Against All Odds

Chapter 18

Eve

The sun has just hidden under the horizon as I get off the bus and make my way to Mikes house.
As I walk to the front door my heart is pounding nervously against my ribs and I keep running my hands through my hair, a nervous habit.
What would he say? How would he react? Maybe I should turn and go home to my safe bed and never come out.
No.
I have to break up with him and he needs to understand that its not OK to treat my friends like they're crap on his shoe.
Quicker than I would have liked, I knock on the door and come face to face with Mike's Dad.
"Eve, how nice to see you." He smiles and stands back, giving me space to entre.
"Hi Mr Beech." I reply, trying to keep my voice as level as possible.
If he knew I'm about to break it off with his son he wouldn't be half as happy to see me.
"Mike didn't say you where coming over, do you want to stay for dinner?" He offers kindly but I quickly decline.
"Hey Dad, stop bothering her." Mine comes striding towards us, wrapping his arms tightly around me. The boy leaks confidence, something that I previously found attractive. Now, it only seems to piss me off.
"Didn't expect to see you here tonight." Mike whispers in my ear, his Dad having left us to carry on his cooking in the kitchen. "It's a good surprise."
"Mike, I have to..."
"Let's go upstairs and test my bed." He waggles his eyebrows at me and I gasp, hoping his Dad didn't hear.
"I'm not sleeping with you Mike." I slip out from under his arm and lead the way upstairs.
"Why not babe?" Mike's hands find my waist and he turns me around to  face him. "It's not like we haven't before."
"Mike stop." I urge as he steps up onto my step, towering above me and pushing me against the banister which sort of aches my back.  "What if your parents see?"
He groans and takes my hand, almost yanking me up the rest of the stairs and into his bedroom.
"You're so self conscious." Mike whines like a four year old, shutting the door behind us. "I find it hot."
"Uh OK we need to talk." I pipe up the courage to hint that I want to break up.
"No talking." He whispers seductively, stepping closer to lean in for a kiss.
I turn my face away and consequently his lips kiss my cheek. Confusion passes across his face.
"What's your problem?" Mike frowns and I take a step back, needing my personal space.
"I don't want to go out with you anymore. You treat my friends like shit and, in all honesty, you've treated me pretty poorly too." I admit my true feelings, feeling a great sigh of relief build up inside of me now I've plucked up the courage and told him. "I'm sorry."
"You're breaking up with me?" Mike's eyes widen in disbelief. As I mentioned, he's a very proud guy not to mention popular so the likely hood of him ever being dumped before is remote.
"Uh yeah." I bite my lip nervously, his eyes flicking to my mouth as I did so.
For a few seconds he just stares and I squirm under his intense gaze.
"Bitch." He growls under his breath, and this time its my eyes that widen in shock at the complete loathing in his eyes.
"I'm just going to go..." I turn towards the door but Mike grabs my wrist, preventing me from leaving. "Mike, let me go."
Our eyes meet and I see him blinking away tears.
"It's that idiot friend of yours isn't it?" He grits his teeth and I gasp at how tight his grip was.
"Alfie? Of course not!" I try to pull away but his hands are strong.
"I see the way you look at him." Mike's physically shaking with anger and I suddenly feel terrified. How come I can stand up to Lucas' Dad but Mike scares the hell out of me?
"There's no one else I swear!" I protest, freaking out at how painful his hands grip is. "Let me go Mike, you're hurting me."
"You're a right slut Harper, I'm glad I slept with Lola at that party." He snarls and then without any warning he shoves me backwards, causing me to lose my footing and fall. On the way down I somehow manage to smack my head on the corner of Mike's desk . I yelp out loud as I hit the floor, overcome with dizziness.
Mike was shouting at me but my brain couldn't process his words.
That's when the door opens reveling a very confused Mr Beech. From then on, everything is blurry.

~~~

My eyes flutter open and I groan, hit by a thumping headache.
I glance over and see my brother sat beside my bed, frowning in concern.
"Max?" I mumble in confusion, trying to sit up but feeling a little queasy.
"Hey lil sis, take it easy." He helps me lie back down, placing a hand on my forehead as though checking my temperature. "You worried me for a minute there."
I blink a few times and eventually manage to get a grip on my surroundings. The bed I'm on is in fact my own.
"What happened?" I ask my big brother who's eyes are checking me over for any possible injuries.
"AJ, Benji and I were playing Twister when AJ got a call from Mike on your phone." Max explains, jaw clenching at the mention of my ex. "He sounded pretty worked up. Said you'd hit your head real hard. I drove straight there. You were out cold." My brothers eyes glaze over with emotion. "I swear I could kill that bastard. It was him, wasn't it?"
As I take in his story I remember the events of the previous evening.
"He pushed me but he didn't mean to..." I start but Max interrupts me.
"There's bruises on your wrist Eve. AJ told me you were going to break up with him. I think I can work out what happened." He argues, gently putting a hand on my wrist which is indeed bruised deep purple. Sighing, I close my eyes as tiredness sweeps over me. "I'll leave you to sleep now. I called your boss so don't worry about work. And...I'm sorry."
"Why?" My eyes flicker open and meet Max's which are filled with guilt.
"It's my job to protect you." He blinks away tears and I squeeze his hand gently.
"I love you Maxi boy, but I'm not a little kid anymore." I tell him, feeling myself begin to drift off.
"Love you too, but you're still my little sister " I hear Max mutter before I entre the realm of dreams.

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Thanks for reading my lovelies.
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