Caught by Emma Louise

Chapter Nineteen

Crew throws his head back and belts out a loud laugh. "That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard," he says once he's managed to calm himself down. I want to give in and tell him he's right, but I can't back down. I've managed to avoid being around her too much since that night. The night I came so close to caving in and kissing the shit out of her. The night I came too close to being weak.

"Tell me what's really going on," he demands. Before I can respond, the door is pushed open, and before I can do anything to stop it, there's a fist flying at my face. Pain blooms in my jaw, and my head snaps to the side.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Felix pushes his face into mine, his fists bunching the material of my shirt.

"What the fuck is going on?" Crew comes to pull Felix back when it looks like he's about to try to land a second punch.

"I warned him." Black eyes bore into mine as he struggles to control his temper. "I warned him, if he fucked her over again, I'd fuck him up."

"Fucked who over?"

"Where is she?" I ask, already knowing who he’s talking about.

"Where do you think? Gavin's taking her to your place so she can pack her shit. She's had enough of your bullshit." We're toe to toe now, neither of us ready to back down.

"Get out of my way," I warn him, ready to make him move if he doesn’t.

"Not a fucking chance."

"Move, or I'll go through you," I warn again.

"Why? So you can make her cry? Again?" he scoffs. "Think again."

"Why was Darcey crying?" Crew asks, not moving to pull us apart.

"I wasn't there, but my guess would be that she heard more of the crap Max was spouting."

The need to get to her, to apologize to her is overwhelming. "You need to get out of my way, Felix. Now.” Yanking his hands from my shirt, I push him away from me, done with this discussion.

"I'm done letting you hurt her." Felix makes the mistake of grabbing a hold of my arm as I push past him. Before I can think of how much love I have for him, one of my very best friends, I have him pinned to the wall, my forearm across his throat.

"I won’t say it again. Get your hands off me. Now get the fuck out of my way." He isn't going to back down; I know that look in his eyes. I know he feels the same unhealthy level of need for her that I am, but he's mistaken if he thinks I'm backing down.

Not now. Not ever.

Knowing I've hurt her, yet again, is the final nail in my coffin. I'm done fighting. My need for her finally wins. I'm going after what I want. Fuck the consequences.

"She's too fucking good for you," he spits, face turning red thanks to the pressure I'm applying. His words snap me out of the red haze just enough for me to realize what I'm doing. Easing back just enough for him to breathe, I don't let him go yet. I can't be sure he won’t try to land another punch.

"I know," I finally manage to say, "but you need to stand down."

"Give me one good reason why I should?"

"Because she's mine." The words leave my lips before I can stop them, and I don't care that Felix flinches when he hears what I'm saying. He needs to hear this once and for all. I've let this shit go on too long, and now he's about to get his feelings hurt.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Deadly."

"Does she know how you feel?"

"She will soon enough." I feel the fight drain out of him as he realizes just how serious I am.

"I'm done letting you hurt her." I hear the unspoken threat. “Hurt her once more, and all bets are off.” My only answer to that is a sharp nod, then I'm out the door, all the while knowing that the battle hasn't even begun yet. The hardest fight is going to be proving to Darcey that I want her.

* * *

"You fucked up this time, brother," Gavin greets me from the seat on my front porch, a bottle of beer perched at his lips.

"So I've heard."

"You better get in there quickly; she's almost done packing."

"Where was she going?" I ask, knowing I’ll lose my mind if she was going to try to take Cassidy back to that shitty apartment.

"Delaney's," he grunts. "She called Lee on the way over. She's getting the kid from school, and I'm supposed to drop her off there to meet them once she has her shit."

"Get her number, and tell her to keep Cass there until one of us comes to get her. Tell her it might be in the morning."

"You got it, boss." Draining the beer, he gives me a salute before he makes his way to his truck. I don't stop to watch him leave. My mind is only focused on the fight I have on my hands.

"Can you grab that bag while I get some of Cass' things together?" She tosses the question over her shoulder without looking at me. She's too busy throwing shit into garbage bags to notice it’s me standing behind her.

The defeat in her voice is my undoing. I'm next to her in a flash, my hand on her arm, pulling her around to look at me. If I thought the sad voice was bad, the tear tracks on her cheeks gut me. "Stop," I growl, and I don’t know if it's me telling her to stop packing her shit, or to stop crying.

"Let me go," she says tiredly.

"No."

"I'm giving you what you wanted, aren't I?" She laughs bitterly. "You don't like me, so I'm doing you a favor by leaving."

"I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry you heard—"

"No," she cuts me off. "I'm done with this. You don’t have to like me, but you do have to let me go."

"I'm not letting you go. I just told you I was sorry."

"Sorry for what exactly?" She challenges me.

"Everything!" I explode. "I'm sorry for every stupid damn thing I've said that's hurt you. I'm shit at this, but I'm fucking sorry, okay?"

"I really don't care that you're sorry, Max." Guilt. Embarrassment. Fear. They aren't emotions I'm familiar with these days, but right now each of them are rioting inside me. “You keep apologizing to me, but nothing changes. I’m tired of this game! You fuck up, you say sorry. I forgive you, and a few days later we start this whole thing over again! I’m done, Max. Apologies don’t mean anything if you keep having to give them.”

“Baby, please.” Her words gut me, and all I want to do is pull her closer, wrap her in my arms, and never let her go.

"Why are you doing this? Please, just let me go." Her plea, the deep sadness that taints her words has a cold sweat springing up on the back of my neck.

"I can't."