Before You

Chapter Twenty Seven.

"Hunter!" I screamed as I shoved and elbowed to get through the crowd that was forming around the two brawling guys. Aaron got one good hit in on Hunter's strong jaw, but he hardly flinched for a second before he was back grabbing at Aaron's neck.

Hunter's face was red and the veins in his neck were bulging as he yelled over Aaron. "You no good son of a bitch!" He slammed Aaron in the nose. "Did you ever even actually give a shit about her?"

"Get off of him!" I cried out as I broke out of the crowd and flung myself onto Hunter's back, pulling at his shoulders to get him off of Aaron. "Please, stop!"

Finally Hunter released Aaron, falling back with me on the floor while Aaron rolled to his side and spat out blood onto the hardwoods. "What the fuck?" He gasped, his voice hoarse.

Even with all of the people gathered around us, and the music still playing, it was almost quiet in the room as everyone was waiting to hear why two friends had just come to beating the hell out of each other. I looked to my side and noticed I was still holding onto Hunter's arm and I jerked away from him, pushing to stand up and look down on the two of them.

"What is going on?" I whispered to him, feeling everyone else's eyes on me. My heart was rocketing faster and faster and I knew my face was probably blood red too.

Aaron was glaring back and forth between Hunter and I as he stood too, trying to wipe the blood away from his face, but it was still pouring from his nose. Hunter sighed, rolling to his side to stand. He took my arm, pulling me to him gently and leaning into my ear. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "He's using you..." He was trying to explain, but Aaron jerked me back from Hunter, which only made Hunter's face turn menacing again and I could tell he wanted nothing more than to punch Aaron again.

"Get your own girlfriend!" Aaron snapped at him. "She's mine."

"Oh really?" Hunter replied, the distance between them closing, both of them chest to chest again. I looked around expecting someone else, like any of the tons of guys standing around doing nothing but watching, to jump in and pull them apart. No one made any moves though and it was left to me to break them up again.

I pushed my body between them, shoving them both back from each other.

"Let's go talk somewhere more private." I tried to urge them, but the hate in their eyes was too much to be ignored.

"No, let's talk here." Aaron snapped at me, then turned his eyes back to Hunter. "You missed your chance. Get the fuck out of my house." He snarled.

Hunter crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. "I'd be happy to go just as soon as you tell her the truth."

"What fucking truth?" He growled, the annoyance rolling off of him.

Hunter shook his head, holding his arms so tightly that his knuckles were stark white. "I had an interesting conversation with some of your friends." He said lowly. "I think Tayler would be just as interested in what they told me."

"Fuck you, Quaid." Aaron laughed angrily. "You've got no room to be so judgy, man. Like I don't know the way you've talked about girls before. It's just fucking talk."

Hunter gritted his teeth. Whatever was going on with them he was definitely on the edge of losing it again. I had to fight back the pull in me that wanted to go to him and calm him down. It should have been Aaron that I wanted to comfort, yet the thought didn't even occur to me.

Hunter spun fast, lowering his face to mine. "He's been bragging to his friends that he's finally going to screw you." He whispered angrily, his voice shaking a little. "He's been making jokes about your...your virginity and how he's going to take it. His little friends are just itching to hear all about it."