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Luna excitedly cut up my shirt while I went to the bathroom to get changed into the pants and boots and put the black sports bra over my regular bra. I freshened up my makeup—opting for a dark black smoky look instead of my normal neutral toned one—and put my long hair in a high ponytail with a few pieces hanging down in the front.
I came out, and Luna whistled. “Damn, girl. You look hot as hell!”
I smiled and twirled around for fun. “Aw, gee thanks!” I laughed and took the hoodie from her outstretched hand. I slipped it on and looked at the final result in the mirror. “This is super cute! I don’t usually show off my stomach.” I turned and saw the large scar on display. I ran my fingers over it. “Especially after… the accident.”
Would that be a problem? Was that a bad idea? Part of me thought,fuck it. Do whatever you want. It’s just a scar, and you have to get used to it sometime.The other part of me worried it could backfire. And my life wasallabout backfiring lately.
“You’re beautiful,” Luna said.
“All of you,” Justin added in. “Trust me, the scar doesn’t take away from that. In fact, it kinda makes you look like a badass.” I turned and smiled at him, and I noticed something in his expression. He covered it quickly though, clapping his hands together once. “Are you guys ready to go? We can go get good seats to see if the demon and the ash-hole get their asses handed to them. Ireallywanna see them get sacked out there.”
“Ash-hole?” I laughed really hard. “Oh, damn. That’s a good one. I’m going to have to use that one.”
* * *
The football fieldwas quite a distance from the school. There was a paved path through the woods to walk through, which was a quarter mile from the school parking lot. Most students were too lazy to walk, so they drove. The three of us, however, liked the walk.
When we got there, they pointed to a spot at the top of the bleachers. It was their regular spot, and they said no one usually messed with them. As we ascended the steps, however, that proved to be untrue.
As we passed a small group of guys, one called out to me. “Hey! How ‘bout a blowjob before the game starts? All five of us?”
“Yeah. Ten bucks oughta cover it,” another one said, their group laughing.
Luna stopped in front of me and turned to them. “Why don’t you ask your sister, Eric? I’m sure she’s free.”
Four of them busted out in laughter. The one who didn’t was the one who’d first propositioned me, and I had to assume he was “Eric.”
I snorted before outright laughing at Luna’s comment, following them. As we passed the group, I yelped as a hand roughly grabbed onto my wrist and yanked me backwards. I quickly found myself sitting in Eric’s lap, his cold, blue eyes staring me down. A dark smile crossed his lips.
“Just you and me now, baby. What are you gonna do?” he asked, a sultry tone to his voice that immediately made my stomach turn.
Before I even had a chance to respond, strong arms enveloped me, and the world swirled. When it stopped, I found myself standing a few feet away, Justin now between Eric and me.
Eric stood. “What the fuck, man? Butt out. I’m trying to have a conversation with the new girl.”
Justin’s eyes immediately turned cold—far icier than Eric’s had been. He looked terrifying as he spun around. He was much taller and broader than Eric, and that only helped his imposing look as he rounded on the other boy.
Eric’s eyes widened only a split second before Justin grabbed him by the neck so hard that he lifted him off the ground momentarily, then slammed the defenseless asshole hard onto the bleacher he’d just been seated on.
“That girl is not yours to fucking touch unless she invites you to. Do you understand?” Justin asked, his voice deep and threatening. It stirred a very dark, primal part of me, and my breath hitched in my chest.
The other boy nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. I’m sorry.”
Justin shook his head before lowering it, his nose almost touching Eric’s. “You know I’m bi, right? What if I kissed you right now? How would you feel?”
“What the fuck?” Eric shouted, instant anger in his expression. “That’s fucking sick, dude.”
Justin smiled. “Exactly. Remember that the next time you put your slimy fucking hands on a woman without her consent. If you wouldn’t want another man to grab you and sit you in their lap, their hard dick pressing against your ass, then don’t do it to a woman who wants nothing to do with your ugly ass.” He backed away. “Don’t apologize to me.” He pointed back at me. “Apologize for assaulting her, or I can promise you’re not half as sorry as youwillbe.”
Eric snorted as he sat up. “What? You going to kiss me?”
Justin laughed, and it sent a chill down my spine. “You wish. It’s alongway down the bleachers, Hunt. You ever counted them? Because I guarantee you willalwaysremember how many steps there are from this spot to the bottom when your ribs shatter on each one on the way down.”
Eric’s eyes widened again before turning back to me, a glint of hatred in his eyes. I’d have to watch out for that one. “Sorry,” he ground out. Justin cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest. Eric took a deep breath and sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Temperance.”
I nodded once. That was all he’d get from me.
I reached out and wrapped a hand around Justin’s thick arm. He turned his head, his light brown eyes peering into mine. His expression immediately changed from rage to contentment as he looked at me. It was shocking how fast it happened, and it warmed me in a way I hadn’t expected.