The Stripper And The Anxiety-riddled Dork

Beans

Chapter 23
< 1 day left until the Wedding/The Rehearsal >

Codi blinked when she realized her gaze was no longer locked with her mother's but was instead now looking at the kitchen's redwood carved cabinets. She finally registered the pain that began to throb throughout her right cheek, her pale skin surely becoming an angered red as she slowly turned her head back to look at her mother.

Anger.

Disappointment.

Disgust.

That's all Codi saw in those eyes. Eyes the same color as hers. The same Hazel that tended to turn more gold then green when the Sun shone at its brightest.

She has never wanted to gouge her eyes out more than in that moment.

< >

Nicky looked up from where she was watching Orange and Russet eagerly lap at their milk, their medium-sized bowl resting beside the small desk Codi had claimed, towards the door when she heard a rapid banging at their shared hotel room's door.

She walked towards it, her socked feet shuffling against the carpet, and opened it to reveal a slightly disheveled and very worried Nel.

"The hell do you wan-"

"I need your help. Please."

"Why the hell would I help you?"

"Cause I think Lucas is gonna kill Codi." Nel answered in a rush.

Nicky simply blinked before walking out the room, shoving Nel out the way as she slammed the door closed and stalked towards the stairs. The elevator would be too slow.

"If that shitty fiancé of yours lays a fucking finger on Codi, I'll kill him."

< >

"You bloody bastard! I can't believe you slept with my fiancé!" Lucas snarled, tightening his hold on his little sister's sweater before shoving her backward. Codi stumbled at the sudden shove, tripping over her own shoes and falling onto her behind as she stayed in her dazed state.

"Codi! You okay?! What's wrong with you, you donut?!" Zen exclaimed towards Lucas as she knelt beside Codi and rested a hand on the stunned brunette's shoulder. The three of them not seeing the small crowd that was eyeing them without any subtlety whatsoever.

"Stay out of this, Zen. This is between me and that bastard there." Lucas warned the small girl, Zen's brow furrowing as she rose back to her feet and glared up at the man.

"Stop calling her a bastard! If anyone's the bastard here it's you, you plonker!"

"I said stay out of this, You little brat." Lucas growled, his hand reaching for Zen's shirt. Codi finally snapped out of her stupor when she saw her brother about to push Zen like he had done her.

She scrambled to her feet and rushed towards the man, slamming herself against him and sending the both of them back onto the buffed floors.

"Don't bloody touch her!" She yelled as they collided with the floor, Lucas letting out a soft grunt of surprise before he shook his head and went to hover over Codi. He rested a palm on the floor next to Codi's neck as his other hand curled into a fist and pulled it back.

Codi's eyes closed due to instinct when she realized Lucas's fist was aiming for her face.

She always suspected Lucas had wanted vengeance for his nose.

But before she could even feel the wind behind the blow, let alone the breaking of her nose, her brother's weight had vanished and a deadly voice was heard around them.

"You dare try and hit a woman? My woman at that?" Nicky questioned with scary nonchalance, her lean yet powerful frame on display as she straddled Lucas's lower back. Her left knee was resting against the floor while her right leg was bent at the knee, her socked foot resting flat on the floor as Nicky had Lucas's face pushed against the porcelain floor with an iron-clad grip on his hair.

"Get off me, you fucking slag! This doesn't involve any of you!" Lucas all but roared as he tried to shove Nicky off him, Nicky only putting more pressure on his head.

"Codi!" Codi looked from her blonde protector to Nel when the woman had slid to her knees next to her. Nel rested a hand on the shorter brunette's shoulder as she looked to the still struggling Lucas, Nicky still keeping him on his stomach with surprising ease.

The blonde was glaring down at the back of Lucas's head, her black wifebeater shifting slightly when her back muscles had tensed.

The crowd became larger as they watched the dispute with the core four at the center of it all not seeing Dax, Dallas, Win, and Iris coming in and taking notice of the noisy crowd.

"What the hell, Lucas?!"

"Don't fucking talk to me, bloody whore! Get off!!" Lucas yelled. Nel physically recoiled from the man's words, Codi looking from the still pinned Lucas and back to Nel.

"What did you say?" She spoke, her voice quiet. Nicky's brow furrowed in irritation as Lucas kept up with his wiggling, she pressed harder against his head and let out an annoyed grumble when he let out a noise of pain. His nose began to press against the floor at an odd angle.

Nel looked to Codi, blue meeting hazel before she swallowed softly.

"I...I told him everything."

"....What?" Codi whispered, shrugging Nel's hand off her shoulder just as her remaining family members got to the center of the commotion.

"What on earth is going on here?" Dax questioned, his eyes going from his pinned son to his shocked daughter. Dallas glared at Nicky, the blonde easily meeting the heated gaze from over her shoulder.

"What do you think you're doing to my son?" She growled at the blonde, Nicky arching a brow as she straightened her back. She pressed against Lucas's head while she lifted herself off the man, the brunette letting out a groan of pain, and moved towards Codi as Win did the same. Her gaze never breaking from Dallas's.

"Codi? You good, baby sister?" Win questioned softly, her eyes going from Codi to Nel as her cousin shook her head.

"Why would you do such a thing?" Codi murmured to Nel, the taller brunette blinked.

"Because...Because I fucked up, Codi. I'm so sorry for being such a bastard. For being a fool. I never wanted to be with him. I...I only wanted you." She answered, Codi's eyes widened while her family members looked at them. Nicky's brow furrowed as Lucas's teeth clenched together so violently that a harsh 'clack' was heard.

"What are you-"

"...I love you, Codi. I still love you."

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What?