Free A Flawed Heart by April Emerson

these girls are
interested.”
    His head wobbles as he turns to look at me. “Why don’t you
mind your business, you little shit?”
    I step toward him, my face an inch from his. “Why don’t you
go back to the bar and let these ladies be, before I fucking make you, fucker?”
    He cocks his fist back and swings at me. I step out of the
way, avoiding the weak blow. I spin around, swing my fist up, and catch him in
the gut. He bends down in pain, but jerks his elbow backward and bashes it into
my right eye. I stumble back and swing my cue stick, hitting him hard in the
back. He slumps forward and crashes into a table. I launch myself at him,
adrenaline pumping. I want to draw blood. I want to smash his fucking face.
    Before I can get to him, my neck is ensnared in Ben’s
forearm. “Chill out, Jay. He’s wasted. Let’s just get
him outta here.”
    Alexa approaches brandishing a baseball bat at the drunk. “Get
the hell outta my place. I’m not gonna have you terrrorizin ’ these kids. Go home and sleep it off.”
    The prick gets up, mutters something unintelligible, and
staggers to the door.
    “Jason, honey, you’re bleedin ’.
Come here so I can fix ya up.” Alexa motions for me
to step behind the bar.
    “I’m fine.”
    Ben releases me. I touch my fingers to my eye. It’s sore and
I feel the blood oozing out of a cut on my eyebrow.
    “You’re gonna have a shiner, dude,”
Ben says.
    He hands me my drink and I press the cold beer to my eye.
One of the girls approaches me like a little bunny rabbit. “Um, that was really
nice of you. Thanks for getting rid of that jerk. Is there any way we can repay
you?”
    “No. It’s nothing. Don’t mention it.”
    “All right, well, let us know.” She walks away swaying her
hips and her friends giggle upon her return.
    Alana comes back from the bathroom. “What the hell happened?
I left for two seconds and all hell broke loose.”
    “Jason, being the gentleman that he is, defended those
little ladies over there.”
    “All right, well, finish your drinks and let’s get going. I’m
not in the mood for any more drama,” she says, shaking her head.
    I slam my beer back in two gulps and head to the bathroom to
look at my eye. It’s swollen and there’s a dark bruise forming just underneath.
The cut on the eyebrow is deep, but it stopped bleeding, so I won’t need
stitches. There’s blood on my white shirt. I push through the bathroom door,
take out my cigarettes, and place one between my lips. I leave it unlit and
walk to the front where Ben and Alana are waiting.
    “All right. I’m driving. Let’s go
to Pen.”

 
 
 
    Chapter Five

 
 
    ~Claire~

 
    “I’m really sorry.” Kat covers her face and apologizes
profusely after walking in on Jason and me making out.
    My head is spinning. “It’s fine. Really,
Kat.”
    “So, are you guys together, or are you just hooking up? Do
you not want to talk about it? Does Lydia know?”
    “Lydia told me to lay off. I don’t
know what’s going on. I mean, I like him. I don’t know. I just met him, but I
think about him constantly. He’s just…” I shake my head. I can barely form a
sentence after kissing and touching him.
    I lie back on my bed and drape my forearm over my eyes,
trying to come down from this high. He
said he wanted me. Jason wants me. I’m dizzy just thinking
about it. Just kissing him sent me into a frenzy . I
can’t imagine what it would be like if we ever move further. Lydia is going to
freak. I’m really messing this up. I sit up and force the thought out of my
head.
    Kat goes into Lydia’s room to get changed and I check my
phone. No calls. No texts. Kat
tries on absolutely everything in Lydia’s closet. After a half hour, she emerges
in a torn Led Zepplin tour shirt and jean shorts.
    “Come into the kitchen. I’m making us dinner.”
    Kat reveals a little more about her past to me as she cooks.
She’s from a small town in Pennsylvania and has always had an