Stay with me?The guy who’d bolted last night after having sex with me?
The same guy who’d protected me and looked at me with so much warmth, like he’d slay every dragon that came my way? My throat tightened, and I knew my feelings were past the point of no return.
He traced his thumb over my bottom lip and left me there, but not without glancing back at me with a soft smile that had my heart skipping a beat.
CHAPTER
TWENTY
Cal
Ideserved a fucking award. My insides burned with the need to track down Todd Farmington and beat the shit out of him. He’d touched Elle. He put his greasy hands on her arm after she said no. What a piece of shit. Hours had gone by, and I still couldn’t get the image out of my head—his hand on her skin, the fear in her eyes, the silence of the bar watching it happen.
I’d snapped.
My right knuckles hurt, but I’d come out ahead in that fight. Todd had fallen to the ground, already drunk, and then chaos started.
“You alright, kid?” Charlie put a hand on my shoulder and waited until I looked at him. I shrugged.
“I’m not mad at you, for what it’s worth.” He squeezed before letting go. “I see guilt written on your face, but from what it sounds like, you were defending Elle.”
“Hetouchedher without permission.”
“Yeah, he deserved it.”
“I’m not sorry about hitting him.” I knew I’d have to deal with Coach Simpson and my agent, and hell even the Philly team’s PR people would need a quote. The weight of everything should’ve had me freaking out, panicking.
I only felt anger.
“Wasn’t asking for an apology.”
I sighed, finally understanding Charlie wasn’t about to yell at me for causing a scene at his bar. I quickly checked on Elle, who rested her head on her wrist as she sat on the bench. Her gaze was unfocused, and my stomach boiled. She was shaken up, and I needed to comfort her. “I do regret letting them in. Something felt off, but I didn’t take action.”
“You couldn’t have stopped patrons in on your own. Not twenty of them. It might be time I hire security for the weekends.” Charlie exhaled. “Believe it or not, this isn’t the first nor the last bar fight I’ve had.”
“No lie?”
“I’ll tell you about the others sometime. I gotta head back to Lizzie though. My neighbor is there, and I don’t want Lizzie worried if she wakes up and I’m gone.”
“Sure.” I waited for him to move, but he just stared at the bar, then Elle.
“I’m glad you stood up for her. She can clearly handle herself, but fuck that guy.”
My lips quirked, and Charlie headed toward his car. Red and blue police lights lit up the street as people gawked at the scene. It had been a few hours already, but cops lingered, getting statements. I’d given mine, and I’d deal with it if that guy pressed charges. For now? I wanted to be with Elle.
I put my hands in my pockets as I neared her, resisting the urge to hold her tight against me. My mind kept replaying the start of the fight, the fear in her eyes. I’d needed to get her to safety. And then when someone threw an entire bottle of tequilaat the office door, my stomach had just about fallen through my body.
Her brown eyes softened at my approach. “Charlie furious?”
“Surprisingly, no. He almost seemed amused? I couldn’t tell.” I rocked back on my heels and held out a hand. “Want to head back?”
“Yeah.” She stood, her legs shaky, and I pulled her under my arm. She rested her head there, and god, she felt good. “My body is still trembling.”
“Mine too. The adrenaline can take a bit to wear off, then we’ll crash.” I hadn’t fought a lot in the past but enough scuffles to know the process. Alex stayed talking to Gregg, giving me a nod as we headed toward our building.
So many injuries, so much damage. We’d all agreed to let it sit tonight, and tomorrow, after good sleep, we’d go back in. It’d be a shit show, but with four of us working together, it wouldn’t take long.
My main concern was Elle and maybe my own need to make sure she was all right. People called her Sunshine and Barbie for a good reason. She was upbeat and maybe a little sheltered, so tonight had been a totally different world. My throat felt too dry as we walked inside. “Your place or mine?”
