Fated to Break | ✓

n i n e t e e n

Rowan

I've been holding Olivia against my body for the past ten minutes like she's my goddamn lifeline. At the moment she's the only thing keeping me sane.

And she's doing the same with me, if not tighter and with more desperation. Which would normally make me scream in celebration in my head. If only my body and mind could catch up to the present.

I've imagined what it would feel like to have our bodies molded together, to feel her soft curves against my body. It's everything I could've hoped for and more. Although I can't relish in it because of the reasoning behind our current embrace.

My heart is beating so irregularly fast that I'm beginning to feel light headed. These boiling emotions of hate and loathing are threatening to spill over into an agonizing burst of frustration. My leg and arm muscles bunch and clench as I try and ignore it, to focus on the now calmed breathing of the woman in my arms but I fear it isn't working.

I tip my head back to look at the ceiling, taking long and hushed deep pulls of oxygen into my stinging lungs. My jaw twinges with a low ache from my clenching and releasing of it. I feel my hand tremble from the slow and gentle strokes I'm rubbing along Olivia's waist, my body wired and brimming with rage laced adrenaline. I stop my hand, flexing my fingers to hopefully stop the shaking.

Olivia stirs and I continue the movement quickly but not fast enough.

Her hands slide from around my waist and plant themselves on my chest. After a moment Olivia says, "Rowan, are you okay?"

"Yes," I say, still looking up as I try grab hold of my rationality.

Her fingers spread over my heart, feeling the same erratic pounding I can hear in my head. Grabbing my shoulders suddenly she whispers, "Look at me, please."

"Just a second," I breathe, moving my hands off of her to squeeze my thighs.

The supple skin of her palms slide onto my neck, holding the sides of my jaw. I suppress the shiver from the intimate action. She ever so gently tries to maneuver me to look down at her but gets nowhere and after a sigh I relent. I let my head fall and my gaze meets hers. A sharp intake of breath passes her parted lips probably from seeing the scowl I'm currently sporting.

Her nose is pink and her eyes are puffy from crying and it doesn't help tame my anger, not even a bit.

I feel myself start to heat, my nostrils flaring. I'm about to stand when Olivia throws her arms around my neck. She cradles the back of my head in her hands, nuzzling my face in the crook of her neck. I place my hands on her shoulders, trying to pull her away. "Olivia, let go," I pant. The need to track down Lucas and slam my fist against his face, cracking and snapping any near perfect bone structure he thinks he has, winning over even a hug from Olivia.

She shakes her head, her hands thread through my hair, her fingers pressing firmly to my scalp as she runs them through the messy locks. "You need to calm down," her voice shakes...she sounds scared. I don't want her to be scared of me. But...

I try to pull her away once more, albeit not nearly as hard as the first time I tried. She just clings to me harder, my forehead pressing into the dip above her collarbone. "Rowan, don't—"

"I'm going to kill him," I grunt, my hands falling to my thighs as I ball them into tight fists, my knuckles and fingers straining from the force.