Page 44 of Tell Me Why
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
Eve
This whole thing is deranged.Is Christian seriously going through with this? Or is this just another game? Honestly, with Christian, it’s hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t.
The living room is large enough to hold everyone as they form a circle around Christian and Aidan. They square up, facing each other, Aidan punching the air to warm up.
Oh, God. Aidan ishuge.
Okay, now I’m starting to get nervous. What happens if Aidan actually wins? Will Christian just hand me off to him? I mean, he did seem nice, but…
Jesus.I suddenly feel nauseous.
Jackson claps as he enters the circle. “The only rule…” he says, walking the perimeter. “...Is that there arenorules.”
Aidan circles Christian, sweat already beading on his temples. Christian flexes his hands, then curls them into fists.Ugh, I hate him. But I alsodon’thate him, which has me all twisted up.
I hate his arrogant smirk, his harsh words, the way he looks at me like I’m his property…but what he does to my body—that’s not a guy who’s entirely self-absorbed. He sees me in a way no one ever has, and that’s confusingas fuuuck.
After circling each other for about thirty seconds like absolute barbarians, Jackson calls out, “Go!” and Aidan strikes out with his right fist so quickly that Christian barely dodges it. Everyone roars.
My God, I can’t watch this. Both guys are muscular, but Aidan is a beast. His muscles bulge under his t-shirt, biceps easily the size of my head. Just one well-placed punch from an arm like that could be deadly.
Another frenzy of punches, and Christian staggers back, his shoulder hitting the wall. My nails dig into my palms. “Fuck,” I whisper, feeling a little dizzy now. Ireallywant to look away, but I can’t. It’s like watching a derailed train careening wildly over a cliff.
I’m horrified, but also oddly fascinated…
Aidan closes in, landing a brutal body shot. One hit, two, three, and suddenly Christian is doubled over, spitting blood onto the rug. I don’t realize I’m biting my own lip until I taste copper.
Time slows as Christian straightens. And when he does, there’s something in his eyes I’ve never seen before—something feral. He launches himself at Aidan, tackling all 300 pounds to the ground. They both hit the floor hard, the back of Aidan’s skull hitting the hardwood with a heavythud. There’s a collective gasp.
A thick layer of blood coats the wood floor as Aidan tries to get up, but Christian punches him savagely, knocking him back down. Then he punches him again, and again. It takes both Jackson and Ash to pull him off.
Aidan is lying on the floor, so still that, for a second, I think he might be dead. Seconds tick by—ten, maybe—before he moans, and relief washes over me.
Thank God, he’s alive.
Christian is bloody, breathless, and he looks up at the stunned crowd, who have all taken a collective step back, afraid of being his next target. His gaze swings to me.
Holyfuck.
My own hand is curled around my throat now, heart pumping, as I watch Christian move toward me. There’s a cut across his left cheek, and blood is dripping from his bruised knuckles. I try to ignore the twinge between my thighs, but seeing him like this—bloodied, his pale eyes wild—I can’t deny how unbelievably hot it is.
Fuck if I’m admitting that to him, though.
As he moves closer, heat blooms in my cheeks, and there’s a distinct flutter in my stomach, like a million hummingbirds working overtime, and it confuses the hell out of me.
There’s something wrong with me. I mean, clinically. I just watched Christian beat the shit out of someone for no reason. The blood, the violence, the savagery…
It was intense.
And now all that savage energy is focused onme.
“What the hell was that?” I ask, stepping back as he approaches.
“He wanted what’s mine.” He runs a hand through his hair, the dampness causing his usual blond waves to curl. “I mean, fuck, he crossed a line.”
I blink at him.Hecrossed a line? Christian is the one who started all this.
