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Their fights never escalated this far. “Where were the others?” Why hadn’t one of them stepped in before it got that far?

“They pulled me off him.”

“All three of them?”

He slowly nodded.

I wiped the tears from his cheek, holding his face. “Well, give Bas a few days. Then apologize. You two will work it out.”

Wiping away his silent tears.

“He loves you, and one heated fight won’t change that.”

He might have heard what I said, but I could tell he didn’t believe me.

There was nothing I hated more than seeing him this upset.

Tracing his cheek, I leaned closer to his mouth, softly kissing him.

At first, he was still. As if he was shocked.

After the other night in the shower, all I thought about was this.

Though, I probably chose a terrible time to kiss him. Holding me tighter to him, as he finally kissed me back.

VINCE

The next morning, I walked to Bastion's house.

I hoped by the time I arrived, I would know what to say. But once I saw him. I couldn’t form a word.

He stepped back out of my way, leaving the door open. By the suit and tired expression, he had worked at the club last night.

I closed the door. Fuck. “Did you get looked at?”

He didn’t answer me, just leaned against the pillar staring at the ground.

I ran my hand over my head.

His busted lip, swollen jaw. How had I lost control like that?

“Nik likes to think you were better, but you weren’t.” he looked at me, one eye bloodshot. “She was the one to pull you from that. Not us. Not Nik. Her.”

The longer I stared at him, the more damage I saw. My handprint around his neck. “Come on, I’m getting?—”

“I nearly lost you. That night because of Damius. If it wasn’t for her. We would have lost you.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Now, any chance of you losing her. It scares me.”

I just stared at him.

“Did she ever ask why you were on that side of town?” he pushed away from the pillar. “The night you two met.”

“No, she never asked.”

He slowly nodded.

“Bastion, about last night. I am sorry. There is never a reason for me to act like that to you.”

I’d never seen him like this. No smart come back. No insult. No baiting. Just nothing. It scared me. Had I broken him? I had. I had broken my little brother.