all too achingly familiar. I clenched my teeth together, already seeing the next thirty seconds play out in my mind. I took an automatic step back from the nice boy in front of me, knowing that the more distance I put between us the easier it would be to distract Nate. “Can I help you, man?” He walked up and got in between Keaton, my fleetingly new friend, and me.
Keaton looked past the angry shield of a human in front of me, confusion in his eyes. “We were just talking, man.” He glanced back to Nate, meeting his gaze and by doing that Keaton made a big mistake. “There’s no reason to talk to her like that. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. We met the other day at—”
“Nathan. Leave him alone.” Jeremy stepped up beside me, his hand reaching out to rest on the top of my ass for a brief wonderful moment, letting me know he was there and I wasn’t going to have to go at it alone this time.
My heart was pounding. There were so many things wrong with this moment. Nate was angry for no reason, feeling jealous and possessive. Keaton had almost unintentionally blabbed about seeing me at the lake party I’d lied about. As if the imminent combustion wasn’t enough, my body was responding to Jeremy’s touch like a damn live wire.
Nate turned around, staring down his older brother. Jeremy wanted to stop a fight from happening. Wanted to stop Keaton from outing us by telling Nate I was at the lake. Jeremy did something no one had ever done before, he cut off Nate, which saved me the embarrassment and the frustration of calling off my best friend. Like yanking the leash of a nearly out of control dog, I’d have to take him home and calm him down. If he lost control, it was on me to fix it and had been for a long time now.
“He was touching her.” Nate voice came out in a low growl, his hands fisted at his side. He wanted to hit Keaton, and was itching for a fight. That tone, the tension in his corded muscles. They were telltale signs that Nate’s incredibly short fuse was about to ignite.
I could see the confusion in Keaton’s face. He’d touched me at the lake. We’d danced and laughed. I’d been free and fun. I’d moved my body against his. Now he was getting in trouble for the small a meaningless gesture of shaking hands. Insanity.
I put my hand on Nate’s shoulder, trying to soothe him before things got any more out of hand than they already were. There was a crowd drawing in, moths to the flame of drama. He ignored my silent request, stepping closer to Keaton instead. “You touch her again, and I’ll break your fucking neck.”
“Nate. Please don’t do this.” I stepped into his side, whispering against his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.” He held his ground, his muscles rigid and his jaw clenched. “Take me home, okay?” I let out the breath I’d been holding when I felt him begin to relax under my hand. I’d said the magic words, I’d chosen him. I’d chosen peace and quiet. I’d rescued him from himself, and saved the people at the party who’d all suffer from his explosion.
As was my lot in life.
Nate stared Keaton down for another few seconds, towering over him, intimidation written in his body language. I tugged on his hand one more time, and he finally turned his back to Keaton, and put his arm around my neck. Nate kept me close as he led me back into the house and away from my small moment of freedom.
I looked over my shoulder and mouthed I’m sorry to Keaton, made eye contact with Jeremy, and then hung my head.
I was so dumb to think that tonight would end any other way than it had.
Nate didn’t party, and Nate didn’t share.
He also never asked me what I wanted, or seemed to care.
It was, and always had been, all about him.
Chapter Fourteen
Jeremy
Savy’s life wasn’t her own. In retrospect, I’d always kind of assumed that was the case. Recently, I’d seen the way she was with Nathan. How she “managed” him to keep the peace. How she let her wants and needs get more than back-burnered: the damn pilot light never even came on when it came to her happiness. Tonight, I’d seen a smiling, free-spirited girl wilt under the weight of putting my