Page 37 of Weak Side

“Oh, fuck.” The two words came out in slow motion, but Aasher heard the uptick in my tone and stood up straight right beside me.

“What? What’s wrong?”

I no longer noticed the blonde as she clung onto my side. My shoulders tensed, and I had lost my beer at some point. I didn’t move an inch as I watched Claire’s boyfriend make out with some girl with hardly any clothes on in the corner of the room.Fuck.I frantically searched the party, knowing that I was right about him cheating on her and that Claire was about to walk into something that was going to cut deep. I loved to be right but not about this.Fuck, this was going to be bad.

“Wolf, what’s wrong?” Emory’s voice was muffled as my heartbeat thumped in my ears. I felt like I was back on the ice, and everything was fading away except this burning drive in my core. I pushed the blonde away and took a step forward, looking over every single person’s head until I landed on those rich, chestnut-colored waves falling over delicate shoulders. I turned back and saw that Chad had no intention of stopping his make-out session with someone who wasn’t his girlfriend and brought my attention back over to Claire. I felt panicked, and the expression on Claire’s face had my world stopping for the briefest of seconds.

Her pretty lips were parted slightly, and the color had completely drained from her cheeks. The cup of warm beer in her hand slipped from her grip, and Rose grabbed onto her arm, shaking her slightly. It was like watching a tower fall and not being able to stop it. I wanted to protect her from what she was witnessing, but it also wasn’t my job to do so.What is her boyfriend fucking thinking?

“Shit, is that her boyfriend?”

Aasher’s voice broke though the muffled sounds of the party, and my heart was racing so fast I couldn’t catch my breath.

Emory answered Aasher, “Yeah, and I guess Taytum was right. He’s a fucking douche.”

“Ouch,” the blonde hissed between her teeth. “Who is that girl? That’s awful. I feel so bad for her.”

I stared at Claire, unable to move from the chaos that was occurring around me. Some people were unaware of what was going on, but I swore I heard her heart break from clear across the party. The second she tore her gaze from Chad, she landed on me, and I took a step backward from the jolt.

Her eyes were glossy, and the acceptance I saw as she realized that I was right the other night hit me smack dab in the center of my chest. Her wobbling lip was a sucker punch right to my jaw. I moved toward her, but she shook her head and mumbled something to Rose and was out the door a moment later.

“Fuck, that hurt to watch.” I met Rush’s expression as he clued in to what had just happened. His head tilted, and his eyes squinted. “She mean something to you?”

Does she?

I glared in Chad’s direction, watching in disgust as his hands gripped the girl’s ass underneath her dress. I was thankful Claire had left the party so she didn’t have to see how this was progressing.Where is she?

“Just one, Wolf. I’ll let it slide this time.”

Rush flicked his chin over to Chad, and I shook my head, knowing I needed to leave it alone.

“Just one what?” someone asked.

Before I could stop myself and listen to the rational thought I’d had a second prior, I moved through the party with as much swiftness as I was used to on the ice. I could smell Chad’s sleazy cologne, and it angered me that much more. Claire’s hurt expression slid into my head at the last second, and I wished it hadn’t because it only egged me on that much more.

I tapped Chad’s shoulder roughly, and he tore his mouth away and glared at me out of the corner of his eye. There was a set of glassy, bloodshot eyes set on me from the girl with swollen lips, and I barked, “Move.”

She didn’t act confused in the slightest. Her eyes widened, and she backed clear away from Chad and into Aasher’s hands. He pushed her behind him and gave me a warning look before I turned back and looked at the dipshit who just hurt my roommate.Fuck, why do I care so much?

“You again?” he said, putting his hands on his hips like he actually had the upper hand. “Mind your fucking business, bro.”

An angry laugh left me as I shook my head. I turned my back to him for a single second, letting him think that he was superior to someone like me. But newsflash, he wasn’t. My knuckles cracked as I formed a fist, and I swung around so quickly you wouldn’t have even known I’d clocked him, except the little bitch let out a screech as blood sprayed from his lip.

“One and done, Wolf.” Rush’s hand landed on my shoulder, and he gave me a squeeze. I shrugged his grip off as Chad smeared the blood across his mouth and glared at me.

“I fucking dare you,” I barked, seething between my teeth.

Chad stepped away from me in fear, but I still saw the haughtiness lingering. “She won’t believe you.” He spit blood onto the floor, and Rush cursed under his breath.

I laughed loudly, drawing attention from the party. I half-expected Taytum to come through to back me up, because it was apparent she didn’t like Chad, but I didn’t see her or Ford anywhere around. Rose caught my eye, but before I went to look for Claire, I shot Chad a quick smirk.

“She doesn’t have to believe me, man. She saw you for herself.” His confusion was comical, but I didn’t laugh. Instead, I spun around and walked through the party and went on a search for my roommate.

18

Claire

I’m fine.

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