Chapter 33

All of the air rushes out of my lungs at the sound of his voice. Even from across the room– though it is an admittedly small space– I can smell the mixture of Andrew’s cologne and cigarettes, and my stomach churns. It is crazy that the things that once felt like home to me– his presence, his scent, his stupid nickname for me, the sound of his voice– now make me physically ill. Even my throat feels tighter, as if it instinctively remembers the damage he once caused it.

I swallow hard, trying to loosen the tightness in my throat, my mind scrambling to find words. I know better than to let myself look weak in front of Andrew. He has always had a knack for spotting weakness and taking advantage of it, hitting me where it hurts most. I can’t give him that power, especially now. I pull in a deep breath, forcing my lungs to fill, trying to steady myself. Once I have a better hold of myself, I sidestep and move out from behind Caleb’s wide back, and into Andrew’s view.

His icy blue-gray eyes lock onto me immediately, and a cocky smile spreads across his face. I hate it. I hate his smug expression, and his hooked nose, and his buzzed hair. I hate the fear that is coursing through my veins just because he exists. This motherfucker controlled my life for far too long, and I loathe him for it.

“How did you get in here?” My voice is flat, expressionless, the exact opposite of the raging storm inside of me. I silently congratulate myself on successfully containing my inner turmoil.

His eyes drift from me to Caleb, and he says, “So is this the guy you’ve been whoring around with, then?” Of course he completely ignores my question, because heaven forbid he not have full control of the conversation. The sound of his voice is so familiar and so foreign to me all at once. I have known him for years, we lived together for years. I would recognize his voice in my sleep. This is the first time I have ever noticed his slight accent, though, most likely thanks to living in the northern states for the last little while. It is a little jarring, and a part of me wonders if that’s what I sound like to all of my friends and coworkers here.

Caleb’s spine straightens, and from the corner of my eye I can see his jaw tighten. It takes me a moment to realize that Andrew’s words have pissed him off. Andrew has accused me of *whoring around* so many times that his hateful words didn’t even land with me.

Caleb, on the other hand…

“I would advise against speaking to her like that if you want to leave this place in one piece.” His voice is low and deadly serious, and a slight shiver runs down my spine.

Andrew’s icy gaze shifts fully to Caleb at the blatant threat, his head tilting curiously. He takes a single step forward, and something about the way he moves is odd, predatory. It sets off little alarm bells in my mind, though I couldn’t articulate why even if I wanted to. I can’t fight the urge to shift his attention back to me, though, and away from Caleb.

“What do you want, Andrew?” I might regret it, but I purposely use a strong, abrasive tone that I know will set him off. I don’t mind dealing with the consequences, though, as long as he is pissed at me and not thinking about Caleb. I can handle it. Although, I do hope there won’t be too much to handle, since there is another person here to witness it.

Andrew tenses at my tone, and for a moment I worry that maybe he won’t give a shit that there is someone else here to witness the monster that he can turn into, but then he stops himself. He takes a deep breath, as he brushes his hand over his chin, clearly trying to choose his next words carefully.

“I want you to come back home, Cami.” His voice is sickeningly sweet and gentle, and so fake it makes me want to scream. “We were so good together. I have missed you every day. I’m a different man now. Please. Come home.”

“She’s not going anywhere with you,” Caleb spits. The venom in his tone shocks me. It is as though he is personally offended at the thought of me going anywhere with Andrew. Sure, we have been getting closer with one another, and, sure, his tongue was between my legs several hours ago, but he still barely knows me. His reaction seems… *strong*.

I don’t want to look away from Andrew for even a moment, because he is unpredictable and I don’t trust him any further than I can throw him, but I can’t stop my eyes from flicking over to Caleb for a split second. The expression on his face is unreadable, but his fists are clenched as though he is ready to throw down at any moment. He shifts a step closer to me protectively, narrowing the space between us.

My eyes find Andrew again. His brows are furrowed, and a frown weighs down the corners of his mouth. His eyes dart back and forth between Caleb and I, until understanding lights his eyes, replacing the confusion that was there just moments before. A sharp laugh bursts out of him, but he is *clearly* not amused. “You are fucking kidding me. You are–”

“Enough,” Caleb hisses.

“You think you can just waltz in and take what is *mine*?” Andrew’s voice comes out in a growl. “After I have spent years putting up with the whiny bitch? You are out of your goddamn mind. She is *mine* and she is coming with me whether she wants to or not. I don’t give a fuck whether you’re ma–”

Before I even see him move, Caleb is across the room, his fist connecting with Andrew’s jaw. The *crack* of the punch lets me know there was some serious power behind it.

Andrew’s face flies to the side with the impact, but he doesn’t stay that way for long. He straightens up, wiping the blood off of his bottom lip, and gives a humorless chuckle. Disdain is clear on his face, although I’m not sure whether it is for Caleb, for me, or both.

Caleb tenses then, his entire body stilling. He doesn’t turn to face me as he says, “Bree. I need you to get out of this apartment. Right now. Please trust me. Get back to the car, as fast as you can.”

I open my mouth– to argue, to question– I am not sure. But then an animalistic growl tears through the room, and I spin to find a wolf– *a huge fucking wolf*– standing where Andrew was just moments ago.

“*Run, Bree*!” Caleb’s panicked voice reaches me, and my mind goes blank. I turn and run, as the wolf leaps towards him.