✔︎ | Gold Digger

Chapter 22 - Joseph Alverez

Chapter 22 – Joseph Alverez

Jessie

"What do you mean, he hurt her?" Ryker asks when I walk into the kitchen, and a puzzled expression crosses my face. It's morning, and I just came downstairs after a shower to Tanisha and Grace pacing around the kitchen, Ryker leaning against the fridge wondering what they're muttering about. "Sebastian wouldn't hurt a girl. I swear."

"What?" I ask, walking up to Ryker and hugging him. "Who hurt who?"

Ryker sighs, looking at me. "Apparently Bella called Grace and told her that Sebastian started touching her but then she wouldn't have sex with him, so he got really angry and hit her. He was upset or something and now she's freaking out."

"Yeah," Grace says, "that's it exactly. He freaking hit the poor girl."

I gasp, smacking Ryker's shoulder. "What the hell! This is all your fault."

He leans back. "How is it my fault?"

I groan, and scream, "he's your fucking friend, Ryker! If it weren't for you, he wouldn't have been here. If you weren't here, he wouldn't have come."

"So you're saying that I'm not wanted here?" He asks, hurt to voice. I pretend not to notice it because I'm already in the front hallway, pulling on my coat. Ryker runs after me, but I run down the steps and in a random direction down the sidewalk. I don't hear Ryker running behind me, but soon, there's a car slowly pulling along. I roll my eyes and walk fast, avoiding Ryker peering through his open window. "Talk to me, Jessie."

"No!" I yell. "I brought Bella here. And your friend hurt her."

"Where are you going?"

"To Bella's."

Ryker sighs, and surprisingly I hear it over the car engine. "No, you're not," he mumbles, "We're going to go have a talk with Sebastian." I stop, abruptly, and so does his vehicle. "We need his side of the story too, whether you want to hear it or not."

"Fine," I groan after a few seconds of consideration. "I'll go with you. But I do not promise I won't hit him back for what he did."

"If he did it," Ryker reminds me as I get into the car, and the warmth pulls me in easily. I give him a face, like I'd believe Bella over my own...oh, God. I'm already thinking of Sebastian as a brother. He can't be. Can he? "I don't see why Bella would lie though."

"I guess we'll find out."

Ryker nods and we keep driving the rest of the way in silence. Soon we pull into a driveway, which leads us up to a big stone house. There are a few houses around Sebastian's, but not close enough for the neighbors to hear him scream when I hit him until he dies. Ryker seems to notice my thoughts turn violent, and begins saying something, but we've pulled up to the house, and by the time the words leave his gorgeous lips I'm already dashing across the frozen ground to the house.

"Sebastian!!" I yell angrily as I walk into the house, leaving the door wide open. I hear Ryker close it behind him, (he must have followed me in as quick as possible), as I rush into what looks like the living room. Sebastian is walking towards me his arms crossed, like he was expecting me. I throw myself toward him and swing my fist at his face and he almost topples over, but catches himself. His nose is dripping red goo and he brushes it away with the back of his hand.

I wince as pain shoots through my hand; my knuckles are bleeding. I swing again, but this time he blocks his face with his arms, and I get blood on his white long sleeve shirt. I don't know why I'm so angry. I don't know Bella very well. Maybe I was just hoping Sebastian was my brother, and now I'd be ashamed to call him that.