OBSESSED

47

JARROD

Holding Leah in my arms, trying to contain her flailing arms and legs, I felt an ember of anger calcify in my blood.

This Anne bitch was trouble. I didn't know what she'd done to make Leah tackle her, but I knew it had to be terrible.

As the manly ginger jumped to her feet, Ryan stepped between us and her. He was a scrawny thing but tall.

"This is not over," Anne hissed. Her eyes darted between all of us. "I'll fucking get you next time, Leah." She stormed off into the parking lot.

"Let me go!" Leah demanded, wiggling against me in protest.

"No," I said.

My eyes were locked on Anne's retreating form. I watched to see what car she got into. It was a hideous white sedan with half of a front bumper. The wheels screeched as she peeled out.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ryan asked Leah.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Isabelle and the two boyfriends pouring out of the building.

"No!" Leah yelled as she squirmed again. I finally let her go and she immediately turned to glare at me. "Why'd you hold me back? She deserved it."

The heat of her gaze both worried and turned me on. I reached out to wipe off the blood under her nose, holding it up for her to see.

"You're hurt," I stated coldly. "I would be the worst fucking boyfriend of all time if I didn't pry you off."

She wiped at her face quickly, smearing the blood across her cheeks. When she saw the thick red liquid on her own fingers, the damage seemed to click in her mind. Her mouth cocked open.

"Shit," she huffed.

"Let your doctor boyfriend take care of you," Isabelle said. She nodded at me. "Nurse her back to health, buddy."

I gently wrapped my arm around Leah's waist. Truthfully, I wanted to go after that bitch and finish what Leah had started. If Leah didn't need medical attention right now, I would've made up an excuse to follow Anne. No one messed with my loved ones without paying for it. That was a value embedded deeply within my family. We always stood up for each other, no matter the situation.

"We'll go to the clinic and fix you up," I told her. My fingers tenderly pushed the hair from her face so it wouldn't get matted with blood.

Leah sighed, turning to her friends. "Sorry, guys. What a shit show."

"Don't apologize," Richard said. "That chick is fuckin' nuts."

"We'll see you all later," I told them before guiding Leah back to my car.

Neither of us spoke during the drive to the clinic. My mind was still swamped with anger, so I wasn't in a place to be offering comfort. Leah hung her head as she stared out the window. We pulled up to the clinic and she followed me inside. I led her to the first operatory and sat her on the exam table. Remaining silent, I dug around in the drawers for gauze and antibacterial cream.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked softly.

I looked up from the gauze I was unfolding. Her eyes fell onto mine under scrunched brows.