Lottery Love Series- What We Never Were (book 2) **SLOW UPDATES**

Chapter 11

Clay's POV

"Do dogs go to heaven?" Abby asked as I carried her up the stairs.

"I don't know, Abby" I replied in amusement. She didn't reply again, making her half asleep state clear.

Her head rolled back and I knew whatever energy she had left in her had been used. I moved my arm higher to support her neck while mentally thanking her for not making her bed this morning. I placed her in bed, but her eyes once again flashed open, wide this time.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"You fell asleep at the movie so we took you home."

"We?" She gave me a quizzical look.

"Cody's here" I said taking a step to the side, expecting her to go find him. But she nodded her head from her sitting position on the bed, looking at her hands in her lap.

"You should probably see him out then, shouldn't you?" I stuttered for a minute, as realization hit me, "and come back to tuck me in of course" she smiled looking at me. I nodded at how adorable she was.

"I won't be long" I smiled at her before turning out the door. I quickly shuffled down the stairs, hoping in vain that Cody had found the door himself. I was proven wrong as I bumped into him coming down the stairs. "Sorry man" I apologized in synchronization with him.

"I'm just going to say goodnight to Abby, and I'm going home" he said turning for the stairs.

"She's already in bed" I told him.

"So? I'll just say goodnight and I'll be out before you know it"

"I'll tell her you said bye"

"Why can't I tell her myself?" He persisted. Because she's not yours.

"Just let her sleep," I argued. By this point my temper was flaring, but by the chance that she actually had fallen back to sleep, I kept my voice down.... or tried at least.

"She's not asleep, you were just talking to her and I can hear her now." He pointed up the stairs, indicating the clear shuffling of her socks against the carpeted floors. "Now if you'd excuse me-" he tried to step around me but I followed his movements.

"You need to leave now"

"And why should I?" I sighed taking another step forward so I was looking down at him.

"Because I'm bigger than you- and you're making me angry"

"Get out of the way" He rolled his eyes shoving me. I was moving before I could process what was happening, not that I would have stopped myself anyway. As my fist connected with Cody's jaw he fell back, stumbling across the foyer flooring. The throbbing in my left hand seemed faint and dulled out as I stared at my ex-best friend getting off the floor. On one side I couldn't believe that this guy who I've grown up with had a bloody lip because of my uncontrolable anger, but on the other hand I couldn't believe he had caused this either. Maybe it's not his fault, maybe it's Abby's. I was losing it, and the voice inside my head was losing it twice as fast. This was not Abby's fault. Cody should have told her first thing. Whether he liked her or not. But this was also my fault. Maybe even more than it was his. I shouldn't have let her go, not in the dark, not on the rocks. I knew how clumsy she was and I should have seen it coming. My thoughts were inturupted by Cody's body pushing mine to the ground. My head hit the tiles with a loud bang before Cody's fist colided with the side of my head.

"CODY!" I heard Abby's voice call from the other side of the foyer. His face, bloodied by my earlier hits, lifted to meet Abby's frightened gaze. He stuttered for a minute before anger crossed his face.

"Go back up stairs!" he yelled grabbing my shoulders and slaming me back against the floor. I heard her sob, but I didn't have the energy to turn my head, let alone pull myself up to comfort her. My head tortured me with images of her tear stained face.

"Cody, stop- Please!" His head snapped up, eyes filled with rage as he panted out for breath.

"Abby, I thought I told you to go? You need to-" he punched me again and my head snapped towards her wih the impact. I could now see her reddend face as she brought her hands up to muffle her sobs.

"Please, Cody- you, you're scaring me" she slipped between her lips. Although she was no longer screaming or shouting, something flashed across Cody's face. Realization perhaps? He was on his feet instantly and only a few steps away from her. She stumbled back as he reached to pull her hands away from her face. She shook her head looking at him with a sense of fear. "Don't touch me, Cody. You need to leave before Britney comes home."

"You don't understand, he hit me first!" She shook her head.

"Do you think I care? You sound like a kindergardener who got their hair pulled- you just assulted my boyfriend Cody" Boyfriend? Despite the physical pain a sense of relief passed over me.

"Your boyfriend? You think that's your boyfriend, Abby? Look at him, this was about you! You're mine!" She took another step backwards.

"No, I was never your's Cody. You tricked me! You tried to convince me of feelings I never had, do you realise how mean that was? How sick that was. I loved him, Cody, and you made me think I didn't." The fury in his face had fallen to anger, and a flash of hurt, or disbelief, saturated his eyes. Abby, on the other hand, was still crying. Whether out of anger, sadness, or pure fear I couldn't tell.

"Don't say that! We were going great for a little while." Cody replied- too late to be convincing. She shook her head at the ground.

"You need to leave now. If your still here by the time Britney comes back she'll have no problem with security personally removing you." She stated. This time it was Cody shaking his head. He turned sharply for the door.

"Why do I even try?" he asked as the door slamed behind him.