Burning Love ~ Billy Hargrove ( +18)

Chapter 14

                            Maddie's POV

"Get off me!" Lucas shouted, delivering a well-deserved kick to Billy's groin, forcing him to release the boy in pain.

I seized the moment to get up from the floor before Billy could go after Lucas again—clearly, that kick was only going to make things worse for him.

"You're dead, Sinclair!" Billy's face twisted with rage.

"No, you are!" Steve appeared behind Billy, making him turn around.

As Billy did, Steve delivered a powerful punch to his face, causing blood to gush from Billy's nose. The response from Billy was a psychotic laugh, sending chills down my spine. I'd never been afraid of Billy before, but seeing him this unhinged was terrifying; I had no idea what had pushed him to this point.

"Enough, both of you!" I tried to step in between them to separate them. "Haven't you had enough at the school the other day? Are you both brain-dead or something?" I scolded them.

"Move out of the way, Maddie," Steve growled, not taking his eyes off Billy.

"Yeah, redhead. For once, listen to your boyfriend," Billy sneered at me with a mix of irony and—jealousy?—pushing me aside, though gently.

"You should be the one leaving, Hargrove. You don't belong here," Steve said, shoving Billy slightly.

"Get out."

Billy's eyes widened in surprise and a flicker of something—perhaps regret—passed through his face at my words. For a moment, he seemed to hesitate, caught between his rage and my declaration.

Steve, barely conscious on the floor, managed to look up, his face a mix of pain and confusion.

"Stop it, you idiot!" I shouted, my voice breaking as I struggled to hold Billy back. "Stop this now or you'll kill him, and I won't be able to save either of you! Do you hear me?"

Billy's breathing was heavy, and his eyes locked onto mine with a mix of anger and something softer, almost vulnerable. For a moment, it looked like he was grappling with his own emotions.

"Enough!" I screamed again, shaking him slightly. "I care, damn it! I care about Steve, and I care about you, despite everything. So stop this madness!"

Billy's fists trembled as he looked at me, the fury in his eyes giving way to a tortured expression. Slowly, he pulled back, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of his anger was too much to bear. Steve, still on the ground, managed to sit up, his face bloodied but determined. He looked at me with gratitude and concern, clearly relieved that I'd stopped Billy, but also worried about what was happening with him.

"Go," Billy muttered, almost to himself. "Just go. Get out of here. I don't want anyone else getting hurt because of me."

I didn't need to be told twice. I helped Steve up as quickly as I could, glancing at Billy one last time. His face was a mess of emotions, but he stepped back, giving us space.

"Come on," I said to Steve, trying to support him. "Let's get out of here."

The kids followed closely, looking back at Billy who stood there, a broken figure amidst the chaos.

Despite the kids' shouting, an oppressive silence fell between us. Our breathing was heavy from the adrenaline of the fight, and our gazes locked, his filled with uncertainty and confusion. I didn't even know why I shouted that—Billy didn't deserve it at all. He was a brute and an idiot. But I couldn't help it; I cared about what his father was doing to him. If something happened to Steve, Billy would face a deathly beating from Neil—almost literally speaking—and I wasn't going to allow that.