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The hell I was. If she thought I was going to leave her in the house alone when Ben was an angry, violent drunk, she had another thing coming.
Ben pushed her aside, making my hackles rise.
“Stop treating me like a child. You’re a good mom, but you’re not my mom.”
What? What was he talking about? Beth’s breath caught as she looked at me.
Then, she reached for Ben taking his arm. “Come on, Ben. Now is not the time for this.”
But Ben, as drunk as he was, didn’t move. Instead, he shouted at me over her shoulder as she got in front of him again.
“You think you’re God’s gift to the world, don’t you? You think you can have anything you want, any woman you want, including my little sister.”
“She’s the only one I want,” I said, wishing he could see how sincere I was in my feelings for her.
“Just because you’re still rich and haven’t fucked up your father’s business, doesn’t mean you can help yourself to my sister.”
“Ben you’re not making sense,” I said. He sounded jealous. I supposed in his situation, I might feel envious, but I can’t imagine I’d blame him.
“I know you just want her to fulfill your dad’s crazy new rules,” Ben scoffed.
How the fuck did he know about that? “That’s not true.”
“New rules?” Beth said.
“Not that I could blame you. If a wife and kid fixed my problems, I’d get me a wife too. But it wouldn’t be your little sister, Ash. I’d never do that to you.”
“I don’t have a sister.”
Ben let out a roar. “You think you’re so funny. So perfect, don’t you? I’ll fix that.” He swung again, and I ducked, but I hadn’t calculated the physics of his swing to where Beth was. His fist landed on her shoulder, knocking her back. She cried out and gripped her shoulder.
It was true about anger putting your mind in a different state. I definitely saw red at Ben’s hurting Beth. Before he could react, I grabbed him and tossed him to the floor.
With my weight over his torso and my forearm over his neck, I seethed at him. “Calm the fuck down, Ben before I do it for you.”
Ben’s body at first fighting me, seemed to lose all steam. He let his head fall back and pressed the heels of his palms into his eye sockets. “What happened to us? We’d been so tight. You fucked that up.”
“I’m sorry you see it that way,” I said slowly releasing my grip on him. When it was clear he wasn’t planning on fighting anymore. I stood and went to Beth. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. But really, Ash, you should go.”
“Beth, I can’t leave you here with him like that.” I looked at Ben, who’d maneuvered himself up to a sit. His knees were up with his arms resting on them and his head down.
“He’s only like that because you’re here. He’s fine when it’s just us. Really. He won’t hurt me—”
“He hit you.”
“He was aiming for you. Really.” She took my arm and guided me to the door. “It will make my life infinitely easier if you go.”
I didn’t want to make her life harder. If Ben was all riled up because of me, then I’d go. “Okay. You win. But we need to talk.” I looked over at Ben. “All of us, when he’s sober, but if not him, then you and me.”
She nodded, but I felt like she was patronizing me just to get me out. “We’ll talk later.”
“I won’t be brushed off,” I said as she ushered me out the door. I reached in, hooking my hand around her neck and pulling her close. “This isn’t done.” Then I kissed her wanting to have our last second together one in which I was tasting her.
She shut the door behind me, leaving me on the stoop. What the fuck happened? I texted my driver, who indicated he was a block away. I listened to see if Ben and Beth were having it out, but it was quiet in the house. I guess she had it all under control.
I wasn’t sure what to think about Ben. I was pissed that he’d come at me, even though I knew I deserved it. But I was sick to see what he’d become. He was thin and gaunt. I could see remnants of him in his eyes, but everything else about him was gone. Ben had been the life of the party, even when there wasn’t booze. He was smart and capable, so what had happened?
As my car pulled up, I got in and told him to take me home, but as we got close, I told him to drive me to the office. It was after hours, but chances were good that my father was still there.
