Guilt set in a split-second later. My mom had always taught me to sort out issues with words, not violence. I should’ve just turned and walked away from this sleazy prick, not hit him.
That sense of regret instantly vanished when he reached out and shoved me in response to the slap, sending me stumblingbackward. My left shoulder blade slammed into the building, and I gasped as pain radiated down my back.
“Stupid bitch,” Kane hissed, stepping closer. “If your sister was anything like you, then it’s no wonder someone pushed her off that fucking tower.”
I winced, pain ricocheting through me again as I tried to straighten up and escape, but I was trapped, Kane blocking my path forward.
Panic clawed at my throat. This was bad. Really bad. I opened my mouth to scream, to do something, anything—
A figure materialized out of the shadows behind Kane so suddenly it was like he'd stepped out of thin air.
Before I could process what was happening, a fist connected with the side of Kane's head with a sickening crack. His eyes rolled back, and he crumpled like a puppet with snipped strings, hitting the asphalt with a dull thud.
I stared open-mouthed at Kane's unconscious form sprawled on the ground, then slowly lifted my gaze to the man standing over him.
Julian.
He stood there in jeans and a black jacket, chest rising and falling with controlled breaths, his hand still curled into a fist. The overhead light caught the sharp angles of his face, casting half of it in shadow. His eyes—those cold, calculating eyes I'd seen watching me across campus so many times—were fixed on Kane with an expression that made my blood run cold.
“Are you hurt?” he asked, finally looking up at me.
I tried to speak, but my voice came out as barely a whisper. “I… where did you…”
“Are. You.Hurt.” Each word was clipped, and the intensity in them made me take an involuntary step back, which only reminded me of the brick wall at my spine.
“Um… my shoulder hurts a little,” I said, one hand reaching back to touch where I'd hit the wall. “But I... I'm okay.”
Julian's jaw tightened, and his gaze dropped to Kane again. For a moment, I thought he might kick him while he was down. Instead, he took a slow breath and stepped back, giving his unconscious body a wide berth as he moved closer to me.
“It shouldn’t have taken so long for me to get here,” he said. “That won’t happen again.”
I frowned. He made it sound like he was expected to arrive on the scene.
“I was waiting for a friend over there,” he went on, motioning toward a row of cars. “I saw you walking over here with Kane and noticed things were tense, so I headed over. But I didn’t get here in time to stop him from shoving you. I should’ve been faster.”
“It’s okay. It’s not like you knew he was going to attack me,” I said. “And, uh… I guess I shouldn’t have slapped him, because that totally provoked him.”
“Don’t do that,” Julian said, face hardening. “Don’t feel bad. He deserved it. Just like he deserved that punch.”
“Um… yeah,” I murmured, recalling Kane’s disgusting comments. “I guess he did.”
Julian pulled his keys out of his jacket. “I’ll take you back to your dorm.”
“Thanks for the offer, but my car is right there,” I said, pointing to my left.
His eyes narrowed. “I’m not letting you drive after what just happened to you. You’re shaking too much,” he said, shoving his keys back in his pocket. “I’ll drive your car back for you. Give me your keys.”
My brows rose. “Did you just say you won’tletme drive?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I said.” He held out his empty palm. “Keys. Now.”
“What about your car?”
“I’ll walk back here and get it later.”
The finality in his tone and the unwavering look in his eyes told me he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, but every instinct told me I should say no anyway. He was part of the Dionysus Club, and he'd somehow been in the exact same place as me tonight; had appeared out of nowhere like he'd been watching, waiting.
But he'd also saved me. And somehow, that was enough to make me believe that he actually intended to take me home tonight. Nothing more, nothing less.
