Chapter Nine #2
He shrugs. “You’re the whore who cheated on your fiancé, you tell me.”
My hand ricochets off his face so fast that the whole restaurant hears the vicious slap. Every table near us swivels their head to look in our direction as I stand up in anger.
“Move, asshole.”
“Hey, bitch, that’s fucking assault! I’m going to press charges on you.” He nurses his cheek like I slapped him with his Wagyu beef steak. What a pussy!
“For what? Hurting your pathetic little ego? You may be fucking hot, but you’re a ginormous jerk, and there’s no way in hell I’d ever go anywhere with you willingly. Come on, Poppy, let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Poppy goes to stand, but Gideon stops her. “We gave you guys a ride here, I don’t feel comfortable just leaving you.”
“We can find a ride home, trust me,” I argue.
The waitress awkwardly hands Finn his cheesecake, and me a check, before asking us all to leave.
I hand her enough cash to cover mine and Poppy’s food, and wait for mega douche to pay for his.
Of course, he pulls out Mommy’s or Daddy’s credit card, but like a true asshole, he forces Gideon to pay for his own dinner.
When everything’s settled up, I grab Poppy’s hand and force her out of the restaurant, the guys hot on our heels. “I’m sorry, Poppy,” I grumble as we fight our way through the crowd waiting to be seated. “I lost my cool in there.”
“It’s okay,” she says, barely able to keep up with me. “He deserved it.”
Once we’re outside, I start fishing for my phone, ready to call anyone, even a Lyft, to pick us up and save us from this disaster of a blind date.
But Sir Douche-A-Lot grabs my elbow, pushing me toward a darkened part of the building where not many people are.
Gideon and Poppy follow closely behind, but Gideon doesn’t intervene, he’s just looking at Poppy all predator like.
She moves when he tries to touch her hair, only fueling my disdain for them both more.
“Hey, bitch, don’t think you can just hit me and fucking get away with it.”
He has a firm grip on my elbow, one that’s actually starting to hurt like hell. “Let me go, asshole!”
“Not until your little friend gives Gideon what he came here for. I didn’t agree to go on this date just so the guy goes home unsatisfied.
And if you don’t want me to press charges on you like I’m planning, I suggest you come up with something that’s gonna make Daddy happy, too.
” He waggles his eyebrows, then makes a nodding gesture to his crotch.
Gross! Ugh, this guy gives me the major ick.
“Fuck you, asshole. There’s no way in hell you’re getting anything from me but another slap if you don’t fucking unhand me right now.”
The jerk grabs my face, squeezing my cheeks as his beady little eyes darken with rage. “Now you listen here, bitch. Nobody turns Finn Holden down and gets away with it. You be a good girl and give Daddy what he wants, or I swear—”
Before he can say another word, his arm is violently ripped away from me, seconds before his body is slammed into the concrete wall of the building.
“Touch her again, and I’ll break your fucking arm,” a familiar voice growls, putting himself between me and the cheesecake jerk.
My heart leaps at the sound of Eddie’s familiar bravado, and races even more when Finn tries to swing on him. Eddie ducks so effortlessly, then swings, laying him out with a single punch. The pretty boy goes sprawling to the ground, blood appearing on his bottom lip.
Finn wipes at his face, scowling up at my ex with blinding hatred. “You’re going to pay for that, asshole.”
Eddie crosses his arms, just as Wesley and Rich appear behind him, crowding Gideon until he puts his hands up and steps away from Poppy.
“Hey, I don’t want any trouble,” he says, pushing his glasses nervously up his nose.
Poppy immediately moves towards Rich, standing behind his tall physique, knowing that he’d protect her without question.
Wesley would too, but it’s a known fact that Poppy avoids Wesley like the plague.
She somewhat hates him, mostly because of his reputation, which isn’t the greatest. Not that any of these men are angels.
All of them have been to juvie, but Wesley has been there more than anyone else.
His criminal record is atrocious, and if he’s not careful, he’s going to land himself in prison.
Wesley sneers at Gideon, fists clenched, that wicked look in his eye of a man who craves a good fight.
“Well, buddy, you just found a whole lot of it.” Even though Wesley was the shortest of the three, the man’s been bulking up, his muscles multiplying since the last time I saw him. If I were Gideon, I’d run.
Gideon starts to back away, but Finn scrambles to his feet, getting up in Eddie’s face. “You think you’re big and bad, huh? Well, try to fight me when I’m ready for you!” He lays a singular punch to Eddie’s jaw, but barely budges him.
“Fuck! Is your jaw made of steel?” He shakes out his hand, grimacing when he can’t move his fingers. “I think you fucking broke my hand!”
“Serves you right for touching my girl.”
His girl? Did he just call me his girl?
Finn smirks. “I see. You must be the asshole she cheated on. No wonder she looked elsewhere.”
Eddie’s hand clenches into a shaking, angry fist, but before he can swing again, I gently place my hand over his. “He’s not worth it, Eddie,” I whisper into his ear.
“Yeah, listen to your little bitch, big man. I’m not worth it.”
Fuck, this man has a death wish.
Eddie’s already reared back and socked the dude in the mouth before I can even react, sending the pathetic weasel to his knees.
He grabs Finn by the hair, forcing the motherfucker to look him in the eyes.
“Let’s get one thing straight, asshole. Amber is the furthest thing from a bitch, and if you ever try to talk to her or touch her again, I’ll do more than break your hand, I’ll send you to the fucking morgue. You got me?”
Finn spits blood onto the ground, his perfect white teeth stained a bright, crimson red. “Yeah, big man, I got you. I was only on this date because Gideon promised me I’d get laid afterward, but I can tell a prude little tease from a mile away. And that bitch screams cock tease.”
Eddie lets the guy’s hair go, but not before elbowing him right in the nose, the crunch of cartilage and bone filling the dark space. “Get the fuck out of here. Both of you,” he orders.
Gideon helps Finn to his feet before they both slink away, leaving us with my ex and his two buddies.
The pad of Eddie’s rough fingers traces over my cheek as he looks deeply into my eyes, the light of the moon reflecting the little golden specks in his deep green irises. I practically melt to his touch, loving the way it brings me peace. “You okay?”
I nod, unable to really form coherent words. “How did you know?”
He shrugs. “We had just exited the mall and were walking to our cars when we saw you come rushing out of the restaurant looking upset. So, when that asshole came up behind you and grabbed you, I guess my possessiveness reared its ugly head again. I’m sorry, Amber.”
My hand traces the stubble of his cheek, noticing the withered look in his eyes. He looks disheveled and broken, like he hasn’t shaved his face since we last saw each other. “It’s okay, Eddie. Thank you for stepping in when you did.”
He nods, shoving his hands into his pockets before taking a few steps back, almost as if my touch was burning his skin. “You’re welcome. Hopefully, he won’t press charges.”
“I don’t think he will. Poppy’s the unfortunate one who will have to deal with seeing the other guy every day in her biology class.”
She shrugs. “I finished my finals. He asked me out because he thought we’d never see each other again. Now we definitely won’t.” She slightly chuckles, making everyone else smile.
“Well, for what it’s worth, thank you guys for intervening. Those guys gave me the creeps.”
“You know I’d do anything for you, Amber. Broken up or not, I’ll always protect you.” There’s a longing look in his gaze, but he shakes it away, his hair falling lazily over his brow. “Anyway, can we walk you guys to your car? You know, to make sure you’re safe.”
Poppy speaks before I have a chance. “We were gonna do some shopping in the mall, then call a Lyft. They drove us here.”
Eddie drags his lip between his teeth, turmoil flashing in his eyes. “I can give you a ride home, I don’t mind.” He looks over at Wesley and Rich. “They came in their own vehicle, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind sticking around a bit longer.”
His friends share a look then nod eagerly, smiling stupidly at Eddie.
“Yeah, we don’t mind escorting you girls around while you shop. It’s no big deal. I promised to buy my mom some of her favorite perfume for Christmas and forgot to grab it while we were in there earlier,” Rich comments.
Poppy shrugs. “I’m okay with it if you are, Amber.”
Just being near him has my whole body on edge. But I want to spend more time with him. I miss him. “I’m fine with it.”
Eddie’s face lights up. “Where to first?”
“Poppy wants to go into the game store to buy her cousin a game he’s been wanting, and I want to buy my mom something, but not sure what yet.
I haven’t really thought about it to be honest.” My strained relationship with my mother makes gift giving a little unbearable.
I try to be nice and buy her things, but she always seems to forget to return the favor.
Christmas and birthdays have tended to suck over the years for me.
“Well, we’ll just tag along while you shop, if that’s okay?” There’s a look of almost desperation in his eyes, like the idea of me saying no would shatter him.
“Sounds good.”
His smile widens as he takes his rightful place beside me, the heat vibrating between us zings through the hairs of our arms like cosmic static electricity.
Even my body knows how badly I miss him.
We stay silent until we get up to the mall’s doors.
Everyone enters before us, but Eddie hangs back, holding the door open for me.
Our eyes meet, and I lose my ability to breathe. He must feel it too because he shyly looks away, almost like he can’t look me in the eye.
I’m halfway through the door before I feel the familiar roughness of his palm as it curls around my arm, halting me in place.
He clears his throat before he says, “It’s really good to see you, Amber. You look good.” His cheeks burn with embarrassment. It’s adorable, and so foreign, but the sheer vulnerability shining in his eyes is a welcomed change.
My hand slides into his, our fingers locking together with ease before I give his hand a soft squeeze. “It’s good to see you too, Eddie.”
We don’t say anything else; we don’t really need to. It’s like we can feel how much we miss each other.
“After you,” he says seductively.
Our fingers detangle, and I already miss the familiarity of his touch. So, before my tears threaten to appear, I disappear inside, desperate to catch up to our friends.