Twisted Hate: An Enemies with Benefits Romance

bad influence, like I wasn’t good enough for him or his friends.
Sharp. Judgmental. Self-righteous.
An angry flush scalded my face.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” The front door clicked open while a
hard, defensive note crept into my voice.
“It means you act all tough and unbothered when it’s just that. An act.”
Josh took a step toward me. A tiny one, just enough for the tips of his shoes
to kiss mine. The point of contact acted as a channel for his anger, which
funneled into me and stoked the embers of indignation burning in my
stomach.
“I wouldn’t care, except your recklessness doesn’t affect just you. It also
affects the people around you. But you never thought about that, did you?”
Dull red burned on his cheekbones. “You only think about yourself. I don’t
know what the fuck happened in your past, but it doesn’t take a genius to
figure you out. You’re a scared little girl who chases highs to run from your
demons, never caring about the destruction you leave in your wake. Classic
fucking Jules Ambrose.”
Deep, bone-rattling hurt stole the breath from my lungs and stung my
eyes.
Any camaraderie Josh and I developed over the past few weeks
evaporated, incinerated into ash by the firestorm of emotions whipping
around us.
It wasn’t just about tonight, and it wasn’t just about us. It was about the

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past seven years—every insult, every sneer, every argument and frustration in
our lives, even if it had nothing to do with the other. It all boiled over until a
crimson haze passed before my eyes and the only thing I could focus on was
how angry I was.
Instead of trying to calm down, I reveled in it.
Anger was good. Anger prevented me from dwelling on the truth behind
his statement, and anger coated my words with venom when I spoke again.
“You’re one to talk.” I tilted my chin up, my eyes searing into his endless
midnight ones. “Josh Chen, the golden boy. The adrenaline junkie. You want
to talk about chasing highs? How about you putting your life on the line
every time you pursue some stupidly reckless new activity even though
you’re Ava’s only family left? How about the fucking moral high horse you
ride around on because you’re a doctor and everything you do is for the
supposed greater good?”
My nails dug tiny crescents in my palms. “You’re the one who can’t let
go of shit that happened years ago. He lied to me, he betrayed me.” I
mimicked his voice. “Tough shit. That’s the way the world works. You
survive and get over it, or you get stuck in your own martyrdom. You say I
hide behind my act? I say you hold onto your grudge because that’s all you
have left to hold onto. It’s the only thing keeping you alive, and you don’t
give a damn if it hurts the people you supposedly love.”
It was a low blow to match a low blow until we were both in hell, caught
in the culmination of years of animosity and words we would’ve never
uttered to anyone except each other. Lies stripped away, truths uncovered
only to be disguised as insults.