Page 7 of Accidentally Forever
“You think you’re so much better than me. But you’re not. You’re nothing. You follow me around like a dog begging for scraps. And you’ve done nothing for me. You want to fix me? I’m not your daddy. You can’t fix me.” Travis pressed his forearm to my throat.
I gasped for breath, my fingernails clawing at his skin as I tried to break free of his hold.
None of this made sense and honestly, it had all happened far too quickly. Travis had come over because he had wanted money.
Of course he had wanted money.
How was he supposed to pay for his pills and alcohol if he didn’t have any income? It didn’t matter that at one point Travis had been a beautiful sculptor. He could create magic and life from clay. When he was on his game, the world would weep at his artistry. I could never understand how he could bring so much life and talent with his hands.
And then he picked up a bottle. Then another. And he had drowned himself until the pickled remnants of the man who had once been my friend stood in his place.
When I had refused to give him money, he hit me.
It hadn’t been the first time he’d hit me, and I’d walked away from him that time as well.
The first time had been a mistake.
The second time had been an elbow to my face when trying to talk him out of driving.
But there would be no calling this an accident. Not when he met my gaze, and I saw nothing but hatred. The man who had been my best friend. The man who Itried to keep safe was trying to kill me. I gasped, my body shaking as I tried to hold on to those thoughts. I wasn’t strong enough.
“Trav—” He didn’t even let me finish saying his name before he thrust down on my neck even harder. I fought for breath, stars beginning to dim in my vision.
“You call yourself my friend and yet you won’t even help me. You know I’m in pain, Aria. You know I need help. And yet you hide everything from me. I don’t think you know how hard it is for me. But you don’t hide things fromhim. That no name asshole that has no talent and nothing. He clings on to your family as if he matters. And yet nobody in your precious bloodline really wants him. All he is is your second and third leftovers. And yet I bet you want to fuck him and he would probably let you. And frankly, he is the onlythingyou deserve.”
Tears slid down my cheeks as I was finally able to take a deep breath, trying to shove him away. “Get out. Get out and don’t come back.”
“Oh, you’re finally giving up on me? I thought you loved me,” he whined. “I thought I was your best friend. But you’re useless as always. Where is the money, Aria?”
“Go.”
“No. You stupid bitch.”
And when the fist came at my face, I tried to duck, but I couldn’t quite believe he would hit me. It was as if everything happened in slow motion, and I was trying to catch up.
Pain radiated in my face, and I nearly slid to the floor, trying to get away from the next blow.
Only it never came.
Before I could blink, Crew was there.
I hadn’t even known he was in my house.
By then I was sitting on the ground, my back to the wall, trying to catch my breath as Crew slammed his fist into Travis’s jaw.
And then he hit him again.
And again.
“If youevertouch her, I will kill you. Do you understand me, you worthless piece of shit? I will end you. And they won’t even be able to begin to search for your useless body.”
“Fuck you,” Travis spat, spittle hitting Crew’s face.
I staggered up, trying to get my thoughts in order. But my head hurt, and I felt like I was going to throw up. I didn’t know if I was bleeding, or where my other shoe was. I had lost it somehow when Travis pushed me to the wall.
“Crew,” I whispered.
But he didn’t hear me. Or at least he pretended notto. Instead he hit Travis over and over again, and I finally moved closer.
