RILEY #2
“Okay,” I said. “You’re game, but I’m not.” I wasn’t sure if I frowned. I wasn’t even sure if I made any expression at all. I did wince, for the briefest of moments. Jonah was straightening, but he wasn’t moving away from me.
“You just need to get into the mood,” Jonah said, a smirk stretching his lips.
“Er, I think I was clear,” I said, pushing him back with the tip of my index finger.
He lifted his arm and rested his elbow on my shoulder, bringing his face up close. But after that, everything was happening way too quickly to keep up. A hand slapped down on Jonah’s shoulder and we both startled.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay the fuck away from him?” The growl sent chills down my spine. That same hand spun Jonah around easily and revealed its owner when Jonah staggered.
“Fuck off,” Jonah barked, anger flushing across his face the moment he recognized Cameron.
Cam’s fist was closed and flying through the air just as Jonah started to speak. Whatever Jonah’s ‘Mother…’ meant, he never got to finish it because Cameron’s fist kissed his pearly white teeth and sent him crashing into three guys who stood a few feet away.
“Jesus. Fuck.” My voice broke from me in horror, exaggerated to conceal the relief I felt that Jonah was no longer leaning into me and joy at my protector being Cameron after all. “Don’t… Fuck!”
Jonah leaped when the three guys stood him upright but failed to hold him back. He tackled Cameron to the ground, but the amount of booze he’d had somewhere before coming to the party had made him slow and dazed. “I told you to remember this face. And it’s owner is now going to fuck you up.”
While Jonah managed to hit Cameron’s nose with his forehead, probably by accident, Cameron was quickly on top of Jonah, pinning him to the ground and sharing a couple of not-too-harsh blows to send a message.
But when Jonah spat at Cam, it bought him just enough time to throw Cam off and try climbing on top of him.
“And I told you never to go near him again, you pathetic piece of shit.”
A crowd formed within seconds and I realized I was getting pushed back by guys who tried to separate Cam and Jonah. I felt like a fucking coward, but it had happened too quickly.
While there were a bunch of guys pulling Cam back and containing him, the two who were supposed to do the same to Jonah failed. He tore free and jumped on Cameron while he was defenseless, punching him once in the eye and splitting his eyebrow enough to send blood pouring down his cheek.
My feet worked as I watched the only guy I’d ever loved get punched. I tried to push through the crowd, but it grew denser and it managed to stop Jonah from attacking Cameron.
“Get them out. Both of them. Out. Now!” Someone was yelling while a few guys were able to grab Jonah and drag him outside, practically throwing him out the door.
I hurried around the other half of the crowd, grabbing a kitchen towel someone had been carrying. I managed to stop them from throwing Cam out right away and pressed the cloth to his eyebrow.
“It’s fine,” Cam growled, wincing at my touch.
“It’s not.” I dabbed him methodically, then pressed the cloth hard against the eyebrow to stop the bleeding.
“I’m not kidding. Out!” The guy shouting was sending bunches of people outside as the fight sparked more skirmishes.
The guy who’d come with Jonah was leaving with his arms raised in defense and a pissed expression on his face.
He was ruffled, too. “You too, buddy.” This was said to one of us, but it didn’t matter which.
Cam marched outside before I could help him and I followed. “Fine, fine. We’re leaving.”
“Seriously. Animals.” The frat guy shut the door as soon as we stepped outside into the rain. Jonah and his friend had already disappeared somewhere and only Cam and I remained.
Rain soaked my hair and shirt within moments as we walked a few paces away from the noise of the house, then stopped.
We watched one another with passionate fury and more hurts than you could unpack in a lifetime.
Cam hid half his expression behind the balled up cloth over his brow, his other eye never leaving my face.
“What in the hell are you doing?” I finally spat.
“What the fuck do you mean?” he demanded.
I jerked my head left and right. “Getting into fights like that.” My voice carried a metallic quality of anger.
“I was protecting your ass from a creep.” His voice was tight, too. Anger was swelling in us both, but the fury of the fight was fading.
“Did I ask you to protect my ass?” I returned fire at this reckless, temperamental man.
Infuriating. Fiery. Completely incapable of thinking things through.
“You don’t know the guy. He could have had a hidden knife.
” I stepped toward him, almost tempted to tackle him myself for taking such foolish risks.
Instead, I balled my fists and grounded myself firmly in front of Cam.
“If he did, I’m twice as glad I got him first,” Cam barked.
“Jesus,” I sighed. “I can defend myself.” Except, I wanted to hold him and kiss him and hug him until he couldn’t breathe for the very fact that he’d stepped in without thinking. And I wanted to slap him myself for it, too.
“I saw him touching you.” The worry in his voice mixed with rage. “He made you uncomfortable. I could fucking see you.”
I frowned, misunderstanding him intentionally. “Why the fuck do you care who’s touching me?”
This provoked a flare of fury brighter and more devastating than I had ever seen in him. “Why shouldn’t I fucking care? That creep was making you uncomfortable and I stepped in. You’re welcome.”
“You don’t get to be jealous, Cam,” I said, my voice cracking at his name.
He applied more pressure on the wound and bared his teeth. “I’m not jealous, asshole. I’m trying to protect you.” He breathed for a moment, the rain pattering down on both of us. “Besides, why shouldn’t I be jealous? You left me.”
“You’re the one who left,” I accused, a river of feelings swelling and cracking the dam. “Almost four years ago, Cam. You left and you fucking broke me to pieces.” I found myself nearing him, bringing my face closer to his.
Cam pulled away the fist that was holding the kitchen cloth. Blood stained his handsome face. He was frowning much the way I was. No words came from him as he glared at me, nostrils flaring.
“What else was I supposed to do?” I asked, my tone bitter and dropping low. “I know what Cameron Martinez does when he gets a ticket out. Was I supposed to wait for you to dump my ass again?”
He shook his head jerkily, but I didn’t let him speak.
“I swore to myself never to repeat the same mistake,” I said, louder against the increasing splashing of rain against the puddles on the pavement.
“I’ll never be that naive kid again. Once was more than enough to teach me to guard my heart.
So if you think I was going to keep building this house on quicksand, you’re really fucking full of yourself. ”
“And your solution was to get back at me?” he growled. “Real fucking rich, Riley.”