It All Started With a Diary

one

Instead of hearing anything else, he took the last bits of information, and ran with it. He jerked around towards Kade, his body shaking as he spoke.

Ryland's jaw clenched tight, his eyes twinkling with anger. "Did you tell her about all of those people? About all of your matches? About your shit?" With every word, he grew closer to Kade.

Kade didn't move an inch. He stood his ground, glaring at my brother from his spot against the wall. "She knows everything. Everything. And, if she feels she doesn't, she knows all she has to do is ask me. Your sister knows that I love her more than anyone, and anything in this world. I'll love her for as long as I live, and nothing you cry about will change that."

He was in Kade's face again, his fists clenched tightly on either side of him. Raven was still pulling at his arms, but her words were blurred to him.

"Stop," I shouted to my brother as he shoved Kade against the wall, again.

Ryland shrugged me off, his finger in Kade's face "I've watched you nearly paralyze a man, and you expect me to let you near my sister? To let you even look at her?"

Kade shrugged, blinking at my brother. "I genuinely don't give a fuck what you think you're going to let her and I do. I'm still gonna be hers, and she's still gonna be mine."

His dark eyes jerked up to Ryland's finger. "And, I suggest you get your finger out of my face. I'm trying to be respectful to you, but you're not about to little boy me, so I'm gonna give you a warning for it just in case you've confused me for someone else."

Ryland didn't hesitate. With a harder force than before, his fist was mere inches from Kade's face before the circumstances switched. It was too quick of a motion, but in a matter of seconds, Kade pinned Ryland against the wall, arm bent in an uncomfortable position.

To a strangers' eyes, he appeared quite calm, but from one glance, I could see that he was holding on by a thread. A very thin thread.

His nostrils flared as Ryland winced. "I don't give a fuck about you, Ryland. I don't give a fuck that you still care about your dad liking me more than you. I don't give a fuck about you still being mad that I beat your ass over my brother. I promise you I don't." His eyes jerked up to me before falling back to him. "But, you know what I do care about? Your sister. And, I'm not going to put my hands on you purely for the respect I have for her, but you only got that one lucky hit. One." After that, he shoved himself off of Ryland, stepping back to me.

I exhaled a breath of relief. His brows drew together as he stepped to me, grasping my hand in his.

"Thank you," my words were rushed as I knew how quickly I had to separate the two.

He said nothing, but his nod said it all, his lips in a tight line. I was proud of him, truly, as this could have been a very different result.

I turned toward Raven, who was still in shock. "Can you take my brother to his room really quick? I'll be right back."

She nodded, a small smile lifting her lips, though I could still decipher the surprise. "Yeah, of course—"

But, before anything else could be done, Ryland had regained his energy. Kade was against the wall oncemore, my brother immediately going for the punch.

Raven and I jumped into action to stop the fight. I grabbed Ryland's arm, but he was too quick. His elbow slammed into my nose, sending me back into the table.

The next few seconds were a blur. Kade was calling my name, pushing Ryland, and rushing to me all at once. Raven was hitting Ryland. Ryland was realizing what he did.