In My Skin

CH 24 || Temper

At least Mick had the decency to drop his gaze. "Stay out of this, Taylor. It has nothing to do with you," he mumbled into his glass.

I took a step forward and planted my feet. "You guys are broadcasting your conversation so loudly, I think the grandma down the street has an opinion by now. It's always the ones that talk the loudest that have the most to hide..." I trailed off, sending Derrick a pointed look.

Mick's jaw tightened. "Why do you even care?" he clipped out. "You hate him."

Oh, he'd heard that, huh? I crossed my arms. "So? It's still a pain to listen to your obnoxious rambling. Funny how you conveniently left out the part where you and your buddies ganged up on Killian before Halloween. Four to one, right? Real brave of you."

Mick bristled at my words but I wasn't done.

"I don't see how that's anything to brag about," I continued, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "but I guess taking two buddies with you must have been too scary, so you needed the extra backup, right?"

The conversations around us died down. A flush crept over Mick's neck. Derrick's eyes narrowed to slits.

"None of your business," Mick ground out at the same time as Derrick asked, "Who the hell are you?"

"Well, you made it my business since I'm the one being forced to listen to you guys getting off by spouting the biggest bunch of bullshit I have ever heard. Your inferiority complex must be gigantic."

A muscle jumped along Derrick's neck. He moved forward, right in my personal space, his huge frame looming over me. Some of the beer in his hand spilled and a few drops landed on my sleeves.

I lifted my chin. Maybe it was the wine talking. Maybe it was all the times I'd let people walk all over me. But for some reason, I didn't feel like backing down.

Alicia quickly stepped between us. "Wait, Derrick, she didn't mean it like that—"

I gave her a blank stare. "What are you talking about? Of course, I meant it."

Mick glanced between Derrick and me but stayed where he was. "I told you to stay out of it."

"Why? So you can trash-talk other people in peace? Don't like it if someone ruins your little show here? It's not like you were trying to be low-key. People heard you bitching about Killian the whole night." My eyes locked with Derrick's clearly hostile ones. Somehow my mouth just kept going. "Sounds like some major crush to me."

His face turned bright red. He reached out and clasped my shoulder in a tight grip. "What did you say?"

My pulse sped up, but I stood my ground. "What? Was that too close for comfort? You have nothing to say so your last resort is that you're stronger than me?"

"Come on, Derrick. Let go of her," Alicia said. "You don't know her."

He released me, took a step back, and gave me a head-to-toe. "You're feisty. I like it. Maybe we can work something out."

My shoulder throbbed. "I don't think so."

Derrick crowded me again. The smell of beer hit me in the face as he spoke in a hushed tone, "Let's take this someplace a little more private, honey."

I made various gagging noises inside my head. Yeah, he would fit right into Chris' group of friends, alright. I was so sick of guys like this. Fuck taking this crap. So many times I'd swallowed down my anger, my embarrassment. He wanted to play? Sure. Two could play that game.

My eyes roamed over his body, lingering a tad longer around his midsection. "No, thank you."

He raised an eyebrow.