We continue to sling bitter curses at each other as she fists my hair tightly, and I keep trying to get enough of a foothold to throw effective hits. The crowd does everything from cheer, to yell for us to stop, to shout suggestive comments, and in the back of my mind I realize the scene is something of a wet dream for the boys lucky enough to have scored front row seats to this clusterfuck.
"Shit!" I hear Tuck's voice through the commotion, but Chelsea and I still claw at each other, neither able to do much now besides defend ourselves.
I'm too busy trying to maintain the upper hand with my hair being clutched in a death grip to do any more real damage. Somewhere I hear Tuck calling out "Cap! Cap!" and as desperate as I am for Sam not to see this, for him to stay the fuck away from this pathetic shit-show, I can do nothing but continue to push and shove as we roll and grapple.
"Fucking whore!" Chelsea's voice is a shrill, pained, screech of an accusation.
"Fuck-"
Strong, male arms envelop me and yank me off of her. I struggle against whoever has a hold of me, but I know it's him, even before I register his scent.
When did I become so sensitive to his scent?
He binds my arms to my side like a strait jacket, like I've been held before, but something about his embrace is inherently protective, and I'm not afraid of him.
I'm barely aware of my half naked state as I twist and writhe, still enraged, unwilling to concede the first ounce of power I've had in a physical altercation since I fought Chip over an argument about the championship little league game when I was ten.
No!I will not let that bitch get away with this! Not whenIcan overpowerher.Not when I'm finally the stronger one.
"Let me go!" I demand, still struggling against the restraints of Sam's arms, but they hold strong.
"No," Sam whispers calmly. "Not until you calm down."
Chelsea staggers to her feet, huffing and puffing, and though I'm practically gasping for air, I'm still loaded with energy, still ready to take her down if she comes at me again.If only Sam would just let me go!
"Cap! Thank God! She's fucking crazy!" Chelsea screeches.
I wriggle some more and Sam tightens his hold, not hurting me, but not giving me room to twist myself out of his grip.
"Calm down, Chel. What happened?" Sam asks calmly.
I pant in his hold, my chest heaving beneath his arms, covered by nothing but a black satin bra. He doesn't seem to notice.
"She attacked me!" Chelsea accuses.
"I did not!" I defend.How fucking dare she?!
"Will you quitsquirming?"Sam hisses into my ear.
I do. Because the fight is over. My will is deflating. Goddamn it,what is wrong with me?This isn't me. I try to catch my breath as the humiliation of the situation washes over me. Sam doesn't relax his hold one bit.
"She's crazy, Cap! I told you she was hiding something! Look! She had a baby! HerC-section scar is right there!Look!"
I wait for Sam to look down at my hip, to see the ugly inch of jagged scar visible above the waistband of my yoga pants, but he doesn't. I can't see his face, but I imagine what he must be thinking right now, and despite the invalidity of Chelsea's accusations, I flood with shame.
"She threw my phone in the toilet! It's ruined!" she adds, as if this was the real violation here.
"You snuck into the bathroom to take pictures of me while I was changing!" I growl.
"Is that true?" Sam asks, horrified, when I've barely finished speaking. He loosens his hold marginally, allowing me a little slack, but doesn't release me.
"I knew she was hiding something. I needed proof," Chelsea explains, as if it's a reasonable excuse.
Suddenly Sam moves me slightly to his side, still holding me protectively, but he's no longer restraining me, and I can finally see his face. He's distressed beyond measure. His gaze scans the room and he takes in the crowd.
"Get out of here! All of you!" he orders, and makes some kind of nodding gesture to Tuck, who instantly gets the message. He springs to action, herding everyone out of the bathroom.
"What is wrong with you, Chel? What were youthinking?!" Sam chides. "Imagine if you were a guy? Sneaking into the bathroom to photograph an innocent girl changing?!"
