this all perfectly clear, Maddie. I'm aware of the risks, and I still want to help. And who knows, maybe you'll realize I'm the right guy for you along the way." His smile was joking, but his eyes... not so much.
I shook my head. "This is a terrible idea."
Somehow, I convinced Bree and Scott to take lunch off campus with me, avoiding any more tense run-ins with the guys. After my last class of the day ended, I found all three of them lurking in the parking lot. Scott wouldn’t finish for another hour, but thank fuck Bree was with me. She did exactly what I’d thought about doing a thousand times over the past four weeks.
“D’Ath,” she snapped, storming up to him where he lazed against the side of his car. I wasn’t dumb enough to think it a coincidence that he’d ended up parked right beside Bree. Not when he had his own reserved space directly in front of the main building.
Archer cocked a brow at Bree, giving her a dismissive once over. And then she punched him in the face.
It was utterly brilliant. He hadn’t seen it coming, so he made no attempt to dodge the strike. Her balled fist hit him straight in the eye, but then it was Bree who howled in pain because my poor, foolish friend had no idea how to throw a punch.
“What the fuck, Brianna?” Archer roared, clapping a hand to his face and glaring with his other eye.
Bree was moaning and clutching her hand to her chest but gave it a break to glare back at him. “You know you deserve worse, Archer,” she snarled back at him. “Be thankful it wasn’t your balls.”
Steele and Kody just stared, shocked and way too amused.
I mean, I understood. I was barely containing laughter myself.
“Come on, Bree,” I said, giving up on concealing the laughter in my voice. “Let’s go. I’ll get you some ice for that hand at my place.” I took the keys from her pocket and unlocked her car, holding the door open in a clear message to hurry the fuck up.
“Your place?” Kody repeated, his amusement dissolving with a frown.
I gritted my teeth and refused to answer him. Kody was too fucking good at sliding past my defenses. Too good at cracking my resolve to ice them all out of my life. Permanently.
“Bree,” I said when my friend just gave me panicked rabbit eyes and clutched her hand to her chest. “Come on, let’s go.”
She cringed. “I don’t think I can drive, girl. My hand really hurts.” Her voice was tight with pain, and as she spoke her eyes welled up with tears.
Fucking hell.
“You probably broke your thumb,” Steele commented, casual as all fuck. “That’s what happens when you don’t form your fist properly.”
“Wh-what?” Bree’s eyes widened further, and her face went ashen.
Steele just shrugged. “Probably. You shouldn’t be driving until you get it checked out, though.”
“It’s fine,” I snapped, my irritation boiling over. Not at Bree—she’d only been sticking up for me like a legit badass. She just had no clue what she was doing, and now the guys were going to exploit her injury for their own gain. Typical. “I’ll drive,” I announced, indicating to Bree’s car again. “Just get in; I’ll take you to a clinic to get checked out.”
Everyone stared at me in alarm at that. Everyone, including Archer.
“You’re not driving,” Archer told me, his tone harsh and final. I knew why, too, and fuck if I didn’t agree. But my stubborn pride wouldn’t budge to make room for my PTSD over and dislike of driving, so no. Fuck that.
“Yes, I am,” I replied, cocking a brow at him. “Bree, let’s go.”
She shook her head, and my heart sank.
“I’m sorry, girl. But I know how you are about driving on the best of days, let alone when you’re all… you know.” She wrinkled her nose at me and shot a seriously unsubtle look toward the guys. I wanted to argue, but tears were trailing down her cheeks. The way she held her hand told me she was really in pain.
“Kody will drive Bree to the clinic and get her checked out,” Archer announced, giving orders like I gave a shit about his opinions. Spoiler alert, I didn’t. “And I—”
“Can go meet Jase like you’re supposed to,” Steele finished for him. “Come on, Hellcat. I’ll drive you home.” He plucked Bree’s keys from my fingers, then tossed them to Kody and wrapped his fingers around my