Roomie Wars Box Set
I can hear the desperation in his voice. If this is what Zoey wanted, then she’s won. The fucker is suffering. But something tells me that brewing on the horizon is something bigger than this.
“I have to go, Jess. There’s nothing else for us to say to each other.”
“I love you,” he blurts out. “Please. Give me another chance. I’ll prove to you it’s meant to be. I can’t live without you.”
Zoey remains silent, but her sullen face says it all. His words, his reaction, they have affected her deeply, and I have no doubt at this moment she still loves him.
Him.
Not you.
The tension is palpable, and just when I think she might walk away, he takes his hands and places them on her face kissing her passionately.
When I notice she doesn’t pull away instantly, the fury inside me hits boiling point, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. My body charges forward, out of control, tearing them apart until I have Jess pinned against the wall.
Within my grip, his anger consumes him, squirming his body free and using his arms against mine. We both struggle, and my next move is paramount. He deserves this for everything he’s done, for the person he is. And most importantly because Zoey still loves him.
My fist connects with his jaw, slamming hard, the pain instantly ricocheting and causing my body to buckle in agony. Caught off guard, Jess pulls me up, punching my face in return. The pain is even worse than before, coming in waves, intensifying with every second that passes. The taste of blood lingers on my lips, the noise and commotion drowning out the yelling coming from two men trying to break us up, pushing the both of us apart.
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“Drew,” Zoey cries, latching on to Jess. “Why did you hit him?”
I don’t say a word.
She’s just proved my point.
She defended him. She still loves him.
Zoey caresses Jess’s face, but he knocks her over in a bid to get back at me.
She tumbles to the floor. Her hair messily falls to pieces, and she winces as her ankle twists. I push past the men holding me back, grabbing his suit until I have slammed him onto the floor. His eyes rage against mine, and together we both fight for the one person who has driven us to this point—Zoey.
“Stop it, Drew! Please,” she begs.
I don’t know what’s come over me. This is not me. I’m not the person who goes around violently hurting others, even if they deserve it. There’s a lot of commotion in the foyer, then large security guards usher me outside like I’m the perpetrator warning me they’ll call the cops if I don’t calm down.
“Fuck this,” I yell. “It’s all his fault. Fucking loser. Leave her the fuck alone.”
Jess watches me with heavy breaths, wiping his cut lip with a blood-stained shirt. A couple of people have helped Zoey up, and she continues to wince standing against the wall.
I manage to communicate—through slurs—to the valet that my dad will be picking up my car and request they call a cab. It isn’t long before the lit-up cab drives down the pebbled entrance and stops before me.
Walking to where Zoey’s standing, I demand she comes home with me. Her face is covered in mascara from the tears, and the strap of her dress is torn. She carefully holds it up staring back at me with a furious glance.
“Let’s go.” My voice is hoarse, commanding her to follow me.
“No.”
“Zoey,” I say, teeth clenching with utter rage. “Get the fuck in the cab.”
This time she doesn’t argue and slides into the cab slamming the door behind her. She doesn’t turn to face me, and instead, stares out the window giving me the silent treatment.
The driver keeps to himself humming some familiar tune. Beyond the horizon, the city lights shine from afar, and this ride home seems so long when you’re staring out into nothing but darkness. I close my eyes and try to forget tonight. Forget how I allowed myself to do the unthinkable. Forget about how much I wanted to reach out to her and touch her just one more time before reality faces us.
Breaking the ice and the cold, harsh reality between us, I switch my tone to something softer. “Is your ankle okay? Can you move it?”
“I can’t believe you did that,” she fumes, ignoring my question.