Before I Met You

Chapter 17

Before I could mutter another word, Keith grabbed Dylan before punching him in the jaw. Dylan stood in place unfazed as Keith shook his hand as my eyes bulged out. "What the-" He muttered. "Do that again and you're dead." Dylan threatened firmly, sending a chill down my spine.

"Let's go, Juliette. I'm not going to say it again." Dylan growled, his eyes turned a shade darker as he stretched his hand out for me to take. For the first time since I met him I felt fearful and intimidated by him the longer he stared me down.

Grabbing my things, shoving past Dylan before sauntering through the crowds trying not to trip over my own two feet. Feeling the ice cold air against my flushed exposed skin. Closing my eyes, taking in a heavy breath letting my body relax until I heard Dylan come up behind me.

"I can't believe you. What were you trying to achieve in there? What were you trying to prove?" He asked, stepping in front of me. "Whatever. I'm going home." I muttered as I wobbled towards my car.

Rummaging through my purse trying to find my keys when he took them from me. "Hey!" I tried to reach for my keys as Dylan pulled them away.  "You really are insane if you think I'm going to let you drive yourself home."

"Do you have a death wish? Is that what all this is about?" He asked, towering over me making me look away.

"Getting drunk in a run down biker bar on the edge of town? Somewhere no one will know where to find you and no one knows who you even are." He continued to scold me as I rolled my eyes. "They know me a lot better than you do!" I retorted, making his handsome features furrow. "And whose fault is that?"

"Get in the car." He demanded, pointing to his car in the gravel driveway. "I'd rather walk." I gave a forced smile turning around.

"God! You're infuriating! Why do you constantly have to make things difficult for yourself?" Dylan yelled out as I walked away trying not to trip on the rocks. "Just leave me alone! I don't want you or your help!" I slurred.

"Juliette, stop. I'm not going to let you walk home alone, especially in your state." He continued trying to calm himself down. "You'll freeze to death!"

Tripping over my own two feet, feeling myself begin to fall onto the ground until I felt Dylan instantly catch my fall. "Woah." I leaned into him, unable to keep myself upright. "How'd you do that?" I asked looking back over in the direction of where he was.

"Come on." Dylan began to usher me towards his car. "Why are you incapable of doing what you're told?" He asked gently.

"Don't! Everyone always tries to control me!" I shoved him off of me. Dylan took a step back letting me vent as I ran my hand across my face in exhaustion. "Everyone, my whole life has tried to tell me what to do! How to act, what to say, w-what to think. What medications to take, how I should be feeling. Now... Now I'm not even sure who I am anymore!"

"I'm allowed to be like everyone else!" I rambled drunkenly with tears in my eyes. "I'm sorry." His face softened sympathetically, inching closer to me as a few people walking in and out of the bar glanced at me.

Breathing heavily as I turned my head away from him trying to calm myself down. "Before I... Before I met you I didn't know what it was like."

"Know what was like?" Dylan asked curiosity. I was unable to look him in the eye. "Nothing." I shook my head. "Never mind. Just take me home." I let it go, feeling defeated. I didn't want to disclose anything else about myself to him tonight.

"So you really can't hear anyone's thoughts while you're drunk? When did you figure that out?" Dylan asked as he drove me home in the pitch dark. "One night at a high school party. I wasn't originally going to go but some guy I liked was going to be there. I was trying to prove something of myself." I answered softly, looking out the passenger window.