“That’s disappointing.”
Tires squealed a few streets over, distracting my opponent and giving me the opening I needed. I stepped forward and swung with my left, then right, and he hit the gravel, catching himself on his elbows. I was over him immediately, taking advantage of his disorientation. I felt his nose pop and the bones give under my busted knuckles. I was blinded by rage, and the muffled cried of the woman only caused me to slip deeper. In my own head were flashes of Katie as she sobbed, begging me not to tell a soul the despicable secrets I had uncovered. The look of terror in her young eyes caused me to snap.
* *
I paced the ground, gripping my hair in my fists as I struggled to calm myself. The foundation only partially hid the small, purpling cut on her cheekbone.
“He didn’t mean to.” Her voice trailed off as she wiped her cheek with the palm of her hand. “He just gets a little high and doesn’t think.”
“Didn’t mean to? Are you fucking kidding me?” I yelled before huffing out a breath and begging myself to calm down. It wasn’t Katie I was mad at. It was her fucking stepbrother, who had decided to get handsy with her at one of his parties. But she slipped up and admitted it wasn’t the first time. I knew it wouldn’t be the last if I didn’t do something.
“If he ever…” I shook my head, my eyebrows pulled together as I tried to think clearly. “If he touches you again…” I stepped in front of Katie, who stood up from the fallen tree log and put her hands on my chest. I’d never felt so much anger inside of me. The small fights between them, I could handle, but knowing he had tried to hurt her, violate her, had sent me over the edge.
“I’ll tell you, I promise.”
“I’ll fucking kill him.” I clenched my teeth until they hurt. I didn’t want to wait. He deserved to pay for what he had done to her.
“If my parents find out I’m seeing you, they won’t let me out of the house. I can’t lose you, and I’ll be stuck in there with him.”
“Then leave with me. I have my license now, and I’ve been saving money.”
“Ryder, you know we can’t do that. How would we live? Where would we stay?”
“I can’t let him hurt you again, Katie. I can’t.”
I turned to walk away, determined to make things right. As her fingertips slid from my chest, I felt my heart sink into my stomach. The idea of not being able to see her again was agonizing, but in the moment it felt like I had no other option.
“Please don’t do this, Ryder. Please.” Her voice shook under her words as I continued to make my way through the trees. I had no choice. When you love someone, you sacrifice. I would give her up if it saved her. “You can’t tell anyone.”
I kept walking, my feet feeling heavy and my heart crumbling. She might not understand now, but she would thank me later.
“Please stop.” Her voice echoed through the trees as her words faded.
The teenage mind only works on two levels. We were either complacent or discontent. After finding out that Bryce had tried to touch my girlfriend, his own stepsister, I was a motherfucking animal. I wanted to soak my hands in his blood and make him cry. I wanted him to hurt like he had hurt my Katie. The consequences of my actions never crossed my mind. I only wanted to make things right.
I had no memory of my trip to her home. I knocked on her front door hard enough to split one of my knuckles. Bryce opened the door with a look of confusion before he smiled.
“You decided to join the team.”
“What?” It took me a moment to remember his father was the football coach. He had asked me several times to try out, but organized sports wasn’t my thing. I didn’t play well with others.
“Dad’s upstairs. One sec.” He turned and called for his father, and I knew I didn’t have much time to make my point. “Unless you’re here for my sister. I see you guys talking in the hall sometimes. You hittin’ that?”
“What happened there?” I eyed the two scratch marks that crept out of his shirt collar and up his neck.
“Practice.” He was nonchalant, but I knew his injury didn’t come from football. His practice would eventually lead to the rape of Katie. I closed my fist and shoved it hard into Bryce’s stomach, causing him to grunt as he doubled over, struggling to breathe.
I used the advantage to slam my elbow into the back of his head, causing him to fall on the concrete steps that led to his door. He whimpered and pushed himself up with one hand. I kicked, my foot hitting under his chin and sending him sprawled on his back.
“Yeah, I’m here for Katie.” I grabbed his face and slammed his head down on the cement. He gripped the sleeves of my shirt, clawing at my biceps as I did it again and again.