Page 58 of Break Me
Eighteen
I should have known.
I saw his hands on her, her mouth on his neck. Saw him breathe her in, his eyes closed tight as if he could barely resist her.
And I can’t even blame him.
She was fucking gorgeous. If she isn’t actually a model, she sure as fuck could be.
I hear him calling my name at my back, but I don’t dare turn around. Instead, I dig my phone out of my purse as I walk away from the swanky brunch place that doesn’t come close to existing in Briar. I find Tess’s number and I’m about to press ‘Call’, when someone yanks the phone from my hand.
I open my mouth to scream at Benji, by my side, when he clamps his hand over my mouth and pushes me into the side street beside us, away from the crowd streaming down the sidewalk. He presses my back against the wall, just like he had with that woman. Maybe that’s his go-to.
I try to shove him off of me, clawing and pushing at his chest, but he doesn’t budge. He’s breathing hard, staring down at me, one hand beside my head, the other putting my phone in his back pocket.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asks me, his voice low.
“Get off me,” I snap, still beating at his chest, even though I know it’s fucking fruitless. Benji is like a brick wall.
I drop my hands to my sides. “Get off me,” I say again, “or I’m going to scream.”
His eyes flick down to my mouth and then back up. “Go ahead,” he taunts me. “We’ll see how long that lasts.”
My eyes narrow. “Are you threatening me?”
He breathes out a low, dark laugh. “No, Princess. I’m telling you what’s going to happen.”
I push myself further against the brick wall at my back, knowing it’s picking at my sweater and not giving a damn. The anger coursing through my veins makes me want to scream and I don’t even know why. We’re not exclusive. We’re not even dating, not really. We’re…friends? Fuck buddies? I don’t know what we are, but whatever it is, it isn’t anything for me to be this angry over.
Even still…
“Why don’t you go back to your girlfriend, Benji?” I taunt him, my arms across my chest as if that’ll protect me from whatever this conversation is going to bring.
He arches a brow. “Is that what you want?”
He doesn’t even deny it. I feel like I’m going to be sick. I open my mouth then snap it closed. What the fuck am I supposed to say right now?
“You want me to go find her? Go shove her against the wall again, fuck her instead, Princess?” He moves his hand from beside my head and steps back, giving me room. “If that’s what you want…”
“Fuck you,” I scream at him, but I don’t move. I want to know what the fuck is going on. “You piece of shit,” I spit. “I have to babysit your ass last night, you force me to fly here, meet with her, and you have the fucking balls to talk to me like this!” I step forward, pushing my finger into his chest. He just watches me, impassive, which pisses me off even more. “Why did you bring me here? Why are you so goddamn weird? What the fuck is going on with Riley and Caden and why do you watch her like a fucking hawk? Why did you spend the night with me that night, and what threat has you so on edge?”
He arches a brow. “I’m on edge?” he taunts me, dipping his chin, his hazel eyes gleaming in the sun streaming in through the alley.
“Don’t you turn this around on me.” But even as I say the words, some of the fight goes out of me. I just want to go home. I want to be with Mom. I don’t even know why I agreed to come here at all. I don’t know why I bothered to help Benji last night. I didn’t tell my Dad I was leaving the damn country, I only told Tess, and if something were to happen to Mom while I’m here…
I run my hands through my hair. This was stupid.
“Hey, hey,” Benji says quietly, his hands resting on my shoulders. I look up at him and he cocks his head. “Talk to me. What’re you thinking right now?”
I throw up my hands. Is this guy serious? “I just told you what I was thinking,” I say through clenched teeth. “Why did you bring me here?”
His fingers curl around my shoulders and he doesn’t look away from me, but he doesn’t speak either, not for a long moment. Finally, he lets me go, slides his hands into his pockets and smiles at me. It doesn’t meet his eyes.
“You really wanna know about me, Ava?” he asks me. His words are emotionless. I don’t know if he’s taunting me or actually asking me. “You think you want to know who I am? What I do? Why I’m always on Riley’s ass?”
“Yeah,” I say, annoyed. “I really do.” I’ve known him for a couple of months now and I have no idea what his life is like outside of going to clubs, living across from Riley, mixing substances, and being overprotective as shit, just like Caden is. If I was honest with myself, I could admit that I’m jealous. Of seeing the two of them follow Riley around like her own personal entourage. Caden is madly in love with her and I’m not so sure Benji isn’t too.
“Your mom,” Benji starts, watching me carefully, “is she on a feeding tube?”
