Against All Odds

Chapter Sixteen

My breath hitches, fear coursing inside me at the sight of Aaron towering over me. He has always been tall but seems even more so with his anger.

"You need to leave," I tell him, scooting as far away from him as I can while trapped on the couch.

"You need to stop thinking you can tell me what to do," he says. From anyone else, that sentence would sound like one a bratty teenager would make, but from him, it causes me to bite my tongue. I hate being like this, vulnerable and no way to get myself on even ground.

And it's too loud out in the café for anyone to hear me if I call for help. The jazz music playing and the constant sound of people conversing. Scooting closer to the edge of the couch, I watch with wary eyes as Aaron stalks closer to me, his dark eyes hard.

"What do you want?" I whisper, surprised that my voice doesn't tremble just as hard as my body is.

"For you to stop spouting those ludicrous accusations that I was slipping you suppressants. And for you to sign those divorce papers so that I can be done with you."

"You can't scare me into dropping those charges," I say, meeting his gaze head on. "You did give me those suppressants without me knowing. They were doing serious damage to my body, Aaron, and you didn't care."

His eyes narrow even more, "That never happened," he seethes. "And you need to stop playing investigator and let me out of your life. God, you're just as pathetic as ever, trying to be something that you aren't." He steps back, a twisted smile on his face as he shakes his head. "I let you chase after your fantasies, and look where it got me, an omega that can't even do what he was made to do."

"Look where it got you?" I ask, anger bubbling up inside me. Pushing myself up from the couch, I stand right in front of him. "You never wanted that from me! You never even mentioned children with me, so don't go using that excuse as to why you left. You were having an affair, Aaron! I saw you and her, you asshole, and you knocked her up. So don't go acting like you were a perfect alpha who just got dealt a bad hand. You could have gotten over yourself instead of being a conniving, manipulative asshole. So, get out!" I say, poking him harshly in the chest.

He looks like he is about to snap, but a knock comes from the door. Aaron turns to looks at it, and I use his distraction to grab my phone, quickly dialing my brother.

The person at the door peeks their head in, and I can see that it is David. His eyes are hard as they settle on Aaron, and he doesn't hesitate to step into the room, arms crossing over his chest. "Everything alright, Mr. Katz? Xania heard you arguing and called me over to come check it out." His eyes slide slowly up and down Aaron's body, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "Looks like she was right to call me."

"Thanks, David, but Aaron was just about to leave." Looking over at him, I raise a brow. "Weren't you?"

"Milo?" my brother answers, his voice tinny over the phone. "Are you okay?"

Aaron snarls at me, fists clenching before he forces himself out the door, shoulder checking David on his way out.

"I'll make sure that he leaves," David says before walking out of my office and closing the door behind him.

Letting out a shaky sigh, I collapse back down on the couch, my heart still pounding from that earlier encounter.

"Milo?" Nico says, voice sounding worried.

"I-I'm fine," I say, voice coming out much shakier than before.

"Tell me what happened," he says, voice sounding harsh, just as it always does when he is in overprotective big brother mode.