Too Hard to Break by Missy Jane Page A

here?”
    “What? No. No…”
    He sputtered for a few seconds and I thought maybe he would
just jump in his car and leave. But then he turned his ugly scowl my way and I
knew he was ready to fight.
    “That fucking bitch better not call the cops.”
    “Or what? What the hell could you possibly do to me that you
haven’t already done, huh? You gonna beat me up? You gonna bruise my face? Come
on, motherfucker. You think you’re so fucking tough? Come on!”
    I put up my fists and set my feet apart as if bracing to
fight. The shock on his face almost made me laugh. I’d only stood up to him
once and that had been the last time before I’d left. But the past few months
with Hank had been too wonderful, too hard-earned for me to let them go so
easily. I didn’t deserve to be hurt by this asshole and I knew that now. It was
time he realized it too.
    “You can’t be fucking serious. You can’t fight me, Elle.”
    “No? Why not? You seem to think it’s okay to hit me. Why the
fuck can’t I hit you back?”
    He took a step back and ran both hands through his hair,
frustration clear on his face. “It’s not like that anymore. I don’t want to do
this. I just…I just want to talk to you.”
    “Then talk, but it isn’t going to make a difference. I’m
never going back to you.”
    He dropped his arms and glared at me. “Because of that
asshole Hank.”
    “No. Because of me. Because I deserve better than you’ve
ever treated me. Because you killed any love I ever had for you and I don’t
even like you anymore. It’s over, Declan. Get over it and move on.”
    As understanding and acceptance seemed to show on his face a
police siren pierced the night air. I looked past him to the restaurant and
finally noticed there was a crowd mulling outside. We were at the back and
could only see the side of the building. All the excitement seemed to be at the
front.
    “But I still want you, Elle,” Declan whined. “I still need
you.”
    “For what? What could you possibly need me for when you
barely paid any attention to me in the first place?”
    He didn’t seem to notice the siren or the commotion
happening a few yards away. I decided to keep him talking and distracted.
    “I love you,” he said. “I know I lose control sometimes but
that’s ’cause you just know how to drive me crazy.”
    My attention snapped back to him at those words and I closed
the distance without even realizing it. I slapped him hard across the face. He
wasn’t expecting it and fell against his car.
    “Ow! What the fuck?”
    “That’s for lying about loving me, because if you did you
would never hurt me.”
    I moved in while he was still gaping and kicked him squarely
between the legs. He dropped to his knees with a high-pitched shriek.
    “And that is for blaming me ! It’s not my fault
you hit me, god damn it. It was never my fault.”
    I burst into tears and fell on him with the years of pain
and fear fueling my rage. I started hitting him on the back, head, legs,
wherever I could reach. I was still crying and possibly screaming. I lost
complete control until a pair of strong hands firmly grasped my shoulders and
pulled me off.
    “Here! They’re over here!”
    I turned into Hank’s embrace as he waved a police officer
over before tightening both arms around me.
    “Ma’am, are you all right?”
    I nodded with my face still buried against Hank’s chest and
he didn’t let go.
    “I think she’s all right,” he said. “I think he’s the one
that needs to be checked out.”
    I turned my head enough to peek at Declan, who was writhing
on the ground with his hands between his legs. There was blood on his face and
his shirt was ripped. I had no memory of how that happened.
    “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you now. It’s okay,” Hank
whispered.
    It took a moment to realize he was trembling and I wasn’t.
As the officer checked on Declan while reading his Miranda rights, a huge
weight lifted from my shoulders.
    “I did it,” I