Hazel Eyes and Peaches

chapter 20:

I know he's right, and so I agree. His family comes home around two o'clock, and the two of us briefly explain the situation. Faster than I expected, I'm welcomed into their home, and now I'm unsure of what I'm supposed to do next. Once Westin drops off my things, I don't know if I'll ever see him again. I don't know if I'll ever see another one of my family members again. 

Besides my father, if he gets to me. 

It is around four o'clock in the afternoon when we hear the doorbell of the house ring. Too nervous to open it by myself, and having an idea of who it was, Clay follows dangerously silent behind me. I have a feeling that he isn't going to be calm when he sees my brother's face. I haven't known him that long, but he's not going to be unperturbed by Westin practically throwing me out of the house.

I gently open the door to see Westin standing there confidently. I had no idea how many seconds it took for Clay to lose his shit, but it happened quite quickly. He carefully moved me aside before his fist swung out, and he punched my brother so hard in the nose I could hear the crack of it breaking. 

Blood gushed out, dripping down to the top of his lip, his groan erupting into the hot afternoon air. He clenches the top, trying to stop the blood. Once again, Clay pushes him back and onto the pavement of the house walkway. He kicks my brother hard and right in the nuts. 

He screams out, clutching his balls just as Clay kicks his stomach. And I'm entirely sure I want to stop the rest of the beating. But I know that he could get in trouble with the police with assault or something if he doesn't stop.

"Clay. That's enough, handsome."

With one last swing of his broken-up and bloody knuckles (once again), he backs away from my brother. I feel a presence behind me to see that his parents and Zoe have already carried some of the stuff Westin dropped off into the house. 

I feel a tug on my shirt, and I swivel my body to see Westin dashing to his car and throwing the door open. Warm yet tight arms wrap around my waist, pulling me into a muscular body. Clay's cologne fills my nose, his face pushing itself into the space between my shoulder and neck. 

My arms drape loosely around his bulky shoulders, and I latch my fingers behind his strong neck. We hug each other, desperately needing relief from the stress and anxiety of seeing the man who seemed to lie to me for years. I know it was hard on him, but I didn't think it was that bad.

"I'm so sorry, peaches. So fucking sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. It's not your fault."

"I know you didn't want me to attack him, but I just couldn't help it."

"We both know you would have at one point. I'm glad I was here to stop you."

"I wanted to kill him. I still want to."

"Then you'll go to jail. I need you with me."

He huffs dramatically, making me giggle into his neck. He tightens his arms around me and pulls me closer into his body.

"Alright, love birds. Let's get you two inside."

We break away from each other slightly, a blush flushing my cheeks as he presses a light, affectionate kiss on my lips. He nips at the bottom lip before pulling his mouth away, and the heat that courses down my body makes the blush on my cheeks deepen. He smirks strikingly and slips his bloody hand into mine. 

He tugs me inside the house, and the two of us start carrying things into my (that's what he's calling it now) bedroom. When we finish swallowing that bitter pill, we both go downstairs to eat dinner with his family. I sit down next to Clay, chatting on light topics with his mother and father from across the table. 

Even though I haven't gotten to talk to them or even get to know them, I like Juniper and Lloyd. They are clearly in love with one another and don't leave each other out of the conversation. I've noticed that everyone once and a while, Juniper will steal something off Lloyd's plate, but he doesn't even get mad about it. I'm sure it happens a lot, maybe he's just used to it.

It makes me miss how my parents used to be, but I know that it's never going to happen again. Those memories will live on in the past, and I have to move forward. Living here, I have a feeling, will be good for me.

Once we have finished eating together, I take Clay into the bathroom to clean his busted-up knuckles. I blush as I can't help but think about the last time we were in here together. I clench my thighs together, scolding myself for saying that we wait for a week of knowing each other before doing anything. 

I get that sometimes you just know that something will happen. I fully understand that you can't control when, where, and with who you find yourself falling for. However, I want to be somewhat reasonable. I don't think it's entirely logical to go out with him on a date after knowing him for two days or around there - I'm not sure. 

It feels like I've known him my whole life. I'm puzzled about how close we have become in these couple of days we've been talking to one another, and we've kissed multiple times already. He has made me orgasm on his couch. 

I'm sure that we've already crossed lines, but kissing and touching are different than going on a date. And maybe even going further than that. It just is.