“Yeah?”
“I can’t wait to seeyou.”
“Oh.” His sentiment cuts right through my worries, and even an hour feels so far away. There’s nothing I want more than to collapse in the safety of hisarms.
“I’m sorry,” he says, and I want to ask what for. “We’ll talk when I gethome.”
“Sean, there’s something I need to tell you.” I need to warn him about the article, but more because of how Coy willreact.
“Jess?” Coy’s hard tone startles me from behind. The phone shakes in my hand and I almost drop it before I can end thecall.
“Who was that?” He presses the wall switch and from overhead the entry chandelier illuminates his deep scowl as he stalkscloser.
“No one.” Fear creeps up my spine and adrenaline surges in my veins, shouting for me to run, but even I know that’s useless. My hands tremble and begin to shake with the buzz of another incoming call.Shit.
Coy narrows his gaze and rips the phone away. Sean’s name scrolls across the screen and it’s as if I can visibly see the switch flip in Coy’s brain as he goes from suspicious to livid. My phone flies from his fist and shatters into a million tiny pieces aroundus.
“You want to tell me why that fuck is calling mygirlfriend?”
I want to be brave. I want to stand up for once, but it’s as if my body knows its place when it comes to Coy. My shoulders drop and I shrink into myself, bracing for histemper.
“You think you’re so fucking clever, don’t you?” he screams when I don’t answer. “Don’tyou?”
“I don’t think that.” The words leave my lips in arush.
His hand comes hard and fast against my face. “Don’t fucking lie tome!”
Tears well in my eyes at the impact but I refuse to let themfall.
He squeezes my arms, grabbing just below my shoulders, and shakes my entire body. “He make you feel good? You like making a fucking fool of me? I saw, Jess. I fucking sawit.”
The magazine? Or how I started falling for Sean right under Coy’s watch?Either way, he needs to understand it wasn’t premeditated. I didn’t mean to sleep with another man. “No, Coy. It wasn’t likethat.”
“What was it like?” He squeezes so hard my arms tingle. “Screwing over your boyfriend? You do this shit when I was upstairs in our bed?” He shakes me so hard my head snaps back. “You sneak down here and fuck himoutside?”
“I never,” I whisper, and slam my eyes shut to take anotherhit.
“Get your hands off of her.” Deb’s matter of fact command snaps my eyes open to witness her rushing into the foyer. Austin and Trent’s footstepsfollow.
“None of this concerns you.” Coy pushes me behind him, but Deb doesn’t backdown.
She strides toward him, her brows lifting with each step. “It does concern me because you laid your hands on that girl.” She doesn’t stop until she’s inches away. “I think it’s time for you to go,Coy.”
“Go?” He rears back with a mean laugh. “I live here, lady, and you don’t have any fucking clue who you’re talkingto.”
“Dude.” Trent steps to his mom’s side. “You don’t get to talk to my mom that way.Apologize.”
Coy scoffs and cracks his knuckles. “Apologize? For what, exactly? That my girlfriend is a fucking cunt?” He narrows his stare on Deb and stabs his finger into her shoulder. “You knew, didn’t you? You both had a big fucking laugh behind my back while she screwed Sean. Didn’t think I’d find out? Fuckingwhores.”
Trent shoves Coy and the force knocks him back. Coy stumbles, his body hits my shoulder, and I try to get out of the way. I trip, unable to catch my balance, and my butt slams into the hard stoneflooring.
Deb rushes to help me up as Coy and Trent shove eachother.
“That’s enough!” I scream, surprising not only myself but everyoneelse.
Coy turns his glare on me. “I was cheating on you, too, you pathetic whore! The entire time we were together.” He stomps forward. “You want to be treated like a fucking slut? Do you? Who you gonna fuck next? Who?” The danger and unleashed fury spill from his words. His eyes narrow and I swear there’s evil in theirdepths.
I step back with each movement he takes forward until my back hits the wall. I cower and ready myself to accept anotherhit.
