Page 97 of Pulse
“Keep your hands off her,” Ash snarled at Seth, his expression dark.
I knew that look, that storm that was gathering underneath the surface and my heart did a nosedive. He’d been watching our exchange through the window. He’d seen Seth touch my face and hold my hand…he’d gotten the wrong idea.
“You keep your hands off him,” I cried, beating my fists against Ash’s shoulder.
Seth held his hands up and out like he was trying to calm a wild beast. “We were just talking. Nothing else.”
“You think I don’t know what you’re up to?” Ash hissed. “You wanted her before and you still do. Ren is mine.”
“Let him the fuck go!” I screeched.
There was a commotion out the back and Joseph appeared looking all wild and European with a rolling pin in one hand. “Get outta my cafe!” he roared. “No fighting or I call the cops. You got it?”
Ash let go of Seth’s shirt and didn’t even glance at Joseph. “You don’t get to touch her.”
I dug my fingers into his arm and tugged him towards the door. “Get the fuck out Ash.”
He snarled one more time at Seth before turning on his heel and grabbing my wrist. I was hauled from the cafe and if it wasn’t so empty I would’ve felt even more humiliated. Actually, I wasn’t sure there was a difference.
Once we were outside, I wrenched my hand from his grasp and strode down the street, disappearing around the corner. With everyone gone, Beat was closed until the beginner MMA class that night, so we had the entire place to ourselves which meant we had free rein to let rip at one another.
Ash slammed the door shut behind me and flipped the deadbolt closed with a bang that made me flinch. He’d never directed his anger at me before and it kind of scared me when he turned and strode toward me, his expression full of so many swirling emotions. I was doing it tough, but so was he. He’d been so together lately it was easy to assume, easy to think he had a handle on it, but Ash was a master at hiding his true feelings.
“Ash, I-”
“We’re a team,” he said, hurt etched in his handsome features. “You know how much it pissed me off to see you with him?”
“We were just talking-”
“He wants you,” he said sullenly.
“We went out once,” I cried. “Once Ash, and that was before we were even a thing.”
“I saw the way he was looking at you!”
I stared at him in disbelief. “Are you hearing yourself right now?”
“What were you telling him?” He stared at me, waiting for an answer, but the words died in my throat. “What were you telling him that you couldn’t tell me?”
“I-” I choked out.
Ash threw his hands into the air. “You were the one who told me about secrets Ren. You told me we were a team in everything.”
He was right. He was so fucking right it hurt and I felt tears begin to spring into my eyes. If he loved me, then it shouldn’t matter right? It was for better or worse...
“It was Hammer,” I said.
Ash stared at me, his expression contorting into confusion.
“He was on the sideline yelling disgusting things at me.” I shuddered. “I froze…I…”Choked.
His face began to redden again. “What…”
“When I was knocked out. I-”
“Ren.”
“You don’t understand Ash,” I exclaimed. “That night...I choked. I let fear rule me. With him there…”
