right person, wrong time.

nice hit

Chapter Twenty

Jo

Laurie spat blood onto the barn floor, rubbing his jaw where Friedrich's punch had landed. A quiet chuckle escaped him, the corner of his mouth lifting into a half-smirk. He didn't look particularly worried. If anything, he seemed to enjoy it.

"Nice hit," Laurie muttered, his voice low, almost amused.

Friedrich's chest heaved as he glared at Laurie, his fists clenched at his sides, daring him to provoke him further. The air was thick with tension, a palpable mixture of anger and challenge.

"Care for another?" Laurie taunted, his voice low and playful. "Come on, let's even things out with a complimentary mark on the other side." His smirk widened, the bravado in his expression betraying the seriousness of the situation.

Friedrich's jaw tightened, and I could see the inner battle he was waging—whether to back down or to unleash his fury.

Laurie stepped closer, unfazed, an undeniable spark of mischief in his eyes. "What's the matter, Friedrich? Afraid of a little friendly competition?"

Friedrich's nostrils flared, his anger unmistakable, but there was something deeper flickering in his gaze—an uncertainty that momentarily broke through the surface.

I watched them both, my heart pounding in my chest. Laurie had a knack for this—he knew exactly how to get under people's skin, letting his words inflict as much damage as his fists ever could. Friedrich, on the other hand, was too proud and too worked up to back down, the fire in his eyes blazing with indignation.

"As if this is even a competition," Laurie scoffed, his smirk widening.

"Besides, I've had tougher hugs from my grandmother. Sweet Bess, you know she's just turned 70 and she's still throwing me around like a ragdoll. I tell her, 'Gran, if you don't knock it off, I'm going to need a a splint for my arm!'"

He paused, eyes scanning the barn for a reaction, clearly hoping for someone to bite. "You'd think at her age, she'd give me a break, right?"

I rolled my eyes, barely able to suppress a groan. This is not the time to be cracking jokes Laurence.

I could almost feel the anticipation of the next punch hanging in the air. Just as I braced myself for the chaos to unfold, the door of the barn burst open.

Meg and Amy rushed in, wide-eyed, taking in the sight of blood and bruises. "What on earth is going on?" Meg's voice was sharp, and the sternness of it immediately broke the tension.

Amy pushed past her, grabbing Laurie's arm. "Laurie, stop this at once!"

Friedrich stepped back, still breathing heavily. His eyes shot to mine, and I could see the frustration simmering beneath the surface. "Jo, are you going to say anything?"

I opened my mouth, but Meg cut in. "Enough." She snapped. "Everyone, enough. We're not doing this. Not here."

Laurie glanced at Amy, his expression softening slightly as he let her pull him away from the fight. "You really had to bring an audience?"

Amy shot him a glare. "What's wrong with you? You're too old to be brawling like some schoolboy."

Laurie shrugged, not bothering to defend himself, but the cocky glint in his eye hadn't quite faded. "He started it."

Meg wasn't having any of it. "You're both acting like children. We're going to sort this out properly."

"And how exactly are we supposed to do that?" Laurie asked, raising an eyebrow.