it with his fist as he gripped it.
Will whimpered at the force Aric was exerting.
“If you ever try touching her again, I’ll kill you,” Aric warned. “You got off lucky last spring. There was a lot going on. I was distracted. I’m not distracted now.”
Aric applied more pressure to Will’s closed fist, the unmistakable sound of bones breaking filling the night air.
“If you ever look at her again,” Aric growled. “If you ever even look at her, I’ll kill you.”
Brittany’s self-righteous indignation had turned to fear. “Will?”
“I’ll kill you, and I won’t look back,” Aric continued. “I know what you are. I know what you’re trying to build here. And, yes, I know what you’re doing with Reagan. You’re never going to be in power, Will. You’re never going to be higher than you are now.
“The sad thing is, you think you can take control here,” he said. “You think you’re somehow better than you are. All you are is the guy who lost the amulet. All you are is a guy who lost the girl you’re so desperate to get back.
“And, yeah, I know you want her back,” Aric said. “I know you probably cry at night because you lost her – especially given all you know now. You’re desperately trying to figure out a way to fix things. That’s why you’re with Brittany – even though that has backfired. You can never get her back, though. You can never be more than you are.”
I was worried. There was a part of me that thought Aric might kill him right here. I reached over, putting my hand on Aric’s tense bicep to still him. “He’s not worth it,” I said.
The nerve in Aric’s jaw was twitching, but he finally relented and let Will’s hand go. Will cried out in relief – which made my pity him all the more – and cradled his injured hand to his chest.
Aric shook his head, his eyes finally clearing, and he focused on me. “Let’s go,” he said. “We’re done here. We’re not coming back.”
November
Twelve
“I can’t believe you’re actually instituting date night.”
It was Sunday, and Aric was trying to focus on anything but the job he hated, while I was trying to pretend the party at Alpha Chi two days before wasn’t still haunting me. The outcome – for both of us – was mixed.
“It’s not date night,” Aric protested, giving me a look. “Old people have date night. This is just a chance for us to spend some time together.”
We were waiting for a table to open at a local restaurant, and my growling stomach told me the wait had better not be too long. The lobby of the restaurant had been busy a few minutes before, but the hostess was moving people to tables quickly. I had hope.
“If you don’t want to stay at the house with me, you don’t have to,” I said. “I know having that many girls around is annoying to you – especially since Kate won’t stop flirting.”
Aric smirked. “That doesn’t bother me.”
“Well, it bothers me.”
“I know,” Aric said, reaching over to squeeze my thigh. “That’s why it doesn’t bother me.”
“You like that I’m jealous?” I hated the feeling, but I could admit it. Kate’s interest in Aric was almost more than I could bear.
“I like that you love me,” Aric said. “The jealousy is just an added benefit.”
“Well, I don’t like that I’m jealous,” I admitted.
“Why not?”
“It bugs me that I’m not secure enough to just let it go,” I said.
Aric shot me a curious look. “What are you insecure about?”
“Not you,” I said hurriedly. “I know you love me. I know I love you. I don’t think you would ever cheat on me.”
Aric smiled reassuringly. “I would never cheat on you. Never. There’s not anyone that even remotely piques my interest. I need you to be secure in that.”
“I know,” I said. “It still bugs me that Kate fawning all over you gives me this … twinge in my chest.”
Aric frowned. “Twinge?”
“I’m pathetic,” I said. “I know it. You
Will whimpered at the force Aric was exerting.
“If you ever try touching her again, I’ll kill you,” Aric warned. “You got off lucky last spring. There was a lot going on. I was distracted. I’m not distracted now.”
Aric applied more pressure to Will’s closed fist, the unmistakable sound of bones breaking filling the night air.
“If you ever look at her again,” Aric growled. “If you ever even look at her, I’ll kill you.”
Brittany’s self-righteous indignation had turned to fear. “Will?”
“I’ll kill you, and I won’t look back,” Aric continued. “I know what you are. I know what you’re trying to build here. And, yes, I know what you’re doing with Reagan. You’re never going to be in power, Will. You’re never going to be higher than you are now.
“The sad thing is, you think you can take control here,” he said. “You think you’re somehow better than you are. All you are is the guy who lost the amulet. All you are is a guy who lost the girl you’re so desperate to get back.
“And, yeah, I know you want her back,” Aric said. “I know you probably cry at night because you lost her – especially given all you know now. You’re desperately trying to figure out a way to fix things. That’s why you’re with Brittany – even though that has backfired. You can never get her back, though. You can never be more than you are.”
I was worried. There was a part of me that thought Aric might kill him right here. I reached over, putting my hand on Aric’s tense bicep to still him. “He’s not worth it,” I said.
The nerve in Aric’s jaw was twitching, but he finally relented and let Will’s hand go. Will cried out in relief – which made my pity him all the more – and cradled his injured hand to his chest.
Aric shook his head, his eyes finally clearing, and he focused on me. “Let’s go,” he said. “We’re done here. We’re not coming back.”
November
Twelve
“I can’t believe you’re actually instituting date night.”
It was Sunday, and Aric was trying to focus on anything but the job he hated, while I was trying to pretend the party at Alpha Chi two days before wasn’t still haunting me. The outcome – for both of us – was mixed.
“It’s not date night,” Aric protested, giving me a look. “Old people have date night. This is just a chance for us to spend some time together.”
We were waiting for a table to open at a local restaurant, and my growling stomach told me the wait had better not be too long. The lobby of the restaurant had been busy a few minutes before, but the hostess was moving people to tables quickly. I had hope.
“If you don’t want to stay at the house with me, you don’t have to,” I said. “I know having that many girls around is annoying to you – especially since Kate won’t stop flirting.”
Aric smirked. “That doesn’t bother me.”
“Well, it bothers me.”
“I know,” Aric said, reaching over to squeeze my thigh. “That’s why it doesn’t bother me.”
“You like that I’m jealous?” I hated the feeling, but I could admit it. Kate’s interest in Aric was almost more than I could bear.
“I like that you love me,” Aric said. “The jealousy is just an added benefit.”
“Well, I don’t like that I’m jealous,” I admitted.
“Why not?”
“It bugs me that I’m not secure enough to just let it go,” I said.
Aric shot me a curious look. “What are you insecure about?”
“Not you,” I said hurriedly. “I know you love me. I know I love you. I don’t think you would ever cheat on me.”
Aric smiled reassuringly. “I would never cheat on you. Never. There’s not anyone that even remotely piques my interest. I need you to be secure in that.”
“I know,” I said. “It still bugs me that Kate fawning all over you gives me this … twinge in my chest.”
Aric frowned. “Twinge?”
“I’m pathetic,” I said. “I know it. You
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