“Damon,” Hudson says. “Go.”
Damon turns for the front door, meekly at first. As he moves past, though, he drills me with a glare and mutters, “Bitch.”
Henry lurches forward, grabs the neck of his shirt, and whirls him around. He cocks his arm back, then crushes his fist into Damon’s face.
I’mstunned.
Damon staggers, hands flying up to cover his nose, which is spurting blood all over his shirt and his shoes and the floor. He stands there, dazed, while the rest of us hold a collective breath, waiting to see if he’ll retaliate.
He doesn’t, which is a surprise, even to my hazy mind. He’s a wrestler. He’s aggressive. He’s arrogant as hell. But Henry just proved that he’s a badass, and I’m pretty sure he can count on Hudson and Jayden for backup. Damon must realize the same; he gives his head a disgusted shake and walks out the front door, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.
Gabi rushes to my side, linking her arm through mine. “God, Piper. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I whisper.
The biggest lie.
Henry’s breathing hard, shaking out his hand, avoiding my gaze.
I should go to him. That’s what everybody’s expecting.
He defended me, butafterhe lied about his ex-girlfriend.
I shiver, fingertips to toes.
Gabi brushes loose curls from my clammy forehead. “You sure you’re all right?”
I nod, rubbing my wrist, trying to erase the ghost of Damon’s grip.
Anna and Michaela go back into the kitchen, talking shit about Damon. Jayden inspects Henry’s hand; his knuckles are already puffy. Hudson passes him a tea towel packed with ice. He leans against the wall, holding the ice to his hand, looking dead on his feet. Jayden and Hudson each pull on a pair of yellow kitchen gloves and scrub Damon’s blood from the floor.
As I watch, frenzied laughter fizzes up my throat. I don’t know why. I’m scared and sad and not even a little bit amused. Choking the cackles back, I make a sound like a sob.
They all look at me: Gabi, Hudson, Jayden, Henry, their concern encircling me like a fog.
I turn to Gabi, clasping my hands to hide their shaking. “Walk me home?”
“Piper,” Henry says.
I leave the house with Gabi.
I leave him behind.
Henry
I stay at Hudson’s with a towel full of ice pressed to my throbbing hand.
He and Jayden are amped, rehashing what happened, tossing out compliments on my form and my force.
“Dude, you should box,” Hudson says, throwing quick one-two punches into the air.
“Yeah, not really my thing.” I don’t mention that before tonight, I’ve never hit anything but a punching bag. I don’t tell them that I feel like shit about clocking Damon—not because he didn’t deserve it, but because I lost control. Acting brashly, going all hypermasculine…that’s not me. At least, it didn’t used to be.
It’s hard to breathe in this house. All I can see is Damon and Piper. His hands caging her in. Her face contorted with fear. I keep remembering Damon—thatprick—showered in blood.
I last another few minutes before I bail.
I walk home, wondering if this is it—the end of Piper and me.
