“Fucking liar.”
Standing just a head taller than Enzo, I pulled myself to my full height. It did nothing to make the man before me back down. If anything, it made him even angrier.
“I swear. I didn’t do anything. Emery—”
My short response was cut off mid-sentence as Enzo’s fist clenched my shirt near my neck. I clamped my mouth shut, my own hands balled at my sides to keep them from doing something stupid.
“You made him cry.”
“So have you.” The words were out before I could stop them. “You hurt him more than I ever could.”
Enzo raised his chin, daring me to do something. “That’s between him and me. Not you.” A pause. A single heartbeat could be heard before the next words were spoken. “What the fuck did you do?” Each word was filled with hurt, betrayal.
“He kissed me.”
I swayed backwards for a moment before Enzo’s hold on my shirt loosened to where I could keep my footing. At my words, his shocked expression only lasted for a moment before a wall was put back into place.
He didn’t want to believe me. Fine.
“You need to step back now,” I warned, bracing myself for whatever he’d throw my way. Fists. Words. Both. Maybe even a chair at this point.
The way he glared me down said he wanted to throw me a world away, if he could. Right this minute, I didn’t doubt he could.
When his fist still in my shirt, I took a small step forward. Then another. Soon, I had him pressed against the beam of the porch.
“You want to fight me? Then fight. Punch. Kick. Yell, for all I fucking care.” My words were spat out quietly. I dared him to do something other than hang on to my shirt like he was afraid to let go. “I’m a big boy; I can take it.”
Enzo gulped, the fight already leaving him. I did have to give him credit—he tried to hang on to the anger and fear.
He may have claws, but really, at the end of the day, this man was just a soft kitten who was scared of his shadow.
“That’s all you got? Really? I’m a bit disappointed, Enzo.” I shook my head, not really feeling that at all. I understood his place. In the next moment, I stepped back, peeling his fist from the front of my shirt.
At that small movement, Enzo must have gathered what little strength and fight he still had in him as he pounced.
Not expecting it, it was my turn to stumble against the post opposite the one I had him against just seconds before. My back hit the wood, causing anoofof air to gush from my lungs.
Enzo looked up at me, a dark glare trying to see through me.
I gave him a wolfish smile, daring him to do something. Anything, really.
He may have looked like he wanted to kill me where I stood, but his actions would really determine what would happen.
On one hand, he could walk away, mumbling nonsense and going back to the kitchen or bedroom to cool off. If that happened, I probably wouldn’t see him, or get another word out of him for the rest of the day. On the other hand, he could pretty much do anything he wanted to me and I’d take it. For a single second. Then, all hell would break loose, and who the heck knew what would happen after that.
Either way, I silently dared him to do anything to me.
“You really aren't all that tough, are you?” The words were more of a taunt than anything. “All talk and no action.”
“You’ll regret it if you keep running your mouth.”
Oh? Was that so? Had he forgotten whose house this was? Who’d welcomed him into this place to stay with his lover?
I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t have any regrets. Least of all when Emery kissed me just minutes ago.”
Yeah, I threw in the low ball there. I couldn't help it.
For some reason, Enzo was all of a sudden pushing all of my buttons that I didn’t know I had. If I was going to go all out, I might as well make it well worth my time and effort.
