I storm through the house, knocking random things down around me. One night with this damn girl and already I can't function and touch anyone else. Sex is supposed to be my release. Why the hell can't I relieve this shit with Maxine then? I know the answer to that question. Ever since Phoenix walked through that door of the shop, I haven't been able to picture myself being close to anyone but her. I'm losing my shit.

Chapter Fourteen.

Phoenix The steaming water drips down my face, running over my heated, red flesh, but I can't seem to shake the chill running deep within me. Goosebumps prickle my ignited skin as thoughts of Kellan breeze through my mind, burning me to my core. My skin tingles as if it remembers every touch. Running my hands over my face, I lean against the back wall of the shower, taking deep breaths, as I close my eyes. I'm trying to block out images of his face and the way his skin caused electrical sparks when brushed against mine, making it feel raw and heated to the touch.

His lips were soft and smooth, yet his kisses were rough and firm, consuming me, shattering my soul. The way his tongue ran over my lips and down my body, hungrily tasting me in my most secret places, as if he was a starving man, leaves me with a need. A need to once again look into his eyes as he pushes himself inside me, filling me deep, branding the memory to forever stay in my mind, making it impossible for anything else to compare. Being with him was better than I could have ever imagined. Everything about him is even more beautiful now than before and I have a want for him that runs so deep I can barely talk around him, let alone breathe. One look stuns me, leaving me reeling for several minutes after. The thoughts of that roof top tryst take over every part of me, keeping me up at night, making it hard to function during the day and making me want to fall asleep just to dream about him.

"What am I doing? This is ridiculous." I slap my hands beside me into the wall as I tilt my face up, trying to wash away my thoughts. I am drained and beyond frustrated in more ways than one and I only have myself to blame for letting things go too far. He said so himself we were a mistake. Yet he gave his body to me and the moment we shared felt like pure bliss, making me feel complete again for the first time in years.

Focusing on my breathing pattern, I watch my chest rise and fall while fighting to gain control. I take one last deep breath before pushing myself away from the wall and reaching over to turn the water off, letting the remainder wash over my skin before stepping out. I need to get out of here and to Jen's before I give myself a nervous breakdown. My nerves are already shot today, due to Adric's birthday, but having to deal with all the other screwed up things right now is proving to be one of the hardest things I've had to deal with since Adric's death. I promised myself I'd be strong and there's no time to break these promises.

I quickly dry off and wrap the towel around me before making my way down the empty hall and to my room. The house seems to be empty. It's so quiet and peaceful compared to what it's been the last couple days. My mom and Zoe must be at the store picking up something for Adric's grave. This is the one day of the year I know for a fact they go and visit him. I usually wait until late at night when the world is sleeping, before I make my appearance. I always thought going alone would hurt less, if there were no one to see my tears. Last night changed my mind and opened it to new possibilities. Having Kellan there somehow made it more bearable.

I open the door and step into the coziness of my room, which I haven't slept in for days, softly closing the door behind me. The beautiful blues and silvers making up my room, remind me so much of Adric. They were his favorite colors. That's why I chose these colors for my room. He used to sing me to sleep, sitting on the edge of my bed. It helps to ease the pain sometimes and comfort me on a bad day, like a piece of him is still here.

Looking up from the shagginess of my silver rug, I fall backwards into the door, almost dropping my towel to the floor, when I notice who's sitting on my bed.

"Oh shit! Don't do that to me." I place my hand over my heart and rest my head against the back of the door, scolding myself for being so damn jumpy.

Kade is lying on his back in my bed with his hands pressed to his face. He props himself up on his elbow and motions for me to come over to the bed when he notices my jumpy reaction. "Why do you look so shaken up? I'm not even naked yet," he says with a playful smirk. "Come here."

Oh no. This is not on my list of things to do today. I know I have to tell Kade about Kellan, but not now. Not today dammit. Why didn't I make sure I took away all of his stupid spare keys? This is going to sting for the both of us. We've been friends for too long and even though we never really made things between us clear, there was a small thing happening with us and even I can't deny that.

I grip my towel, holding it over my body as I take a seat on the edge of the bed, keeping a safe distance. I turn beside me to look at him as he sits straight up, undressing me with his eyes. He looks tense, as if he has something he wants to say, but doesn't know how to say it; therefore, I decide it's best for me to break the silence before it gets too unbearable. "Kade. What are you doing here? I'm about to leave with Jen soon. Why didn't you call first?"

He looks me in the eyes and my stomach drops like I'm going downhill on a roller-coaster, except this isn't quite as fun and I forgot my nausea pills. He bore's into me, marking me in his mind. My nerves are going wild now and I can't seem to sit still as I stare back at those baby blues. What the hell is he thinking? Does he know already?

"Did you forget something at my house yesterday when you ran off?" He pulls the spare key out I had made for him after that day I left my keys on Kellan's bike. "It's pretty big and kind of hard to forget about, Phoenix. Why did you run off without saying anything to me? I looked for you for hours, thinking you were somewhere within the crowd. That was an asshole move to make."

I pull my eyes away from his and pull my towel tighter, clamping each end, squeezing it between my fingers. How the hell do I answer that? There's really no easy way to bring up this matter. I clear my throat and lay flat on my back, preparing to let him down easily before things become too complicated for either of us to handle. "I left with Kellan." I swallow hard as his jaw muscles tighten into hard steel and his nostrils flare as he looks down at me. He looks extremely pissed, like he owns me and I can't make my own decisions. I'm not a little girl anymore.

"Look Kade I had to get away from the party. I couldn't handle it. You know how I feel about that. You can't judge me for leaving when I got the chance." My voice is loud, the anger in me taking over, blinding me and I don't care if he notices. "I never wanted to go in the first place. You made me feel guilty, so I went. I gave it a shot and you're sitting here judging me because of who I left with? Oh, come on Kade. You'll never get it. Kellan does and yesterday, I needed that. If you can't handle that . . . then I don't know what else to say."

His eyes are distant, his face creased in anger. He just stares at me, not saying anything. Did I render him speechless for once? I probably shouldn't have added the last part, but I couldn't help it. Kellan hasn't left my mind and I have a feeling he never will. It's impossible not to bring him up, no matter the situation or the consequences.

He lets out a dark chuckle, his eyes darkening to a shade of midnight blue. "So Kellan was your escape? I kind of figured that, but Jen refused to enlighten me on any details." He shakes his head and presses his hand to his forehead, taking a deep breath and slowly blowing it out. "Where did you go? You must have had a late night since you didn't bother picking up your car."

Why did he have to come here? I'm trying to push the memories out of my mind so I can get back to reality and out of this stupid dream world I've been living in, even though it's pointless. Now he's sitting here in front of me, forcing me to remind myself of the hurt I'm getting myself into. Man, this is not cool. I don't want to talk about this right now, but it doesn't look like I have much of a choice. "We went to see Adric, okay. Is that what you want to hear? We spent the whole night talking about Adric and old memories and it felt good. It felt so good remembering those days. I miss those days so damn much, Kade." I stand up with my back facing the bed, choking back the tears that are threatening to form. Visiting Adric with Kellan was the happiest I've been in years. I loved that feeling and I don't want to lose it, but I know eventually he'll be gone and I'll be a total wreck left to pick up the pieces of my heart left behind.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, soft and warm against my skin, before I'm spun around, face to face with Kade. His face presses against mine, his cheek resting against my lips as we both breathe heavily. "I'm sorry Phoenix. I'm sorry I don't understand like he does, but what I do understand and he doesn't, is what you've been through over the years when he was too coward to be here." He turns his face slightly so his lips rest against the corner of mine, causing my heartbeat to quicken. "I've always been here, you just didn't realize it until he was gone. It's time for you to realize I'm not going anywhere."

Both of his hands cup my face as he crushes his lips against mine, wrapping his hand in the back of my hair. Lost in the moment, he turns us around so my back is facing the bed. Pushing me backwards until I'm lying on the bed, he spreads my legs and presses his body in the opening, our lips still touching.

His warm tongue slips through my parted lips causing him to moan and slide his hand up the towel, snaking beneath me to cup my bare ass.

Panic sets in and my heart is pounding so fast it hurts. Not in a good way either. This is so wrong. So so wrong. Kade's lips can never fill the void of Kellan's, no matter how good they feel against me. Whether I'm kellan's or not, my heart doesn't sit with Kade. I need to push this back into the friend zone, where it should have stayed to begin with.

"Stop!" I place my hands on his chest and give him a light shove as I pull my face away from his and cover my face with my hands. "I can't do this, Kade."

He sits up and runs his hands through his curls, biting his bottom lip and grunting. "What is with you? You were all up for being with me before my brother showed back up. What is the deal, Phoenix? I want you bad. So fucking badly, I can't even explain the feeling." He runs his hand up my thigh again, brushing his hand over the wetness he's causing, before slipping a finger inside. He shoves his finger further, leaning above me, as I let a small moan slip. "You can't deny what I do to you," he whispers against my lips. "You want this just as bad as I do. I can feel how wet you get when I touch you. Once you let me in, you will see how good it feels to have me inside you."

"I said . . . I can't." I push him, but harder this time, pulling away from him and scrambling to my feet, gripping my towel to cover myself. He's right, his touch does something to me. That's why I'm so screwed up and I refuse to be weak and give myself to two men. I'm not up for playing these kind of games with him. "I can't because I had sex with your brother last night and he's all I can think about. He's all I've ever thought about." The words spill out before I can even think. The secret is out now, no matter who it hurts.

His jaw clenches, his fists tightening at his sides before he jumps to his feet and backs me into the wall with his hands planted on either sides of my face as he leans in close. "Are you stupid, Phoenix? You gave yourself to someone that abandoned you. Someone you haven't seen in eight years. He just shows up out of nowhere and you throw yourself all over him and fuck him." His voice shakes as he punches the wall with his fist, causing me to jump. "Fuck! I hate that asshole even more. Why the fuck did he come back? Things could have been good between us. Do you get what you're throwing away? Throwing away for someone that is only going to hurt you in the end?"

My blood runs cold as he reminds me of the hurt I am sure will come. I'm not sure I can handle it when it does, but right now, seeing him while I can is enough to numb me from the thoughts. "I wasn't throwing myself all over him, Kade." I try to push his arms down so I can get away, but he's too strong, keeping me blocked in. He stares me in the eye with a satisfied grin and that pisses me off more. "Dammit! Don't you talk to me like this. You act as if you wouldn't have hurt me in the end. Don't think I don't know your history with women. When was the last time you were faithful to someone, huh? Answer me." I push his chest and lean my head against the wall, defeated. This is draining what little energy I have and I hate to waste it on such crap.

He huffs, dropping his arms to his sides and leaning into my ear. "Since I've been trying to get with you, Phoenix. I've turned numerous girls down for you and this is what I get." He pulls away, shakes his head and walks toward the door. A part of my heart breaks as he walks away. I didn't realize how serious he was about this. I thought it was all in fun. I never meant to hurt him.

Stopping, he stands frozen at the door. "When he hurts you don't, I repeat, don't come crawling to me. I warned you. Why, because that's what friends do. So, goodbye . . . friend. Have a great fucking life and do me a favor." He turns around as he reaches for the door handle. The look on his face is of pure rage and hate. "Tell my brother to fuck off." He walks out slamming the door behind him so hard the walls shake.

Swallowing hard, I bury my face in the palm of my hands and stand there, frozen in place. I just hurt someone that I care about. I have no idea what I've gotten myself into with these boys, but I know it can't be good. I'm so damn confused I could scream. In fact, maybe that's just what I'll do, and I do. I scream because I'm pissed at myself for not being able to gain control of my thoughts and pissed at myself for being so weak when it comes to Kellan. From now on, I need to be stronger.

I drive myself to Jen's house in a daze, feeling more like a zombie than an actual person. The streets, cars and houses all blur around me as I focus my vision on the road directly in front of me, pissed off at the world for my screw-ups. As emotional as I am at the moment, I probably shouldn't even be driving. This isn't safe, but then again, what the hell is anymore?

Pulling into her driveway and killing the engine, I rest my face against the side window and close my eyes in thought. The heated glass, from baking in the sunlight, warms my cheek. The heaviness of today is finally starting to weigh on me now that I'm fully awake and ready to start my day. I can't stop thinking about how Adric should be here celebrating his twenty eighth birthday today. He should be strumming away at his old guitar, putting on a show for everyone to see. He was too young to die. As much as I want that to happen, it never will and it kills me more than anything does. He deserves to be here and sometimes his addiction pisses me off. I still don't understand why, when he always seemed so happy and eager to live. Why did he need those damn pills? Everyone loved him and surrounded themselves with him every second they could. How could he need something to alter his state of mind? I didn't even know about the drugs until that day.

After pulling myself together, I step out into the brightness of the sun and slowly walk through the long grass leading up to Jen's small porch that houses mine and Adric's old porch swing. It's old and worn out. The brown cushions are ripped in various places and the wood is dull and weathered, but it was ours. My mother wanted to get rid of it years ago, but I refused to give it up, so when Jen moved into her house I asked her to take it with her. The porch of my apartment building is too small or else I would have taken it home with me. It's more of a covering than a porch.

Jen pushes open the screen door and walks outside just as I run my hands over the seat and sit down on my side of the swing. I always sat on the left while Adric sat on the right. My eyes blur as I run my hand over the empty seat next to me and let the tears spill. My whole body is shaking and my sobs come out as if they're being choked out of me. I can barely breathe.

"I miss you so much. I can't do this without you, Adi. Why can't you come back? I would give up my life if I knew it would give you one more day on this earth. You were the greatest person I knew and I loved you more than anything. I still do. Everyone is different without you around to lighten the mood." I feel Jen's hand squeeze my shoulder and the tears come out in thick puddles now, soaking the seat beneath me. Having her comfort, makes me feel more vulnerable and I just want to let it all out.

"That's it, Phoenix. Let it out sweetie. He's listening." She kneels down in front of me and places her head on mine, her lips against the back of my head as she soothes me. "I've been waiting for this day for years. It's not healthy keeping it all in. He wouldn't have wanted you harboring that kind of internal pain."

She rubs circles on my back and we stay like this for a while, both of us in silence as I stare down at the seat Adric used to read his poetry to me from. It's so easy to picture the image in my head. The wind blowing through his dark hair as he sat there with that huge Adric smile he used to wear so well. The one that made everyone stop and remember there was something to be grateful for. The one that made you wish you could look at that smile forever. He lived to make people happy. He had a smile that could light up the world. He just had a little rough side. A dark side that he never showed me. Even with the dark, he was and still is the best person I know. I wish I could see him one last time. One chance to tell him goodbye. He didn't give me a chance to tell him I love him. If I could have him back to me just one time, I would never ask for anything again.

"I was worried about you yesterday. I'm sorry I gave you a hard time. I just didn't know how else to handle it at the moment."

I tilt my head and look up into her caring eyes. She's always been so genuine having my best interest at heart and I love her for that. She's been the best friend a person could ask for. "I know," I whisper. "You don't need to say anything, Jen. Your mommy instincts have always been the best part of you and I know you only have my best interests at heart."

I sit up, allowing her to take a seat next to me on the swing. We both stare out over the railing of the porch and look up toward the sky, taking in the sight of the big, beautiful clouds. We both spent a lot of time outside on this swing as well. Whenever Jen would stay the night and Adric was busy with Kellan, Jen and I would sit outside for hours having our famous girl talks. This swing holds so many shared secrets between everyone. If this swing had lips, we'd all be in a world of deep shit.

"You know, I never thought I would be able to handle these two days being back to back. It's killed me for years, leaving me emotionally crippled, unable to do anything but crawl up in bed for two days, unresponsive. Some years even completely drunk to numb the pain for a while. Yesterday when I left with Kellan . . ." I pause to swallow and tilt my head to look at Jen. She looks back, waiting for me to continue. "We went to the cemetery and it was a beautiful experience. We laughed, cried, and spoke of old memories and I felt more alive than I have in years. He's the only reason I'm able to be here today instead of curled up in bed. He's made me realize that by pushing back memories of my brother, that I'm killing what I have left of him. Why couldn't I see that before, Jen? What is wrong with me? Adric would be ashamed."

She smiles small and runs her hand over the bar above her. "Nothing is wrong with you. Everyone handles grief in different ways and you just had a hard time finding the best way for you. Kellan was a big part of Adric's life, of course he's able to ease some of that pain you're feeling. As much as I hate to say it, because I'm afraid of him hurting you, your brother would be so happy to see you two finding your way together. Just be careful. It's never safe having two brothers want you. It always leaves one getting hurt and not to mention, yourself."

A knot forms in my stomach as I remember Kellan's words. Kellan doesn't want me. At least not like I want him. He had sexual needs he took care of and that's all it was. He's probably planning his trip back to wherever he came from as we speak. Maybe that's for the best. That way no one has to hurt, except me. "That's the thing. Kellan doesn't want me. Not like that at least." I breathe. "We just had a little fun and that's all it was. It's over now. An act of-"

Jen turns all the way around so her knees are facing me now. She holds her arm up in front of her and her eyes widen. "Whoa, whoa wait. Back that up a minute, girlie." Her eyes turn curious as she stifles a smile. "What kind of fun are we talking about here? Like sex on a pool table fun, or pin the tail on the donkey kind of fun?"

My face flushes a deep shade of red as I realize what I just let slip. Shit! I can't keep this a secret now. Besides, I'm sure Kade will be quick to spread the news due to his hate and anger anyhow. She might as well hear it from me first. "We had sex," I say barely loud enough for her to hear. "On the roof of his tattoo shop."

I'm not the only one blushing now. Her whole face is red and her hand is working fast to fan her face off. "Oh my goodness. You lucky bitch," she screams. "I can't breathe and I'm not even the one that had sex with him. What is that saying? That sounds hot. The roof? It was good wasn't it? Wait, don't even tell me. It just has to be, right? Look at the boy. He's a walking orgasm. All a girl has to do is look at him and she gets her rocks off."

I can't help but to laugh as I watch her squirming in her seat, wiping at her sweaty forehead. I don't blame her. It's hot as hell out here and so is Kellan. It's bound to make anyone sweat. He is sex on a stick and he has the power to make any girl give in to his every want and need. That's what worries me. "I'm going to keep that my little secret, but I think you can guess for yourself." I smirk, making her shake her head and bite down on her lip. "Do I need to get your vibrator? I'll give you a little private time with your girlie bits if you need it. I don't mind."

We both burst out laughing and it feels good to let it all out. We haven't laughed like this in years. Not since before she got with Nate. He's kind of ruined everything over the last couple years. It make me despise him.

Once the laughter stops and we catch our breath, her face takes on a serious look. "I think Nate found the vibrator. When I went grocery shopping this morning, I noticed the plastic looked a little torn as if someone was trying to take it out and mess with it. He's going to be pissed if he found it, Phoenix. He already complains about our sex life or the lack of, should I say. This is going to be like a blow to the face to him."

Rolling my eyes, I throw my legs up and cross them over her lap. "He doesn't deserve to get laid. He needs a good wake up call, Jen. Maybe what he needs is a blow to the face." I smile mischievously and raise an eyebrow as I pop my knuckles for show. "I'd be happy to knock some sense into him."

Both of our heads jolt up as we hear the sound of screeching tires. Just lovely.

Speaking of the devil, here he is now. Of course, he would have the worse timing. He always does. Everything about him is just bad. A bad seed is what he is. Just when we were letting loose and enjoying each other's company.

His rusted up Jeep comes to a screeching halt at the end of the driveway and then the driver side door swings open to an angry looking Nate.

"Oh crap! I think you should go." Jen pushes my legs down, jumps to her feet in a panic, and grabs my arm, pulling me up to mine. "I know you're going to be hard headed, but don't. Trust me, I'll call you later."

I watch her, watching him and the fear is visible in her eyes, making her whole body tense up as he stumbles out of the Jeep almost falling to his face in the grass. The asshole is clearly drunk and it's barely two in the afternoon, not to mention he's driving! The selfish asshole could kill someone. I wish he had fallen on his face. I would have paid to see that crap. What is with this dip-shit anyways? I have no idea what she's ever seen in him.

Leaning into her ear, I whisper, "I don't think so. He's drunk and he looks like he's about to hold up a bank or some shit. I'm not going anywhere so don't even try that crap with me."

Slamming the door behind him, he takes long strides though the grass, stops in front of us, and tilts his head to the side, tossing his cigarette down beside him. "What the fuck Jen? Don't you have cleaning or some shit to do?" He twists his foot into the cigarette, putting it out as he exhales the smoke. "Get your ass inside and say goodbye to your friend. I told you I don't want people over at my house unless I give you permission."

"Excuse me?" I ask, being sure my ears heard him correctly. Jen takes a step back as if she's about to obey his command, but I reach out grabbing her arm to stop her. Who does this son of a bitch think he is talking to her that way? I always knew there was something off about him. Damn psycho, douche bag. "I don't know what makes you think you have the right to speak to her that way, but if I were you . . . I'd leave. You've clearly had too much to drink and it's clouding your judgment."

He looks at me in silence as he takes a step onto the first step, challenging me. He looks possessed as if this is the kind of thing that turns him on; belittling women. Laughing, he rubs his hand over his freshly shaven head and wriggles his brows at me. "Is that right?" He looks past me at Jen and smiles. "What do you say, Jen? Do you want me out of here?"

He takes another step so he's on the second step now, causing me to instinctively throw my arm up and grab onto the porch post, separating the two before he gets too close. Jax is right inside that house and I refuse to leave him alone with the two of them.

"Answer me, woman!"

We both stare at Jen waiting for her to say something. I'm not sure why, because it doesn't matter what she says. I want this asshole gone and I'll make sure it happens. "Phoenix. You should just leave." She forces a smile and reaches for my arm to pull it down. "Everything will be fine. I just need to get him inside so he can rest. He just needs a little food in his system. Like I said, I'll call you tomorrow."

"No, I'm good." I grab onto the railing again and look into her eyes, letting her know how worried I am. "I'm not going anywhere until he's gone. You have a child right inside and he does not need to be around this. Even if that's what you choose to do, he doesn't deserve it." I turn back around to face Nate and he grins as if he's won. "Leave," I growl.

His face instantly turns to hatred as he steps up to stand right in front of me and places his finger to my forehead, his nail digging into my skin. It hurts, but I refuse to back down and show this coward any fear. "I'm not going anywhere, you-"

"Stop it, dammit!" Jen pushes her way in between us and slaps Nate's hand out of the way. "Phoenix, please!" Her eyes plead with me to listen, but I can't. I fear for her life. She's my best friend. I would never forgive myself if I left here and something happened to her. I don't know how far he would take it. You watch Lifetime movies about this sort of thing all the time. I won't cave in on this one. I won't, no matter how bad she wants me to.

"I'm not going anywhere, Jen. Didn't you hear me the first time?" Is this girl freaking nuts? She must not be as smart as I thought, if she thinks I'm falling for this crap. I've heard of too many women falling victim of domestic violence, thanks to my mother and her movies. I'm not stupid. I know abusive behavior when I see it. "Now go inside and lock the door, Jen."

Nate reaches around me and grips Jen's arm, pulling her into his chest. "You listen to that bitch and get inside. You heard her." He shoves me backwards as I reach for his arm. "I'm taking her inside with me and you better get the fuck off my property before I show you the things I can do. Just mind your own damn business. That's how little girls like you get hurt," he slurs.

Reaching for the screen door, he slings it open shoving Jen inside by her hair. I catch a glimpse of Jen's hands reaching for her hair, as she stumbles over the threshold, letting a small screech escape her lips.

Anger courses through me and I start shaking. I can't even believe what is happening right here in front of my face. How long has this crap been going on? I will cut this ugly piece of shit's dick off and store it on the mantle before letting him hurt her or Jax.

Following close behind them, I reach for the back of Nate's muscle shirt, stretching it backwards in my fist. I yank as hard as I can in an attempt to get him off her, but it's no use. "You sorry bastard! You're nothing but a waste of space. Don't you dare touch her."

Swinging his arm backwards, he slaps me across the face, sending me flying into the wall. The impact must have been enough to wake little Jax, because the room is filled with his screams and now . . . I want to scream.

He's sitting there in the middle of the living room floor, reaching out his arms for someone to hold him, his face red and wet with tears, clearly showing he's scared.

"It's okay, baby boy. Mommas right here," Jen cries out from in Nate's arms.

"Shut the fuck up!" Nate pushes Jen down onto the hardwood floor as she reaches her arms out for Jax. She lands face first onto the floor, her arms stretched out in front of her. "I can't handle all of this fucking noise. All I hear is waaaah wah waaaah. Now shut up for once," he says, covering his ears and leaning against the wall like a psychotic maniac losing his grip on reality.

Pushing myself to my feet, I run past Nate and over to where Jen's lying on the floor. She has blood running down her nose, probably from the impact of her face slamming into the floor. At this point, I could kill this son of a bitch. Jax is still screaming in the middle of the living room and Jen is now standing here in my arms with blood running down her face. This is bullshit. This shouldn't be happening right now.

I turn to face Nate, while holding my arms out, blocking Jen behind me as I start walking backwards toward Jax. Nate pushes away from the wall as if he's about to come after us. "Don't you fucking do it, Nate. Just leave. You're not wanted here. You need some serious help. You have anger problems and a drinking issue that needs to be dealt with"

Nate lets out a sadistic laugh as Jen bends down and reaches for Jax. We all just stand here in silence, waiting for Nate to speak. He's so damn creepy. I need to find a way to get him out of here before he hurts anyone else.

"I need help?" He rubs his hands over his head really fast and hard before turning around and repeatedly slamming his fists into the wall, leaving dents and holes. "I'll. Show. You. Who. Needs . . ." He talks while punching his fist into the wall in between each word. This guy is really losing it.

"You need to leave before he hurts you, Phoenix," Jen cries into my ear while gripping my arm. "Please do this for me. I don't want any of this on you. You have enough to take on."

"No!" I shake her arm off and reach into my pocket for my phone. "I'm not letting this scumbag hurt you anymore. This isn't right." My hand shakes as I scroll through my contacts before he sees what I'm doing. I find the number that I'm looking for and press the call button. Nate is still facing the wall, punching it, while slurring nonsense. If I'm going to get us any help, then it's now.

When I see that the call timer is counting the call, I lock the screen and shove my phone back into my pocket, praying that I made the right decision. Luckily, I get my phone back into place right as he spins around and slaps himself in the face.

"What is wrong with me, huh?" He tilts his head to look at us. "You do this to me. Do you know that? You do this to me." He slaps himself in the face again before taking a step forward and peeking his head around us to look at Jax. "Where's my little boy? Come to daddy, Jax." He holds his arms out and belches, while walking toward us.

"I don't think so." I put my hand on his chest, stopping him before he can reach them. "Don't touch either one of them, you sick fuck."

He looks down at my hand on his chest before bringing his eyes up to meet mine. His jaw twitches as he reaches up and grips my mouth, pulling my face to his. He blows his foul breath into my face and smiles. "Get the fuck out of my way." He shoves my face, pushing me out of the way and reaching out for Jax.

"No! Don't touch my baby," Jen screams while walking backwards to get away from him. "You've had too much to drink. Let me make you some food and take care of you. You look tired, baby." She reaches her arm out and Nate grabs it, pulling her and Jax into his reach.

"Shut the fuck up and give me my son."

I start to panic at the thought of Nate hurting little Jax, so I do the only thing I can. I reach for the lamp on the nearby table and swing it into the side of Nate's head, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Fuck you, Nate!" I reach my arm out for Jen to grab it. "Come on, Jen. We need to get out of here right now."

We both look down at Nate as Jen rubs the back of Jax's head to comfort him. "It's okay baby."

"You stupid bitch!" Nate reaches up to touch the side of his head and pulls his hand away to see blood. "You just made a huge mistake. Jen, you can thank your friend for what I'm about to do now."

I push Jen toward the door and we both take off running as Nate scrambles to his feet. Right as we reach the door, he grabs on to the back of my shirt and pulls me backwards hard causing me to land on the ground. Jen stops to check on me and I wave my arm at her to go, while grabbing a hold of Nate's pant leg. "Get out, dammit! I'm fine."

Nate leans over me and grips my face in his hands, crushing it between his fingers and spits. "Stay out of Jen's life. She is mine. I own her."

The screen door swings open, causing all of us to stop and stare. Nate looks horrified as he looks up at Kellan towering over us.

As soon as I see him standing there, relief floods my body. His fists are clenched at his sides and his eyes are black from the dilation of his pupils as he takes in the sight in front of him. I somehow know he will stop at nothing to protect us. In this moment, I love him for that.