Page 24 of Fueled Fury

14

Lainey

A loud crash sends me darting out of my bed and down the hallway. At first, I’d hoped it was just my imagination playing tricks on me, but as I round the corner into the living room, I hear a splash outside the back door. It for sure wasn’t a dream, more like a nightmare I won’t be waking up from anytime soon.

“What are you doing?” I whisper-yell once I’ve stepped into the backyard.

Austin’s bloodshot eyes find me. “Swimming.” He backstrokes across the pool, his arms easily slicing through the water as he reaches the opposite end of the pool, touches the wall, then swims back in my direction.

“Are you crazy? It’s freezing.”

He stops, standing in the shallow end as water glides down his muscular chest. “It’s not as frigid as you.”

My hands grip my bare arms as a shiver flows through me. Only, I’m uncertain if it’s from the chilly night air or Austin’s icy tone.

“Stop being an ignorant asshole and maybe people will warm up to you.”

He gets a slight smirk on his face as he walks to the steps, making his way out of the pool. He stands in front of me wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs that cling to him. He leans down, water dripping off his hair and onto my skin as he whispers, “You’d still shut me out because you’re scared.”

“No. I’m not scared. I’m sick of it. I saw what you did.”

“What’d I do this time?” he asks with annoyance. Like he’s not the problem, everyone else is.

“The fight in the kitchen with Eli. Ring a bell?”

“Slightly.”

Of course he disregards his actions because he is the problem. “You’re fucking slightly unhinged. How can you pretend like you want to be a good person then do that to your brother?”

“I don’t give a shit about him.”

“Yeah. That’s clear.” I go to move away, but his icy fingers grip my arm, pulling me against his solid chest. The damp coldness of his skin presses into mine as our bodies slam together.

“I’m not the good guy. I never will be. I won’t go out of my way to save everyone else’s world. Only mine. Only yours. That’s the difference between the hero and me. I won’t hesitate to put an end to anyone and anything that gets in my way.”

The anger radiating off of him scares me more than his words. I’ve seen him when he gets out of control, and it reminds me of the way he’s behaving now. And I know one of the reasons why. “You’re drunk. Go in the house, sober up, and pull your head out of your ass because no one is in your way other than you.”

His body relaxes slightly, some anger seeping from his posture as he says, “Stay with me. Fall asleep with me. Help me get out of my own way.”

Shaking my head, I close my eyes. “No. You need to sober up.”

His cold lips brush against my ear as he says, “I’d rather go for a swim.” Releasing his hold on me, he casually turns, puts his arms out, and dives back into the chilly water.

He’s like a toddler, unable to be reasoned with. The idiot lazily swims across the pool like it’s a warm summer evening. “Freeze to death for all I care.” Clutching my arms across my chest, I head back into the house. As I turn to shut the door, I see he’s still enjoying his unseasonal night swim.

On second thought, a toddler would be much easier to reason with.

Heading upstairs, a sudden wail sounds from down the hallway. Eli.

Swinging his door open, I look around the darkness, spotting him thrashing around in his bed, kicking the blankets as his fists swing through the air. Rushing over to him, I grab his shoulder, shaking him awake.

He thrashes for a few more seconds, then his eyes dart open, his breath heaving in and out as he looks around the room.

“Are you all right?” I ask, taking a step back as he rubs his hands over his face.

“Yes.” He groans, dropping his hands to the bed. “It was just a dream.”

“Seemed more like a nightmare.”