“Come on, Creed. That beef between me and Hyde is old news. I don’t give a shit about him or his sister, alright?” He raises both hands in surrender. “I don’t want to fight. How about I stay away from Millie, and we call it a day?”
“Damn right you’ll stay the fuck away from her.”
I shove him into the wall again and his skull cracks against the stone with a dull, satisfying sound. His eyes glaze over and someone decides to help him, a heavy hand landing on my shoulder. I look over, cocking an eyebrow at Mateo.
“Get your hands off me unless you want to be next.”
He lets go, holding up both palms. I turn back to the guy who’ll be strutting around campus with two black eyes and a broken nose after the fight.
“You know the drill, Jasper. You don’t have to show up. You can forfeit. That’s yourchoice, but make no mistake... touch Millie again, and you won’tgeta fucking choice. I’ll break your jaw wherever I find you.”
I let him go, but Mateo slides into my path, playing brave.
“Give him a break, Creed. He didn’t do anything, honestly. She panicked and ran for no fucking reason.”
“Yeah.” Dex nods along. “I have no beef with Ward, man, all respect to him—and you—but the sis isn’t all there.”
I whirl on him, anger gunning through me. “You want to join your buddy in the cage?” I snatch his throat, squeezing hard. “Because I don’t mind fucking you up, too.” I look at Jasper. “You need help again? I hear you can’t even satisfy a girl without backup.”
“Fuck you, Creed,” Jasper spits out.
“No, thanks.”
I look back at pink-faced and panting Dex who’s shaking his head so fast it’s a miracle he doesn’t snap his neck.
“I don’t want any problems, man.”
“Thought so.” I shove him back, adjust my hoodie and shoulder-check everyone who’s in my way.
Turning back the way I came, I spot Dash leaning against the North Wing’s doorway, arms crossed over his chest. He doesn’t say a word, just grins his signature shit-eating grin and falls into step beside me as I navigate the stone pathway, heading for lunch.
“Hyde set you up for that?” he asks.
“Nope.”
“Careful, Creed.” The grin widens, emphasized by a theatrical eyebrow wag. “A person might wonder if maybe you like Mini Ward a little too much.”
And said person would be correct.
Eli. Eli. Eli.
Goddamn it, I need to hear her call me that again.
“Hyde didn’t ask because he knew he didn’t have to,” I say, my boots squelching the damp lawn. “The more guys know to stay away from Millie, the better, don’t you think?”
Dash shrugs, taking me over in three strides to shove the double-winged cafeteria door open. “That depends... are you making a statement for her sake or yours?”
“Hyde’s,” I lie.
I don’t even know why, since Dash sees right through my bullshit. Maybe because Millie’s wreaking havoc in my system and I refuse to verbally admit that I’m ignoring my best friend’s warning and betraying him all in one breath.
“Yeah, right,” Dash muses, cutting the buffet line. “You’re see-through, Creed. I’m surprised Hyde hasn’t noticed.”
So am I.
He’s too busy with babying Millie and glaring at Noah whenever he acts too friendly toward her to pay me any heed. He’d have a hissy fit if he knew I want Millie, too. Asmuch as he respects me, as close as we are, he’d never approve.
Not with my track record of fucking up.
