Changing Everything
Page 24

“Brett!” I screamed when he punched Eli in the face. “Brett, stop!”
Eli was lying on the ground, and Brett had a hand gripping the back of his shirt, his other was still in a fist as he cocked back his arm to hit him again. Eli’s hands moved quickly, one gripping Brett’s forearm that was holding on to his shirt, the other to grab his fist that was aiming for Eli’s face again.
Jason had run to pull Brett off, but stopped when Eli shoved Brett away and to the side.
Scrambling to his feet, Eli shoved his shoulder into Brett’s stomach when he charged him again, sending them both into the wall we were sitting by.
“Stop!” I screamed, but Eli was only holding him there.
“I suggest you stop before I do something I regret,” Eli warned.
“Why?” Brett growled. “After all these years, why now? You had her for years. Years, you bastard!” He tried moving out of Eli’s hold, but Eli didn’t budge. “Then I find her and she’s finally living apart from you, and you have to come and decide that you want her now? You had your chance!”
“You got your hit in, but you won’t be getting another.” Eli said calmly, but his tone was dark and threatening. “I deserved that, I know, and I’m sorry for what I put both of you through.”
Brett’s chest heaved as his eyes narrowed on Eli.
“But understand this, she always has, and always will, belong to me.”
Two security guards walked up behind Eli and he looked over his shoulder when they spoke. “Break it up or take it outside.”
“It’s over,” Eli said calmly, and pushed off Brett to come stand in front of me.
Reaching behind his back with one arm, he brushed my stomach with his fingers—as if to make sure I was still there and not leaving. I gripped his fingers with both my hands, but kept my eyes on Brett as he walked toward the doors of the bar. Just before he went through them, he turned to look at me—the pain and sadness apparent on his face. My chest ached, but even through the pain I still had no doubt I’d made the right decision. Watching him walk away and leaving him last week was nothing compared to walking away from Eli.
It was like trying to compare a tidal wave to a ripple in a pond—it couldn’t be done.
“Are you okay?” Eli asked. His palm slid across my cheek to hold my face in his hand.
Moving my eyes from the doorway to Eli’s blue stare, I balked. “Me? Of course I’m okay, are— You’re bleeding!” I reached for his face to wipe away the blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth, but he gripped my hands in his, stopping them.
“I’m fine. But, Paisley—”
“What even happened? You were there and then you weren’t. By the time I turned around you were on the floor, how many times did he hit you?”
Eli pressed his forehead to mine, and immediately his calm demeanor flooded my veins. “Once, only once. He pulled me off the bar stool and I hit the floor. But I’m not worried about me right now.”
“Of course you’re not.” I laughed shakily and rolled my eyes.
“That’s the first time you’ve seen him since . . . ?” he asked, the question trailing off, but I knew when he was talking about.
“Yeah.”
“Then I need to know if you’re okay. I need to know what you’re feeling right now, Paisley. After seeing him . . . after what just happened.”
My gaze darted to the door before looking back into his stormy blue eyes. “Honestly?”
“Always.”
“It hurt seeing him, but not as much as it would kill me to have you leave. I made the right choice, Eli. There’s no questioning that.” Pulling one of my hands free from his, I placed my hand over his jaw and brushed my thumb over the blood, wincing when his body jerked. “Sorry.”
“He can punch, I’ll give him that.”
He wiped at his lip as he straightened, and looked down at the blood on his hand before rolling his eyes. Grabbing one of the bar napkins, he cleaned it off and picked up his Guinness. I made a face as he downed half the pint.
“That’s disgusting.” He grimaced and slammed the glass back down.
“As I’ve been telling you for years!”
Eli smirked and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close as he bent down, and letting his lips fall onto mine. “The beer mixed with blood, Pay.”
“Ew.”
“Exactly.” He kissed me again, and I pushed against his chest.
“You taste like nasty beer now,” I whined.
“And you love it.”
“Lie. That is such a lie.”
He laughed and captured my mouth again, this time slowly teasing my tongue with his, and I melted into his arms and that kiss despite the Guinness aftertaste.
“Is it okay if I still don’t know how to feel about all this?” Kristen asked. “I’m happy, and weirded out, and feel like I’ve stepped into an alternate universe . . . so many conflicting emotions.”
Eli was smiling down at me when he pulled back, but he spoke to Kristen. “You have time to get used to it.” Working his jaw a few times, he reached for his glass again and drained his beer. “Ready to get out of here?”
Grabbing his keys out of his pocket, he handed them to me and my eyes widened. “You’re letting me drive your truck?” Not that I hadn’t before. But it was always only because I’d won a bet, and I’m pretty sure I knocked five years off Eli’s life every time I did.
“I don’t know . . . can you reach the pedals?”
My expression fell and I smacked his stomach. “Don’t be rude or I’ll take your keys and leave you here.”
He gripped my hips and pulled me closer. “It was an honest question. You’re munchkin-sized.”
“I am not a munchkin!”
Ignoring me, he lifted me into his arms and kissed me soundly. “Perfect pickup size.”
“I’m leaving you here,” I grumbled against his lips.
“I want to get out of here. I want to be alone with you, and I just got punched and chugged a pint all within the last five minutes. So, yes, I want you to drive.”
I frowned and gently trailed my fingers over his red jaw. “ ’Kay, let’s go, giant.”
He snorted. “Troll.”
“Take that back!” I demanded.
“The cute ones with the colorful hair that sticks straight up,” he backpedaled.
“That does not make it any better!”
“It makes you adorable,” he countered. He was still holding me, and turned so we could both see Kristen and Jason. “Later.”
“Bye,” they called out in unison, both smiling widely at us.
“Did you hear what he called me?” I asked as Eli began walking us away.
Eli kissed my forehead and squinted his eyes in concentration before smirking. “We could even give you the colorful hair and everything. Like I said, you’ll be adorable.”
People were whistling and shouting catcalls as Eli walked me out of the bar—if only they knew what was actually going on right now.
“Trolls are not adorable, you beast.”
“Does that make you Beauty?” he teased.