Blood pooled in his mouth as he groaned, and I stood over him, jaw clenched, chest heaving like I’d just run a game-winning drive.
Tristan caught up and muttered under his breath, “Dude,again?You’ve got a file, you know.”
“Say one more word about her and I’ll make it worse,” I growled, low and lethal.
Security came running, dragging me away. Jade’s eyes were wide—equal parts shocked and furious—but she didn’t follow.
Smart girl.
The dean called my parents. A whole scene. They threatened suspension until I fed them a cover story that Garrett had been talking crap aboutTristan’ssituation.
Model baby mama. Party rumors. Press sniffing around.
My parents bought it. Barely.
My dad stared at me across his office desk, voice flat and precise. “This is the last mess I clean up for you, Leo. I mean it.”
I didn’t respond.
“I’ve worked too hard for you to get into Notre Dame. Your GPA, your legacy status, the athletic scholarships—weownyour path. Don’t mess it up with petty crap.”
“It wasn’t petty,” I said, low. “He crossed a line.”
Dad pinched the bridge of his nose. “There are ways to handle disrespect that don’t involve police reports and bruised knuckles.”
“I handled itmyway.”
“And next time, if thereisa next time, your future might not survive it.”
I nodded, jaw tight, rage still curling in my gut like smoke.
Because I wasn’t sorry.
Not even a little.
Jade was mine. No one talked about her like that.
Not if they wanted to keep their teeth.
Chapter Twelve
JADE
I found him after lunch—stillriding the aftershock of the fight like it hadn’t cost him anything.
Like it didn’tterrifyme.
"Leo," I hissed, catching his sleeve near the quad’s stone archway, ivy climbing up its cracked marble like it belonged in some old castle instead of a high school. “We need to talk.”
His head tilted. “About what?”
I swallowed. “About the fact that maybe the heat isn’t worth the fire.”
That stopped him.
His eyes flickered. The gold went sharp.
He didn’t say anything. Just grabbed my hand and pulled.
