🥊 Hate or Fate 💕 {Enemies to Lovers}

.50.

A/N ~ WARNING: This chapter contains physical violence. If this type of content is a trigger for you, you may want to skip ahead. Also, if you suspect that you or someone you know may be suffering from abuse or domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at: 1-800-799-7233. Thank you. 🙏

***

Kayla and Elijah continued to fight while I walked the perimeter of the living room with Rebecca and our big ass bags. Tossing in books and the occasional knickknack, I focused on the few things that mattered, especially anything connected to my dad and my grandparents.

I could have cared less for the tchotchkes and the cutesy photos we'd collected as a couple over the years. As far as we were concerned, that stuff was fuel to be added to the dumpster fire of our failed relationship.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Elijah's low voice surprised the hell out of me. I spun around to see him brace his good hand against the wall behind me, a little too close for my comfort. "But, you know, I'm single now. So, hopefully, it's not a big deal that Kayla's here."

"It's fine," I nodded, searching for Rebecca who stomped into the kitchen to fetch my favorite mug. "I don't care, really, you can do whatever you want."

I darted past Elijah into the center of our living room, scanning the built-in shelves for anything I might have missed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elijah pushed off the wall to follow me.

I blinked back my shock at how agitated my harmless statement had made him. 

"It means exactly that," I informed him. "You are right, Elijah. You're single and free to date whoever you want."

Elijah's face twisted with indignation. He seethed quietly, his sinewy chest swelling as he watched me retreat toward the kitchen.

"I got the mug!" Rebecca beamed when she saw me coming. "Now all that's left are your clothes. Do you want me to go in there?"

Rebecca jerked her head in the direction of the bedroom, where I'm assuming Kayla had retreated. I shuddered at the potential confrontation and shook my head.

"I can buy new clothes," I told her. "I just want my grandmother's wedding ring. It's on the dresser in a small silver box covered in nacre."

"Screw that!" Rebecca huffed and dropped her bulky bag on the tiled floor with a thud. "You deserve to get way more than just a ring! You came all the way here, and you had to deal with that jackass and his new bimbo!"

"I'm right here!" Elijah thundered from the living room. "I can hear you!"

"Yeah," Rebecca stepped around me to stare him down with murder in her eyes. "I said it loud enough for you to hear, dummy!"

"Alright, I do want my shoes," I admitted. "My side of the closet was on the right. Shoes and jewelry first, the rest, I don't really care about."

"Do you want to wait in the hall?" Rebecca asked, still eyeing Elijah skeptically.

"No, I'll be right here if you need me," I replied. "Thank you, for this."

"Always, chica," she smiled and patted my shoulder before pivoting to march out of the kitchen.

Elijah physically shrank away from Rebecca's formidable presence, probably because he knew that she could take him in a fight.

"Leave. Her. Alone," she instructed as she passed Elijah, looking him up and down. "Or I'll chop your cajones off."