she's mine.

85

ELI'S POV

I pushed through the crowd, following after Raina and my brother, ignoring those that I had completely let down behind me. I had caught Levi's and even Lea's face as they had overheard Rock repeat himself. Obviously speaking loud enough for them to hear. I wanted to rip his head off, I wanted to explain to them that I was young and didn't know, but more than anything, I wanted Rai.

I wanted to make her understand, to make her see that I would do anything to take it back, and I would never have in my life done anything to hurt her or her family in any way if I had known. I had no time to talk to the others, no time to explain to my friends. I had to get to her and explain.

I had to get the girl back.

With the crowd going wild and the familiar sound of a fight- grunts and thuds- filling the air, I sprinted after Rai.

"You don't deserve her," Jake's words repeated over and over in my head. I already freaking knew that.

But I'd be damned if I didn't try.

I sprinted out of the arena just in time to hear the bell ring, indicating this fight was going to a fourth round. I ignored the fight and ran as hard as I could toward the doors that led outside.

After Rai had ran away, I fell into some sort of shock. I didn't know what to do. I wasn't sure what else I expected her to do, but running wasn't necessarily at the top of the list. I didn't actually expect any of this though. I had expected to tell her myself, to have her beat on my chest like a drum, yell and scream, and I even tried to prepare for the tears, but never did I consider she would hear it like this.

"I can't," was all I could say to her. I can't.. How freaking pathetic could I be?!

But I couldn't lie to her. I couldn't tell her it wasn't true because it was. All of it. Except the part of pretending to care for her to help him, but I knew there was no use.

As soon as the words left my lips, she stepped back as if I had physically hit her, and I knew it was almost as if I had. I couldn't imagine laying a hand on her in any way, but I could see the pain I caused. I could see her shatter. Her eyes cracked and her breathe hitched. Her shoulders fell in and she clutched her stomach. The tears came faster than ever before, and I knew she was on the verge of losing every ounce of control when she turned and ran.

She ran from me as if I were some horrific being, a snake that scared her away. Something that she couldn't stand to be near.

And that hurt. Man did that hurt. So much so I felt like puking. The pain was too much.

I stared after her for a moment as Jake yelled and Rock mocked me. He spoke of how he would ruin me, how everyone would know the type of man I was, the coward really, to stand by and watch as he put the bomb under an innocent man's car. Everyone would know the pain I caused to Rai and her family. I listened as I stood frozen in the idea.

I listened to my brother agree, before he ran after Rai in hopes of saving her from the pain- from me. I saw the horrific fear in my friends eyes as they realized they didn't know me or the man I had become before I finally broke free and ran after her.

I didn't know what I was going to say or do to make her understand, but she had to. She had to know that I would give up anything, do anything, to make her see my remorse. I wished with everything I had I could take it back.

When I finally burst through the doors that led outside, the cold air swarmed me, piercing my skin. I looked around desperately, but there was no sign of her.