab jeans and a t-shirt to change into before heading down the hall to Red’s apartment. I need to do laundry, and I should get my shirt back from her, but the thought of her enjoying it makes me happy on the inside. A type of happy that I didn’t want to ever feel, but now that I do I don’t want to stop feeling it.

Chapter 19

Gwynn

Screw him. I know men like him, ones that think they are God’s gift to this earth, fucking and messing around with every girl they come in contact with. Some of my closest friends had been those girls, not caring how much they were passed around. Not me, I’m not the type to share.

I slam my door loud enough that hopefully it interrupts their fuck fest across the hall, and throw myself into a Netflix binge watching day. Rick Grimes was calling my name. I had forgotten to plug my phone in the night before, so as I was grabbing a snack I plug it in and turn it on. As soon as it loads, the notification noises start. Thanks, Facebook, but I don’t care that my great aunt Lillith ‘liked’ my status yesterday and commented on it thirteen times. Seriously, old people needed to learn to use technology. Then the text messages start coming in. One from Mac late last night after my fight, apologizing for threatening me, one from my mom asking how I was after my fight, and twenty three from Jase.

Something is wrong with him, it has to be. In all my years knowing him, and as close as we are, he never acted like this. I know I need to talk to him, but I’m afraid it’s going to turn into something that isn’t fixable. I have lost so much, I’m not sure if I’d be able to stand losing Jase. I text him back, hoping that we can talk about it and put it behind us.

Jase is insists on coming over to talk. I really don’t want to, I want to stay holed up inside this apartment until work tonight, but he’s not going to let me do that alone. I cave, telling him it needs to be quick, and within five minutes he’s knocking at my door.

“Hey, that was fast.” I let him in, shutting the door behind him. The door that not very long ago Eddie had me pressed against. The door where I experienced the first of many mind blowing orgasms less than 48 hours ago.

“Hello, earth to Gwynn?” Jase breaks into my thoughts with an incredibly irritated voice.

“Wow, sorry, I spaced out.” I shake my head to clear my thoughts. “What were you saying?”

“I think it’s time we talk,” he starts, taking me aback since that’s supposed to be my line.

“You...well you’ve been kind of a bitch to me lately. It needs to stop, Gwynn,” he says with full seriousness in his voice.

He really believes this, that I was the one with the attitude problem? Sure, I’ve had my moments, but he’s been a pouty child ever since the fight at the bar. Stunned, I cock my head and cross my arms, unable to form the words that I should say, biting back the anger that I want to spit at him.

“Excuse me?” Is all I’m able to get out. Seriously, he thinks that I’m being a bitch?!

“You haven’t been a great friend, Gwynn. Staying at a stranger’s house and not with me, not coming out with me when I needed you to, and not answering texts. I don’t like it, and I think I know what it is.” He glares at me, a look that I have never received from Jase before.

              “Please, Jase. Enlighten me as to what you think my problem is. Because right now, the only problem that I’ve had to deal with lately is standing right in front of me,” I hiss, done with whatever game he’s playing. Why, suddenly, do the two men in my life think they know exactly who I am, what I think, and what I need to do?

“It’s that guy!” he raises his hand and points towards my door. I smile, finding it funny that the door is the thing he decides to point to. If he only knew he’d be even more pissed than he is.

“Eddie?” I screech. Jase has seriously lost it.

“The minute he came into your life you have been a completely different fucking person, Gwynn!” he yells, his arm still stretched towards Eddie’s apartment.

I can’t help but laugh, being that the night that I met Eddie I was defending Jase, doing exactly what any best friend would have done. I laugh, breaking the deadening silence coming from the guy that I thought was a best friend. Now he just looks worn down, tired, and mean.

“Ed-...Jase” Shit, I can’t even get Eddie out of my head long enough to talk to my friend.

“That’s great.” He shakes his head and lets out a laugh. “You can’t even remember my fucking name anymore. Gwynn, I needed you and you have completely blown me off. I don’t know who this Eddie guy is, but he isn’t good for you.”

He has a point. Maybe it isn’t Jase that’s being weird, maybe it’s just that I can’t get Eddie off my mind, no matter how hard I try. I want to forget about him, I don’t want to have a distraction from my everyday life. I am happy doing exactly what I am doing. At least that’s what I’m going to tell myself.

              I’m also lying to myself if I say that I don’t want to see Eddie again. Each time I’m around him I feel like a new, better person. Like I can actually be something. Something more than a bar girl and an underground fighter. Hell, the way the last few fights have gone I’d be surprised if by this time next year I’m even doing it anymore. Nothing seems to settle me anymore. Nothing until Eddie. He has this way of calming every part of my body and at the same time setting it on fire. I do need him.

“Jase, I think you are thinking way too much into this. I am no different than the girl from a few weeks ago. The night I met Eddie I was defending you from your cheating girlfriend! How can you tell me I’ve been a sucky friend when I almost got fired for you!?” He looks at me for a moment, eyes narrowing, fists clenching. I’ve seen this stance in him, only once before. I know it’s not a friendly stance, and I know I’m able to take him if I need to. He’s bigger than me, but I can do it if I put everything into it. I don’t want to, but I’ll do it to protect myself.

“Gwynn-“

The knock on the door comes at just the right time, breaking up what could have been very ugly. Jase has never hit me, never pushed me around, but I know that he has had some incidents with past girlfriends that would leave me wondering how good of a guy he really was. I never pushed it, though, because he was so good to me I always thought those girls were just spreading rumors. Maybe they weren’t, though.

I try walking to get the door but he stops me with his arm.

              “I’ve got it. You, stay,” he demands. What the hell is it with guys today?! All demanding and brooding, this shit is getting old.

              Jase walks to the door and takes a calming breath before opening it. The calming breath does nothing to help the tension that rolls through him whenever he notices who it is at the door. My insides flutter at the thought of the two of them fighting for me, then I silently yell at myself for even letting my thoughts get that far. I shouldn’t want that to happen, I should want Jase to remain a friend and Eddie to remain...whatever it is that Eddie is. All broody, inked, and muscles galore. God, just standing in my doorway I feel the sexual tension rolling over him. He’s talking to Jase, but I don’t know what about, my mind had checked out the minute I laid eyes on him.

I watch him walk across my apartment, staring in confusion as he pulls me gently behind him and out of my apartment. I look back at Jase who is fuming in my doorway, and don’t break eye contact with him until Eddie gets the door shut and pushes me against the wall.

His lips devouring mine, his hands not able to stop moving, touching everything they can in the short amount of time we have. What is this between him and me, and why does it make me so happy? I definitely should not be happy that he just fucked his friend, girlfriend for all I know, and is now pulling me into his apartment and torturing me with his insanely sexy body while my friend waits next door, but I can’t stop this feeling.

This feels so wrong, and oh so right.