Page 99 of Pretty Broken Wings

“Take me fucking home!” I fling the passenger door open and jump inside.

The drive to Gage’s house is silent, except where I bark directions. Nothing is going right. Nothing is going fucking right.

When we get there, the woman insists on grabbing my arm again. I’m not sure why, because I can walk by myself.

I trip over something and fall in slow motion, but I don’t drop the present.

“Get… up.”

Somehow, we make it to the steps. I’m not sure how. Then, there’s an awful banging. The woman is knocking.

I try to shake the woman off, and then the door opens. Gage is there, with Raven behind him.

“Hey, brother,” I sneer, handing over the items.

Then, I puke into the bushes.

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

I notice two things: Axel is drunk, and he has a hot woman on his arm. A woman I’ve never seen before. A woman who looks hot enough to be a movie star.

A bolt of… something shoots through my stomach.

Buddy tries to scrabble past me, growling and barking, and I barely grab her collar in time. She’s angry, with deep, aggressive barks I’ve never heard before.

Axel barely makes it inside, even with the woman helping him in. Even though he’s stumbling, he locks eyes with me. His normally pretty eyes are red and glassy, and he hits me with a cruel smile. He shrugs the woman off, movements exaggerated and rough.

The woman freezes, not backing away but not trying to help either. She just… stands there. Axel weaves, trying to catch himself on the wall. When Gage reaches out to steady him, Axel tries to push him off, squaring up.

A confusing mix of emotions fills me. Who the hell is this? And why the hell is Axel bringing his hookups here? Also, if said hookup doesn’t get out of here, I think Buddy’s going to bite her.

“Back up!” I keep holding Buddy, who’s lunging at the group and snarling.

Axel lunges at Gage, and they start grappling. The woman doesn’t move in time and catches an elbow to the face.

“Fucking go!” I yell, getting dragged forward a few steps by Buddy.

That seems to break the woman out of whatever trance she is in, and she scurries out the door.

“I’m fucking fine.” Axel is slurring, and I catch a whiff of alcohol. The smell takes me right back to the pool party where Max groped me. Then Axel locks gazes with me again, his eyes glassy, and suddenly, all I see is Dad.

And thenI’mthe one locked there, unable to move. Every instinct is screaming at me to just make myself as small as possible, and he’ll stop being mad at me. He won’t hurt me as bad.

Then, a growling mass pushes past me and snaps at Axel.

I blink.

Buddy. Buddy’s going to bite him.

I snap out of it, instinctively trying to stop her. But she’s not biting; she’s just standing in front of me, growling, and her tail is stiff.

Right. I’m in Gage’s house. I’m not a kid anymore, and Max isn’t here.

I straighten, taking a deep breath.

Axel stands, shoving past Gage to go to the kitchen. He stumbles around in there, hitting cabinets with loud bangs.

“You good?” Suddenly, Gage is in front of me. He reaches out like he’s going to grab my shoulders, then stops just shy of making contact.