le of making the changes he needed to get his life back on track.
“You’re such a good friend, Claire. You know that? I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” Logan praised, putting his arm around me, kissing my cheek just shy of my lips. I heard Brent huff.
“Back off, Logan,” Brent warned.
“Relax, dude. I know she’s yours. Don’t hurt her though, or you’ll answer to me,” Logan teased, standing and facing Brent which made me anxious. Brent was still wrestling with his inherent protectiveness over me, and Logan knew all the right buttons to push.
“Yeah, I’d like to see you to try, asshole,” Brent threatened, moving closer to Logan. My anxiety started to grow as they sized each other up.
I jumped up and shot between them. “Brent, enough! Stop it!” I shouted, placing my hand on his chest, attempting to force him back a few steps, but he wouldn’t move. “I don’t belong to you, for Christ sake.”
Surprise flashed across Brent’s face and he grabbed both my arms just above the elbows. “The hell you don’t, Claire.”
Was he serious or totally out of his goddamn mind? “You know what? You’re being ridiculous. Logan was joking, Brent. Why don’t you go in the other room so I can talk to him without you freaking out?”
“No way, Claire!” he snapped.
“Arghh! You’re acting insane. Nothing is going to happen. You’ll be in the next room. Please, Brent,” I urged, grabbing his hands and holding them close to my chest, looking into his eyes, pleading with him to calm down.
Brent finally relented, spinning around to face Logan, staring at him menacingly. “Keep your goddamn hands to yourself while I’m gone, Logan,” Brent warned, before reluctantly treading away to leave the room.
“If she really loves you, then what are worried about, man?” Logan taunted. It struck me immediately that Logan was looking for a fight. Fighting was the only mechanism Logan knew to use when handling conflict. Looking at the two of them, I couldn’t decide which one of them I was more upset with.
Brent spun on his heels and marched back to Logan. “You’re the one that hasn’t figured out she’s taken,” Brent spit.
Cheap shot, Brent.
“Yeah, well, she didn’t seem so taken when she had her tongue down my throat. I think she even liked it,” Logan threw back at him, aiming straight for the heart.
“Logan!” I shouted.
Brent’s fists were clinched ready to strike, his eyes dark blue, almost midnight, without mercy. I knew whatever came next was going to hurt.
“Yeah, that’s how pity feels. She’d never really care about someone like you.”
“Brent!” I screamed horrified, not believing what I just heard come out of his mouth.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Logan asked, meeting Brent, chest to chest.
“Exactly what it sounded like, Logan. You’re trash,” Brent replied, not backing down even an inch.
I threw my hands up in the air completely frustrated with this charged display of testosterone. “Oh my God, stop it! Both of you. I can’t take it anymore. Kill each other if you want, but leave me the hell out of it.”
“I’m sorry, Claire,” Logan spoke first. “I’ll go in the other room and give you two a minute.” He left the room throwing daggers at Brent with his eyes, on his way out. Brent stood absolutely still, glowering at him until he was out of the room.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked Brent, once I was sure Logan was out of earshot.
“He just gets to me, Claire. I told you. I’m really fucking jealous and when he touches you, and I feel his sense of comfort with you, I lose my mind.” He approached me and brushed the pad of his thumb over the trace of bruising Logan had left on my face. “You’ve taken enough abuse from him, Claire. It’s time to let go.”
I sighed heavily, rolling my eyes. “Oh, my God. I can’t do this with you right now. I need go find Layken. Do you think you can control yourself until I get back and then we can leave?” That came out more patronizing than I had intended.
Brent turned away from me, acting insulted. I wanted to reassure him I loved him and Logan was nothing more than my friend, but the way he behaved infuriated me. I needed to calm down so I wouldn’t say something I couldn’t take back.
I went down the hall looking for Layken, stopping at a door when I heard her voice coming through it. The door was open a crack. I started to knock but stopped when I heard Mandy crying.
“I had no idea, Mandy. Why didn’t you tell me?” I heard Layken consoling her friend.
Mandy spoke though her tears and I chewed on the inside of my cheek listening to her.