Playing With Fire (Previously Burning The Bad Boy) (UNDER RECONSTRUCTION)

{10} Kill or Be Killed

"We're walking the entire way?" I eventually asked once we were a few blocks from the scene of the accident. It was one of the hundreds of questions I wanted to ask, but the only one that managed to slip out.

Damon's hands were buried in his pockets as he trained his eyes on the cracks in the concrete under his feet, head shaking every few minutes. He ignored my question, or decided to avoid answering it for now, and continued on without as much as a glance in my direction.

I was still trying to wrap my head around the events that had flashed before me. The car coming toward me, my feet heavy and glued to the asphalt, Damon pulling me out of the way. Most of what happened was starting to register, it was Damon's sacrifice that wouldn't sink in.

He had yanked me out of the way, letting his motorcycle take the hit and get dragged across the parking lot. Damon Fox had quite possibly saved my life, and I couldn't bring myself to say a word about it. I still couldn't figure out why we had run from the scene before the couple called the cops either.

"Damon?" I closed the large gap that had begun to divide us.

"What do you want now, Thomas?" he mumbled. "You gonna try and get one of us killed again?"

"Thank you." I blurted before I could decide against it.

His head whipped back, blue eyes widening a fraction.

"Thank you?" he echoed confusedly, "For what?"

"Pulling me out of the way. You lost your bike because you saved me and-"

"Stop." he held his hand up, palm inches from my face for effect. "I don't want to be thanked, alright?"

"Why?"

"We both know it'll probably happen again anyway." he said rather than answering directly.

"Damon-" I started again, but the words died in my my mouth when he sped up so he didn't have to listen. Slamming my mouth shut, I kept at his tail, wishing desperately for this day to end.

*

The sky had turned a deep blue by the time we finally met with Ryder and Rachel outside a shopping mall in Town Center. My phone had died halfway here, so I had been unable to get myself an UBER home. Upon seeing my best friend, I nearly tackled her to the ground.

"Let me have your phone." I demanded. She only laughed, shaking her head. I pushed away from her, my lips parting in surprise when I saw how intoxicated she was.

Irritated, I turned to Ryder. "What'd you give her?"

Damon, hearing my question, turned his attention away from an object in the distance and to our best friends.

"Just a couple beers and some pot." Ryder shrugged. "Nothing major, it's not a big deal."

I shook my head in desperation. "You don't know her parents, Ryder."

"Oh well." he muttered, resting his head back against the brick wall behind him.

I grasped Damon's arm tightly and dragged him far enough way to prevent his friend from hearing our conversation.

"Tell me he isn't-"

"I don't know, Thomas. It isn't my problem either." Damon cut in, lips slowly thinning. A muscle had begun to twitch in his jaw, a clear indication that he was ready to snap. Knowing that the possibility of a fight with him was only seconds away didn't affect me as much as it should of. There was a part of me that wanted to go back to our abnormal friendship-or whatever the hell this was.

"That's right, because that's what guys like you do. Wait until the girls are drunk and high enough to take advantage of." I said bitterly.

He had my chin locked between his index finger and thumb before I could say add to my accusation. "You don't know what you're talking about, Thomas."

I only stared, swallowing the lump in my throat as I waited for the blow. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling Damon release me seconds later.

"You're acting like I'm going to hit you." Damon commented quizzically, "Because you'd love to think I beat women too, wouldn't you?"

We exchanged a long look before I started toward my best friend and dug my phone into her purse for her phone. I could feel Damon's eyes on me the entire time, as if he were trying to figure me out like a complex math problem.

"Come on, Rach." I took Rachel's wrist in my hand and gave her a gentle tug toward the curb.

She stomped her foot in a childish manner. "I don't wanna go home yet, Micky! Come on, have some fun for a while."

"We need to get home." I stated the obvious, "Your parents will string you up by your feet if they find out you're doing this right now."

She fell back against the wall beside Ryder, a smirk playing on her crimson lips.

"There so strict, I don't even care anymore. I want to live a little for once." she replied laughing. "But you can go run home to your cheating Daddy if you want."

I recoiled, ready to retreat into my shell when I saw the shocked look that crossed the boys' faces. The last thing I needed was any sort of sympathy or pity from the school's bad boys over my personal life.

"Rachel." I tried once more. I had to swallow my bitterness for a moment and force myself to help my best friend despite her nasty remark.

"Bye, Micky. I'll see you tomorrow." she waved. I started to back away as she fell into a fit of giggles and leaned into Ryder.

Turning my back to the three of them, I let out a shaky sigh. My mind was fighting an internal battle, reaching a stalemate as I tried to weigh my options. One side of the battle was begging me to leave now and get away from Damon and his friend while I still could, even if it meant leaving my best friend with them. They couldn't possibly do anything that bad since I knew she was with them and if they did, could report it to the cops immediately. The other battle was telling me to grab her hand and force her into the UBER car with me, no matter how bad she'd treat me for it tonight, I knew she would thank me tomorrow.

"Damon, man! Come on!" Ryder's exclamation snapped me out of my thoughts. I glanced over to find Damon's fingers wrapped around Rachel's forearm as he led her over to me.

She was huffing under her breath, trying to squirm from Damon's grip with no luck.

"Rachel?" my head snapped toward the UBER car that had pulled along the curb beside us. I nodded, opening the door to the back seat so Damon could force Rachel in. She buried her hands in her blonde hair, cheeks flushing in anger.

I shut the door once she was in securely and opened the passenger's side, pausing for a second. I spun on my heel and rested a hand on Damon's shoulder with a small, grateful smile. "Thank you."

It was until I had climbed into the UBER and he moved toward the door that a genuine smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Now now, McKenzie." he said, "What did I say about thanking me?"

***AN***

*Unedited*

Sorry for the short chapter guys, it will be longer once I edit, and I do promise the rest of the book will have longer chapters. 

What do you think of Damon? Do you guys still think he's a bad guy? Do you think he'll post her diary? 

Let me know what you thought/think!

~ChasingMadness24