Page 8 of Chasing Hope

His eyes flash as his lip curls back with a sneer. “You have some fucking nerve?—”

Pushing off the wall, I quickly crowd his space, standing a solid head and a half taller than him, and I don’t miss the way he flinches. “No,youhave the fucking nerve, you lowlife piece of shit.” My hand snaps out, wrapping around his neck. Ignoring Felicity’s scream behind me, I drop my voice as I pin Carter to the wall. “Now listen up and listen fucking good, because I don’t repeat myself, let alone to pieces of trash. You will call your landlord and take full responsibility over this apartment and immediately remove Evie’s name from the lease. Next, you will send her ten thousand dollars to cover the furniture loss. She’s going to have to leave everything behind considering you two dickheads contaminated it all.”

With every word, anger simmers in his gray eyes, his stupid fucking hair falling in curls around them, the sweat from fucking Evie’s best friend glistening on his chest.

I’ve never hated anyone more than I do him.

How could he have someone as perfect as Evie and treat her so horribly? How could he have the woman I havecravedto experience love and affection from, only to throw it in her face?

“So help me God, Carter, if you don’t, I’ll send those adorable photos of you and Leanne to your company.” My grin is murderous. “Make them aware of your little parking lot lunches you both seem to adore so much.”

“Yourwhat?” Felicity screeches.

I don’t let go of Carter, savoring every bit of panic flooding his features as Felicity’s furious bare feet stomp this way.

“You fucked Leanne?”

“No, baby?—”

My hand tightens around his neck, choking off whatever else he was about to spew.

“You cheating piece of shit!”

“The irony is not lost on me,” I mutter before craning my neck behind me. “But it clearly has been on you and your two brain cells, you fucking moron.”

Before I decide to murder him and truly go to prison, I let goof Carter and quickly head down the hall in search of the master bedroom, eavesdropping on him gasping for air while Felicity screams at him for cheating onher.

Growling under my breath, I quickly locate the closet, grab the nearest suitcase, and begin to shove everything and anything I can get my hands on that is hers. I only need her to have enough until tomorrow—I’ll organize movers to come in here and clean out her belongings—but I wouldn’t put it past Carter to ruin her items.

Even thoughhe’sthe one in the wrong.

Something tells me he’s the type to twist reality until you’re both standing their questioning what your own name is.

Heading into the bathroom, I stop in my tracks when I see the multiple condom wrappers in the trash. “You have got to be kidding me,” I mutter.

Even quicker, I grab any and all items from the bathroom that look feminine and stuff them into the suitcase. I can’t be here right now. I’m two seconds away from sending my career down the toilet with how much damage I want to inflict.

Wheeling the suitcase behind me, I glower at the pair of them as I reenter the living room. I push it through the front door, then spin on my heel, feeling their eyes on my back as I move into the kitchen. Grabbing the largest vase I can find, I shove it under the water dispenser on the fridge, my gaze locking on the photos stuck to it.

Photos of Evie and Felicity, Evie and Carter, Carter and his friends.

A life.

These two have acted so carelessly with no concern for the life they were experiencing with Evie, the one they both played an active role in building.

Once the vase is full I make my way back to the front door, ignoring them and their questioning gazes. Quicker than a snake, I dump the vase full of ice-cold water over Felicity’s head. She’s too stunned to scream, the cold no doubt shocking her system.

“That’s for being a bitch to Evie.”

Then I turn to Carter, his mouth slightly agape as Felicitysputters and wipes water out of her eyes. Pulling my arm back, I throw everything into the punch I send his way. The resounding crack and spray of blood that splatters the floor doesn’t feel nearly as satisfying as I had hoped it would, but he cups his nose and screams.

Getting into his space, I spit through gritted teeth, “And that’s for being a piece of shit.”

The pain radiating down my hand is worth it.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long fucking time.” Laughing to myself, a deep, rumbling laugh, I grin down at him. “Dreams really do come true, I suppose.”

Carter pushes himself up. He wipes his nose with the back of his hand, flicking blood to the hardwood floor.