Page 195 of Crazy for this Girl

“I was gonna pay—” Cal’s head flies forward, catching Oliver’s forehead as he promptly howls out in pain again.

Who in the hell is this man?

“You didn’t think you were going to get caught, you stupid motherfucker. I’m going to kill—”

“Cal,” I coax, stepping around to his side so that he can see me. “It’s okay. It’s over now.”

“Fuck that,” he sneers through his taut jaw, keeping his razor-like glower on Oliver before he’s yanking on a handful of Oliver’s white t-shirt. “You almost ruined her fucking life while I was out trying to get mine straight. You almost took her from me.”

Oliver shoves at Cal’s shoulders to be released but to no avail. I’ve never seen Cal this angry before in my whole life. It’s actually scary to see him this way. But I don’t know all about grown-up Cal or have spent much time with him around other people.

“I’m right here,” I quake, fisting my hands into balls to keep my growing anxiety down. “I’m not going—”

“She’s my girl,” Cal snarls, inching closer to Oliver. “Always has been, always will be. And you—”

“Fuck you,” Oliver hollers out, bringing his knee up to possibly pop Cal in the balls. My best friend dodges his move and launches my ex across the room like he’s a superhero with super strength abilities.

Oliver’s body hits the bookshelf against the wall with a bang, sending books and glass tumbling to the floor.

“I’m going to fuck you up the ass and ruin your entire existence with what you did to her,” Cal replies with a sinister growl, stalking for him again.

“I charged a few credit cards,” Oliver protests, cradling his bleeding nose. “Big deal. Where the hell were you? She wasn’t your girlfriend.”

I step up, about to grab Cal’s suit jacket and pull him back, but it’s where I mess up and should’ve known better because my best friend is already launching his arm back for another hit, and catches me right in the cheek.

I suck in a sharp breath from the immediate pain and step back from shock the moment when Cal suddenly pivots toward me.

“Fuck… Laynee.” He steadies me by my biceps and reaches out for my face before stopping, a darkness washing over him that sends a shrill of unease creeping up my spine.

“Oliver,” I carp out. “Get out of here, now.”

“Laynee—”

“Now, before I let him have another go at you.” I hear my ex grumble something under his breath, and when Cal begins to glimpse over his suited shoulder to maybe have another fist throwing contest, I latch onto his hand. The immediate contact has his gaze boring into me with so many expressions that I can’t decipher them all.

And when the door opens, to keep Cal with me, I hoist his fingers to my lips and kiss his skin.

His green eyes slit before saying, “What are you doing? Laynee, I’m—”

“I’m fine.”

With his free thumb, he brushes the spot on my cheek that he collided with and his whole body tightens as I involuntarily flinch. “Baby, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean—I didn’t know you were behind me. I’m—”

“Stop,” I interject with a relieved exhale that Oliver listened. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay.” He drops my hand and wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me tightly into his chest. “Laynee, I just punched you in the fucking face.”

He looks so damn devastated at the fact that it actually hurts more to see him this way than the actual hit. “You elbowed me in the face.”

“Fuck…” The singular word is a strained exhale full of regret and dismay.

“I’m not dying,” I vouch lightly, attempting to defuse the situation. “And I’m not crying. I’ve been hit harder by Jonah…no offense.”

“I’m a grown-ass man.” He scowls at me for not taking this seriously enough to his standards. “And I threw some weight in that punch, so I know it hurt.”

“Then kiss it better.” I overly exaggerate, batting my eyelashes to appear—I don’t know cute or kinda sexy—but Cal just gapes at me like I’m about to shatter in his arms at any minute. “No?”

“Hell no. I’m trying to win you over. Not pop you in the head a few times for you to love me again.”

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