Part 4 (1/2)

”Is that his s.h.i.+rt?” he sneers, hatred coloring his every word. He invades my s.p.a.ce with menacing intent, looming over me. Who is this guy?

Distantly, I am aware that all eyes and attention are on us. I hardly care. ”You're drunk,” I hiss at him.

He suddenly grabs my ponytail, tangling his fingers in my hair in that way he knows gets me hot. ”And you f.u.c.ked some guy!”

Immediately, the excited whispers, and snide laughter start. I suddenly, fervently wish I were pyrokinetic. The prom scene from Carrie comes to mind.

Johnny's grip tightens in my hair, forcing me to look up at him. ”If I knew you were so easy, I wouldn't have wasted six months trying to get into your pants.”

Red mist fills my vision. ”If I'm so easy, what's taking you so long?” I seethe.

I kick his s.h.i.+n-hard. He curses and lets me go, and I take off again. ”n.o.body f.u.c.king dare follow us!” I hear him growl behind me.

Shoes pounding against the paved driveway, I run toward around the side of the house, to the garages-relentless with a mission of revenge.

Johnny has a dark blue Dodge Ram 1500 that's his baby. I guess his stepdad tried to give him a brand new Porsche for his birthday once, but Johnny wouldn't accept it-instead working his a.s.s off during the summers to save up for the secondhand truck. He's so proud of the d.a.m.n thing.

I immediately spot it, parked in front of the garage. I bend over and scoop up anything I can find on the ground to throw at his beloved.

I hurl handfuls at the Dodge. Pinecones bounce harmlessly off the winds.h.i.+eld and hood of the truck. Stupid non-damaging pinecones!

Strong arms suddenly come around me from behind, trapping my arms against my sides.

”How could you cheat on me?” he whispers in my ear, the bitterness now laced with pain.

”What?!” I shriek, struggling in his arms. ”What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?! You were the one hooking up with a random chick in the laundry room! I've never cheated on you!”

I have sharp elbows and those bony knuckles. Holding onto me when I don't want to be held isn't as easy it looks-even for Johnny. He pushes me up against his truck, caging me with his body. I whirl around, and slap at his bare chest.

”Don't lie to me, Juliet! I saw pictures of you with him!”

I stop the beating to glare up at him. ”What pictures? What was I doing in these pictures, huh? Was I kissing some guy? Was I naked with him? Was he s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g my brains out on a was.h.i.+ng machine?!”

Johnny's eyes darken. ”No, but-he was holding you in his arms, touching your face. You lied about working tonight! Arianna said-”

I swear I feel something swell and pop in my head. Maybe my sanity My voice goes squeaky with disbelief. ”Are you serious?! Leila called at the last minute and said she could cover. I went shopping with Heather, and we ran into her brother Rob-”

”Rob,” he snarls. ”Is that his name?”

”Yeah, you stupid drunk s.h.i.+t-Heather's brother! We ate ice cream with him at the mall, then he left! What the h.e.l.l?! The minute you get some flimsy-a.s.s evidence of my so-called cheating, and you decide to bang another girl?!”

Johnny shakes his head in denial, his anger fueled by the alcohol I can smell coming out of pores. ”You're lying.”

”Oh, go screw yourself, Johnny.” My nose is starting to run, but I refuse to sniff and let him think I'm crying. ”I can't believe you threw us away over something that lying b.i.t.c.h said.”

I try to push him away, but he doesn't let me go, driving me back into the cold metal of the truck door with the weight of his body. His expression is conflicted right now-anger and confusion, and hurt chasing across his handsome features. His fingers dig into my biceps.

”You're lying,” he repeats, sounding heartbreakingly uncertain. ”You have to be.”

”Believe what you want. We're done. I never want to see your face again.”

I slump against the truck, suddenly exhausted and hollowed out. I want to go home, curl up in a ball, and just die.

But Johnny's tugging at me. What's he doing? He's yanking at my s.h.i.+rt. Motherfu- ”Take his s.h.i.+rt off!” he shouts furiously, trying to pull Nick's s.h.i.+rt-along with my own-over my head.

Psycho! The fight pours back into me, and my adrenaline kicks up as I twist my body away from him. My s.h.i.+rt tears in the scuffle. I clench my teeth and bring my knee up to his ribs. He grunts and grabs my face with both hands, cras.h.i.+ng his lips over mine.

For an insane few seconds, I kiss him back. Then my teeth sink into his lower lip, and the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth. He winces but doesn't pull back, trying to settle his body closer against mine. I'm the one to turn away.

”You taste like her,” I snap, roughly pus.h.i.+ng his face back.

”You jealous?” he taunts, snaking a hand up my back. ”Come on, Teeny. I could f.u.c.k you on the spin cycle, too. You heard how much Dani enjoyed it.”

He knows that b.i.t.c.h's name?! That's even worse!

I'm only aware of a roaring sound in my ears. I think the term ”bats.h.i.+t crazy” is meant for special moments like this.

The next thing I know, Johnny's gone, and I'm sliding into a puddle on the ground. Dazed, I look up to see him being restrained by Dean in a chicken wing hold, inches from me. I seize the opportunity and punch Johnny in the junk. Dean, caught off guard by my attack , releases Johnny. Now it's that a.s.shole's turn to sink to the ground, groaning in pain. Good! I hope I broke it!

I try to launch myself at his curled up body, but Dean grabs me in midair. ”That's enough,” he growls, holding me like a tantrum-throwing child.

For a brief moment, my face is pressed against his rock hard chest. I inhale sharply, smelling fresh guy-just-out-of-the-shower mixed with something warm and woodsy.

”Let her go, Dean!”

Johnny is already on his feet. Tough guy. The anger has drained out of his face. He looks, at once, miserable and anxious. He tries to reach for me, and I bite his hand.

”Teeny...”

”Go to h.e.l.l!” I spit out.

”I'm taking her home,” Dean says, keeping his big body between us, easily holding us apart.

”No! I need to talk to her...”

I try to slip out of Dean's iron grip on my arm. It's not happening. ”There's nothing to talk about,” I say flatly. ”What kind of a.s.shole screws another girl the second he thinks his girlfriend is cheating on him?”

His face crumples in agony. He reaches for me again.

Dean b.u.t.ts him away with one broad shoulder. ”Sleep it off,” he snaps, his expression strongly discouraging any arguments.

Johnny leans around Dean, and narrows his light blue eyes at me. ”I'm not done with you,” he promises.

G.o.d help me, I want to punch him in the junk again. Flinging Dean's hand off me, I turn and stalk away.

He catches up to me, and starts herding me in the other direction, toward the garage. I let myself sag against him, suddenly boneless. He immediately stiffens and pulls away a little. Well, screw you. I don't dare look back at Johnny.