I jerked back out of his grip. My brain spun out of control. Honestly, I couldn’t do anything more than stare at him like he’d lost his damn mind. “That shit you’ve so easily forgotten about and shoved in the past almost ruined my life, Kelsy.” My voice was husky, insulted, quiet, and it shook. I could hear it. Fear pinged inside of me, and I pushed it as far back into my inner shadows as I could. Had Kelsy gone crazy? How had he forgotten all the torment? Humiliation? Did he think he could easily dispose of the memories like he had his actions? The thought angered me to a fever, and I began to shake. With the palm of my hand, I pushed against his chest. Hard. “And finally, I’m starting to get on with my life. I’m not going to tell you again, Kelsy. It’s over. Long over. Leave me alone, before it becomes an issue even your daddy can’t control. I mean it.” Satisfied that I’d made my point, I turned, scanned the darkening parking lot, and just headed to my truck. I wanted to get away from Kelsy. Period. Even if I had to just make a loop around campus. With my hand inside my bag, I fished for my keys as I hurried across the lot. Just as I reached the hood, I found my key. Where was Brax—
My arm was grabbed and Kelsy spun me around, pinning my back against the fender. I let out a grunt on impact, and my keys went flying and pinged against the concrete. He leaned forward, his body towering over mine. “Don’t you walk away from me, girl.” His voice was harsh. Painful. Guilty. His hair stuck to his sweaty forehead. His eyes flashed angrily. “You don’t get to do that here. There ain’t no reason why you can’t hear me out, Olivia. I’m trying to be nice and civil and you’re acting all disrespectful and bitchy.” His head dipped toward mine, to look me in the eye, and panic dragged its claws against my insides. “I mean it, goddamit. Listen to me. I’ve told you a dozen fuckin’ times I’m sorry for that night.” His strong fingers grasped my chin and made me look at him. “Why can’t you at least fuckin’ acknowledge my apology, Liv?” When I did nothing but stare at him, his face darkened. “Why can’t you just leave the past in the fucking past? Huh? Answer me, dammit.” He slammed his fist against my fender, right next to me, and I jumped and squeezed my eyes shut. “I watch you in class every day, all lovely fucking dovey with that tattooed punk ass. It ain’t right. Swear to God, I can’t take this shit no more, Liv. I mean it—”
Suddenly his body just … moved. It happened so fast, I barely saw Brax slam Kelsy’s head, face-down, against the hood of my truck. Kelsy let out a yell, then swore. Brax lifted Kelsy’s head by his hair and slammed it down again. He held him there, by the back of his neck, with Kelsy hollering to let him up. Only then did Brax look at me. He had a fresh shiner around one slightly swollen eye. His lip was busted. The features I’d found so disturbingly charming were now edged in fury. Anger rolled off him in waves, and then he turned away. He spoke to me, but he didn’t look at me anymore. He kept his gaze fixed on the back of Kelsy’s head. “Go wait by my bike, Gracie. Now.”
I’d started shaking, and I couldn’t stop. “No,” I said quietly. My breath came in quick gasps, and I placed my hand on Brax’s arm, gently closed my fingers. His skin felt warm, the muscles there tense and solid as strips of steel. I didn’t want to let go. “Please, don’t.” My eyes drifted to Kelsy, his face turned to the side and pinned to the hood of my truck. “Let’s just go.”
“Let me the fuck up!” Kelsy grunted. “What’s your fuckin’ problem, man? Olivia, call off your goddamn mutt—”
Kelsy’s words were silenced by the metal hood of my truck. He groaned, swore, but it was muffled by the pressure Brax was exerting.
“Back up, Gracie,” Brax said. Still, he didn’t look at me. His voice was quiet. Controlled. He wasn’t letting Kelsy go.
I dropped Brax’s arm and backed away.
Brax flipped Kelsy around and dragged him up by the neck of his tee shirt. Then he put a grip to his throat and jaw, pulling him closer. Kelsy took a swing at Brax and missed. Brax pushed his forehead against Kelsy’s. “You touch her again and I will fuck you up.” Brax turned Kelsy’s throat loose, but still crowded him, nearly head to head. Brax shouldered him. Stared him down. But didn’t say another word.
Kelsy pushed away, slinging his arms and swearing. Blood trickled from his nose and down his chin. His gaze slowly veered toward me, then he turned his head and spit on the ground. “She’s not who you think she is, bro.” Then he spun around, jogged across the parking lot and disappeared between the buildings.