I was angry, there could be no denying that. But I didn’t want that anger to be directed at her.
My punch knocked Bennet straight off of his feet. “Touch her again and I will kill you.”
Curling my hand around Chelsea’s wrist I dragged her out after me. The mass of bodies on the dance floor parting like the Red Sea.
I needed to get her out of here. Out of the fucking danger she was putting herself in on purpose. I needed to get her out of here and somewhere private and then me and Chelsea were going to have one very long, very adult-like conversation.
Whether she liked it or not.
***
“Look Wicked….” It was the first thing she said when the door clicked shut on her bedroom. She hadn’t said one word to me the entire taxi ride home. Instead, she had purposely ignored me and stared out of the window.
She was mad at me.
And that was fine because I was mad at her too.
My bike I had left behind, there was no way in hell I was going to have her at my back in those ridiculous heels. That was an accident waiting to happen. So I had left it behind. Anyone who touched it would have me to answer to.
I whirled on her as she flicked the light on, warm orange light filled the room. In the darkness of the club, she had looked sultry and sexy as hell but here? With real light illuminating her she just looked tired.
“I don’t know what the hell you are doing here but….”
“Shut up.”
She snapped her lips together instantly. Her eyes darting away.
“Chelsea.” Jesus, I wanted to go to her. I wanted to hold her and comfort her and do all those things I wasn’t allowed to do. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you….”
Her eyes blazed. “What gives you the right to come here and ….”
I was in front of her in a second. So close that her boozy breath washed over my face. “Because I fucking care about you Chels. That’s what gives me the right. You are literally pissing your life away and you don’t even see it. The drinking, the sex. What else have you got into? Drugs?” I felt my eyebrows slam down. “Are you taking drugs, Chelsea?” Harshly I caught her chin between my fingers. Searching her eyes for any sign that she was high. She shook her head. “So it’s just drinking and sleeping around?” The words made me feel sick.
“I do not sleep around.”
“Sweetheart I watched you get fingered in a packed nightclub.” My jaw clenched.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have watched.” Chelsea pulled away, turning her back to me. “Maybe who I let in my pants has nothing to do with you anymore.”
I knew she hadn’t meant to say it like that. But her words made my heart slam into my ribs. “Any more?”
Her shoulders slumped even further but she didn’t answer me.
“Did I ever have a say, Chelsea?” Stepping up behind her I waited until she turned.
“I wanted you to. You know I did. You knew I had feelings for you and you made me think.. made me hope that you returned them. You broke my damn heart without even trying Wicked. So don’t come in here and start….”
I did the one thing I had promised myself I would not do. Even when it was the one thing I had wanted to do since the morning after her father’s funeral.
I kissed her.
***
She pulled away first, her hands held to her lips as she lifted her eyes to my face, studying me.
“Why did you do that?” Her voice was uncertain. Her eyes even more so.
That was the question, wasn’t it? Why had I done that? I had told myself I wouldn’t do it. But when it came to her I couldn’t seem to help myself. “Because I wanted to.” I shrugged. Trying to act like her reaction didn’t matter to me. When in fact that couldn’t be further from the truth. “Jesus Chelsea because I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. I have to look your brother, my friend in the face every single day and act like I don’t care about you. That I don’t touch my self every night with your face in my mind. Because.” I sucked in a breath. I wasn’t my brother. The truth didn’t come naturally to me. “Because seeing you with another man just fucking killed me. Watching you let him touch your body and knowing it should be me… it should be me.”