Page 43 of Fight for Me
“That’swhat you’re upset about? Not the fact that I caught you with your hand in the cookie jar? Not the fact that your word means nothing?” Lexie couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this angry. Let the entire faculty come in right now and hear the whole sordid story. She didn’t care anymore. “Real men don’t roll around in backseats with women who can’t even be bothered to put their underwear back on when they leave!” she spat. “Could you not find anyone classier, or did they all turn you down?”
She’d barely said the words before her cheekbone smashed against the tabletop in a blinding flash of pain. Colt reared up behind her, both her wrists in his hands as he twisted them toward her shoulder blades.
“That,” he panted, “was too far.”
Lexie tried to throw him off, but he was bigger and broader and stronger in every possible way. Every motion tore at her shoulders as the edge of the table bit into her hips, and she fought to catch her breath.
“You think you can flaunt what’s mine, make me a laughingstock in front of the whole county, and then come in here and disrespect me like that? I am the greatest thing that’s ever happened to you. Nobody else is going to put up with your endless issues the way I have all these years! Your own father can’t stand to be in the same room as you for more than five minutes!”
“Colt, stop!” Lexie pleaded as his weight pressed down on her. Her tears pooled on the table beneath her cheek, and she hated them almost as much as she hated the man causing them. Colt continued pouring his words out like gasoline on a fire, but Lexie only caught the highlights.
Forgettable . . .
Disappointing . . .
Worthless . . .
“Hey!”
A voice sounded from the hall, followed quickly by the crashing of the door against the wall, and Lexie felt both relief and shame wash over her. Of course, of all the people in the building, it would have to be him.
“Let her go!”
Colt’s grip disappeared, easing the fire in her shoulders. Lexie heard Jake’s voice again, loud and angry, followed by the smack of skin against skin. There was another loud crash and then a blur of motion as Colt darted toward the door. Lexie scrambled back against the wall and sank to the floor with her knees pulled against her chest, making herself as small as possible.
“Lex! Are you okay?”
Jake dropped to his knees in front of her, and his cool fingers traced the edges of her face. A sharp sting cut across her cheek, making her gasp.
“Stay here.”
The growl that came from his throat was completely foreign, as was the anger on his face, and Lexie instinctively clamped her hand over his arm as he started to stand.
“Let him go,” she whispered, wincing as every motion made her shoulders ache.
“But he—”
“Please, Jake!”
Jake’s attention snapped toward where Colt’s heavy footsteps were fading down the hall, and Lexie saw the conflict raging on his face. But the fury in his eyes melted as they traveled over her again, taking in all the details she knew she couldn’t hide.
“Okay. Okay, Lex. I’m not going anywhere,” he said, cupping his hand under the good side of her face. He settled next to her with his back against the wall and scooped her into his lap. “I’m sorry I took so long, Lex. I’m so, so sorry,” he murmured, still breathing hard.
Lexie tucked her face against the side of his neck and let out a shuddering breath, one that picked up speed as her adrenaline rush faded. For the second time, she broke down, her tears soaking through Jake’s shirt as she clutched it in her hands.
And for the second time, he simply held her while she cried.
“You have togo to the police,” Jake said, pacing the living room of Lexie’s apartment. He felt like a caged animal, his muscles itching to destroy something. “I’ll go with you. I’m a witness. I’ll tell them—”
“Jake, stop,” Lexie said, her voice flat as she curled herself around a pillow on the couch. She accepted a steaming cup of something from Olivia, who sank down beside her and rubbed a gentle hand over her back. It was the blankness in her eyes that bothered Jake worse than anything—the way she hadn’t said more than two words at a time since they’d climbed into his truck half an hour ago. It made something inside him start to boil.
“Lexie, you have to do something about this! You have to have him arrested. You have to—”
“It’s not worth it,” she said, using that same hopeless tone.
“Not worth it? Of course, it’s worth it!You’reworth it, Lex! You still don’t get it, do you? I—”
Olivia jumped up off the couch and stormed toward him. “No,youdon’t get it!” she insisted, catching Jake off guard as she jammed a finger into his sternum.
