Page 90 of When love and Hate Collide

“Let go of me.” Dean ignores her and shakes off his brother and storms off. I’m sat watching his retreating back as he walks off. My entire body is shaking with anger. I look up at Oz who shrugs in a ‘I told you’ manner.

“Do we need to take him to the hospital?” I ask my mum fretfully. She’s a nurse and hurries over to assess him.

“I don’t need a hospital, I’m fine,” Paxton grunts, spitting more blood onto the ground.

“Let’s get you cleaned up first so we can see the damage. Hold your head back for me, darling. Jaden, Jason can you help him inside?” My mother instructs and both my brother and dad come over to help a dazed Paxton to his feet and they carry him toward the house.

I stand up and move over to Oz. “Give me your house keys,” I demand.

Oz shakes his head, “Jeyla, now is not the time to go over there. Let him cool off. Trust me, he’s blinded with anger right now, he will lash out at you.”

Every word that leaves Oz’s mouth goes in one ear and comes out the other without registering. “Give me your damn keys!” I almost scream at him. With a sigh, he drops the keys in my hand, and I storm off toward the back door.

“Jeyla, wait!” I hear Ashlyn calling after me. She catches up with me, taking hold of my wrist, trying to stop me, but I shrug her off me. “Let me come with you.”

“No, stay out of this, Ash.” I snap irately. “He’s gone too fucking far this time,” I pull the back door open and walk out, slamming it shut behind me. The gate rattles and shakes on its hinges behind the force.

“Jeyla, stop for a minute, listen to me, this is not a good idea. Do not provoke him. We all know to leave him be when he’s this livid.”

“I don’t care Ash, he’s not the only one that’s fucking livid!” I bite out. “Who the hell does he think he is going at Paxton like that? He could have killed him! I’ve had it with his fucking shit and either way, this strife ends tonight,” I look up and notice the light is on in his bedroom.

“Jeyla, let me go and talk to him.” Ash offers but I shake my head and turn to face her before I reach their front door.

“No, please just leave us to battle this out, okay. It’s been a long time coming and it’s well overdue. Do me a favour and keep an eye on Paxton until I’m back.” I can see the concern in her eyes, but she nods anyway and walks back toward my house.

I march toward the front door. Using the key, I unlock it. My hands are shaking with rage as I push the door open and walk in, closing the door behind me. I hurry up the steps and push the door open to his bedroom only to find it empty.

I can hear water running and follow it to the bathroom. I push the door open and find Dean standing there attempting to tend to his wounds. Blood staining his formerly pristine white shirt which is unbuttoned, revealing his muscular chest.

The moment I lay my eyes on him, my anger triples, and simmers in my veins. I step into the bathroom and Dean straightens when he sees me. We glare at each other, his eyes burning with such wrath if I wasn’t so furious with him it would have aroused me.

I take two steps toward him and slap him hard across the face with such force the sting travels up the length of my arm. I’d imagine it didn’t feel much better being on the receiving end of it.

Dean’s eyes snap to me, his chest rising and falling quickly, evidently trying to keep hold of his anger. “Have you lost your fucking mind?!” he barks dangerously, his voice raising a couple of octaves. “I’m not in the mood to fuck with you right now JJ, get the fuck out!”

“Nah, I’m not going anywhere until you explain yourself.” I shout back in the same manner. “What the hell were you thinking attacking Paxton like that? You almost fucking killed him!”

“The fucker is still breathing, is he? I might have to go back there and finish the job.”

I gape at him, flummoxed. “Has a screw gone loose in your fucking head?!” I ask vehemently. “What the hell has gotten into you, Dean?! What the fuck were you thinking?!”

Dean angrily swipes the contents on the counter around the basin causing them to fly all over. “What are you so pissed about?!” he roars red-faced, the veins in his neck throbbing. “This what you fucking wanted right? This is the reaction you were hoping for while you were draping yourself all over that cunt, provoking me. What the fuck did you expect?!”

My anger flares. “Jesus Christ, do you hear yourself?!” I shout, taking a step toward him. “I wasn’t provoking you Dean, and that cunt you speak of is my boyfriend, the man I made a promise to marry. What, do I now need your written consent to allow my own boyfriend to touch me?”

Dean places both his hands on the basin and closes his eyes in annoyance. “Seriously JJ, get the fuck out of my face. You’re the last person I need on my case right now,” he growls, gripping the counter top so tight his already split knuckles ooze fresh blood. “Run along and make sure your pussy boyfriend isn’t wailing like a bitch.”

“He’s taken care of, and he’s not a pussy,” I snap in agitation. “Which is more than I can say for you. Attacking someone and beating them to within an inch of their life doesn’t make you big man Dean, it makes you an immature little boy who isn’t capable of controlling his emotions and throws a tantrum when he doesn’t get his way.” Dean’s head hangs low and he closes his eyes while shaking his head. “You had no right lashing out on him like that, and you know it. If you’re pissed at me, you take it out on me, don’t involve Paxton. He’s the innocent one in all of this.”

Dean’s head snaps to me and he glowers at me. “Innocent?” He intones lowly. “He’s innocent?!” He laughs out of anger and straightens. “Right, he’s the innocent one and I’m the fucking mug,” he claims walking toward me, stopping less than a foot away. “You show up here and turn my life upside down and that bastard’s the innocent one?”

“I turned your life upside down, did I?!” I ask heatedly and push him back. “I gave you the option to walk away, didn’t I? You get to walk away from the mess we made Dean, but I can’t! Whatever option I choose doesn’t end well for me, don’t you see that?!”

“I never wanted to walk, JJ, you kept pushing me away because you’re convinced I’m not good enough!” Dean yells, kicking the toothbrush holder which is on the floor from when he swiped it off the counter moments ago.

“Do you blame me?! Look at you!” I argue. “Look atusDean, we’re toxic! How are we supposed to raise this child when we can’t agree on a damn thing? We don’t make sense.”

“But you and him make sense, do you?!” Dean vents, “You’re so quick to paint me as the bad guy, but he talks to you like shit in front of everyone and pushes you knowing full well you’re pregnant and he’s still the fucking saint?” I watch him as he moves over to me. “He’s lucky you and the baby are not hurt or tonight would have ended with me behind bars for manslaughter.”

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