When we don't know who to turn to, sometimes we turn to the ones we least expect.
Luke Salazar is a senior at Bay High School, and he's been pushed, shoved, and shut out for most of his life. Miles Jefferson has been the ringleader of a lot of that...
He laughed, and then his face contorted a bit. "Ugh," he groaned.
"What?"
"I really have to pee," he said, and I furrowed my brow.
"Okay? So... go," I said.
"I can't leave you here," he said protectively.
I scoffed. "Please... I'm a big girl. I'll be fine. I'll wait right over here for you," I said, gesturing toward a tall round table in the middle of the floor.
He narrowed his eyes, looking around. "All right. I'll be right back," he said, kissing me on the cheek lightly.
"Okay babe," I said, making my way to the table I had spotted, leaning against it.
I watched as he walked away. Damn, his ass is so fine.
I stood there looking around, wishing I had a drink or something to busy my hands with. I left my phone in the Jeep so I wouldn't have to carry a purse.
Miles had only been gone for three minutes or so when I felt hands slide around my waist.
Figuring it was Miles or Brooke, I turned around, grinning. "Hey b—"
It wasn't Brooke. And it definitely wasn't Miles. I was staring into the face of a stranger – a short, scraggly guy that couldn't have been younger than 21.
"Um, excuse me," I said, stepping backward but only bumping into the table.
He laughed darkly. "No excuse necessary, sexy," he said, pressing against me.
My heart thumped wildly. Where is Miles? "Please, leave me alone," I said loudly, attempting to push away from him, but he was stronger than he looked. His grip on my waist tightened.
"What's wrong, baby... is your frat-daddy boyfriend going to be mad?" he breathed against my neck, the place where Miles can give me chills every time. This guy was just making me want to vomit.
At that moment, I heard Miles roar from behind me, "Get the fuck off of her, you son of a bitch!"
The guy held fast to my waist. "What are you gonna do, hit me with your Daddy's money?" he mocked scornfully. When I looked over my shoulder at Miles in horror, he reached me in two strides, pulling me behind him, then punching this guy right in the face.
"Oh my God, Miles!" I yelled.
The guy tried to punch Miles back, but Miles was too quick. He took the guy down to the ground, beating the shit out of him.
"Miles!" I screamed. "Please stop!" I tried to pull him off of the guy, but he wouldn't listen.
A security guard came over and pulled them apart, both guys still swinging at each other. The guy had a bloody nose and busted lip, and Miles didn't have a scratch on him, except for his bloody knuckles.
"Both of you, out!" the guard shouted, pulling them both through the crowd by their elbows. I followed them out, completely humiliated.
Once we were outside, the guy disappeared, probably not wanting to risk the sexual harassment charge I'd put on him if the cops were called.
Miles stepped toward me. "Are you all right?" he asked.
I stepped back from him, and his face crumpled.
"Rachel," he said, stepping toward me.
I held up my hand. "No... Miles. You just scared the shit out of me. What the hell was that?"
He looked indignant. "He had his hands all over you, what did you want me to do? Just let him feel you up right in front of me?" he asked, enraged. At that moment, Luke and Brooke ran up behind us, obviously having heard the commotion and following us out.
"No, of course not, but I was taking care of it! Yelling at him would've been enough! But no... you had to fucking start a bar fight!" I said, sticking my hand out toward the club.
"Rachel – I -" he started.
I shook my head. "No. You just did the exact same thing to that guy that..." I didn't have to finish the sentence; he knew what I was going to say.
He had acted like his father.
I turned away from him and started walking behind the club toward the beach, all three of them shouting after me.
Miles
"Fuck," I said, kicking the gravel in the parking lot.
Luke put his hand on my shoulder but I shook it off.
"I have to go after her," I said, but Brooke grabbed my elbow.
"Leave her be for a minute, Miles. She's just going to sit by the beach, I already know," she said.
I sighed. "Fine... God, I am such an idiot," I said, massaging my bruising knuckles.
Luke shook his head. "Nah... I saw what happened – I was trying to make my way over there, but you got there first. That guy was a fucking creep. He deserved what he got," he said, and I felt a little better.
"But you heard her... I reminded her of my father. That's the most horrifying thing I've ever heard," I said, shuddering.
"Hey, she didn't mean that... she was just scared," Brooke said, putting her hand on my shoulder.
I sighed and sat down on the curb, Luke and Brooke flanking either side of me.
"How long do I need to wait?" I asked after a few moments, looking longingly at the beach.
Brooke laughed. "Go on," she said, shoving me up.
I ran off toward the beach, not looking back.
When I reached the sand, I saw Rachel immediately; she was laying on a wooden chair near the surf, her red high heels dangling in her fingers, her bare legs crossed. One arm was covering her face, and I knew immediately that she was crying. My heart sank.
I came up behind her and sank down on my knees in the sand next to her, putting my hand cautiously on her knee. She didn't flinch, thank God, but she didn't look at me either.
"Rachel... baby," I said, my voice thick.
She turned her head slowly to look at me, tears falling from her eyes. "What, Miles?"
I put my hand on her cheek, wiping her tears. "I'm so sorry, Rachel. I lost my temper, and I was wrong. Please. That's the first time I've ever hit anyone, I swear. And it will be my last... you have to believe me. Seeing that guy with his hands on your... the thought of him hurting you just killed me," I said, putting my hand on the back of her neck gently.
Her grey eyes bore into mine, searching them for any sign of dishonesty. I guess she didn't find any because she sat up and put her legs on either side of my body.
"You scared me, Miles. I don't ever want to see you like that again," she murmured, pressing her forehead against mine.
"You won't. The—" My voice broke then. "The thought of losing you is horrifying, paralyzing," I croaked.
Her face paled. "Oh, Miles... you're not losing me," she said, hugging me tightly around my neck. "I love you," she whispered in my ear.
I breathed deeply again for the first time in the last 15 minutes. "I love you too," I said, burying my face in her neck.
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