Acceptance | ✓

Chapter 23

[ETHAN]

I hurried out of the car at the sound of the second loud scream. I had thought I'd been imagining things at first, but it sounded like Andrew — it sounded like him a lot.

I'd parked the car a street or two away from the cabin. I knew I should have been heading to class but the curiosity to find out what Andrew's birthday surprise to me was had been too tempting so I'd caved in. I'd been planning to just follow the cab I saw him in into town, but the cab with him inside never passed. I had started to think I might have missed him just before I heard the first loud scream echo through the neighborhood. I'd waited in the car for another five to ten minutes just to make sure I wasn't imagining things, and sure enough, I heard it again.

My brain went on haywire at the thought of Andrew being in trouble, at the thought of someone hurting the man I loved.

I wasn't prepared for what I saw when I finally got to the cabin. It killed me inside — I wanted to kill the bastard that was laying his hands on Andrew.

"Who on earth do you think you are?!" I yelled as I approached the suited figure that was looming over Andrew's curled-up body on the floor.

The person looked up, giving me a twisted smile clearly proof that he doubted my capabilities.

"Oh, isn't it lover boy?" he chuckled, straightening up from his bending position. He was a little taller and more built than me, but that didn't faze me. Hell, I could take on the devil himself if he dared touch, Andrew.

Andrew...

I let my gaze drift to Andrew's unmoving body in worry before looking back up at his attacker. The crease of my brows deepened at the realization that I could put a name on the face, and that name alone gave me enough reason to tear his guts out.

"Why don't you just run along? I'm just teaching him a lesson; I don't want to harm you in the process..." He trailed with a side smile before turning his attention back to Andrew.

"Get away from him!" I ordered, pulling him roughly by the shoulder. He stumbled backward before turning to give me a threatening glare. I ignored him, looking over at Andrew as worry gripped at my gut. He hadn't moved or made a sound since I got here.

"Andrew..." I trailed, trying to keep an eye on him and on the cold-hearted bastard that was trying to deliver blows at me while I was not paying attention.

"E—Ethan..." I heard Andrew say in a small low voice before he began to cough violently.

"Thank goodness," I sighed in relief, running a hand through my hair as I sidestepped from another failed blow from Christopher.

"As if you care," Christopher mocked with a scuff as he tried to swing at my head from behind. I staggered to the left, dodging the blow before backing up before delivering a punch that sent him to the ground.

I got on my knees quickly, pinning him down with my leg before he could scramble away.

I looked down at his pathetic figure. He was so weak. I couldn't believe he was the one who'd been terrorizing Andrew throughout these years. I gave his neck a suffocating squeeze before he could carry out his obvious plan of throwing me underneath him.

"I've lived in slums and trailer parks for a good sum of my life to know how to fight. Stop attempting to get away, you're predictable," I said, giving him a bored look as he inhaled deeply, anger clear in his figures. His hands were trying to pry my hand from his neck. I could feel the sting of fresh blood meeting air as his nails scraped the skin of my hand. But that was all it was — a sting. I couldn't dwell on the pain he was causing me. He'd hurt Andrew, and I wanted him to know what it felt like to be defenseless.