A Story for Another Day

Chapter Four

"Lex, can I talk to you."

Adam wrapped his hand around my arm. It was cold, so unlike Luke's warm hand.

"Go away Adam. I don't want to talk to you." I slurred and tried to walk away. But even him being as drunk as I was, or more so, he was stronger.

"Hands off her, Quintan." Luke's voice came out of nowhere.

"Back off Kings, she's not your girl." Adam didn't look away from me. I was honestly scared silly, but I was more angry than scared.

"Last time I checked, I wasn't yours either, ass." I yanked my arm away from Adam and walked over to Luke. I put my hands on his shoulders and stood up in my tippy toes. He wrapped his arm, low, around my waist and picked me up so I actually reached his ear.

"Take me home, please." I whispered, my lips grazing his ear. Adam was absolutely seething.

"Hey, Kings, she is mine. Give it up. You can't have my sloppy seconds." Adam sneered. Luke stiffened and removed his arm from my waist.

"Firstly, I'm not your sloppy seconds, and second, I'm not your property and you don't choose who I hang out with and who talks to me. You lost that privilege when you walked away." I spat at him. My chest was heaving and I wanted to throw up from the tension I could practically taste in the air. I pressed my forehead into Luke's shoulder and his arm snaked around my waist again.

"Consider this me maybe walking back." He looked totally serious. No... way... Julie walked into the front of the crowd and made her way over to me, but I stopped her with a look. I shook my head side to side in disapproval, and then I mouthed 'later' .

"You're a fool, Mr. Quintan" Luke smoothly pushed me behind him in a movement so subtle and graceful that Adam didn't even notice till he couldn't see my eyes anymore. "Pick your battles wisely Adam, and finish what you start."

"The only thing I started and left unfinished is her, and I intend to finish it tonight." Mischief clouded his eyes and I whimpered. I don't want to be finished; I just want to be in sweats back home with a tube of ice cream.

"Wrong battle," Luke said quiet enough that only Adam and I could hear before he lunged. I watched as Luke tackled Adam to the ground and take one punch. That's all it took before the light in Adam's eyes left and his shoulders slumped to the floor. Two of Adam's friends advanced toward Luke, but Luke's friend, and line backer on the football team, Sam, grabbed one by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the wall. I reefed the other one back by the elbow as hard as I could. He turned and snarled before he threw his elbow into my face, clipping me under the eye and across the nose. The force of the hit threw my head to the side, my body following after it. After the sound of my body hitting the floor caught people's attention, someone gripped me by the shoulder and pulled me off the ground.

"Boo-hoo you got hit; that doesn't make you the victim here," Mandy spat in my face. She had tears in her eyes, no doubt from seeing Adam lose in a fight so quickly. Oh-no, her poor reputation. Sucks to be her.

"Let go of me, and you're no damsel in distress either." I snarled back. I pushed her away from me and pulled Luke off the floor and away from punching another one of Adams friends. He whipped around; his hand rose in a fist, but he dropped it when he saw it was me. He looked at his hand and back to me.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered. I twitched the corners of my lips in a small smile, and I gently squeezed his hand. He gripped it like a life line and pulled me towards the door.

"Lex? Lex! Where are you go..." Julie froze mid-step and looked straight at Luke. Her eyes were filled with surprise, then confusion, then fury. "Hurt her Kings and I'll kill you myself." She jutted her chin out, then side stepped out of the door frame. Luke nodded and continued to pull me forward. She gently squeezed my shoulder as we walked past. "Text me," She whispered. I nodded and continued to the car.