Tessa and I both jerked around. Kelsy stood behind us, one row up. Two guys stood on either side of him. Kelsy’s eyes stayed on mine. I turned away, just as my heart leaped into my throat. “Just walk away.”
“It’s important.”
I looked back at him. What was he thinking? After Brax had threatened him in the parking lot that night, Kelsy had left me alone. Why would he come to Brax’s game and confront me? “You’re just trying to cause trouble for Brax. Be a mature adult and just leave. I don’t have anything to say to you.” I glared at him, hard, trying to force him to see the logic. He didn’t budge. Just stood there, staring at me.
“She said to leave,” Tessa snapped. “Are you loco, gringo? Do you think your monkey squad there is going to stop him?” She jerked her head in Brax’s direction. I’d told Tessa as much as I’d told Brax. Not the complete truth but enough that Kelsy was forever on Tessa’s shit list.
Kelsy’s gaze darkened as he flashed a glance at her. “Whoever the fuck you are, shut up.”
Without missing a beat, Tessa let loose a string of Spanish expletives, waving her arms and bowing up. Tessa didn’t take crap off of anyone. Especially a man. She took a swing at Kelsy but the guy on his left blocked her.
“Get your hands off me!” Tessa demanded. The guy let her go.
Her rants didn’t faze Kelsy. He ignored her. “Olivia, I’m serious.”
“I am too, Kelsy. Leave.” I regarded him angrily. He knew Brax would react and possibly get into trouble. He was doing this on purpose, just to goad him. “I mean it.”
“Oh shit,” Tessa mumbled. “Liv, here he comes.”
I turned to find Brax pushing through his teammates, his face drawn in fury. He broke free and started running directly at us. I shot my gaze between Kelsy and Brax; Kelsy not budging, and Brax gaining ground. I started down the bleachers, hoping to divert Brax away. It didn’t work. When he reached me, he didn’t stop but his eyes, hooded by the bill of his Silverbacks hat, turned to me for a flash second.
“Wait here.”
My head turned to watch him take the bleacher steps two at a time. I could do nothing but stare helplessly as he never slowed down, Tessa backed out of the way, and Brax’s fist connected with Kelsy’s face. Kelsy kept backing away from Brax, with his hands held up in front of him. Brax charged him, chest to chest. I thought Brax was going to break Kelsy’s nose with his forehead.
“What part of ‘leave her the fuck alone’ don’t you get?” Brax growled. His eyes were dead-on fastened to Kelsy’s and only a few inches separated them. Kelsy’s nose had started to bleed from the first hit. One of his friends grabbed Brax’s shoulder. Big mistake. Brax elbowed him in the mouth so hard I heard the crack four bleacher seats down. A big blur flashed by me. Cory Maxwell reached both of Kelsy’s friends and shoved them back. The guy Brax just elbowed was bent over at the waist, holding his mouth.
“Jenks,” Cory said. He stood behind Brax but didn’t touch him. “He ain’t worth it, son. Let’s just get the girls and bust.”
Brax ignored him and shoved closer to Kelsy. He didn’t say anything, just … crowded him. Then, surprisingly, Kelsy spoke. To me.
“Why don’t you ask your boy here about his dare, huh, Livvy? I’d love to hear—”
Whack! Brax popped him right in the mouth.
Kelsy’s head snapped back with the force of Brax’s hit and his hands flew to his face. “Fuck!”
I hurried up the bleachers toward them. “Brax, stop it! Let’s go.”
Brax turned his head, ever so slightly, acknowledging my presence, my words. But he didn’t look at me. His eyes remained on Kelsy, staring him down until Kelsy moved past him and hurried off the bleachers. His buddies trotted behind him.
Brax’s harsh stare followed them down, and it wasn’t until Kelsy had disappeared around the concession stands that Brax looked at me. “Did he touch you?”
“No,” I answered. I knew Brax’s rage had tripled toward Kelsy after my half-confession and I knew Brax was just trying to protect me. What I wanted to do was shake it off and forget about it. “He only wanted to talk.” I slipped my fingers through his and lifted his hand. The middle knuckle was bleeding from where he’d hit Kelsy. “But he’s gone now, and like Cory said. He’s not worth it. You know he’s only trying to egg you on. So let’s go eat.” I pulled him close and pressed my lips to his, smiling against them. “You kicked ass on the mound, Boston.”