Everything after that happens so fast. One second I’m getting a light push from Ethan. The next, I’m shoving him using five times the force he did. He stumbles backward, clumsily tripping on his own feet. I can see what’s about to happen, but I’m frozen in time, unable to change the ripple effect even if I wanted to. He lands smack dab on his arse right on top of the glass coffee table. It cracks loudly and then shatters beneath him. His hands fly out to catch himself on the frame before he crashes through it to the floor.
Everything and everyone stops all around us. I swear, even the music does that scratched record sound you only see in old films. I’m still stuck in the single, solitary moment where everything before me went from bad to worse.
“Hayden,” Vi cries, bringing her hands to cover her mouth in horror at the mess in front of us.
I reach out and pull Ethan up out of the coffee table. A wetness covers my hand. I look down and see red, angry blood smeared all over my hand. “Fuck Ethan, are you hurt?”
Ethan’s eyes narrow at me as he straightens his tie. “I’ll live. At least mine wasn’t self-inflicted.”
My angry expression falls instantly as Ethan’s cutting remark casts an instant shroud of darkness over my soul. His blatant insinuation has its desired effect as shame completely envelops me. Suddenly, a hefty bouncer appears and grabs me aggressively by the arm. I don’t even have the strength to look back as he twists my right arm behind my back with a painful crank. The only place my downcast gaze seeks…is Vi. Humiliation and despair explode inside me, reflecting in my broken posture as her beautiful blue eyes look at me with utter sadness.
“You’re done, mate. You’re on the fucking shit list and you won’t be coming back here ever again,” the bouncer growls as I’m dragged harshly through the club.
I shake my head, completely oblivious to what he’s saying, thinking only of Vi and what I’ve just done. He gives me another hard shove out the door for good measure and I turn, looking back at the building in shock. How the fuck did that all happen so fast? I look down at my hands in horror and quickly wipe Ethan’s blood off on my jeans. I unsnap and re-snap my leather cuffs, nervously unsure what to do. Fuck, fuck, fuck! What are you doing, Hayden? What the fuck are you doing? I jam my hands into my pockets and pace angrily in front of the door.
Suddenly, Theo’s stocky frame comes barreling through the door. “What the hell happened, Hayden?” His eyes bear down on me accusingly as he adjusts his glasses on his face. “Ethan’s fucking bleeding!”
“I know!” I shout. “I don’t know what fucking happened. I lost it I guess!”
“Explain,” Theo cuts at me sharply.
Feeling furious, I bellow, “Your mate Ethan is a self-righteous prick. How the fuck are you friends with him?”
Theo exhales through a frown. “You don’t know him well enough. He’s got a story the same way you have a story, Hayden.”
“He was fucking all over Vi!” I roar, wincing at the overwhelming urge I feel to sprint back inside and tear her out of there. I don’t give a fuck what his story is…He’s a man-whore through and through. I need to talk to Vi. She deserves an explanation and I need to make sure that twat, Ethan, isn’t still mucking about!
“Don’t even consider it,” Theo warns as he catches my piercing eyes on the bouncers, contemplating a way to get past them.
Then, the gods of sod’s law seem to answer my silent prayers as I catch sight of a familiar figure in a red dress storming toward me. And she doesn’t look pleased.
WHITE RABBIT
My expression is furious when I find Hayden pacing aggressively outside of Club Shay. He looks like he’s raked his hands through his hair a thousand times since I last saw him. Theo stands to the side, properly glowering at his younger brother, who is clearly in the midst of an enormous tantrum.
“Are you fucking joking me?” I screech as soon as I’m out the doors. “Christ, Hayden! Tell me you are messing about and that was some elaborate bit you and Ethan planned for a laugh.”
Hayden’s hard grey eyes pierce me with his silent answer. I can’t believe he’s got the nerve to clench his jaw like he’s got something to be angry about. He begins to speak, but I cut him off.
“Bullshit is what that was. Embarrassing as fuck, rubbish! What were you trying to do?” My eyes are wide and crazy, my hair messy and coming loose around my face, but I couldn’t care less.
“Vi, he’s a bloody wanker!” Hayden roars, gesturing wildly toward the club doors. Theo scoffs loudly, clearly unconvinced of his brother’s assessment of Ethan. I can’t say I completely blame Hayden for thinking so, but I’m still not about to let him off the hook.
“You think I don’t know that?” I exclaim, ignoring Theo’s brooding. “You think I can’t see that from a mile away? Fuck Hayden, I’m not some meek, stupid blonde, despite what you so obviously think. I can handle myself. I’ve done a proper job of it for twenty-five years now!” I cross my arms over my belly, feeling a chill from the cooling summer night.