Aggro - CoraLee June Page 0,27
he didn’t budge.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, avoiding Chase.
“Fine. It hurts, but—”
“But I took excellent care of her last night,” Chase interrupted with a cocky grin that dripped with menace.
“I bet you did,” Kai grumbled. “Bet it felt nice to be the hero for once, huh?”
Chase launched himself at Kai. “Fucking prick! Get the fuck out of here,” Chase screamed.
“I’m just bringing Breeze’s bike back like I promised, man. That’s it.” Kai strained as he held Chase back by the shoulders. “What are you doing here? Really? Because we both know you don’t actually give a shit about Breeze. You don’t give a shit about anyone but yourself.”
“I was taking care of her. Or did you forget about her injury after dropping her off at the hospital? You keep being conveniently absent when you’re needed. First Violet and then Breeze. How could you let her surf the rock garden?” Chase barked as he took a swing at Kai. Chase was erratic, blinded by rage, and fortunately it affected his aim. Kai easily dodged the punch, and Chase’s fist just sliced through the air.
“I didn’t let Breeze do anything. She showed up, took my Funboard, and went surfing. If you have an issue, bring it up with her.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance. I didn’t want this. If I had known my impulsive and reckless surfing adventure would have led to this, I would have kept my feet firmly planted on the shore. “Chase, calm down. Kai, thank you for bringing my bike back.”
Chase flexed his muscles. Spit was gathered in the corner of his mouth, and each vein in his neck bulged with anger. It looked like he was on the verge of swinging another punch.
“You don’t want to fight me. Trust me,” Kai growled.
“Chase!” I yelled, trying to get his attention. “Stop! Kai is leaving. He had my bike from last night, he’s dropping it off, and now he’s leaving,” I emphasized, pleading with my eyes for Kai to just go.
Kai swallowed, pausing for a moment before letting out a sigh. “Are you sure you’re okay, Breeze? Do you need anything?” The sudden tenderness in his voice made me pause.
“I’m okay,” I replied softly. I wasn’t okay. Not at all.
“I think you’ve done enough,” Chase shouted. “Go. I can take care of Breeze.”
Kai smiled maniacally, making my stomach plummet. “Yeah. You’re good at taking care of people, huh?” The sinister way Kai said that made me grimace. “You don’t have to tell me twice. I’m out of here,” Kai said sharply before hopping into his truck and speeding off. The engine was so loud I could still hear it as I stared Chase down for an explanation.
“What the hell was that?” I asked when Chase didn’t offer any justification for his behavior.
“I just lost it. What the fuck did he mean when he said I don’t care about you?” Chase asked while shaking his head. “I care. I’ve always cared.” My heart melted at his statement, but I couldn’t linger in the pleasant feeling for too long. “I changed my mind, Breezy. I don’t want you going anywhere near that psychopath.”
I scoffed as I turned to go back inside the house. It was kind of sweet that Chase was being protective, but I don’t know why he thought he had any right to tell me what to do. I liked the softer side of Chase that I had been seeing over the past few days, but he didn’t own me, and I had no intention of staying away from Kai. I realized something last night, something that hit me hard this morning the second I saw Kai.
Kai and Chase were my strongest connection to Violet, and I wasn’t giving that up without a fight.
I was behind on schoolwork. Between taking time off to grieve and skipping yesterday, I had a mountain of work to do and zero desire to do it. Violet and I used to study together. We would buy a shopping cart full of snacks and go to her house to cram for tests.
I spent the day in a haze, avoiding the whispers and looks laced with pity from my peers. Chase walked me to every class, and I felt their eyes on us all day. My heartstrings felt completely entangled with pain. Every move, every beat of my fucking heart reminded me how alone I was now.
I walked to a local coffee shop, my bag weighed down with heavy textbooks and assignments,