Cigarette Burns
Chapter Twenty-Two
"What did you just say?" Tony sneered, tightening his grasp on my neck. I took in a sharp breath and Matt's eyes softened for a moment as they shot to my distressed look.
"You know what?" Matt began, "why don't you handle this like a fucking man."
Tony stared at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
Matt rolled his eyes, "leave Riley out of this," he looked at me for a moment, "and fight me, tough guy."
Once again, I felt Tony tense beneath my back. I looked at Matt with hopeful yet petrified eyes. I knew he has beaten Tony so many times before, but what if this time, Tony came out on the top instead?
I shivered; I didn't want to think about that. All I wanted was to be in Matt's arms, sitting on a couch in Brian's beach house with the boys and Rhi surrounded around me. I wanted to be able to go swimming in the ocean, have barbeques and drink beer when I wanted to. I wanted to be able to lie in the sun and not be afraid of what people would think when they noticed that I was partially black, green and blue.
I was brought out of my thoughts by my body being flown into a wall. I hissed in pain as my face connected with the eggshell painted wall. I fell to the ground in a heap, a sharp pain throbbing in the palms of my hands. I felt two hands on my biceps pull me up gently. I relaxed when I realized it was only Matt. He walked me towards the front where the door was and sat me down on the stairs, so there was no way Tony could hurt me for the next few minutes.
Matt kissed me on the forehead and stood up straight. He squared his shoulders and glared at Tony. He took a step forward and sneered, "come on fucker, try to hit me like you hit her."
I watched as Tony flinched, then tried to cover it up with a scowl. He tried to level himself out next to Matt. There was no competition seeing them standing next to one another, but Tony had one hell of a throw. Matt was a tank, though it still frightened me that in the end it could be Matt in a heap piled on the floor. Much like I had experienced so many times before.
Tony threw the first punch, but Matt saw it coming and ducked out of the way, throwing his own fist into Tony's diaphragm. Tony hissed in pain and threw another punch, clipping Matt's shoulder- he just threw back another punch hitting Tony in his left bicep, unfazed.
I sat on the steps and hugged my knees to my chest. There were so many bad things that could happen. Matt could get hit the wrong way or in the wrong place and that could be the end of things... for the both of us.
"FUCK!" I looked up in time to see Matt pulling his fist back from Tony's face. Tony took a few staggered steps back as he kept a hold on his left cheekbone. Matt kept his ground and took a few deep breaths and shot me a quick glance. When he looked back Tony was removing his hand from his face, taking long strides towards him. Matt steadied himself, ready for anything. Tony grabbed a beer bottle right off the table beside the couch and went to hit Matt in the head, but Matt was too quick.
Matt raised his arm in the air and Tony ended up breaking the beer bottle over Matt's forearm. Matt growled and grabbed Tony's wrist and twisted it. Tony hissed in pain and punched Matt in the stomach with his free fist. Matt removed his hand from around Tony's wrist and pushed him away with his hands and right foot, sending Tony's body flying across the living room towards the kitchen.
Tony made his way back into the living room moments later, an evil smirk set upon his busted up face. Matt glared at him harder, if it was even possible. I sucked in a deep breath and jumped to my feet, running towards Matt. He went to turn to me but I stopped him, screaming, "MATT HE HAS A KNIFE!"
"You know what?" Matt began, "why don't you handle this like a fucking man."
Tony stared at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
Matt rolled his eyes, "leave Riley out of this," he looked at me for a moment, "and fight me, tough guy."
Once again, I felt Tony tense beneath my back. I looked at Matt with hopeful yet petrified eyes. I knew he has beaten Tony so many times before, but what if this time, Tony came out on the top instead?
I shivered; I didn't want to think about that. All I wanted was to be in Matt's arms, sitting on a couch in Brian's beach house with the boys and Rhi surrounded around me. I wanted to be able to go swimming in the ocean, have barbeques and drink beer when I wanted to. I wanted to be able to lie in the sun and not be afraid of what people would think when they noticed that I was partially black, green and blue.
I was brought out of my thoughts by my body being flown into a wall. I hissed in pain as my face connected with the eggshell painted wall. I fell to the ground in a heap, a sharp pain throbbing in the palms of my hands. I felt two hands on my biceps pull me up gently. I relaxed when I realized it was only Matt. He walked me towards the front where the door was and sat me down on the stairs, so there was no way Tony could hurt me for the next few minutes.
Matt kissed me on the forehead and stood up straight. He squared his shoulders and glared at Tony. He took a step forward and sneered, "come on fucker, try to hit me like you hit her."
I watched as Tony flinched, then tried to cover it up with a scowl. He tried to level himself out next to Matt. There was no competition seeing them standing next to one another, but Tony had one hell of a throw. Matt was a tank, though it still frightened me that in the end it could be Matt in a heap piled on the floor. Much like I had experienced so many times before.
Tony threw the first punch, but Matt saw it coming and ducked out of the way, throwing his own fist into Tony's diaphragm. Tony hissed in pain and threw another punch, clipping Matt's shoulder- he just threw back another punch hitting Tony in his left bicep, unfazed.
I sat on the steps and hugged my knees to my chest. There were so many bad things that could happen. Matt could get hit the wrong way or in the wrong place and that could be the end of things... for the both of us.
"FUCK!" I looked up in time to see Matt pulling his fist back from Tony's face. Tony took a few staggered steps back as he kept a hold on his left cheekbone. Matt kept his ground and took a few deep breaths and shot me a quick glance. When he looked back Tony was removing his hand from his face, taking long strides towards him. Matt steadied himself, ready for anything. Tony grabbed a beer bottle right off the table beside the couch and went to hit Matt in the head, but Matt was too quick.
Matt raised his arm in the air and Tony ended up breaking the beer bottle over Matt's forearm. Matt growled and grabbed Tony's wrist and twisted it. Tony hissed in pain and punched Matt in the stomach with his free fist. Matt removed his hand from around Tony's wrist and pushed him away with his hands and right foot, sending Tony's body flying across the living room towards the kitchen.
Tony made his way back into the living room moments later, an evil smirk set upon his busted up face. Matt glared at him harder, if it was even possible. I sucked in a deep breath and jumped to my feet, running towards Matt. He went to turn to me but I stopped him, screaming, "MATT HE HAS A KNIFE!"