Something Worth Fighting For (20 page)

I opened my eyes in time to see Atlas close his. I pulled the microphone off and sat down on the edge of the stage, pulling him closer to me. His arms wrapped around my waist as he hid his face in my shirt.

As the song ended people began to clap, hollering as Atlas kissed me hard in front of everyone. “Jackson Porter ladies and gentlemen,” I stood up smiling, bowing as he waved.

“I have one last song. The first time I sang this song for Atlas my best friend Darcy had suggested it. We were out on the beach and my brothers didn’t kill him so I figured that meant they approved... I’m rambling. Okay, this is
“Reminder
” by
Mumford & Sons
.”

I pulled a stool over propping the guitar on my leg as I sat down. Jacks tossed me a capo as I tuned the guitar. “These guys are good, I may have to hire them as my roadies one day.” Joking as I readjusted the guitar.

One last time my fingers strummed the guitar as I closed my eyes and opened my mouth. Moving with the music, I lost myself again. I knew behind the guitar would be my sanctuary while Atlas was gone.  I had to have something to put my emotions into.

The song ended with whistling as Atlas jumped on the stage. He threaded his hands in my hair, kissing me breathless. The crowed let loose cat calls as I laughed. “My incredible wife everyone, give it up for her.” Atlas said into the mic.

“Thank you.” I curtsied.

“Speech!” Someone yelled out.

“Speech!” A chant began.

“Okay, okay. “Atlas picked up the microphone, throwing his arm over my shoulder. “First thank you for all coming out tonight. It’s been like a highschool reunion or something out here. Some of you it was great to see and some of you I was hoping would have been hit by a car by now. Seriously though, thanks for coming and you’re welcome for me sharing my lady with you. How awesome is she?” A wolf whistle let out in the back of the barn making us laugh. “Exactly! Anyway, enjoy your night, thank you for your support, encouragement, love, and support for us troops. I love what I do and I’m proud to serve my country. Hook ‘em Horns!” Atlas raised his beer in salute.

We headed down the stairs, handing off the guitar to Jacks. “Awesome job, Ellie.”

“Thanks,” Atlas was dragging me outside through a hidden door. Before I knew it my body was pressed up against the side of the barn. “That was great, thank you, so much.” Atlas kissed me softly.

“You’re welcome. It was something I wanted to do for you.”

“I loved it,” he brushed his knuckles across my cheek. “And thank you for not getting mad when I told Charlotte you are my wife.”

“Why would I?” I held up my hand. “Tonight I am.”

“Hey guys.” Jacks and Katie poked their heads out.

“Hey man, what’s up?” Atlas leaned against the barn.

“Can we talk for a minute?”

“Yeah come on out.” Atlas waved.

“Ellie, I know you know but--” Jacks started before Katie blurted it out.

“You’re going to be an uncle.” She beamed.

“What?!” Atlas threw his arms around Jacks. “Seriously man? This is crazy, congratulations!”

“Thanks bro. We were wonderin’ if you and of course, Miss. Ellie would be the Godparents?” Jacks gave us a hopeful smile.

“Of course, man, we’re honored.” Atlas slapped Jacks’ shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah!” Atlas smiled widely. “Come on Daddy lets get you a beer.” Atlas pulled Jacks inside as Katie sighed.

“He was nervous to ask.” She smiled, relief dancing across her face.

“He shouldn’t have been.”

“I told him that.”

“Thank you for including me.” I said meekly.

“Of course, Ellie. You’re part of our family now too.” She linked her arm with mine. “Let’s go make sure our boys don’t get too crazy.”

❋❋❋

Atlas was shit faced drunk and I was just as pissed off. It has taken three of us to get him out of the barn where he then pushed us off and insisted he could make it to the truck. I watched him stumble to the back seat where Ares shoved him in with a shake of his head. Silently I thanked the universe his parents had already left.

Katie had gone back in to get Jacks leaving me alone to cool off before dealing with Atlas. I loved that man but damn, did he ever know how to push my buttons. I was pacing, watching people pairing off for the night. There was no chance I was putting up with this again. I was his girlfriend not his babysitter. Drinking was one thing but being drunk enough to call me a bitch is another.

The hand gripped around the top of my arm squeezing so tightly I yelped. “Shut up,” Micah hissed as he dragged me back toward the edge of the barn. He pushed me into the side, the splintered wood biting at my skin. I moved to walk away as he slammed me back again.

“What the fuck is your problem?!” I yelled at him as he clasped his hand over my mouth.

“Shut up before I really hurt you.” Micah growled as he hovered over me. “You listen to me you little bitch, Stella has waited years for Atlas to be done with Charlotte and come back here. I will not let you come in here and ruin this chance for her. They belong together and you are going to let that happen. You are going to leave him the fuck alone. You don’t deserve him, Stella does.”

I bit his fingers as his nails dug into my cheek. He jerked back but before I could get away he had my arms again, holding me back against the barn.  “Atlas has been free to leave any time he wants.” I spat the words in his face. “He’s my partner, not my prisoner. Don’t you think that if he wanted to be with Stella he would be?” I narrowed my eyes at him as his grip tightened on my arms. It felt like he was trying to crush the bones with his bare hands. “He doesn’t want her. We both know he could have any woman he wanted. That just doesn’t include Stella.”

My head jerked to the side as the back of Micah’s open hand landed across my face. “That was for biting me.” His hand whipped across my face in the opposite direction. “That one was a warning. End it so she can have him or I’ll do a lot worse to you.”

“You don’t scare me.” I challenged, holding my head up to look him in the eyes. Micah reared back, balled fist as someone caught him around the wrist.

“What the hell are you doing?” I didn’t recognize the voice but took the chance to duck under Micah’s arm and ran for it.

“Ellie?!” Katie’s voice was coming from the darkness in front of me. “Get in the car, Ellie.” She opened the back door and I threw myself inside, whimpering as it closed behind me. “That dumbass, Atlas is going to kill him.” Katie mumbled as she started the car and drove off into the night.

❋❋❋

“Atlas we’ve got to get going, we need to leave soon. We’re packed up, get dressed.” I shook the pillow trying to wake him up for the third time. “I swear if you do not wake up I’m letting Ares wake you up.” I huffed as he started to stir.

“I’m awake. Too loud. No noise.” He spoke in clipped sentences pulling the pillow over his face.

“You have aspirin and water or your mother graciously supplied a hangover cure. Either way get up or I’m leaving you and you can worry about being AWOL without me.”

“Grumpy.” He pouted.

“You haven’t seen grumpy yet. Now get up.” I threw the cover back as he whimpered. “You have twenty minutes before I tell Andy I’m ready to leave.”

“Grumpy,” Atlas stretched rolling onto his back. “So much drinking. Why did you let me do that?” He laughed pressing his palms into his eyes.

“You insisted you were fine. I tried to tell you no but you acted like an asshole so yeah, a little grumpy covers it.” I shook my head pulling the sleeves of my new green sweater down.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”

“I’m afraid sorry isn’t going to fix this one.” I sighed, picking up my bag. “Just get ready, Atlas.”

“How bad did I screw up?” He asked quietly.

“It was bad Atlas.” I whispered.

“What did I do?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“No we’re talking about it.”

I snorted, rolling my eyes. “I can’t civilly talk to you about it, yet. We’ll fight right now if I do.”

“So let’s fight. Come on, baby, fight with me.” He sat up throwing back his mom’s hangover concoction with a grimace. He pulled himself out of bed, waving his hands in a come on motion. “Lets hear it.”

“You called me a bitch in front of your friends to start with. This was after shot four, maybe five.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean it.”

“Oh it gets better. By round eight you had pushed me off your lap and thought you and Jacks were going to go shoot guns. Katie and I were trying to get both of you to the truck.” I shook my head. “I’m not sure we can be together anymore.” The words I had been thinking slipped out.

“What? What did I do? I mean I know what I did was stupid but breaking up bad?” Atlas was ghost white. I could feel my nostrils flare as tears stung my eyes. I stepped back from as he tried to touch me.

“You let someone hurt me.”

“Baby I didn’t mean what I said.” He misunderstood me.

“No, Atlas, you really let someone hurt me.” I sat my bag down, pulling my shirt over my head. The handprints were an angry purple color that went around the top of both my arms. I turned to the side showing him the bruise and cuts from my armpit to hip.

“Please tell me I didn’t do this.” His voice was shaking as I put my shirt back on.

“No you didn’t.” I sighed as I leaned against the wall crossing my arms. “Micah was one of the people trying to help get you to the truck but you said you had it. When you walked off, he grabbed me and told me leave you the fuck alone. That I didn’t deserve you, Stella did. He went on about how she waited for you to be done with Charlotte and to come home so the two of you could be together but instead you came back with me. He said he couldn’t see his little sister so upset again. He threw me into the corner of the barn. That’s what happened to my side, those are his handprints.” I was looking in his direction but just past his head. I didn’t want to see his face. “Katie drove me here after Ares left with you. I’m fairly certain everyone is seriously pissed at one another. That’s why I’m trying to be as nice as possible.” My eyes turned downward as he took a step toward me.

“Ellie, I don’t know what to say. God I am so sorry. I’m gonna fucking kill him, he’s dead.” His voice broke.

“You were supposed to be my husband last night, do you remember that?” I pointed to the wedding band he was still wearing. “If that’s how a husband let’s someone treat his wife then I damn sure don’t want it!” My own voice cracked as I started to cry. “I love you, you idiot! You can’t let someone treat me like this. You don’t get to!” I pushed his chest but he didn’t move. “It’s almost lucky for you me that I’ve had worse happen. I should hate you for this. For not protecting me from the people who are your
friends
. For being too drunk to give a shit about what happens to me around a group of strangers!” I rested my forehead against his chest as I sighed. “But I don’t, I can’t hate you. I thought about it all night while I took care of your passed out ass. I just can’t, I don’t physically have it in me.” I knew I wasn’t mad at him as much as I was at the entire situation.

“I hate him,” Atlas carefully wrapped his arms around me, “I’m so sorry, Ellie. I will fix this.” He kissed my forehead, sighing. “What time does our flight leave?” I stood still refusing to return his embrace.

“Seven.”

“What time is it?”

“Nine, I had planned on going to find an earlier flight .”

“I’ve got time. Get Ares, lets go.”

“What are you doing?”

“Just get Ares, baby.” Atlas pulled his sweater over his head. “Ellie?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re not really leaving me are you?” He buttoned his 501’s, stepping toward me.

“I love you, Atlas but I’m just not sure yet.” My hand rubbed his prickly bearded face. “I’m not sure I can live without you. Right now though I’m hurt and I’m mad. Let me be mad.”

“I don’t like you mad.”

“Then you should have...” I shook my head. “It’s not really your fault. I’m just mad at the world.”

“It is.” His hand ran over his face as he clenched his jaw. “I took you there, I got drunk, and I should have been with you, not left you with strangers.”

“They’re not strangers.”

“No, not all of them. Just Micah, he’s not the guy I thought I knew anymore.”

“I don’t want to be the reason for you to lose a friend.”

“You’re not. He hurt you and no one ever hurts you. Who else saw?”

“Katie for sure. A couple of guys who grabbed him before he...”

“Before he what, Ellie?”

“Hit me.”

“Christ,” Atlas hissed between his teeth.

“You know you can’t do anything, Atlas. You’ll get...”

“Won’t a damn thing happen. Your dad will kick my ass if I don’t do something.” He cupped my face in his hands. “I can’t begin to apologize to you. I love you. I don’t want to lose you over this, I need a chance to fix it.” Atlas kissed the corner of my mouth as I turned my head. Being close to him was making the anger I clung to like a lifeline slowly diminish.