Brooke's POV

    As we got out back, I noticed it was now completely empty. I took a seat back down in the chair that I was originally sitting in. Mya leaned against the wall by the door. And Cayden... Cayden paced back and forth in front of me, probably wondering how to approach the upcoming argument the two of us were going to have.

Whether it was happening here or back at his house, that was up to him. Or up to his next set of words rather.

His walking back and forth began to irritate me. He was beginning to make me feel as if I was his child and he was deciding on what my punishment would be for my bad behavior. "Can you stop with the pacing already," I demanded. "Why don't you just spit out whatever it is you have to say?"

He stopped in his place and took in a deep breath. Turning around slowly, he looked at me with an annoyed face on. What it was for? I have no idea. But I'm sure he's going to let me know the answer to that question real quick.

    Hmm? He must've forgotten that we came to this party with him already being in the doghouse.

I sat there quietly, waiting for him to talk. I'll let him say his peace and get whatever it is he's holding onto off of his chest. But don't worry, I will verbally slap that irritated look right off his face. Immediately.

"What was that in there," he finally ask, semi-shouting.

I scoffed at his ignorance. Is he shitting me right now? "Depends. What are you talking about," I asked, playing as dumb as he was acting.

"I'm talking about why you're trying to get into a fight with Hazel for no reason?"

    Yep! He most definitely is shitting me.

    "For no reason," I yelled. "For. No. Reason. I'm sorry. Is all that alcohol you consumed affecting the way your ears work? Or did I just imagine the part where she asked me if I were your mother?"

"Brooke, it was just a joke?" He ran his hands through his hair, giving it a slight tug at the end.

I don't know why, but the fact that he just called me Brooke instead of baby or babe hurt. He only calls me by my name when he's serious or trying to make a point. And in this situation, I don't know which one of those two reasons he's doing it for. Or even why?

"It wasn't just a joke. And even if it was, who the fuck is she to add in her two cents. I don't even know her."

"Well, I do. I've known Hazel since we were freshmen. She's a cool girl."

I lifted one of my eyebrows at him and tilted my head back slightly. "Yep," I nodded at him. "She's so cool that she purposely put her body up against yours, knowing I was watching just to piss me the fuck off."

"No, she didn't." He made a face at me, telling me he didn't believe a word that was coming out of my mouth. "You're being ridiculous. We were all squished on that couch. She was probably just trying to make herself comfortable."

"I'm telling you right now that was not what she was doing." I stood up, getting angry at having to look up so high at him while defending myself. I was still a good foot shorter than him but it made me feel better knowing that I didn't have to break my neck looking up while arguing with him. "And even if it were, I'd appreciate it if you didn't let girls make themselves comfortable ON FUCKING TOP OF YOU!"

"Oh my God." He let out a humorless laugh. "She wasn't even on top of me. Do you hear yourself right now? You sound so stu—" He stopped before the ending of the word could leave his mouth.

    It was already too late, though. I already knew what he was going to say.

Was he just about to say I sounded stupid?

My eyes opened wide at him in disbelief. In my peripheral vision, I also saw Mya's expression. It was the same look as mine, except her mouth was open. That pretty much confirmed to me that what I thought I heard, was accurate.

Quickly, I put myself together. "I sound so what, Cayden," I asked as calmly as possible. I gave him a few seconds to answer me. I knew he wouldn't but I just wanted to see if the alcohol in him would. I know that's the main contributor for this fight right now. "Come on, Cayden," I goaded him. "What do I sound like?" I was getting louder. I picked up a plastic cup that someone left on the table next to me and flew it into the yard. "What the fuck do I sound like?"

He stayed silent.

My breathing started to get harder and heavier. My heartbeat started to move faster and faster. I could feel the adrenaline pumping, starting from the bottom of my feet to the tip of my shoulders. I had to clinch my hands just so I could try and get rid of some of the built up pressure in them.

Cayden's never seen this side of me before. My rugged side. As far as I know, only Jake has. I try to keep that part of me at bay. But every now and then, it has to make an appearance. Especially during times like this, when one too many people tries to try me.

He made the right decision choosing to stay quiet. Because I know for a fact, if he was to make one little peep before I got the chance to calm down, he was going to get hit. I don't give a fuck if the next words out of his mouth was an apology.

    The last time I was this pissed was when I saw Angel at Troy's birthday party. And we all know how that ended.

Mya walked around my chair and stood in between us as if she were our referee. She pointed her finger at me in a scolding stance and began to reprimand us. "You, relax." Then she turned to face Cayden. "And you," she gave him an evil glare. "She's not lying or even letting her imagination get the best of her like what you think she's doing. Hazel did start putting her body on yours purposely. Danielle pointed out to her that Brooke was looking at you guys. So Hazel turned in our direction, smirked at her, then started moving closer to you."

    Cayden stared at her with a blank look. For a second, I almost thought he didn't believe her either. But then he looked back at me with a guilty expression. He rubbed his hands up and down his face a few times then eventually ran them through his hair.

As if finally growing a brain, he looked back at me with an apologetic face. "I'm sorry, baby," he said in a remorseful voice. He began to walk up to me with his arms opened.

    Too fucking late, asshole.

But before he was able to touch me, I held up my hand and pressed it against his chest. "No! You practically called me a liar all because your precious friend, Hazel, is a cool girl. You should just date her then, if that's the case. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to be hanging off your arm."

I turned around and started to make my way back to the door. "Brooke," he called after me. He got a hold of my wrist and tightly held on. "Stop. I'm sorry."

"No! I don't give a fuck what you are. Fuck you! Fuck Hazel the Bitch, who by the way doesn't know who the fuck she's messing with! And fuck your 'I'm sorry'! You wouldn't even be sorry if Mya didn't say anything. We'd probably still be fighting right now. And why is it that you're believing everyone but me tonight? Last time I checked, I wasn't the one who had someone else's underwear laying around at my place."

He went silent again. Not having a clue on what to say.

"Exactly," I deadpanned. Once again, I tried to make my way back into the house. But because he still had my arm in his hand and refused to let it go, even with me twisting and turning it, I couldn't leave. "Let go of me!"

    "Tell me where you're going first."

    "To my dorm."

    "Why?"

    "Because I'm over this stupid ass party."

"Okay, then," he replied while attempting to walk towards the door with me. "Let's go. You don't have to go back to the dorms. We can go back to the house."

"I also don't wanna be anywhere near you right now." I mean, I don't know how that isn't obvious to him.

Mya gently put her hand on Cayden's shoulder, in a comforting way. "Just let her go, Cayd. She needs to cool off or else you'll both end up saying things to each other that you'll end up regretting."

"It's too late for that, isn't it, Cayd," I fired at him, spitting his nickname out as if it were the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted.

    He took a couple of minutes to figure out what he was going to do. He was probably weighing out what the pros and cons were of letting me leave without him. When he finally came to a decision, he nodded his head at her but still kept his eyes locked on mine.

Completely ignoring my snide remark, he let go of me, leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. "I'm so sorry, baby."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah. I know," I angrily said. "You were sorry a lot tonight, huh?" Then I turned my back on him. Right before entering back into the house, I faced him one last time. "And you better not be driving tonight. I don't wanna have to explain to our daughter why her daddy had to spend the night in jail. Or worse."

Mya and I quickly walked throughout the house as fast as we could. Once outside, we made our way to her car. But just before reaching it, I saw the girl, Hazel if I remember her name correctly. She was standing directly to the side of us, giggling with her friend, the one that was sitting next to her on the couch, who I assume is Danielle.

Oh please, Karma. If you really do exists, you would catch ya girls back right now and let this bitch say something to me so I can finally give her the beating she deserves. Come on. She's been practically begging for it tonight.

As if also sensing my presence, Hazel stopped talking mid-story and glanced at me over her friend's shoulder. When she saw that I was staring right back at her, she sent me another one of her dumbass smirks.

Come on, Karma. Let her say one thing. Just one thing.

As if my pleas were being hand delivered directly to her, Karma came through for me. Now, I don't know if Hazel did it on purpose or if she just wasn't aware of how loud she was whispering, but after hearing the next thing that came out of her mouth, all I saw was red.

"Had I known the way to Cayd's heart was through his little brat, I would've volunteered at her school a long time ago, too."