Like a Fool

"Who do you think you are bossing her around like that?" Matt's temper was rising, and if Adam kept this course no good could come out of it.

"I'm her fucking boyfriend." Adam shouted.

"Last time I check boyfriend didn't mean master! You can't just forbid her from seeing me."

"I'm not forbidding anyone, I'm saying that Cain," Surprisingly enough he actually turned to me at this point "if you want to keep our relationship, you'll tell Matthew to keep it in his pants."

"Why do I have to choose sides?!" I was pacing the room glaring between the two of them "All I wanted to do today was pack up with my boyfriend and best friend. Is that too much to ask? Adam you come in here, guns blazing, and start to argue. And I'm sorry, I really like you but there is no way that this is going to work if you think, for one second, that I'll allow you to treat me like your property."

"Cain you're so naive. You don't realize that Matt doesn't just want to be 'best friends'. That's why I don't want you to be around him! It's for your own good, not because I think you're my property!"

"So now you don't trust me?!" He better start back-pedaling, and fast.

"Don't you start twisting my words!" He stalked forward to me now. I backed up as quickly as I could but my knees hit the bed. "I don't trust him. You're too trusting! You'll keep going on as though nothing's happened but one night you'll be alone and bam! He makes a move and you come crying to me!"

His rant was something to behold. His rapid breathing made our chests brush, his eyes were alight with the kind of fire that wasn't beautiful or passionate, but frighting. He stared down at me like a predator, and I refused to be his pray.

"You just think I'm some silly little girl you can play house with? 'Come crying to you'?! Please! Don't flatter yourself! And Matt would never do such a thing, he has morals."

"Adam-" Matt started to speak but I cut him off.

"Matt just stay out of this for a second." I'm sick and tired of people thinking I'm ignorant or naive, or immature! I may not be an adult but I can sure as hell defend and look out for myself!

"I don't care what you've heard Cain, but guys may seem polite and genuine but when they don't get what they want they turn brutal."

"Oh you mean like right now? I won't listen to you about Matt and so you're standing there trying to intimidate me!"

"Open your eyes babe! I'm helping you!" He threw his arms up in exasperation "You refuse to listen to reason. All I've done is look out for you and this is how you repay me?" He backed me up even farther. "Why can't you listen to me for once?!" His already loud voice rose to a shout.

Remember when I said that I hated guys with tempers? Yeah, Matt was right, Adam certainly had one hell of a temper.

"Adam, back up." I said in a quite voice. I was on the verge of tears but of course he didn't see that.

"Stop pushing me away Cain! I've been nothing but supportive to you!"

"Adam you're scaring me!" My voice shook as I blinked away the moisture building in my eyes.

"You ungrateful little-"

Matt broke in and tore him away from me "You finish that sentence and you'll be eating out of a tube for the rest of your life." He growled darkly. "How dare you try that crap with her! She's not one of the guys that can take that shit! You don't know her at all do you? She hates guys like you, you think you're all sweet and sensitive but when she tries to defy you, you blow a gasket.

"You can pull that shit with me, but not with Cain. What kind of man does that?"

"Stay out of this Sanders! You caused all this."

"No you did. So why don't you scurry along? Cain's done with you."

"I think she can speak for herself." He spat.

"Oh really? Is that what you were just telling her? Or were you saying to stay away from me because I would take advantage of her? And that she was just a naive little girl that needed you?" Matt's fist still had a strong grip on the front of his shirt and he was slowly pushing him towards the door.

But he kept his words at normal speaking level trying not to scare me anymore. Had I not been in the room he wouldn't be talking, he'd be mutilating.

"Well Cain? Are you done with me like little Mattie-poo says? I mean, he says 'jump' and you say 'how high?' right?"

The tears disappeared "Go fuck yourself. I'm more than done with your clingy, fake concern bullshit! You don't control me and neither does Matt, but he sure as hell got it right."

"Get your hands off me." He shoved Matt away, but when Matt glanced over to me he knew retaliating wouldn't be a good idea. "Have fun with your new fuck buddy Sanders." And he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

As soon as that door was shut, the tears sprang loose. How could something like that escalate so quickly? And how could I not have seen that kind of obsessive and controlling personality in the beginning?

"Cain, I'm sorry it happened like this." Matt quickly wrapped me up in a hug.

For what felt like hours we just stood together. Me crying and Matt rocking us back and forth, whispering words of comfort.

That's what I loved about Matt. He can keep control of his temper when I'm around so he doesn't scare me, he can get rid of a guy that is dangerously volatile, and the next minute comfort me while I dissolve into hysterics.

My last few sobs came to a hiccuping stop and I looked up into the hazel eyes that made everything alright. "You okay Candy Cain?"

I hesitated for a moment, I had no idea how to say this "You were right." I croaked "He has a temper. I'm sorry I didn't listen, and I'm sorry you had to deal with that."

He chuckled "I think we're about even. Lexi turned out to be a possessive bitch, I should have listened to you in the first place."

"I really don't understand how most of my relationships only last two weeks at the most." I muttered, resting my forehead on his chest.

"That's okay, so do mine." He said, and although I couldn't see his face I knew he had a huge grin spreading.

"I'm not going to comment. Although you are such a man-whore." I laughed softly. I always prefer to 'laugh softly' to 'giggled' it sounds so much less bimbo-ish.

"Ah but alas, I have seen the error of my ways!"

"Bullshit!" I looked up into his eyes "The day you stop being a man-whore is the day I'm elected Speaker of the House."

"You know, that's what I love about you. You call me out on my crap and when most people say 'Queen of England' or 'President' you say something completely random and obscure."

"The Speaker of the House is hardly obscure." I scoffed.

"Maybe to you its not." He muttered. "But on to a more serious topic. Do you want to talk about what the hell just happened?"

"Just one part. What was all that 'she's not like one of the guys who can take that shit'?"

"Out of that whole incident the only thing you have a question on is that?" He rolled his eyes but I merely nodded "Fine, there's this code among us strapping men." He puffed out his chest comically "You can try and be intimidating and all that stuff to another guy, but pulling it on a girl is tant-amount to abuse."

"What do you mean?"

"The only guys that trap a girl against something while yelling at them, or arguing, or anything really are the guys that will hit you. It's just not right. Me and the guys will rough-house with you all the time but we never go full strength, it wouldn't be right and you could seriously get hurt."

"Well except for Johnny, right?" I said, trying to make light of the situation. It was rare to see Matt this grave.

"Cain, I'm serious. Even a guy like short shit possesses a lot of power. You need to be on your guard."

"Aww, you were worried. Weren't you?" I asked poking his stomach.

"Yeah I was worried! He's a lunatic! You have no idea how glad I am that you got rid of him."

"Wow Mattie, I've never seen you this concerned before." I teased him.

"Yeah well I've never seen you in that kind of danger before. I was ready to tear that guy limb from limb. And he's lucky I didn't." When I looked into his eyes I saw genuine worry and fear for my safety.

"Don't worry Matt, I know that as long as you're here, nothing will happen to me." I hugged him as hard as I could. I think this may have effected him more than me. Which is surprising to say the least.

He didn't say anything for a while, he just stood there hugging me back as though his life depended on it.