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“What I want is for those I love to get what they want. I’ll be your backup. But I promise, you won’t need me.” I close my eyes as he gives my hair a few strokes. “Now, get some rest.”

When I wake up, I’m hit with the leftover taste of alcohol in my mouth and think I might gag. I look over at the clock, and it’s only been a few hours. The theater will be open until two AM, so I have plenty of time to make it back there. I’m surprised at how steady I feel when I stand up. I straighten my dress, run a brush through my hair, brush my teeth, and freshen my makeup. When I look myself over in the mirror, I’m pleased that you would never guess I was drunk a few hours ago.

The music hits me before I even enter the theater. Tonight’s loud, bopping music is catered to the ones who want to dance and drink all night. I catch Pru out in the middle of the dance floor, enjoying every second of releasing her inhibitions. I drop my bag behind the bar, my eyes meeting those smoky gray ones. I swallow and quickly move along. I knew he’d be bartending tonight. But the rules are to act indifferent, not that I can’t be in the same location.

“Hey Dean!” I call out when I enter the kitchen. But when I see him, my eyes go wide, and I freeze. “Oh my God, Dean!” I gather myself together and run to him, “What happened to you?” He looks at me and grins. The same happy grin as always. As if he’s not looking at me with the biggest black eye I’ve ever seen, even from my patients at the clinic. His right eye is purple and red, and the swelling spreads through his nose.

“Why don’t you ask that boyfriend of yours?” He sounds happy about this. “Think he saw something earlier that he didn’t like.” He blows a kiss in my direction and leans back against the counter. I shake my head and grab the first-aid kit from the corner.

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” I say as I motion for him to sit, and he jumps himself back on top of the counter. “Who did this to you?” I step between his knees and start cleaning him up.

“Any given week, Cain would be dragging me around all sorts of cliffs or bartending for me. Now he only works when you’re here and goes for a climb when you’re at the clinic. Are you really going to tell me that he’s not spending all that unused time with you?” He smiles when I don’t respond. “Nailed it.” I shake my head.

“He’s not my boyfriend. Besides… Whatever we did have is over. I think he has a girlfriend now, and it’s not me.” He points to his eye.

“Men don’t just go punching their best friends over women they don’t care about.” He flashes his stiff, swollen brow and gives me a once-over, “Want to prove it? Give him a real show?” I playfully push his shoulder and laugh.

“Stop it. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“But you’re smiling. Come on, you’re enjoying this.”

“I don’t like seeing you hurt.” I grab some anti-inflammatory pain reliever cream and begin to apply it in a thin layer over his wounds. “But it hurts me to see him with someone else… So, it’s kind of nice to think maybe seeing me with someone else bothers him too.” I sigh and clean up the supplies. “I’m sorry that he punched you.”

“Don’t be.” he wraps his legs around me when I go to put the kit away. “It was worth it; I like pushing his buttons.” He grabs my jaw and flashes his brow, “Now, want to make him snap?”

Before he moves any closer, two large hands grab me by the waist, yanking me from Dean’s hold, and I’m slammed against a hard chest.

“I told you, she’s mine. Touch her again, and I’ll break your precious fucking hands.” Cain’s vibrating, his words dripping with the venom of a snake ready to attack, or the power of a bear already on the charge. Dean smiles, mouthing ‘you’re welcome.’ Pushing me out in front of him, Cain guides me through the back kitchen door and down the hallway. When we reach the music room, he wrenches the door open, shoves me in, and locks the door behind us. I turn to face him. His nostrils are flaring, his eyes hard on me, and his hands form fists at his sides. But he keeps his distance. It’s the first time we are alone together where he isn’t eliminating all of the space between us.

“Cain?” His chest rises and falls with harsh breaths, his Adam’s apple working up and down with a swallow. Veins popping out of his neck and over his fists. I’ve only seen him like this one other time, back in his mother’s sewing room and he told me that we couldn’t be anything.

“What did you two do?”

“Huh?”

“He was gone for forty-five minutes, Violet.” I swallow as he stalks towards me in slow, measured steps. “I asked him why he was gone for so long, and he dared to smirk at me. So, tell me, Violet, what the hell were you two doing?”

I can’t believe him. The audacity to ask me what I am doing when he’s not giving the same care for himself. I bite my tongue and glare up at him. I can play games.

“He grabbed my hair, shoved me to my knees, pulled out his cock, and thrust himself inside of me.”

“Stop talking.” Cain’s nostrils flare, and he enters my personal space. I put my hands on his chest and shove him back a step.

“I licked, sucked, and kissed as he thrust himself inside of me again and again. Until he came down my throat and I swallowed every drop.”

“I said stop talking, Violet.” He’s shaking, the rage bubbling up inside of him; he looks as if he will burst.

“Then he threw me down on the bed, ripped off my clothes, and fucked me with his tongue until I was thrashing so hard against the mattress that he had to hold me down.”

“STOP!” He slams his fist against the wall, and I jolt. His chest rises and falls at a rapid pace.

“Why? Does that image bother you?” he fixes me with a glare and I give it right back. “The thing is, Cain… Is that story is true, for one of us. And I have to live with the image of you two pleasing each other. So, forgive me if I didn’t want to stick around this afternoon and watch her touching you and hanging off your arm.” The harsh edges around his eyes and aura melt into something different, curiosity? I’m shaking like a leaf. I sniffle and stifle back the burning tears just beneath the surface. “Nothing happened with Dean tonight. He helped me take off my shoes and tucked me into bed.” Cain lets out a deep breath, the tension leaving his shoulders, his muscles no longer flexed. He takes a step closer to me.

“What is it that you think I’ve done?”

“You had sex with Morgan.” I dab a tear before it has a chance to fall. “She said as much last night.” I swallow and meet his eyes. “I had to find out while she told a room full of my colleagues. Do you chase her, too?” Shaking my head, I instantly regret the question. “Wait, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.” My words come out in rapid fire, and I feel myself losing control. “God, I’m being so ridiculous,” I say to myself, then I start towards the door. “I’m going home.”

I thought I could do it. I thought I could share him if I had to.