I suck in a breath, my fist twitching at my side, aching to land the punch I’m desperate to throw.
“You want to do it so badly. I can see it in your eyes.” Blaine grins, nodding at my fist. “Hit me, Xander. See how fast I get an assault charge slapped on you.”
“Do you think I’m afraid of you?” I growl, stepping toward him.
“You may not be afraid of me now.” Blaine’s grin widens. “But you will be. Because the people of Ridgeview are tired of your family’s reign. And you know what happens then.”
“Why don’t you spell it out for me, Blaine? So I don’t miss the attack?”
He shrugs. “Graduation is only a few months away. What’s your life going to become then? And do you really think Charlotte will want any part of it when she has a bright future of her own waiting for her?” He shakes his head. “Oil and water, man. They just don’t mix. You may have money, but you have zero class. Just like your father and your brothers. You won’t amount to shit, and when this town rids itself of you, where will you go then?” He points to himself. “I’m going to inherit an empire and I’ll need a queen.” He nods his head toward the Emergency Room doors. “Char would look good in a crown, don’t you think?”
My blood bubbles, coursing through my veins with a ferocity I’d love to unleash on this asshole. A quick glance confirms that his parents are still waiting outside of the hospital watching me. Christ, they probably have their family lawyer on speed dial, just in case.
I take a step backward and smile. “She would look incredible. I’ll be sure to send ya a picture because as much as you think you have me figured out,” I lean close so he doesn’t miss a word. “You don’t know shit about me. Yet. But trust me when I say that will change very soon, Blaine. Very fucking soon.”
Chapter 2
Charlotte
Pain rushes through me. Not from my injuries. From the fog that I am in. From not being able to piece anything together from the day before. And from him sitting at my bedside. His warmth burns my skin and makes my gut twist and knot. The faint hint of his cologne wafts under my nostrils, a harsh reminder of his tongue down Melia’s throat at school the last time I saw him. The last thing I remember.
I remember being upset and crying.
Everything after that is a complete mystery.
“Xander, what are you doing here?” I croak, my head tilted away from him as the faint beeping of the machines in my room chirp in the still air.
I can’t look into his stormy eyes. They will shred me into a million pieces.
After clearing his throat and shifting loudly in the plastic chair to my left, Xander finally chokes out, “I needed to make sure you were all right.”
“I’m fine,” I growl, trying in vain to scoot farther away from him. My body will have none of that. Even blinking is a chore that sends pain rippling through every cell instantly.
What the fuck happened?
How could he think that I wanted to see him?
He has some fucking balls.
I ran away from him because I needed to put as much distance between myself and that level of pain as humanly possible. He fucked me and then fucked me over. How could I have been so damn naïve? How could I let him do that to me all over again? Take my heart in his hands, make it feel safe and loved, and then destroy it with a sledgehammer in the next moment? History really does repeat itself, and it’s a lesson I am learning over and over again, the hard way.
“Yeah, the nurse said you were really lucky. Thank God,” Xander sighs.
I finally force myself to look at him. His face is red and splotchy, his eyes soft and full of concern.
Damn. He’s a good actor.
My chest tightens. My face prickles with heat.
I don’t want it to be an act. Even after everything. All I can do is hope that there is a small part of him that is genuinely concerned for me.
“What happened?” I choke out. I felt dumb for even asking, but I desperately need someone to fill in these blanks.
“You were in a car accident. Blaine was driving. Wait, you don’t remember?” Xander’s eyes widened with each word.
I lazily shake my head.
What in the hell?
How could I not remember being in a car accident?
At least that explains a lot of my current situation.
“Where’s your girlfriend?” I snarl, furrowing my brow as I swallow a pained yelp.
Yep, I knew I shouldn’t have moved. That damn near killed me. My entire body screams in absolute agony, even with all of the medication my doctor must have me doped up on.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Xander blinks at me, his jaw slack.
“Oh, I guess you thought you were being slick, huh? Hoped I didn’t remember that part of the day. I do! You didn’t think I’d see you devouring that bitch right out in the open like she was your last freaking meal. And then you have the nerve to show up here? Pathetic,” I mutter, letting my eyes flutter closed as the narcotic cocktail hooked to my IV starts to takes over once again.
“I’m sorry.” That’s all he offers. What a crock of steaming bullshit.
“Don’t worry about it. Needed to have your cake and eat it too. I get it, Xander. You finally got me and now you can just throw me away again. I shouldn’t have expected anything else. I’m the stupid one for thinking things could be different.” My words are labored as I force each one out. I’m too tired to deal with this. In too much pain, emotionally and physically, to go down this damn rabbit hole all over again.
“That’s not it,” he growls, forcing the chair back, it slamming against the wall with a clang. He inches closer to my bed, gripping onto my hand for dear life. “I can’t risk you getting hurt, Char. Don’t you get it? I’m not the guy for you. There’s nothing good that can come from us being together. Being around me puts you right in the line of fire, which is why you need to stay away from me. I should have never let you back in.” He grits his teeth. “I made you a target.”
“A target for what? Having my heart broken just like before? Because that is what this looks like from where I am sitting. Laying...” My tired eyes lock on his as they smolder and narrow.
“That. And other things…” Sinking down onto my bed, Xander covers his face with his free hand. “I don’t know how to love you and protect you at the same time. It has to be one or the other. And if staying away from you keeps you safe, then that is the one that I am going to have to choose.”
“I don’t understand why it has to be all or nothing. And what does all of this even have to do with the accident? It wasn’t your fault, right?” I let out a dry laugh.
“Because you got into Blaine’s car to get away from me being an ass.” He lets out a frustrated sigh. “And because you’re my weakness and really bad people know it. Like that guy with the scar, I don’t think he was following you last night at the beach. I think he was trying to get to me.”
I try to wrap my head around Xander’s words, but I can’t. They don’t make any sense to me. All I can think about is the pain. It’s all consuming. And the drugs are making me loopy and emotional.