Page 37 of Little Fury

“I’m okay. You can let me go.”

“Yeah? no more trying to kill your bestie there?”

“He tried to kill me first.”

“I’m not sure he tried to kill you exactly, but he did try to knock you out.” he chuckles in my ear.

“I’m ok, Seb. I won't try to kill Marcus anymore today, I promise.”

“Okay,”he says, and he lets me go.

The next morning, I’m sporting a huge bruise on my cheek, and my eye is a little swollen. I didn't see Marcus at all yesterday after our fight and I have no idea what to say to him when I do. That has never happened to us before. We’ve had fights, sure, but never to the extent where we wanted to physically hurt each other.

Beth is in the kitchen when I come downstairs.

“Hi,” she greets me.

“Hi Beth.”

“Hungry?”

“I am, but I can eat at the mess. You don’t have to cook for me, Beth.”

“Ava, I love to cook for you guys.”

“In that case, what are we having?”

“I have sausages and French toast in the oven.”

“Of course you do.” I laugh at her.

Beth and I sit together and eat. I keep glancing at the stairs.

“He stayed at Harry’s last night. We thought maybe some space would be good for you guys.”she says.

“Oh. yeah, you were probably right.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Nothing to talk about. Marcus was in a bad mood. I went out with Tommy the night before and Marcus hates him. I get it. I’m his best friend, and I went out with some guy he obviously hates more than I realized. When I see Marcus today, I’ll tell him I won’t see Tommy again.”

“You don’t think he should apologize to you for anything?”

“Sure, he took it way too far in the ring, but I put him down, so I think I can look past that part. I did whoop him, so it seems even to me.”

“Sounds like you have it all sorted out.”

“It happened. I’m over it,”I tell her with a shrug. I don’t miss her scrunch of her brows at my nonchalance.

Beth doesn't say any more to me about the fight with Marcus. Instead, we talk about what she has on her agenda this week. Once we have finished eating and I’ve helped her clean up, I tell her goodbye and make my way to the gym. I’m almost to the gym when I hear my name. I turn around to see Marcus making his way toward me. He has a split lip and eyebrow, one of his eyes is almost swollen shut, and his nose is huge. On the other side, he is sporting a bruise on his chin. I suck in a breath when I see the damage I caused.

“Marcus, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you so bad. I was so freaking angry with you. I’m so sorry.”

“Ava, there is nothing to apologize for. You didn't do anything wrong.”

“Marcus, look at your face.”

“I don’t need to look at it. I can feel it,”he chuckles.

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