Page 31 of To Build a Home
Whatever he was about to say falls on deaf ears because the only sound filling the room is the sound of flesh pounding flesh. I nail him square in the jaw. I was aiming for the nose, but he quickly flinched. Fucking pussy.
Adrienne jumps up with a scream, the chair scraping against the floor and falling with a boom.
Control slips from my grasp, and I lose it. First, I throw a punch for what he did to Payton. Then, I throw one for abandoning his daughter. And my last punch before arms wrap around me and pull me off him is for whatever the fuck he thought he was doing by coming here tonight. I know he doesn’t live around here, and I know that he’s made no contact with Payton since the divorce was final, at least none that she told me about. Would that be something she would keep from me? Had she lied?
“Rhyland, calm the fuck down,” Archer hisses in my ear as he pulls me back. It must take all his strength to pull me back toward the hall because my body is as rigid as stone.
“Get the fuck out of here, Joel, and take your homewrecking skank with you,” Ollie shouts. There’s no way no one didn’t catch that who was in the building, let alone maybe even outside, sincewe heard it as Archer twisted so that I was ahead of him, and he shoved his hands on my back, pushing me out the back door.
“What the fuck, man?” he shouts as I find an empty crate outside the back of the building and chuck it against the dumpster in a rage.
Fuck, I think I’m more fired up than Ollie was.
“What if Payton had been here tonight? Why did you pull me off him? I could’ve given him the ass kicking he knowingly deserves.”
“I agree. He clearly wanted to start trouble, but fuck,” he sighs, running his hands over his hair and tugging on the ends. “Violence is not the answer, and violence in the workplace is definitely not you. Now, go home and cool off.”
“No, we still have tables. I’ve got a few more hours left of my shift.”
“Fuck that. Rhyland, as your boss, I’m telling you to go home and cool off. Ollie and I will take care of the mess inside and figure shit out.”
Just then, Ollie appears in the doorway, holding my shit out. I don’t even bother taking my chef’s coat off. There are definitely droplets of Joel’s blood on it. Guess they’re not taking any chances on me going in there and trying to catch the fucker leaving.
Letting out a deep sigh in defeat, I know the best thing for me is to get out of here to cool down. I don’t put up any more fight as I accept my keys and phone from Ollie and head toward my truck.
My split knuckles grip the wheel like a vise as I drive in silence, not bothering to drown out the noise in my head by turning on the radio. Once I arrive safely, I don’t rush to go inside. The first-floor lights are still on, so Payton must still be awake. Fuck, I don’t even know what to say to her right now. Maybe I should just back out of the driveway before she realizes I’m even homeand go find somewhere else to calm my nerves. I’m not sure I’m the best thing to be around her right now.
When I go to shut the front door, it flies from my hand, slamming louder than I had hoped.Fuck, what if that had woken up Gabby?I lean against the wood and shut my eyes, taking a few calming breaths before I have to see her.
A shriek comes to my left. “Rhyland?” Payton questions as she comes into view. “What are you doing home so early?”
My hands fall from my face, and I slowly open my eyes, finding Payton in front of me. When she takes in my appearance, she gasps with wide eyes.
“What happened? Are you okay?”
My, how the tables have turned about who is concerned about whom. It’s almost too comical, actually, yet I don’t have it in me to even laugh in the slightest.God, how was that only last night?
She reaches for my hand, and I willingly let her lead me into the living room. Her comforting touch slowly softens the anger inside me. “Rhyland Cole,will you fucking talk to me? Is that blood? Please tell me that’s some sort of animal blood.”
I slump onto the coffee table with my head in my hands.
Without opening my eyes, I can tell by her sweet smell that Payton is right here. She’s close—too fucking close.
“Please talk to me.” Her voice trembles, and this is killing me.
When I remain silent, she huffs out a breath. “Fine, okay. Why don’t you go upstairs and get cleaned up, and then you can come back down? We don’t need to talk. I mean, I have a lot I want to say to you about last night, but that kind of seems like something tiny compared to this.”
If only she knew how related they both were.
Still silent, I run up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I have no idea if she’s still in her spot or maybe followed me because I refuse to look over my shoulder.
Something has me pausing in front of Payton’s room. The door is partially open, and while I should feel bad about going into her space uninvited, it wasn’t twenty-four hours ago that I was in her bed.
I just have to check on her. I just need to see Gabby to confirm she’s okay, and then I’ll leave.
Swaddled in a pink blanket with what are those—bunnies? She is sound asleep. She reminds me of a sushi roll or a hot dog wrapped up so tightly in that thing.
Satisfied for now that she is safe, I creep out of Payton’s room and pad down the hallway to the bathroom.
