I Saw You by Elena M. Reyes

should’ve been more concerned with Ashley’s well-being, but it couldn’t be stopped. It throbbed—pulsed behind the button of my jeans.
    “Let me go, you stupid bitch.” Stupefied. Immobile, I watched while my best friend struggled against her hold, fingers clawing at her arms to no avail.
    “Get her out before I do something that will permanently mark her over-made face.” With each word that escaped Ari’s lips, her hold on Ashley’s hair tightened. She shook her around like a rag doll.
    Tiny or not, she was mopping the floor with her.
    “What the fuck,” Tex yelled out as he came to see what all the commotion was about, followed close by the other two. This snapped me out of my Ari-induced fog, and I sprang into action. With my fingers, I pried Ash’s hair out of the death grip Slim held it in.
    “Baby, help,” Ashley begged, mascara-coated tears running down her face.
    “Arianna,” I snarled out, pissed at this unfortunate turn of events.
    “Fuck you both.” Without another word, she pushed her away. Let her go as one would shoo a fly. “There you go, Cheesy. All yours.” A shake of her head, and then she crossed her arms over her chest. “Now, get out.”
    Ashley scrambled to her feet and wound her arms tightly around my neck. The woman was a crying, hysterical mess. Tex, Cris, and Rick stood back, eyes wide and not knowing what to do, much less say. It wouldn’t stay that way for long. This was a fucking disaster…an embarrassment.
    Instinctually, I began to rub my hand up and down Ashley’s back in a comforting manner. While she was the pain in the ass that started this shit, the girl was still my friend. Like family.
    Arianna watched for a minute and laughed quietly to herself. “You two deserve each other.”
    “Glad you agree.” In my arms, Ashley sniffed and turned her head just enough to glare at Slim. “Hope you think this was worth the lawsuit coming your way.”
    “Really? You think that scares me?”
    “He’ll take you down for this. They all will.”
    “Ashley, for fuck’s sake, shut it,” Tex snapped, having had enough. “I know you—everyone here does, and the mouth you have on you.” Shaking his head, he let out a loud exhale through his nose. “Bet money you provoked until she,” he said, finger pointing at Slim, “reacted.”
    “Tex, stop,” I warned and pushed a crying Ashley toward a too-quiet Cris. “No one here is suing or threatening—”
    “But she—”
    “Stop, Ash.” Harsh, my tone left no room for negotiation. Pointing a finger at her, I unleashed a bit of the fury I held inside. “You were both in the wrong and will apologize.” Arianna scoffed, and Ashley gaped. “You were out of line, and Arianna…” I turned to look at the irate beauty “… you shouldn’t have put your hands on her.”
    “I will not apologize to the skank.” Ashley cried out, undignified, arms crossed over her chest in defiance.
    “Enough of this bullshit.” Arianna’s voice rose, causing the people closest to us to flinch. “Get her the hell out of my club.”
    “Tex, Cris,” I said without turning to look in either of their directions, my eyes now focused solely on Slim. “Please send her back to the hotel in a cab.”
    “Baby.” At my failure to acknowledge her call, Ashley huffed. “I’ll be in our room waiting. Don’t be too long.”
    She’s acting like a jealous girlfriend. They both are. One thrilled me, while the other was worrisome. I’d deal with the latter when I returned.
    There had to be a way to save things with Arianna. I refused to believe otherwise.
    Once gone, I walked over to Arianna and tried to pull her toward a group of empty chairs nearby. She was having none of it.
    “Don’t touch me.” Smacking my hands away, she glared me down with contempt. At the action, my chest felt tight once more. Was I having a heart attack? Fuck, I was too young for that shit. “You have some nerve, Mr. Greene. Coming here and trying to