Mia Hill. College bound with an athletic scholarship. A go-getter with big dreams and a fully thought out plan to make sure they come true.
But with her father's release from prison looming and the inevitable stresses of adulting, everything she wa...
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Well, this night has taken an interesting turn.
June's drunk as hell and just narrowly avoided a potentially traumatic situation with Shithead Porter. And Mia's hand is currently on fire because she decked the guy.
I mean, what in the actual fuck just happened?
As Dean scurries off into the bathroom to lick his wounds, my urge to follow him is strong. Kick him around a little more, maybe break his jaw since his nose is already taken care of. But my need to get June out of here and tend to Mia's hand is stronger.
Not to mention, we don't need any more violence tonight. My dad always taught me that, while sometimes needed, too much is a bad thing. Use only what's necessary, when it's absolutely necessary. And the blonde badbass beside me has filled that quota just fine.
I don't think breaking Dean's jaw will hurt as much as the hit he just took to his pride.
"Are you okay?" I ask Mia, breaking through the maddening silence left in the room once he's gone.
She nods, but when she looks up at me, there's a million shades of emotion on her face. Mostly shock and anger, but she's also a bit watery in the eyes, cradling her right hand. Fuck.
I feel for her. That immediate burst of pain hurts like a bitch. And once her adrenaline wears off, it's gonna hurt even more.
"Of course she's okay," June mumbles in my arms. "She's a badass. I love her."
My eyes shoot down to my cousin. "June, are you okay? What the hell happened here?"
"Nothing. I'm fine," she whispers, her hand coming up to wipe haphazardly at her eyes, her mouth. She makes a sniffling sound and her head drops onto my shoulder. "Are my feet still attached? I can't feel them."
Mia and I exchange a look. This is a drunk ramble we've heard before, but the air in the room and defeat on June's face makes everything feel different, tighter. Really fucking uncomfortable.
"She can't walk out of here," Mia sighs.
"Yep," I adjust June in my arms, tipping my chin toward the door. "Let's go."
She walks ahead of me, leading the way down the stairs. The party sounds are muted all around me, and I feel like I'm in a daze navigating through the people and the noise, trying to make sense of everything. Trying to forget the image of how we just found June upstairs, what could have happened if we didn't find her in time.
I want to fucking kill Dean Porter right now.
As we work our way through the crowd, I hear Brandon's voice shouting at me over the music.
"Gray!" His eyes go wide when they land on June, who's now passed out in my arms, Mia looking spooked beside me. "What the fuck happened? Is everyone good?"
