Chapter 6 Defend

[Lilah’s POV]

“What?”

I cross my arms as the woman who was clearly trying to make Collin feel bad looks to me in confusion.

Annoying.

It’s the only word that comes to mind as I realize that I inserted myself in something unpleasant, but I couldn’t help myself.

I only came back because I forgot something, but who knew I would run into something like what was happening?

“If you heard him, you should say okay and leave,” I continue when neither the woman nor Collin speaks. “Don’t you know that he has a woman?”

I didn’t even need to ask what was going on here to understand that the woman had a thing for Collin, and that alone pissed me off.

Even if I didn’t want to accept him as my new father, that didn’t mean that I could sit back and watch some bitch try to take him from my mom.

“Who are you?” The woman finally asks, eyeing me. “And what right do you have to butt in?”

“What right?” I repeat, smiling. “Collin, who am I?”

Deciding to fuck with her a little, I move forward, wrapping an arm around Collin’s and then pressing myself against him.

“Someone who is able to do this while you can’t.”

Dammit.

Stop it, Lilah.

What the fuck do you think you’re doing?

This doesn’t involve you, and you don’t even like him!

Ugh. Why was I so damn impulsive? Especially when alcohol was involved.

“You aren’t his wife,” the woman says, sizing me up. “But you do look like her.”

Great deduction, genius, I think inwardly, watching her with annoyance.

“Then that could only mean…” I urge her.

“She’s Donna’s daughter,” Collin finally responds. “And my step-daughter.”

“Hi,” I smile, waving. “It’s nice to meet you, though I’m not a huge fan of the circumstances."

“Lilah!”

I peek over my shoulder as Jeremiah comes rushing in with a look of irritation on his handsome face.

It’s clear that he is fed up with going along with my whims, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Sorry,” he says, moving forward and grabbing my arm. “For all the trouble she is causing.”

“Not this time,” Collin says quietly.

Frowning, Jeremiah looks from me to Collin and back while I’m certain he tries to make sense of what exactly is happening.

“I was just dealing with a pest,” I explain, turning my attention back to the woman. “It seems that she wants to covet that which isn’t hers.”

“I what?” The woman growls, her eyes flashing with anger. “What did you just say?”

“You heard me, bitch,” I spit. “Maybe learn to hit on men who aren’t married or who are at least interested in you.”

At my words, the woman’s eyes widen and her mouth opens into a comical “Oh,” but I don’t get the chance to laugh before she is lunging.

“Did you just call me a bitch?”

Her voice rips through the air as her hand reaches for me, and as I prepare to meet her attack with my own, Collin pulls me out of the way so she is left crashing into Jeremiah.

“Allison,” he growls, causing even me to flinch from the pure rage that is in his voice. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“D-doctor,” she gasps, looking from me to him. “You heard what she just said to me!”

“I did,” Collin confirms, shooting me a look that promises a talk later. “But even then, how could you possibly try to attack her?”

“Th-that, I… I didn’t… I was…”

“He has eyes,” I laugh and then brace myself again as Allison looks like she wants to try again. “Ugh, this is annoying.”

Letting out a sigh of frustration, I attempt to release Collin’s arm only to find that he is holding me in place.

“You aren’t going to cause trouble and then just run.” He tells me, giving me a look of promise. “You’re going to stay here while I make sure that Allison suffers disciplinary action.”

“Why?” I whine, wanting to just leave. “Since this is over I can just go home and then…”

“If I let you go home now, I’m certain that you will just begin to avoid me again. Isn’t it long past time we sat down and had a chat?”

“Not really,” I grumble, trying to break free again. “I think that this is going just fine.”

“It isn’t,” he counters. “Now, I’m going to deal with Allison, and we will talk when I return.”

“That…”

“Lilah,” Jeremiah sighs, shaking his head. “You should listen to him.”

“You too?” I hiss, shooting him a look that screams traitor. “I thought you were supposed to be on my side.”

“I am,” he tells me. “And it is because I am on your side that I agree with him.”

Frowning, I look from Jeremiah to Collin and then feel myself deflating.”

“Whatever,” I huff, pulling free of Collin’s hold and then hopping up on the examination table. “Do what you want since you’re going to do it anyway.”

Man, if I knew that my night would end like this, then I wouldn’t have bothered drinking.

Of course, I did it because I wanted to ignore the unpleasant emotions I was feeling from seeing my mother and Collin being lovey-dovey and the annoyance I felt towards the chief who was continuing to call and text me with threats.

But mostly it was to try to make my own depressing thoughts about how inadequate I was feeling go away, and in the process of trying to do that, I ended up getting into trouble because I ran into that bitch Megan.

“Can you make sure she stays put?” Collin asks Jeremiah, snapping me out of my head. “I’ll be back in just a second.”

“I will,” Jeremiah confirms. “Just go do what you need to.”

“Alright.”

Satisfied, Collin reaches out and wraps a hand around Allison's arm and then tugs, leading her out of the room and into the hall so that Jeremiah and I are left alone.

Once I'm certain they are out of earshot, I turn my attention to Jeremiah.

"Let's get going," I announce, preparing to hop down from my seat, but stopping as he steps in the doorway. "What are you doing?"

"Don't you think it is time to stop running?"

"Running," I repeat. "I don't know what you mean."

"Ever since you returned home, you have been doing nothing but spending your time going out and drinking," he tells me. "I understand that you must be upset over the fact your mom has moved on from your father after his death, but do you think the way you are acting is fair to either of them?"

"Fair," I murmur, hating the guilt that I'm feeling. "Are you really talking to me about fair when they are the ones who did my father dirty?"

"Is that what you really believe?" he asks, not budging. "Because I don't see it that way at all."

"Nobody asked you," I point out, though deep down I know that he is right. "This doesn't involve you, so I don't understand why you are sticking your nose in it."

"Doesn't involve me," he repeats, his eyes flashing with hurt. "Don't you think it involves me more than anyone else?"