Before I could pushmy way to the front—stupidly thinking that I could help—a crowd formed around the cars.A heavy thud echoed over the noise, and my stomach twisted.If he hurt Rush, then he would have another thing coming …
I elbowed people recording the fight and slipped between bodies in an attempt to get a better view.The crowd roared in excitement as another thud rumbled through the night.I shoved the last tall person out of the way and stood three people deep from the fight to catch Rush stumbling back and wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.
His opponent stormed toward him, hurling his fist at Rush.Rush stepped back and slammed his fist into the guy’s jaw, immediately sending him to the ground.My eyes widened, and adrenaline exploded through my body.
Rush hadn’t even hesitated.
As the guy tried to stand, spitting some vile words at Rush that I couldn’t hear over the noise, Rush slammed him back onto the ground, straddled his waist from behind, and bashed his head into the concrete.
Oh my God.
Where has this Rush come from?!I had never seen him like this before.
All that thick muscle, covered in sweat, pounding his opponent into the ground over and over and over again.I pressed my thighs together and sucked in a sharp breath, desperately trying to push the thought away because … I couldn’t be thinking this now.
When another guy stepped in and grabbed the back of Rush’s shirt, Frasier was suddenly in the fight, hurling the guy off Rush and shoving him backward.Frasier didn’t seem like the type to fight, but he would protect his friends.
In a moment, the fight turned into a brutal, messy brawl between the two sides.
“Aw,that’s cute,” the pretty blonde girl said in front of me.“Frasier is up there.”
Frasier?They knew Frasier?They don’t go to our school.
Her friend stood on her toes.“Where?With Rush?”
“Yeah.You know that he brought a girl here to make me jealous?”She giggled, holding on to her friend to steady herself, as if it were the funniest thing in the entire world.“She’s not even that pretty either.”
My chest tightened, and I dropped my gaze to the ground, fingers tugging on the insides of my sleeves.I mean, I knew that I wasn’t Frasier’s usual cheerleader, pageant-queen type, but I didn’t think I lookedthatbad.Had he really brought me here to make someone else jealous?
I didn’t think so because we’d had such a nice date earlier, but …
The more they giggled, the tighter my insides squeezed in on themselves.Tears filled my eyes, and I wrapped my arms around my stomach to make myself smaller, hoping that they didn’t see me right behind them.
“I can’t believe he thought he’d make you jealous withher.”The friend laughed.
I shuffled back a few steps, tears heavy in my eyes, and slammed into someone’s hard chest.In a hurry to get out of there, I turned around and brushed past him.When he grabbed my arm, I hazily looked up at him.
“We need to get you out of here,” Calix said, his hands finding my waist as he guided me through the rowdy crowd toward the back alleyway where Rush had taken me earlier tonight.“Things are about to get bad.”
I dug my heels into the ground and stopped, not turning around to face him again.The tears were about to fall, and I didn’t even know why.From the very beginning, Frasier had known that I was using him.I should’ve known he was doing the same with me.
Why am I so stupid?!
“Where’s your girlfriend?”I asked.“Why don’t you get her out of here instead?”
Calix tightened his grip on my hips and pushed me forward.“We don’t have time for this, Astrid.Move.”
“No.”
Once Calix released me, I crossed my arms and glared at the ground.Was it really that easy to get him to go away?Do any of these guys actually like me, or are they all using me?Of course, they are using?—
Suddenly, Calix picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder as if I weighed nothing.
I yelped in surprise and punched his back.“Let me down from here!I want to go home.I’m tired of hanging out with you guys!”
Instead of responding, Calix continued to push through the crowd with a tight grip on me.I punched him harder and kicked my legs back and forth, realizing that no matter how hard I tried, I wouldn’t be able to escape his grip.
“Calix!”I shouted when we reached the alleyway.“Let me down!”
