“You got in front of six-foot-three one hundred and eighty pounds of muscle because he was going to hit me?”
She nodded. “It was my fault he was going to hit you. I was just going to stop him.”
She was going to stop him. This girl. Never in all my life did I imagine there was anyone like her. Never.
“Sweetheart, how did you intend to stop him? I could handle him. I’ve kicked his ass many, many times.” I cupped her chin in my hand. “I had rather had him kick my ass than to have anything happen to you. That was f**king unbearable. You can’t do that to me. If you get hurt, I won’t be able to handle it.”
She sighed, and her eyes looked back toward the stage. “I made this worse. I’m sorry. Can you go fix things with the two of you so you can get back onstage?”
The distressed look on her face meant I wasn’t going to be able to leave. I wanted nothing more than to take her back home and hold her all night. But she was really upset about this. I had overreacted. She had been sitting over here staring at the floor with the saddest lost expression, and I couldn’t think straight. I had to get to her.
“I’ll get Green, and we’ll go back onstage. But you have to promise me that you won’t try and save me again. I take care of you. Not the other way around,” I told her.
She reached up and touched my face. “Then who will take care of you?”
No one had ever cared about that before. That wasn’t something I was going to tell her, though. “You safe in my arms is all I need. Okay?”
She frowned and glanced away from me. “I’m not agreeing to that,” she said.
God, she was adorable. I pressed a kiss to her head. “Come with me to get the guys,” I told her as I stood up and brought her with me.
“You won’t do anything to Green then?” she said, sounding hopeful.
“No.” Until you’re asleep tonight. And then I’m beating his ass.
* * *
The look on their faces when Blythe apologized to Green and explained she was just trying to keep him from hitting me was priceless. Green looked like he might be sick, he was so upset over hurting her. If I hadn’t held her in my arms as she fought to breathe that could have possibly been enough punishment for him. I wasn’t going to feel better until I busted up something on his body. Preferably something that Blythe couldn’t see. I’d have to be careful with his face. She wouldn’t understand.
When we walked back onto the stage, Green whispered. “I would’ve never hurt her on purpose.”
I nodded, but I wasn’t responding.
“This ain’t over, is it?” he asked.
He knew me better than that.
“You hurt her. She was f**king protecting me. What do you think?”
Green hung his head, and the pained look on his face made me feel a little better. But he still had no idea what seeing her like that had put me through. Then the fact that she had defended me again and been hurt for it. I was to hurt someone, and Green was number one in line.
Matty took over the mic, knowing Green and I needed time to adjust to what had just gone down before we were ready to entertain the crowd.
The girls chanting my name and throwing panties and papers with their phone numbers on them normally made me get that rush in my system. Tonight I had to keep from cringing, knowing that Blythe saw all this. She heard it. When I had looked back at her and she’d been so lost in her thoughts, I had been worried that she’d heard or seen something that upset her.
Getting to her and reassuring her had been all I could think about. I glanced back at her, and she smiled at me. The excited gleam in her eyes was all I needed. I wanted to entertain her. I wanted her to enjoy watching me. I turned off the anger simmering inside and focused on that sweet smile.
When we finished the song and Matty had taken over to give me time to calm down, I turned back to the band and nodded. They knew that meant it was time for the new song. The one I’d written since Blythe had come into my life. It was hard and real. Fans would love it, and every time I sang it, Blythe’s face would be the only thing I saw. She had inspired it, even if I intended to change the bitter facts in the lyrics. She was changing everything for me.
I’ve always had an addictive personality—
Take a little then want a little more.
Being told no isn’t okay with me.
They call it obsession, but I know it’s more.
I know they tell you to stay away from the devil,