What You Caused

78.

TW: slight mentions of assault.

Chapter 78 | Maria

Isabella:

I rush down the stairs in a frenetic mess, patting down my hair and trying to smooth out the mess as Lucas briskly follows behind.

He's equally trying to get himself together as we cross the foyer and head towards the kitchen leading into the garden. His dark hair is disheveled, his already plump lips are swollen and a slight redness pinches his cheeks - the aftermath of our make out session.

If I wasn't so overwhelmed with fury as of now, I would've stopped to appreciate how good he looked all ruffled and mused but unfortunately, I was bubbling with rage.

How dare she.

Is all that loops around in my mind like a broken record.

How fucking dare she.

Maria has got major balls showing up here, especially since Mia has been waiting for the chance to beat her face in and she's very aware that I won't even hesitate to give her another pummelling. The fact I now know that she fucking assaulted Lucas as well doesn't help her case at all, it just increases my anger towards her by a gazillion.

My fists clench and unclench at my sides as I recall what Grace had informed me in her flurry of text messages. Maria had apparently showed up here with Angie -  Zak's girlfriend. Angie had unwillingly brought Maria after trying to persuade her not to come and had allegedly given up trying to come herself, so that Maria wouldn't either, but Maria that bitch had forced poor Angie to come anyways, so that she could invite herself and essentially fuck things up - like she always did.

God, I fucking hated her.

I enter the garden in a vexed daze, eyes scouring the vast perimeter in search of that fucking puta. My gaze lands on the group huddled a little distance away, Maria is stepped to the side, arms crossed across her chest looking quite smug for someone who is about to get screamed at - okay scratch that, is getting screamed at. My gaze switches to Mia and Grace who are standing a few meters away from her, Dylan holding the two of them back as they hurl very crude insults at my bitch cousin.

I cross the garden and head straight towards them but I've barely made it half way when Lucas grabs my arm, halting me.

He spins me around so that we're face to face.

"Stay here," he tells me, "I'm gonna have a word with her."

His jaw is clenched so tightly it looks like his teeth are gonna break and a dark expression clouds his features. Again, if we were not in this situation, I would have so been lusting over how hot he looks right now-

Jesus, get it together woman, you have a bitch to beat.

I shake my head. "No, you stay here, I'm gonna go talk to her."

Lucas narrows his eyes. "Fuck no you aren't, I don't want you anywhere near that bitch."

"I don't want you anywhere near that bitch," I glower at him in return. "I mostly want to speak to her, I'll try not to get fists involved because it really hurt my knuckles last time and I'm not really in the mood to get my dress dirty, but I may kick her if she pisses me off a lot."

"I don't know," Lucas rolls his bottom lip into his mouth. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't, I won't let her touch me." I assure him, levelling him with a look when he continues to gaze down at me warily.