Fighting Ever After (Ever After #3) (4 page)

I was in trouble.

I stumbled
out of bed around noon the next day. I’d kicked a pissed off Kaylie out right
after we’d finished in the bathroom last night and then crawled into bed pissed
off myself. I wasn’t usually that big of a dick to her or any of the girls I
was with, but last night wasn’t my best night and she’d had every right to
bitch me out like she did. I’d lain in bed for almost an hour trying to figure
out why I felt so unsatisfied. Sex was sex.

The only
explanation I could come up with was that I was bored with Kaylie and girls
like her. Not that sex with her was ever boring. She knew what she was doing
and we always had a good time. I always enjoyed sex, but it was just too easy
lately. I didn’t have to work for it, and I’d always enjoyed a challenge.
Princess had presented me with exactly that. That had to be what it was. She
didn’t throw herself at me or kiss my
ass,
in fact she
did the opposite. She called me out on my bullshit and didn’t act impressed. I
liked that. The harder she resisted me, the more I wanted her. That probably
made me sick or twisted, but I didn’t really care. She’d give in eventually,
we’d both have a good time and then I could move on from this.

Chris was
sitting in the kitchen when I walked in and headed straight for the coffee pot.
I felt him watching me. I was just waiting for him to say something. I knew he
would. I filled my cup and then turned, leaning against the counter to face
him.

“About time
you got out of bed asshole,” he said.

“You
just been
sitting there all morning waiting for me?”

“No, but we need to talk about last night and what the hell was up
with you.”

“Nothing was
up,” I told him.

“Bullshit. I
don’t know what you were trying to pull with Jaxyn, but that can’t happen,” he
declared.

“What
exactly can’t happen? What is it you think I’m trying to do?”

“What you
always do, but she’s not one of those girls,” he informed me.

“And what
kind of girl is she?” I asked, genuinely curious
..

“She’s the
kind of girl who deserves better,” he stated plainly.

“Ouch,” I
pretended to be hurt by his comment.

“I’m just
telling you the truth. I love that girl like she’s my family, and she hasn’t
had the easiest life, which is why she’s been gone the last couple of years.
She’s back now and I’m asking you, as your friend, not to fuck with her head,
and I’m also warning you that if you do, my brother will kill you,” he said
seriously.

“What is
their deal, they have history?” I asked.

“Not like
that,” was all he said, and that was the end of our conversation. He got up and
walked out of the kitchen, leaving me there with my coffee and my thoughts.
Unfortunately, all his warning did, was make me more curious about the girl.

I finished
my coffee and then went to change into a pair of shorts and my running shoes.
Ace was lounging on the couch, so I made his lazy ass get up and go for a run
with me. When we got back, we rounded Chris and Spade up and talked about our
set list and plan for tonight’s show. Our new song had gone over well so we
included it and decided to bump one of the covers we usually do. We were trying
to work it so that eventually we’d be playing almost all original material.
Right now it was pretty even between our stuff and covers, but as we made more
of a name for ourselves and our following grew, it would allow us to do more of
what we wanted.

Once we had
everything figured out, we went down to the basement to run through the set and
then work out the kinks in a couple other new songs we were trying to get just
right. By the time we were done and then ate, it was almost time to start
loading up equipment. I grabbed a quick shower before we headed out.

When we go
to the bar, it had a decent crowd, and then much like last night, as it got
later it grew more packed. They had one other performer going before us, just a
single guy with his guitar and he got the crowd warmed up. My eyes kept darting
to the door, waiting to see if a certain colorful head was going to bob through
it. I was disappointed when it was time for us to take the stage and she still
hadn’t showed. I brushed it off and told myself it didn’t matter, but then,
during our third song when I spotted her walking in with Bas, Lissa and another
girl I recognized as Violette, I couldn’t deny the little thrill that rose up
inside me. Part of that might have had something to with the sexy skirt and
heels that were showing off her toned legs. They weren’t especially long, but
they would still wrap around my waist nicely.

I followed
her with my eyes as the group made their way through the crowd, as near to the
stage as they could get. Just like last night, my performance became something
more with her there, like every note I struck, every word I sang was just for
her. I used the music to pull her in and wrap her in my embrace, and it was
working. She was swaying softly and tapping her foot with the beat, then the
next thing I knew she was retreating through the crowd toward the door.

Half way
there, some guy came up behind her, grabbing her hips in a touch of
familiarity. She turned to face him, and I couldn’t see her expression because
he was blocking her. They exchanged words and then he reached out and touched
her intimately again. Who was this fucker and why did I care so much? It was a
good thing I knew these songs inside and out, backwards and forwards, or the
distraction would have caused me to screw up by now. Jaxyn batted his hand away
and then started to push past the guy, but his hand snaked out and grabbed her
arm. Something about it felt off. I wasn’t about to take my eyes off the two of
them.

The guy
pressed in closer to her, and then in the blink of an eye several things
happened. Jaxyn started to struggle with him and I saw her attempt to ram her
knee into his groin. I started to smile, but then the guy was shoving her
backwards and slammed her hard into the wall.
I didn’t even
think, I just reacted.
I swung my guitar strap over my head and bolted
off the stage, furious that no one else had seen it happen or was helping her.
I heard the rest of the band come to a screeching halt as I shoved my way
through the crowd, ignoring the murmurs and confused looks that followed me.
When I finally reached them, I grabbed the bastard and threw him to the ground.

He looked
shocked for a second and then sneered up at me. Bas was only seconds behind me
and emerged from the crowd just as the asshole was picking
himself
up off the ground. A couple buddies of his stepped forward and took up a
challenging stance beside him and I wanted to laugh. I would tear all those
fuckers apart before I let any of them get past me, but then Danny and the rest
of the guys stepped out. We all just stood there, until the asshole opened his
mouth and addressed Bas.

“I see
you’re still playing the bodyguard, Cross.”

“And I see
you still haven’t learned your lesson. How many times do I have to break your
nose before you get it through that thick skull of yours not to come near her?”
So this asshole was an ex of hers or something, and this obviously wasn’t the
first time he’d caused problems.

The two of
them stared each other down and then Bas took a step forward, getting right in
the guy’s face. I prepared myself to jump in and back Bas up once the first
blow was struck, but then Bas’ girlfriend jumped in the middle of it before
that happened. She pulled at Bas’ arm, but he shook her off, refusing to look
away from the asshole.

“Sebastian,
come on. You don’t need this, just walk away.” I saw the corner of Asshole’s
mouth turn up in to a grin and I was sure Bas was going to hit him, but then
two of the guys who covered security at the bar, who had finally taken notice
of the situation, broke through the crowd.

“If there‘s
a problem here, then you gentlemen need to resolve it elsewhere before we throw
your asses out,” the guy, Mike, then turned to me, “and you need to get your
guys back up on stage and finish the set.” That wasn’t happening.

“We’re
fucking done for the night,” I told him. “If that’s a problem, then you guys
can find a new band to book from now on.” I knew he wouldn’t say shit. They
made a killing off of us. If we went, so would a huge chunk of their profit.
  

“Fine then,
but like I said, whatever this is, isn‘t happening here,” he grumbled and gave
us each a look to show us he wasn’t messing around.

“There’s no
problem here. Just a friendly little reunion,” Asshole said. I wanted to punch
him right in the mouth and knock that fucking smirk off his face, but Mike and
the other guy, Ross, accepted his response and they started breaking up the
crowd that had gathered around hoping for a fight. Music came on over the
speakers and everyone went back to their business while the rest of us still
stood here. Bas eased off when Asshole and his friends backed off and started
to leave. He went over to check on Jaxyn, and for the first time I allowed my
eyes to go to her. She was
shaking,
her face
completely ashen and I could tell she was close to tears. Anger surged up in me
again and I wanted to kill that asshole who’d put his hands on her.

Vi
and Bas were still hovering over Jaxyn, when Asshole started to
move towards the door. He stopped right next to them, and even though he spoke
in a low voice, I was still able to hear what he said to her. “It was really good
to see you baby. You have no idea how much I missed you. We’ll catch up later
when I don’t have to worry about us being interrupted.” I took a step forward
because it looked like Bas was going to kill him, but Jaxyn was clinging to him
for dear life. “Oh and don’t worry, I’ll let your father know you said hello,”
the asshole added before finally leaving. It took everything I had not to
follow him.

“I’m going
to kill him.” Bas echoed my own thoughts.

“Sebastian, stop
it! You don’t need to get mixed up in this.” Lissa walked over again and put
herself right between Bas and Jaxyn, forcing Jax to let go of him.

“The hell I
don’t Liss. You have no idea who that is or what the bastard is capable of,”
Bas snapped back at her. I wanted to ask who he was and find out what the story
was between him and Jaxyn, but now clearly wasn’t a good moment.

“
Which is exactly why you don’t need to be involved.
” Lissa
was usually a cool chick, or at least I didn’t mind her. She wasn’t a bitch and
even though I knew she didn’t like me, she kept her thoughts to herself, but
right now she was pissing me off. Bas hadn’t done anything he shouldn’t have.

“You have to
know I could never sit back and just let someone hurt a friend of mine.”

“What I know
is that since she got home you’ve almost been in two fights in two nights. You
know how many that makes total since we’ve been together? Two.” I assumed she
was referring to last night. I didn’t think it would help any if I told her I
never would have fought him, so I just kept my mouth shut and let them work out
their shit.

“Neither one
was actually a fight Liss.”

“Not for
lack of trying.”

“I don’t
know what you want me to do. You can’t seriously expect me to just watch while
he, or anyone else for that matter,” his eyes darted to me, “messes with her.”
I got the message, and maybe for the first time it actually started to sink in
that I didn’t really know what I was getting myself involved in. I didn’t know
Jax or her story, yet I’d been acting like I already had her pegged.

The two of
them argued some more and then Lissa stormed out the door in the first display
of drama queen I’d ever really seen from her. Bas started to apologize to Jaxyn
for her behavior but she stopped him.

“It’s okay,
you need to go and fix that. Don’t worry about me.”

Vi
promised Bas she would look after Jax, but he still told Jax he
would check up on her. Then he kissed her forehead and went after his
girlfriend.

“
Soo
. . .” Spade said once he was gone, “does someone want
to fill the rest of us in on why this evening almost turned into a scene from
The Outsiders? I felt like Ponyboy over here.” He was the one to ask, but we
all wanted to know what the hell that just was.

“Ponyboy?
If anyone, you would have been more like Sodapop.
Ky
was clearly Patrick Swayze in that situation, and Bas
would be Ponyboy, or maybe vice versa,” Danny countered, causing Ace to offer
his opinion as well.

“No, I think
technically she would be Ponyboy, and Bas would be Johnny.”

“Would you
guys just shut up?” Chris wasn’t amused at all. He was usually the first one to
joke around or join in, so his seriousness convinced me there was a lot to this
story.

“Princess, you going to share?”
I finally asked, tired
of waiting. Her eyes found mine and I could see how shaken up she still was,
and it only reinforced my desire to hunt that bastard down. Another part of me
wanted to go to her side just as Bas had done, and try to comfort her, but I
had no business doing that. Her problems weren’t mine, even if something inside
me wanted them to be. I tried to pull my shit together long enough to listen to
what she had to say.