“Like hell!Look at your face!”
“He loves me!”Melissa shrieks, struggling against my grip.“We were perfect together until you interfered!”
“You’re completely delusional!”Eve shouts back, more blood trickling from a cut near her temple.
“Shut up!”Melissa breaks free with surprising strength and launches herself at Eve again.
This time Eve’s ready.She sidesteps Melissa’s wild swing and shoves her hard, sending her stumbling forward.I pin the woman down before she can cause more damage.
“Get off me!”Melissa screams.“You can’t keep us apart!We belong together!”
That’s when Joshua comes running out of the building, probably drawn by the screaming.
“What the hell is going on—Oh, shit.”His face goes white when he sees the woman.“Melissa?”
“Joshua!” Melissa immediately turns her fury on him, tears streaming down her face.“Tell her!Tell her we belong together!”
“Jesus Christ, Melissa!What did you do?”Joshua looks horrified, taking in Eve’s bloody face.“What did you do?!
“I’m so sorry, Eve,” he says, his voice shaking.“I’m so fucking sorry.This is all my fault.”
Melissa lunges at Eve again with renewed fury.“He’smine!”
“She’s just my friend!”Joshua shouts, his voice cracking with desperation and anger.“Eve is just afriend!Leave her alone!”
But Melissa’s beyond reason.She spots a piece of broken glass from the paint bottle on the ground and goes for it.
“Eve!”I shout, but she’s already moving, kicking the glass away.
Melissa comes up empty-handed but still swinging.Her nails catch Eve across the other cheek, adding fresh scratches to the damage.
“That’s it!”I’ve had enough.I grab Melissa and lift her off the ground, pinning her arms to her sides.“You’re done.”The sound of sirens grows louder, and police cars come screeching around the corner.
“Noo!”Melissa’s scream is pure anguish.“You don’t understand!I love him!”
As the police cars pull up, Melissa suddenly goes limp in my arms, the fight draining out of her as she realizes it’s over.
“Caleb!”Joshua yells over the sirens, looking at Eve who’s swaying slightly, blood dripping from multiple cuts on her face.“Get her inside!Now!”
I don’t need to be told twice.I wrap my arm around Eve’s waist as she stumbles, her adrenaline finally wearing off.“Come on, Princess,” I say quietly.“Let’s get you cleaned up.”
For once, she doesn’t argue.
Iyank open the kitchenette cabinets, searching for the first aid kit while blood drips steadily from my cheek onto the counter.
“Quit hovering,” I snap at Caleb, who’s standing way too close behind me, like some kind of overprotective bodyguard.“I can handle a few scratches.”
“Those aren’t scratches, Eve.They’re deep cuts.The one near your temple is still bleeding pretty heavily.”
I slam another cabinet door shut.“Where the hell is the first aid kit in this place?”
“Try the one above the microwave.”
“I know where to look!”But I check anyway, and of course he’s right.I grab the white plastic box and set it on the counter with a sharp thud.
“Your wounds look bad,” he says, his voice tight with displeasure.“You should probably get stitches for that one on your cheek.”
I pull out the small round mirror from behind the first aid kit door and angle it to see the damage.My reflection shows three angry red scratches across my left cheek, one deeper cut near my hairline, and what looks like the beginning of a spectacular bruise forming around my eye.
