by K. Walker
Maybe he would be good too if he'd grown up in the ghetto.
"Adrian's not coming tonight?" Sebastian asked. Todd was leaning against him, Sebastian's arm around his boyfriend. The two of them really did make a cute couple.
"Nope. Bad cramps, apparently." I'd offered to come visit and bring her chocolate and a hot water bottle, but she'd told me to go to the bonfire instead.
The place was packed as usual. Without Adrian around, I hung out with Sebastian and his friends for a while. After sitting with them pretty much every day at lunch, they had basically become my friends too, though I hadn't ever hung out with any of them without Sebastian around. Still, none of them questioned me joining their crowd at the bonfire.
A few of them tried to flirt with me after they'd had a couple of drinks, but when I had just rolled my eyes at their cheesy pickup lines, they'd slowly wandered off in search of someone who might actually let them get to second base.
"I'm gonna get another drink," I told Sebastian. After he nodded, I snagged myself a bottle of water off the tables, then headed down toward the ocean. Since Adrian wasn't here, I figured I would take a few pictures and send them to her.
I snapped a couple of pictures of the crowds and the bonfire, then switched the camera to selfie mode and snapped a couple of pictures of myself. First, with the dark water behind me, then with the bonfire in the background.
I sent them all to her along with a message saying "miss you," then slid my phone back into my pocket. Part of me wanted to go back to the house and curl up with a book, but I doubted Sebastian and Todd were ready to leave after only an hour or so, and I wasn't going to rush them.
It wasn't their fault I preferred quiet alone time to loud parties.
"Hey sexy, how about we go slip off into the dunes and I can slip those clothes off you." The sleazy voice made me shiver. I didn't even turn around, not wanting to know which girl was the recipient of that shitty pick-up line. Then, I felt hands on my hips, the voice right behind me. "It's not nice to ignore someone when they're talking to you."
Whirling around, I shoved the guy away from me. He was taller than me and had to have weighed at least as much as Wes did. But while Wes was pure muscle, this guy didn't look like he had any muscle at all under the flab. His unkempt beard looked like it hadn't ever seen a razor, and I nearly gagged when he grinned at me.
"Fuck off," I told him, glaring at the idiot. If he went to Forrest Grove, I had never seen him before. "I'm not interested."
"Aww, don't be like that." Still grinning, he stepped forward again, grabbing my wrist.
I pulled away from him, throwing my mostly full water bottle at him and hitting him right in the forehead. "Get away from me, you creep!" I yelled.
He growled and lunged forward, grabbing both my wrists and pulling me toward him. I struggled to pull out of his grip, but his meaty fingers were locked around my wrists. "Stupid bitch. Who do you think you are?"
My heart raced as I flashed back to the night my mother died. Not again! I cursed and fought to get away from him. This couldn’t be happening again. It just couldn’t.
"Get off of me!" I yelled even louder. Over the music and partying, though, my voice seemed to be completely drowned out. The guy started to pull me away from the crowd, and I dug my feet into the sand, trying to pull away from him.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Sebastian's squeaky voice was like a godsend right then. The idiot looked up over my shoulder, and I used that moment of distraction to swing my leg up, kicking him right in the nuts.
He bellowed in pain and let go, and I ran over to where Sebastian and Todd were running toward me. I must not have hit him hard enough, though, since he came after me. Sebastian ran even faster, going right by me and slamming into the guy.
My eyes went wide as the guy actually fell backward, Sebastian's lanky form above him, punching the guy in the face.
Todd wrapped his arms around me, holding me away from them. When the guy yelled and punched Sebastian back, it was enough for him to push Sebastian off and start punching him, much harder than Sebastian had been able to hit. I tried to rush forward and help, but Todd held on to me. I elbowed him in the stomach just hard enough to get him to loosen his grip, and then I ran forward.
The guy wasn't paying me any attention now, bent over and attacking Sebastian. As hard as I could, I kicked him right between the legs again, making him howl even louder this time. But he was too lost in his rage and turned, backhanding me hard enough to knock me to the ground.
I waited for another strike to come, the pain already burning in my cheek. Instead, shouting filled my ears. I stumbled back up to see what was going on. The man was standing now, but not alone. Hunter and Jaxson were holding him upright while Wes pummeled the guy.
"Are you okay?" a girl asked, and I turned to see Charlotte standing right next to me. I blinked at her in surprise. Since when had she ever cared about me before? "Do you need me to call you an ambulance or anything?"
I shook my head, reaching up to touch my cheek. It hurt like a bitch, but I didn't think anything was broken. Definitely not something worth calling an ambulance over.
A string of drunk curses followed by snarling brought my attention back to the man who'd attacked me.
The guy tried to break free, but with both Hunter and Jax holding him, there was no chance. Wes wasn't going easy on the guy. I winced when he punched him right in the nose, hearing the crunching of cartilage as it broke. Blood gushed down his face, and Wes hit him again. And again. And again.
When Hunter and Jax finally let go, he fell to the ground like a ragdoll. Wes stepped over to him and squatted down. I could just barely hear him when he spoke. "You go near her again, and I swear, I'll bury your body right here on the beach. Don't you ever fucking forget that."
Wes kicked him in the stomach, knocking the air from the guy's lungs, then turned his back on the sniveling lump as he cried.
He walked over to me, brushing passed Charlotte like she wasn't even there, and put a hand under my chin, turning my face so he could get a good look at where the guy had hit me. "You're gonna have a bruise for a few days," he said, at last, letting out a sigh. "But the pain should go away in a couple of hours."
I nodded, staring up into those eyes. He was only inches away from me now, and I so desperately wanted to stand on my toes and kiss him. But before I could, he scooped me up into his arms and carried me toward the parking lot. The crowd of people that had assembled to watch the fight parted for him, no one daring to say a word.
Chapter 30
"Where are you taking me?" I asked, leaning against Wes. Part of me wanted to demand he put me down right that moment. I wasn't a child, after all. But, at the same time, I was enjoying being in his arms, though I would have never admitted it.
"Home," he said as if that answered everything.
"But what about Sebastian and Todd? I'm their ride." It was a weak protest, but I wasn't going to just leave the two of them there. They had both rushed over and tried to help me. Remembering the fat brute hitting Sebastian, I squeaked and tried to squirm out of Wes's arms.
"Stop it," he growled. "They're right behind us."
I froze, then looked up to peer over his shoulder. Sebastian was right behind us, sandwiched between Todd and Jaxson, as they helped him walk. He definitely looked like he'd taken a good beating, but he was grinning, no doubt from being pressed between the two brothers.
Hunter was following just a few steps behind them, and I let out a sigh, relaxing in Wes's grip. If they were with Sebastian, they'd make sure he was okay, at least.
"Where are your keys?" Wes asked, and I fished them out of my pocket. The moment I had them, he snatched them from me, grinning when I complained. He pulled his own keys out of his pocket and turned. Walking backward, he tossed the keys high and right into Hunter's hands.
I couldn't help but be a little impressed by the shot. Maybe he should've played football or basketball instead of wrestling. "You wreck my car, Pal
mer, and you'll be eating through a straw for the rest of the year," he warned, and Hunter just grinned in response. "You two going back to our place or to Jax's?" Wes asked, looking at his younger brother.
Sebastian grinned at his boyfriend, which made Todd roll his eyes. "Your place," Todd answered for him, no doubt cutting off any hopes Sebastian had for a threesome at the head. Which, of course, made Sebastian pout.
If anyone else noticed, though, they didn't say anything. The four of us piled into my car, with Wes at the wheel even though I had insisted I was perfectly capable of driving. But he was stuck in Man-Mode and wouldn't hear any of it.
When we finally got back to the house, I was grateful it was silent and most of the lights were off. That meant the chances of Lucas finding Sebastian and I looking like we had just gotten out of a cage match were pretty slim.
It didn't stop Wes from marching both of us into the bathroom so he could examine the damage. I guess it paid to have someone who'd been on the wrestling team since elementary school. Not only could he beat the shit out of potential rapists, but he was pretty good at patching us up afterward.
He even sent Todd down to the kitchen for ice packs, which apparently Lucas always kept on hand since Wes and Chuck were always getting bruised during practices. Or just from fighting each other, according to Sebastian.
Once Sebastian was looked over and Wes confirmed nothing was broken, he gave the kid a couple Aspirin and the ice pack and sent him on his way. Before he left, I pulled him toward me and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for looking out for me."
His cheeks flushed red, but he gave me a thumbs-up before heading to his bedroom with Todd. No doubt he'd be getting lucky tonight.
When I looked back at Wes, he had his arms crossed, frowning at me. I did my best to look innocent, batting my eyes at him. "What, did you want a kiss, too?" I teased. When Wes just looked at me, I let out a sigh. "Thank you for helping, too. Though you didn't have to beat him to a pulp."
"He deserved it," Wes said with a shrug. "Maybe he'll learn his lesson. Plus, everyone else watching will have learned one too."
"And what lesson was that?"
Wes took a step forward, standing just a couple inches away from me. Heat radiated off him, and I immediately remembered what it'd been like to be in his arms. I had to fight back the urge to lean forward and press myself against him. "That if anyone fucks with you, I'll beat the shit out of them," he growled.
Normally, I wasn't big on the whole macho man routine, but right then, it was actually kind of hot. Especially since it hadn't just been Wes who had protected me. Hunter and Jaxson had been there too and hadn't even hesitated to help Wes kick the guy into next week.
"Thank you," I said breathlessly. "I was starting to think you didn't even like me."
Wes snorted, shaking his head and smirking. "Oh, I like you all right—probably a little too much.”
“Really?” When Wes reached out and pulled me into his arms, I melted against him. His strong arms wrapped around me, and I never wanted him to let me go.
For the first time in over a month, I felt safe, actually safe. As long as Wes was there, it was like nothing could hurt me.
I wished he would have been there the night it all happened. If he had, Mom might still have been alive. If I’d known Wes back then, I might’ve still had a mother.
The tears returned, and I couldn’t hold them back this time. I had put off grieving for so long, and I just couldn’t keep it all bottled up inside me anymore. Wes held me as I cried, giving me a chance to let it all out.
“You miss her, don’t you?” Wes asked, his voice quiet. “Your mom, I mean.”
I nodded and tried to wipe away the tears. I kept telling myself I could do this, that I could keep going without her. But I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to do that. She’d always been there for me, always had my back. And now she was gone.
“You have us now,” Wes promised. He squeezed me tighter. “Me, Chuck, Sebastian, even Dad. We’re your family now. And I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, okay? I promise.”
“Thank you.” It didn’t seem like enough, but it was all I could say.
Wes scooped me up into his arms. He carried me back to my room as if I weighed no more than a feather. And after he laid me down onto my bed, he crawled in next to me, pulling me back into his arms.
Chapter 31
Groaning, I threw my arm over my eyes, trying to block out the sunlight. In my half-asleep state, I hit my cheek, sending a flare of pain through me. Wincing, I sat upright, annoyed. Carefully, I prodded the area that asshole had struck me, feeling the tenderness there.
I grabbed my phone and flipped on the selfie camera, peering at my cheek in it. Just as expected, the whole area was black and blue. Even my left eye was a bit puffy and swollen around it. It was a good thing he hadn't hit me any higher; otherwise, he could've really fucked up my eye.
My stomach rumbled, reminding me of how little I had eaten before everything went south last night. No way was I going downstairs alone, though. And, first thing on a Saturday morning, I had no doubt Lucas would be down there having breakfast.
Wes wasn’t in bed with me anymore. He must’ve snuck out after I had fallen asleep last night.
The pain in my lower stomach couldn't be ignored, however. Careful not to make any noise, I slipped out into the hallway and headed toward the bathroom. Once that was done, I listened at Wes and Sebastian's doors, hearing soft snoring coming from both of them.
Of course, they'd both have to still be sleeping. I'd hoped at least Wes might've been awake, but apparently, he was sleeping on this Saturday.
I got myself dressed, skipping makeup. Unless I wanted to spend ages trying to hide the bruise, it didn't seem worth it. Then, I went and stood outside Wes's door. Even though he'd been a dick to me since I'd gotten here, last night, he'd made it clear he had my back.
But still, I didn't want to wake him and risk throwing that out the window. And, honestly, I wasn’t sure what I’d say to him after everything that had happened. Instead, I went down the hall to Sebastian's room and knocked. There was no answer inside, even after I knocked again. Grumbling, I cracked the door open, peeking inside.
Both Sebastian and Todd were in there, curled up in bed together. Sebastian was spooned behind Todd, his arms wrapped around his boyfriend. I had to admit; they did make a cute couple, especially asleep. But, cute or not, I needed someone on my side when I went downstairs to face Lucas.
I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. I didn't need anyone else coming down the hall and seeing the two of them in bed together. After everything that happened last night, Sebastian getting outed was not something I wanted to add to the list.
Grinning, I crept over toward the bed, and then jumped on the two of them, before careful to avoid Sebastian's ribs. "Wake up, sleepyheads!"
Both of them groaned, pulling pillows over their heads. I was not having any of that though and pulled the pillows away from them, forcing them to open their eyes and glare at me.
I just grinned at them, glad I'd woken them up. Sebastian's face was even more bruised than my own, and I winced when I saw it. "Damn, you look like shit."
"Does that mean I can go back to sleep?" he asked, his voice groggy.
"Not a chance. I'm hungry, and there's no way in hell I'm facing your father alone. Not with this." I pointed to my own bruise. "Now, get your lazy butts up and come get breakfast with me."
Sebastian groaned, closing his eyes and throwing his head back. "Dad is going to murder me," he grumbled.
Todd laughed, elbowing him gently. "Don't worry; you know your dad. He'd never yell at you while a guest is here. Good thing I spent the night, huh?"
Sebastian let out a light laugh and then nodded.
"Good, now that that's settled, get up so we can go eat! I'm starving."
Sebastian sat up, raising an eyebrow at me. When I didn't move, he let out a sigh. "Can we at least put on some pants first, o
r did you want us to have breakfast naked?"
Blinking, I frowned at him. Then, I looked next to the bed and saw the pile of clothes. Shirts... pants... underwear... Heat rushed to my cheeks as I realized both of them were naked, the blankets just barely covering their modesty. Christ, it was a good thing I hadn't decided to just yank the blankets off of them! There were certain parts of the two of them I really didn't need to see.
"I'll wait in the hall," I muttered, scrambling off the bed and being careful not to tug on the blankets. Both boys cackled with laughter as I fled the room, my cheeks getting hotter and hotter.
A few minutes passed before the door opened again, the two of them standing there. They were both still shirtless, but at least they had pajama bottoms on now. Seeing Sebastian without a shirt on gave me a full view of the nasty bruising on his ribs. Shit, I was really surprised he hadn't broken any of them in the fight.
"We need to pee, then we can eat," Sebastian proclaimed, the two of them walking past me and into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them.
Lucas stared at the three of us; a deep frown etched onto his face. As suspected, he'd been none too thrilled when we'd walked downstairs, bruised to hell and back. Even Stella had rushed over to make sure we were okay, poking and prodding us just as Wes had last night. She wouldn't leave us alone until she was positive; nothing was broken.
"What the hell happened?" was all Lucas had said to us. He sat there quietly, listening while we told him everything from the night before. His jaw was set in a tight line, and his hands were balled into fists. It was the first time I had seen Lucas angry, and he certainly looked ready to hit someone all right.
Wes had the unfortunate luck to come downstairs right at that time. He froze when he walked into the kitchen, Lucas glaring at his middle son. "You're supposed to be looking out for her!" he snapped.
