Need Me (Broke and Beautiful #2)(39)

Elmer puffed out his chest. “How do you plan to do that, bro?”

Ben sent her a look. “Johnny Jerk Off and now this guy. I’m starting to think you have a type, Honey, of which I don’t fall within the boundaries.”

“Who do you think you are, Ben?” Her eyes flashed, and God, he just needed to get right up in front of her and look into them until they calmed. Which wouldn’t be any time soon. “You think you can just walk in here and start giving orders? Maybe you forgot how things ended.”

“No.” He stepped closer because he couldn’t help it. She was right there. “No, I didn’t forget. It’s all I can think about. And I’m getting to that part. Honey?”

“What?”

“His hands are still on you.”

Right before his eyes, her temper flared hotter, like a glowing coal from a campfire. Behind her, two girls stood staring at him with their jaws dropped down to their ankles. The beer crusher’s head was swiveling back and forth, obviously confused by the scene playing out in front of him. “Who the hell is this guy, Honey?”

All right, he was done answering questions. Ben took off his glasses and shoved them in his back pocket. “I’m the guy who just flew to Lexington and took three buses to get her back. I’m the guy who would have flown or ridden anywhere to get her back. I’m hungover, missing this girl, and now I’m pissed off on top of it. So you want to go outside and be the person I take out my frustration on? Let’s go.”

Honey’s jaw joined the other girls’ on the floor, but it snapped shut when Elmer tried to go for him. Ben was ready for it, though. He’d always considered himself a pacifist, but at that moment, he wanted to hit something so bad his fists were already clenched and looking for a target. For too long, he’d kept everything contained inside him. Anger over the past had festered and ruined what Honey had tried to give him, and he was mad. Mad at himself. His preconceived notions. The blood in his veins heated with the need to release all the pent-up emotions.

“No.” Honey stepped between him and beer can crusher, finally succeeding in dislodging his arm from around her shoulders, but now her hands were on the guy’s chest, holding him back. “Elmer, please. No fighting. I-I know him.” She cast a look at Ben over her shoulder. “Go outside and wait for me. I’ll be right out.”

“Not moving an inch without you.”

Elmer’s laugh was incredulous. “I can’t believe this guy.”

“Yeah? Me either,” Honey said. “But he won’t hurt me. We’re just going to talk.”

That comment sent Ben spiraling back to reality. The here and now. For the first time, he noticed the entire bar had gone deathly silent, no one moving, all their attention centered on the drama unfolding. These people didn’t know him from Adam, and his behavior since walking in the door hadn’t exactly inspired confidence. Had he actually given them cause to be concerned for Honey’s safety around him? Jesus Christ.

Ben held up his hands. “I’m sorry. Let me start over.” He waited until Honey looked at him. “I’m guessing everyone here knows Honey pretty well, considering this town has one cab driver that knew exactly where to take me from the bus station to find her. So you know she’s worth fighting for. I didn’t come here to employ the literal usage of that word, but—”

“Who talks like that?” Elmer muttered.

“An English professor,” Honey mouthed silently, eyes still shooting sparks at him.

“—but you can blame Honey for that. She makes me do crazy things.”

Okay, that might not have been the best thing to say. Even if, in a roundabout way, it was true. Since meeting her, every single thing he’d done had been out of character. He’d deep-sixed his rule book and started acting on instincts he hadn’t even been aware of. Ones he didn’t appear to have any control over, if his entrance was any indication.

Honey really didn’t seem sympathetic to his predicament, however, as she rounded on him. At least she was finally facing him, no part of her touching Elmer, accomplishing a short-term, yet incredibly important, goal. “I don’t give a rat’s behind if you’re hungover or flew all this way to see me. No one asked you to come here, and I don’t owe you one minute of my time.”

“I know,” he said. “Give it to me anyway, please.”

For one brief, terrifying moment, he thought she’d say no. He really did. If she had, he would have come back and tried again tomorrow. But going another whole night without repairing even a fraction of the damage would have been unbearable. He needed to be with her. Talk to her. Now.

“Did you really come here to fight for me?”

She’d whispered the question, so he answered in kind. “You’re still in doubt after I called out every nightclub’s dream bouncer?” When she didn’t so much as smile, he figured serious was the way to go. “Yes. I’m here to fight. I’m bringing you back to New York with me.”

For long moments, she just stared at him thoughtfully. Just when he was sure he couldn’t take any more suspense, she skirted past him and headed for the exit. “I’ll tell you one thing, Ben Dawson,” she called over her shoulder. “You’ve got your work cut out for you.”