Page 17 of Prince of Tides
“What’s gotten into you?” Eric exclaimed as I stood and watched. “First the prenup, now this? Are you on drugs?”
“No, not at all,” she said with a harsh laugh. “Just seeing clearly for the first time, that’s all. I feel bad, you know. You were so upset about being stuck with me for three more years, so I decided you could be free of your Trust Fund Barbie in just three hours. And, oh, would you look at that. Time’s up. Get the fuck out.”
I beamed. She wasfeisty, and I liked it.
“Laurie,” Eric said, spreading his arms wide, pleading.
“Don’t ‘Laurie’ me,” she fired back. “I heard you on the phone. I know what you said about me.”
“It was a joke,” he pleaded, shaking his head. “Is that what this is all about? A joke?”
“You jokingly call me a Trust Fund Barbie behind my back? You already have an expected exit from our relationship? And that’s all ajoketo you?” she cried. “What sort of persondoesthat?”
“None of that was real! I wasn’t serious,” he said, reaching out for her. “Come on. Let’s go inside and talk it over. It’s all just a big misunderstanding.”
“No, a misunderstanding is you not realizing we’re done. So you need to get out.”
“We’re not done,” Eric said frantically. “I can make it up to you. Show you that I’m serious. We’re not done. I promise this will get better. Now, come on, and let’s talk it out.”
He grabbed her wrist, but she shook it off.
“Leave me alone!”
“No, you’re acting stupid. Let’s go in and talk,” he growled, snatching her wrist and trying to pull her after him.
That was the last I could stand by and let happen. I moved until I was suddenly standing in front of him. “You should stop touching her,” I said as calmly as I could manage. “She doesn’t like it.”
“Don’t try to tell me what my girl does or does not like. Now, get out of my way!”
Eric dropped his grip on Laurie and used both hands to push me away.
I didn’t even sway. He was forced backward from the effort.
“That was assault,” I said mildly. “Final chance. Leave.”
“Fuck you,” Eric spat, then did the one thing he shouldn’t have. The one thing I’d longed for him to do since the moment I met him.
He swung at me.
It was a wild, uncorked haymaker intended to surprise me. There was no training, however, and I saw it coming from a mile away.
My left arm came up, blocking his strike with enough force to bruise. Then my right hand darted out, and I hit him across the face.
More accurately, I bitch-slapped the motherfucker hard enough to split his lips.
Eric stumbled away, holding a hand to his mouth as he moaned in pain. Laurie cried out in shock but didn’t step away from me.
“Don’t,” I said, lifting a single finger as Eric tried to come back for me. “You really don’t want that.”
He glared daggers at me, but I shrugged it off. I’d stared death down a thousand times in my youth as wave after wave of enemies from the darkest reaches of the sea had tried to kill me and drag me into their depths. The pathetic human was nothing after that.
Wordlessly, he turned and stormed back into the room, for once choosing the better option.
We watched without speaking as he grabbed a bag and something off a table, then left the room behind, slamming the door hard enough for us to hear from the balcony.
Once he was gone, Laurie sagged next to me, letting out a long-held breath.
“Thank you,” she managed.
