The Enemy

Chapter 15

Lias' fist connected with Jax's face, and he heard a successful crack.  "Lias!"  Bryn shouted and ran to him.  She grabbed his arm and tried pulling him off her brother, but he was too strong.  He just kept going.  "Stop!  You're going to kill him and yourself!"  She yelled as she remembered that he still has a concussion.  Lias just kept going.  Bryn did the only thing she could think of.  She called James.  She had no idea where he was, but he was the strongest out of the three.

"Hello?"  He asked out of breath.

"James!  I need you to come home right now!"  Bryn panicked.

"Why?  What's wrong?"  She could hear movement that sounded like a car door in the background.

"Lias is going to kill Jax!  I told him Jax hit me and-"  She was cut off.

"WHAT???"  James boomed.

"I told Lias and he showed up and started attacking him.  I don't know what to do.  He just keeps shoving me away every time I try to pull them apart.  I'm scared James!"  She started crying.

"It's going to be okay Bryn.  I'm on my way home now.  I will be there in thirty seconds.  Just stay out of their way."  At this time Lias got off Jax and let him stand up before running him into the nearest wall.  The front door slammed open, and in ran a sweaty James.  He must have had football practice.

"Lias stop!"  He grabbed Jax and moved him out of the way before Lias could hit him again.

"Stand down James."  He growled.  He looked like a completely different person at the moment, and Bryn was extremely scared.

"Lias you have to stop.  You just got out of the hospital."  Lias shook his head.

"I don't care.  I'll go back if I have to."  He tried advancing on Jax, but James stood between the two of them.

"Look at Bryn then."  He said plainly.  Bryn was standing in the corner with tears on her face.  Lias looked at her and immediately softened.  "You're hurting not only her brother, but her as well.  How should she feel about you acting like this?  You're unstable.  It's not safe for anyone to be around you like this.  You have to stop now before you show her that you can't control your anger around her.  You have to show her that she will be safe around you and not have to worry about you freaking out on her next time."  Lias gripped his hair and plopped down on the couch.  He had his eyes clenched shut, and he was taking in everything James was saying.

"You're right."  He whispered.  "I came over to get back at Jax for doing something to her that I'm now doing to him."  He slouched down and covered his face with his arm.  The room was silent.  Jax just stood off to the side with his face covered in blood and bruises.  After a few minutes, Lias jumped up and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.  Bryn instantly followed him, leaving James to deal with Jax.

Lias just started walking down the road with his hands in his pant pockets and his head hung low.  He couldn't believe what he just did.  He was clouded with anger.  He just showed Bryn the real him, and he hoped that would never happen.

"Lias wait!"  Bryn shouted from behind him.  He looked back and froze.

"Go back Bryn.  I'm no good.  I'm not safe to be around right now."  She shook her head and got even closer to him.  "Bryn I mean it."  She just got closer until they were almost chest to chest.

"You would never hurt me."  She spoke quietly and stared right into his eyes.

"How would you know?  Your brother's right.  I'm unstable.  I can't control myself."  She shook her head.  "This is how I've always been!  Even ask James.  He's the only one in your family who knows the real me.  He's the only one who has a real reason to hate me."

"Then tell me."  Lias stepped back.

"I can't."  He looked all around him and stepped even farther away.

"Why not?"  She crossed her arms.

"Because you will hate me too!  You will use it as a reason to not be around me anymore.  Everyone who knows me does it.  Why would you be any different?"  He started walking in the opposite direction, away from Bryn.

"Because I love you."  He froze.

"What?"  He still had his back to her, and she could see he was really tense.

"I love you Lias Hamilton.  I'm not afraid of it or you.  I don't care who knows."  He turned around slowly and gave her a wide-eyes look.  She stood so confidently that he couldn't stop himself.  He advanced on her quickly and smashed his lips onto hers.

Their kiss sent sparks all through Bryn's body.  Lias felt the same thing.  He knew he had to tell her about his past, so he decided to take her to his house where it was private.

"Will you tell me now?"  Bryn asked as they walked into Lias' room.  He just chuckled and pulled out his desk chair for her to sit on.

"You might want to sit down for this."  She nodded and sat.  Lias just paced his floor.

"Well?"  She asked and smiled at him.  Lias took a deep breath and nodded at her.

"I used to get into fights.  Not just like school fights, but fights in alleys and even at times in football.  James knew about it, because he broke up one of my fights against someone on your team.  Your team doesn't hate me for my football skills, but for my stupid fights with your line-back Cody."