Page 92 of The Beginning and End of Everything
"Let's go play some Bingo," Hope says.
I swear that girl is completely oblivious to anything that goes on.
Poppy exhales, obviously still agitated. “I’m not in the mood for Bingo, Hope.”
"Suit yourself. Finn, you want to go with me? It's great. You win neck massagers and—” Hope snaps her fingers beside Finn’s ear. “Hello?"
But his eyes are aimed at a point in the alley, his posture tense. It’s when he tugs Hope behind him that every instinct I have jumps to attention.
I step in front of Poppy and stand beside him just as a group of guys step out from the shadows and underneath the dim, orange glow of the streetlight. Josh Harmon stands in the center of his friends, who all look every bit as thuggish as him. Harmon’s lip is split, and although his right eye is swelling shut, I can still see the rage swimming in his expression. I crack my neck to the side and tighten my fists.
"Poppy, go back inside," I say, through clenched teeth, fighting to keep control of myself until she leaves.
"No.” Harmon leers, attempting to peek around me. “Stay, sweetheart.”
"Don't talk to her." I'm shaking as I attempt to hold back the wall of pain I'm ready to inflict on him. I can feel the tension bristling from Finn at my side.
Harmon laughs, and his friends join in like a pack of well-trained dogs. "I'm going to beat your arse in front of your little whore girlfriend."
That's it. I fall on him like a damn building.
My fist slams the side of his face three times before one of his friends jabs me in the kidney. Something in me delights at the challenge of taking on every one of them, and my little demon rises to the occasion, basking in the raw violence.
I beat the shit out of the pair of them, nailing my knuckles against flesh and bone over and over until blood coats my hands. I'm so consumed, so blinded by the sole purpose of destroying the guy in front of me, that I'm only vaguely aware of the other two, out cold on the floor—courtesy of Finn.
Now it's just Harmon and me. My fist and his face.
"Brandon," Poppy shouts. "Stop it! Brandon." I hear her, but nothing registers. "Finn, make him stop. He's going to kill him!"
"Nothing he doesn't deserve," Finn's voice is laced with the same kind of darkness that's roaring through my head.
I hit Harmon until my arm aches and his face is a bloody mess.
"Brandon, please," Poppy's voice hitches on a sob, and I wish I could go to her, but I can’t make myself stop.
Something brushes over my arm, hands grabbing at me, and I swing, and at the last second, I realize that it's Poppy. I pull back the force of my punch, but it's too late. My fist collides with her jaw. She crashes against the concrete, and time stands still. The anger vanishes, and all that's left is the horror of what I've just done.
She's sprawled out on the filthy ground with her hand to her mouth, blood trickling from her lip. Finn and Hope rush over to help her.
"Poppy…" I start, and Hope charges me.
Her hand meets my cheek with a resounding clap. "You’re a head case." She points a finger in my face. "You stay the hell away from her."
"Poppy, I'm so sorry," I whisper.
She won’t look at me, and that breaks me. I feel like all I ever do is apologize to her.
Hope stands like a guard dog, her expression fierce when I take a step forward. "Don't you dare.”
Usually, I'd argue with her, but I'm too ashamed of myself right now. I drag both hands through my hair and tilt my head back. "Please, look after her."
Hope turns on her heel with a flick of her red hair and leads Poppy out of sight. Finn lingers, tentatively casting glances at me.
I look at the unconscious bodies littering the alleyway. This is what I do. This is what I'm capable of, and I've never given a care—until Poppy stepped into the middle of it.
* * *
My mindand body have gone completely numb, and, by the time I arrive at Finn’s place, I can't even remember getting here.
