The Fallen Angel

60."Oddity"

ERO POV

I was cruising on my bike, feeling the wind hit me like a ton of bricks. It was getting hard to breathe, especially with my helmet blocking out the airflow. Just when I thought I couldn't catch a break, my phone starts ringing. I manage to pick it up with one hand, and it's Liam on the line.

"What's up, Liam?" I say, but his voice is all garbled, barely coming through. "I can't hear you, man," I shout over the roar of the wind.

Finally, his voice starts to come through clearer, and he drops a bombshell: "Adrian and his crew just crashed our pad, Ero. They're tearing the place apart looking for you."

I let out a frustrated groan. "I'll be there in a flash," I promise, slamming on the brakes and whipping my bike into a U-turn, gunning the throttle for all it's worth.

I pulled up to Liam's hideout, adrenaline pumping as I rushed toward the door. Without bothering to knock, I barged right in, my eyes locking onto Adrian lounging on the couch, casually taking a sip of his drink.

"What's your deal, Adrian? What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded, my voice dripping with anger as I strode towards him, ready to confront him head-on.

Adrian stood up, a smirk playing on his lips as he took another sip before speaking. "Break up with her, Isabelle," he taunted, his words dripping with malice. Anger surged through me at his audacity, and I grabbed his collar, seething with rage. "How dare you?" I spat, my voice low and dangerous.

But Adrian didn't back down; instead, he continued with his taunts, unfazed by my anger. "Isn't things complicated between you and her? Why bother? Just cut her loose," he goaded, his smirk widening.

I clenched my fists, ready to lash out, but Liam stepped in, placing a calming hand on my shoulder. "Don't, Ero. Things will only escalate," he advised, his voice steady and firm, urging me to keep my cool in the face of Adrian's provocation.

With frustration boiling over, I grabbed Adrian and hurled him off the couch, his body crashing onto the floor with a thud. In a fit of anger, I grabbed a nearby bottle and flung it across the room, shattering it against the wall and sending glass flying everywhere. Adrian let out a pained groan as some of the shards cut into his hand, but he didn't back down.

As he staggered towards me, I braced myself for another confrontation, but his words caught me off guard. "Wait! Do you really think you can live happily ever after with her?" he mocked, his laughter ringing out through the room. "That's rich. Like the guardian angel is always gonna be there to babysit you," he taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I remained silent, letting Adrian's words sink in as the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. Guilt gnawed at me as I realized how Adrian and Aria might have found out about our relationship. But instead of letting my anger consume me, I decided to confront Adrian head-on.

"Are you jealous?" I asked, a small smile playing on my lips. Adrian's grin faltered as my words registered, and I pressed on. "Are you jealous of us, or are you just envious that it's not you who's in a relationship with her?"

Adrian's words lit a fire inside me, and in the blink of an eye, he was charging towards me, shoving me to the ground with a forceful push. His fist connected with my jaw, sending a surge of pain through my body. But I refused to yield, using my arms to shield myself and summoning every ounce of strength to retaliate.

"Why would I be jealous when I know exactly where this toxic love is headed?" Adrian sneered, his words slicing through the tension like a razor. "I'm telling you now, she'll end up alone, and you'll be toast, burning in hell before you know it."

His cruel words stoked the flames of my anger, and I fought back, tossing him aside and landing a solid punch to his face. Blood splattered across my skin as he smirked, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Then she'll be mine," he taunted, his voice dripping with venom.

Without hesitation, I struck him again, aiming for his face. Blood gushed from his mouth as Liam and the others rushed to restrain me, their voices a cacophony of shouts, urging me to stop. But in that moment, consumed by rage and frustration, I was deaf to their pleas, my senses drowned out by the thundering beat of my own heart.

"Leave him alone!" My friends shouted, their voices cutting through the chaos of our brawl. Anger surged within me as Adrian's cronies rushed towards me, aiming blows at my stomach. But before they could inflict further harm, my friend stepped in, helping me to my feet.

"How dare you?" He roared, his voice a fierce growl as I glared at Adrian's friends. One of them moved to strike me again, but Liam intervened, blocking the attack with a firm hand. "No! How dare you?" Liam shot back, his voice filled with righteous indignation.

The tension crackled in the air as our two groups faced off, poised for a showdown. But just as I was about to take action, a notification on my phone broke the silence. Dismissing it at first, another ping pulled my attention to the lock screen.

"Did you make it home alright?" Isabelle's message appeared, her concern evident in her words. Guilt gnawed at me for not keeping her in the loop. "Why didn't you text me?" she followed up, her worry palpable.

With a heavy heart, I murmured to my friends, "I'm heading out," signaling that it was time to leave. They exchanged puzzled glances, questioning if everything was okay. I simply nodded, opting not to burden them with the details.

Snagging my jacket from the couch, Adrian couldn't resist needling me. "Nervous?" he sneered, but I remained tight-lipped, refusing to engage. Instead, I swiftly responded to Isabelle, assuring her of my safety. Her reply, "Sweet dreams," brought a smile to my lips, though Adrian's lingering gaze betrayed his curiosity about the sudden change in my demeanor.

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