Reese presses his lips to my hair. “You want in on this, love?”

Demi Lovato’s “Really Don’t Care” begins blaring overheard, and I put my glass down and shimmy out of his grasp. “Nope!” I yell over the music, moving toward the dance floor. I connect with him from the other side of the table. “But if I were, I’d be betting against you, handsome.” I grab Joey by the shirt and pull Juls off Ian’s lap. I wave over Brooke and the four of us move into the crowd of people on the dance floor.

The guys stay at the table, watching, amused as we all twirl around each other and sing at the top of our lungs. I keep meeting Reese’s eyes, motioning for him to join me, but he stays put and occasionally shakes his head in disapproval when I begin dancing way more flirtatiously than I did today in the shop. Billy joins us after a few songs and takes turns dancing with all four of us, giving Joey extra attention. The dance floor is mobbed and we get moved farther and farther away from the table when more people try to pack in. Juls motions she needs a drink after a while, and I do, too. I’m sweaty and definitely parched, but I need to use the restroom first.

“I’ll be right there!” I yell over the music, seeing all four of them indicate they’ve heard me as they walk back toward the guys.

I push my way through the crowd toward the back hallway which leads to the bathrooms. There are entirely too many people in the bar tonight. There must be some sort of crowd cap that is definitely being ignored. But as long as there isn’t a line for the ladies room, I’m fine with the mob.

I follow a group of girls into the women’s room, who luckily only want to check out their makeup situation, leaving me an empty stall. Once I’m finished, I wash my hands and clean up my face a bit, forgetting all about the tears I shed earlier and what it ended up doing to my eye makeup. But luckily, it’s so dark in the bar I doubt anyone noticed. Once I’m satisfied with my appearance and so thirsty I contemplate drinking straight from the tap, I exit the bathroom.

I’m stopped by a hand on my upper arm, big enough to wrap around my bicep. It tightens and pulls me out of the bathroom doorway while another hand grabs my hip, pinning me against the wall. Everything happens so quickly, I don’t have time to register any of it. The hard body is pressing against me, preventing me from moving and keeping me boxed in. I look up at a man invading my space and meet those eerie yellow eyes I never thought I’d see again.

“Get the hell…”

My words are cut off when his hand covers my mouth, He moves closer, flattening his body against mine. I clench every muscle as I try to squirm from his hold. I know the hallway is packed with people, but the way Bryce is pressing against me and given his size compared to mine and his ability to shield me completely, it probably looks like two people making out. I try to shake my head to remove his hand but he stays with me. He pins my arms together in front of me when I try to push him away. Panic sets in. Blood fills my ears and I want to scream, but I can’t.

And then he leans in and I squeeze my eyes shut. I don’t know what he’s about to do. I don’t know if he’s just going to run his mouth like usual. Given the fact he probably knows he’s going to prison, I’m thinking he isn’t going to hold anything back.

“Hey, baby. Miss me?”

I gag at the alcohol and cigarette cocktail filling my nasal cavity with each word he spews. It’s nauseating, as is everything about this guy. I feel his nose rub against my forehead and hear him inhale.

“Your bastard boyfriend messed with the wrong guy. And he was really fucking stupid to let you out of his sight.”

“I didn’t.”

Reese’s voice and the closeness of it has me shooting my eyes open. He’s over Bryce’s shoulder, grabbing him and pulling him off me before he slams him against the other wall. Bryce protests with flailing limbs and some incoherent words which are broken apart when Reese punches him in the jaw. Repeatedly. His arm flies back, fist clenched, and he delivers blow after blow while his other hand pins Bryce in place. Blood starts pouring from Bryce’s nose and mouth, and that creepy grin of his is nowhere in sight.

“Fight!” someone yells.

I’m glued to the wall, unable to move as I watch the crowd form around us, which includes our group of friends. Juls and Brooke both gasp, covering their mouths as they watch Reese pummel this loser, while the guys all react differently.

Billy pulls his phone out of his pocket and quickly dials what I assume to be the police.

Ian pushes his way back toward the bar, yelling over the commotion for someone to get security.

And Joey comes straight over to me. “Are you okay?” he asks, alarm in his voice.

I nod my response, keeping my eyes on Reese. No one stops him and I know someone has to. He could kill this prick.

He should kill him.

Just when I’m about to open my mouth, Reese grabs Bryce by his shirt and drags him off the wall, moving across the hallway to where I’m standing. Juls and Brooke both dart out of the way and Joey flanks my side. Bryce looks like shit run over. His nose has to be broken by the looks of it, his left eye is swollen shut, and he seems to be having trouble standing.

Aww. Poor baby.

Reese holds him up in front of me. “You see her? Do you?” Bryce moans. “Fucking look at her, you piece of shit!” Bryce peeks his good eye open while the blood pours from his nose. “Get a good fucking look, because this is the last one you’re ever going to get. If you so much as think about her again, I will hunt your ass down and fucking kill you. Do you hear me?” Bryce moans again as Ian comes rushing back over to the group.

“All right. Cops are here. I don’t know where the fuck security is, but it looks like you don’t need them.” He looks at Juls and then at me. “You okay?”

“Yes,” we both answer.

“Dylan,” Reese says, gaining my attention. “If you want to hit him, you better do it now.”

He holds Bryce by his shirt in front of me and I step closer, tilting my head down so his one eye focuses on me. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a really long time.” I bring my hand back and strike him hard across the face, the loud cracking sound filling the hallway.

“Damn!” someone yells through a laugh.

I smile at the crowd. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this satisfied with slapping someone before.

Brooke steps up next to me. “Ooo! Can we all take turns? I want a go at him.”

Just then, Billy pushes through the crowd, signaling for the police to follow him. “Oh, damn it,” Brooke utters, moving back and falling in next to Joey. One officer grabs Bryce from Reese and moves him away from the group while the other walks over to us.

“Someone want to tell me what happened here?” the officer asks, looking at each of us.

I give him the rundown of the situation, making sure to point out that this isn’t the first time Bryce put his hands on me. I tell the cop about the time in the elevator and mention he’s kind of been stalking me, using the flower on my van as an example. When I get a stern look from Reese, I realize I forgot to tell him about that and mouth “I’m sorry”, seeing his face soften instantly. Reese tells the officer about the investigation on Bryce and how he thought he should’ve been arrested by now. The officer tells us they have been looking for him, but he hasn’t been at his condo and also hasn’t shown up to work for the past two days. But now that they have him, he’ll be in custody until his trial. After everyone gives their statements about what they saw happen, we are told we can leave.