The Fight In You [18+]

12 - Fireworks

Summer after Corri's Sophomore Year

As I stepped down from my truck, I scrubbed my hands down my face and sighed in frustration. This night hadn't gone anything liked I had hoped it would. I paused near my truck bed when a loud muscle car pulled up alongside the end of our driveway. 

I marched to the passenger door when I heard the voices inside being raised. Corri shoved the door open before I had a chance to yank it open. She rolled her eyes at me and gave me a harsh glare as the driver called out to her. 

When Corri shoved past me, I leaned down to find Beau staring up at me with wide eyes. She was pissed and he was obviously to blame. I made a split second decision to chase her instead of shaking the truth from Beau.

"Corri, wait!" I called as Beau sped off, barely giving me a chance to slam his car door. Corri was stomping into the garage, muttering to herself as I caught up to her near the bottom of the stairs. I curled my fingers around her arm and pulled her close to me, much to her dismay.

"Just don't," she whimpered when I lowered my head and tried to catch her gaze.

"You can tell me what you're so pissed about or I can go find Beau and beat the story out of him. Your choice."

My voice was stern and my mood was for shit. I just wanted to know if she was okay. It had been almost three months since the prom and I hated the distance between us. I wanted her to talk to me. I needed us to be close like we were before.

But I knew she wanted more. So I kept my distance because once I had held her in my arms all night, like we had in her closet, I wanted it all. Half the time I was trying to convince myself that Charlie would understand and the other half of the time, I just wanted us to move onto other people so I could forget how good it felt to hold her.

Corri finally lifted her head and there was a moment of vulnerability where I was certain she was going to open up to me, but then a flash of pain blazed through her eyes and I could feel it. I was losing her.

"Go away," she replied, turning from me.

I growled in frustration, "Fine. We'll do this my way then."

Cori squealed as I pulled her up and over my shoulder in fireman's carry, blasting up the stairs to my room before she could wriggle away. I carefully dropped her onto the center of my loveseat, taking the spot across from her on the coffee table. "Talk," I ordered gruffly.

"And say what?" she sassed, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

"You can start with where you were tonight."

Her face crinkled as she scoffed at me. "I don't answer to you, Colt. You're not my dad, you're not my brother and you're sure as hell not my boyfriend so just drop it!"