Page 92 of Villainous Summer

A bolder formed in my throat as I added up Autumn’s tale. This was so much worse than a cheater. My jaw was hard steel, and I struggled to swallow the rage filling my chest.

Leaning forward, I placed both hands on the edge of the counter and squeezed, my knuckle white from the force.

“You knew, right? Oh, God. I always do this. I open my mouth, and I don’t mean to spill secrets, but I can’t help it. The words come out, and—”

Autumn’s rising panic distracted my anger enough that I could relax my fist.

“It’s okay. We’ll be alright.” Clearing my throat, I got up, slapping my upper thighs. “I’ll be back in a minute with the rest of the stuff.”

I hadn’t left anything in my truck, but I needed an excuse to get out before I would break something.

At the edge of the parking lot, my fingers digging into my thighs, I bent over.

Deep breaths, in and out, I tried to temper the fever, but my hands were shaking while my blood boiled. I prided myself on keeping my emotions in check. I was a large man, and to rage would make me fearsome. But nothing was holding back the ferocity inside.

Stalking to a nearby tree, I couldn’t think about the ramifications, couldn’t control the need to strike out. My fist went flying against the trunk, and the branches shook. My knuckles split against the rough pine bark. Blood sprayed the pavement as I struck again. The bark gave way, splintering to the side.

Still, my anger wasn’t ebbing.

How could someone do that to Summer? Was this the same man who she was arguing with a week before? That scrawny, chino-wearing asshole, with that stupid smirk as he watched her leave. If I could have gone back in time, I would have pummeled him into the white carpet of that boathouse restaurant.

The soft clack of vegan sandals on the pavement sounded behind me, and I glanced back.

Autumn was standing there, her eyes flickering from the mangled tree to my bleeding hand.

“Come on.” She waved at me. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

My anger wavered as I followed her into her ground-level studio. Cupping my bleeding hand, I tried and failed at not dripping blood all over her floor.

She instructed me to sit on a patchy vinyl stool at the breakfast bar. “I can’t believe I spilled Summer’s business like that. She’s going to be so pissed at me.”

“I can’t imagine Summer being mad at you.”

Autumn raised a brow. “I like you, but I don’t think you have any idea what my cousin is capable of.”

“I would never underestimate her.”

Autumn snorted, dabbing at my hand with a wet paper towel.

“I wish I could find that guy and kick the shit out of him.” I shook my head. “What’s his last name? Tell me so I can take care of him.”

Autumn cocked her head, wearing a playful smile. “You don’t need to do that.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Summer has her own way of dealing with people. Do I approve of her methods? Of course not. But let’s just say Cory is paying the price for hurting Summer.”

“What does that mean? Did she punch him in the face? What?”

Autumn frowned at me as she dabbed antibiotic ointment on my stinging knuckles. “So violent. I guess it makes sense why Summer likes you so much.” She straightened, screwing the lid back on the tube and nodding at my mangled skin. “That’s as good as it’s going to get.”

Frustration bubbled up inside me again, but Autumn seemed to ignore it.

“When I was fourteen, there was this girl in my art class, Amy-Rae. She was always making rude comments to me. Critiquing my shading and such. Nothing too bad, but still a mean girl, right?”

I nodded, not sure where this was going.

“Then, one day, in class, I’m finishing up my final project, this big watercolor painting of seas anemones. I’m putting the little touches on it when I’m called to the office. I get up there, and they give me a note that is supposed to be from my Aunt Tina. Only thing is, I don’t have an Aunt Tina. When I return to the class, the water jar is tipped over my painting, ruining it completely. The only girl around is Amy-Rae. She said she had accidentally bumped it, but there was no way. The moment Summer sees me crying after class, she demands to know what happened.” Autumn paused, letting out a big sigh. “Do you want to guess what happened the next day?”

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