Shattered Hearts ~ Hearts Intertwined Book Two

Chapter Ten

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Recap;

Oh, what is a guy to do when he is stuck in life and doesn't have the one person he wants most by his side?

Kick some ass.

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Chapter Ten

Holten and I walk hand in hand out of the bathrooms, heading towards the bar when we are intercepted by the most obnoxious and self-centered person I know.

"Raven." Marley says in greeting, turning her chin up at me ever so slightly, her arms coming up to fold around her chest.

"Marley." I say, not even bothering to turn her way before waving my hand trying to get the bartender's attention.

Wow, two bars. One upstairs the other, downstairs.

"So...You're here, what for?" Marley asks loudly, her voice squeaking almost making me cringe.

Is this what she has sounded like our whole lives? Why does it just now give me nails down a chalkboard noise?

"Marls, just let it go." Holten huffs out, his hand letting go of mine to clamp around my back.

'Marls?' I think confused.

I used to call her that. When the hell did Holten and Marley get to nickname bases?

I try to still my racing and jealous heart as I lean against the counter, ignoring my barstool and choose to stand with all the others.

"Leave it alone Marley." I warn, giving every ounce of animosity, hated and anger leak into my voice.

I lean against the counter, with Holten's arm slung around my waist and he too stares straight ahead.

"Whiskey on the rocks for him, please and sex on the beach for me." I say once the bartender had come over to use, asking what we wanted.

"One moment please." He says.

"A sex on the beach?" Marleys scoff, "Could you really be any more cliche Raven, really your whole life has been a clich-"

"What the fuck do you want Marley!" I shouted without thinking and whirled around to face Marley over a still-facing-forward Holten staring at the back wall behind the counter.

"I want to know why you are back, after the little chat we had," Marley says, her hands on her hips.

"What chat?" Holten asks, finally turning his attention to Marley.

Marleys light blue eyes widen a few fractions, as if she had no idea how to respond, and then her face relaxed into confidence and narcissism.

"I thought I had made my intentions clear." Marley says, her voice dropping low, she stands up straighter and leans towards me, almost touching Holten.

I spun around and walk around Holten, completely fed up with her bullshit and the way she always treated me.

"And I have made mine clear as well Marley. Who's really in charge of this game? Both men want me, Marley. It's either time to go all out and finally put your money where your mouth is, or slink back to the hole where you came from." I say, getting close to her, and sliding in between her and Holten.

Marleys' face goes slack, "What did you just..."

"You really want to go down this road? All my life men have wanted me, not you and I gave them to you, but that was never good enough. Well, guess what. I'm here now, and I'm here to stay." I say.

My lips fight off a smile as I feel Holten's hands reach around and grip my hips, rubbing the skin that was exposed and it took everything in me not to collapse into him.

"W-wha-"

"You can try all you want to take Holten, but you will end up losing Caiden. Do you really want your husband thinking of me whenever he's in bed with you, thinking of touching my thighs, thinking of my lips on his skin, trailing kisses down-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Marley screeches, loudly enough to draw a few people's attention, a few heads turn, and then more onlookers were collected the longer Marley was being loud.

"You wouldn't dare try!" Marley screams out at me, she was livid, her face beet red and you could almost see the steam coming out of her ears.

"Marley, stop! People are watching." Caiden interjects from out of nowhere, instantly grabbing Marley by the arms, and his hands engulf hers, rubbing them comfortingly.

"I don't want to Caiden, Raven...She-"

"Babe," Caiden says, with a pointed look to Marley, "There are people. Watching." Caiden says and something in what he says seems to make a lightbulb go off above her head.

Blood drains from her face as it becomes pale, and her lips tumble open in shock and surprise.

"Oh my...Caiden, I'm so sorry. I had forgotten." Marleys whole demeanor changed.

She wasn't her.

She was somebody else, emotion screaming in her voice, her face filled with guilt and torment, her whole body relaxed and became tense all in one, but for a different reason now.

"It's okay, come on. We need to get you to a calm environment or get you some drinks." Caiden says, leading Marley away.

But his head turned to look back over his shoulder, our eyes met briefly earning tingles around my entire body, and my heart skips a beat.

What in the hell is going on?