“Nothing.” She shrugs. “It’s not worth the fight, I just want him out of my fucking life.”
We fall silent, my hands still wrapped around hers. I chew on my words, deliberating if I should say what’s on my mind. I can hear Sophia’s voice in my head, taunting me.
It’s like you guys are allergic to talking.
I do my best to climb over the boulder lodged in my throat and say the words out loud.
“So it’s over between you two?”
Her gaze is pensive but comforting, her lips pressing together in a sad little smile. She places her free hand over top mine.
“It’ssoover.”
Finally leaving my apartment,we head to the theatre. I walk inside with Connie to say hi to Whit while she gathers whatever things she left last night. Whit and I are catching up in the auditorium when I suddenly hear loud shouting.
Our conversation stutters to a stop, both our heads swiveling to the exit doors. It sounds like it’s coming from the lobby.
Then I hear it again, but this time I recognize Connie’s voice, and I snap to full alertness. She shouts again, followed by a man’s voice yellingback at her.
My body moves without me even having to think. My mind blanks as if suddenly on autopilot, my only urge is to get to Connie.Now.The feeling is eerily similar to when I used to shut down in prison. The lines blur, and I’m not sure if I’m here or back there as I stalk up the aisle of the auditorium.
When I slam the doors open, the threat becomes perfectly clear.
It’s Oliver.
Like a fucking cockroach, he’s slithered back, shouting at Connie as if he has every right to.
I feel like a bull charging after a matador, but neither of them sees me coming. I breezily step in front of Connie, and Oliver blinks in surprise, stuttering into silence.
I cock my head and grin arrogantly.
Then head butt him in his stupid fucking face.
The crack of my skull connecting with his nose echoes loudly in the empty lobby. I hear Connie gasp behind me, but she doesn’t intervene. His head snaps back with the force as he groans loudly, bringing his hands up to his face. He stares back at me in horror, eyes wide. His shoulders curve inward as he bends slightly over, looking at his hands, blood all over them.
“You broke my fucking nose!” he whines, the words muffled behind his hands back on his face.
He snaps up straight, baring his teeth.
I see his swing coming a mile away. He could very well be moving in slow motion by the way I process his every move. I dodge his right hook easily and return his attack with a solid uppercut to the chin.
His body swings back like a rag doll, slamming down to the floor. I’m barely thinking. I just want him to pay. I have time to land a hard kick to his left thigh before I feel someone drag me away from him.
“Relax,” Whit says into my ear. “Before you end up back in prison.”
I blink back to reality, my heart battering in my chest, my breathing ragged and hollow. I look over to Connie, suddenly terrified to see her reaction to my violent outburst.
But there’s nothing but pride in her gaze as she stares back, a subtle smirk on her lips. Relief washes over me like a powerful wave. Then, she breaks eye contact and turns to Oliver still moaning on the floor.
“And if you eventhinkof pressing charges for what just happened,” she barks, pointing a finger at him. “Know that I’ll fucking sue for what you did.” She steps closer, glaring down at him, her face set in hard resolve and spits on him. “Consider us even, asshole.”
45
CONNIE
Huxley is sitting on the couch in my office, facing me as I lean against the desk.
We haven’t spoken a word since I dragged him in here a few minutes ago. After Whit pulled Huxley off of Oliver, he ushered us out of the lobby and told us he’d make sure Oliver left as promptly as possible.
