By the time Danny registered his arm being yanked and body twisted around, pain was already rocketing through his face.
Shouting, he stumbled back, further into the side hallway. His hand flew up to his cheek, catching sight of dark eyes and a sure step forward. Blackness and fireworks sparked the edges of his vision, snapping his head in the opposite direction. Body staggering back, Danny fought for his balance, his other hand going up in front of him. In a silent pleading for a stop.
Like he should have.
His hand lowered.
Another blow did not come.
He lifted up and turned his head to them.
Dark brown eyes pierced Danny through.
Wavy hair frazzled and shoved back, his own polo shirt and khakis were covered in a layer of dark dust, brown shoes speckled with clumps of dirt and glitter as Jesse held a stance reminiscent of last week's football game. His chest pumping hard, the rise and fall visible, breath hissing through gritted teeth. His eyes solid and reassuring in promise. But not in any familiarity of warmth from the time they'd known each other. Danny's eyes flickered at spotting movement from the corner of his eye.
Stance still at the ready, Jesse's hand opened and closed, dark brown eyes not moving off of Danny.
"Well?" Danny asked. "Go ahead!"
Jesse's chin dropped, finally speaking. In a dark growl, he declared, "I should break your fucking leg."
His leg?
Crack!
A flash of Elle gasping in shock and Jonah gasping in pain shot through Danny's head.
He sucked in a breath, fighting for air as if he'd been punched in the stomach instead of his face, mouth parted open, jaw shaking.
He snapped his jaw shut. Fighting back the sudden feeling welling up in his eyes, Danny stomped a foot forward. Flushed with hate and anger much different than before. It went deeper.
"Then do it! I deserve it! And more! Nothing good coming from here!" His hand thumped his chest, then flung outwards. "Just danger and a thing to avoid! All I'm good for is causing other people pain and hurt and..."
His jaw shook too much, gasping in and holding back sobs.
"It's all my fault. Because of me being here, being around. All the damage and danger, people hurt and..."
Gasping, sucking for air, hotness streaked down his cheeks and he squeezed his eyes shut to stop the heat. All it did was bring up other images. Fiery explosion and green blasts and faces in pain and faces waiting to die.
"If I hadn't... If I'd been faster or not... If I just didn't..."
And knowledge of a fact screamed harder than ever since his accident in his head. Whispering out of him.
"I shouldn't even exist."
