He pressed himself against her, grunting as he dropped his head to her neck, leaving wet, sloppy kisses along her skin. Finally her muscles obeyed. Min planted her hands on Aidan’s chest and pushed him away as hard as she could. She pushed so hard black dots floated through her vision. She pushed so hard her wrists screamed out in pain.
He lifted his head, his brow furrowed. “What’s your problem?”
“Get off me,” she spat.
“You don’t mean that –”
“Get the fuck off me!” He stumbled a step back, giving her space to breathe, but not nearly enough. “Don’t you ever touch me again.”
“I don’t remember you ever complaining about me touching you,” he said with a lazy smile.
“Hard to complain when you’re not conscious.”
His eyes narrowed. “You always were a bitch.”
She looked up at the sound of skin making contact with skin in a sickening thwack to see Liam in the thrown open doorway to her dressing room, his silhouette limned with light like an avenging angel, his hands balled into fists. Aidan crumpled on the ground, clutching the side of his face and stumbling to his feet.
“What the fuck?” Aidan shouted.
“Get out of here,” Liam said, his voice surprisingly calm but the menace in his tone clear.
A crowd was already gathering outside Min’s dressing room, a few cell phone cameras pointed at the scene unfolding around her. But all she saw was the boy on the floor, slowly getting to his feet. She backed herself into the corner of the room, her hands shaking and her breath coming too quickly, too shallowly.
Liam rushed to her, taking her face in his hands. His eyes darted all over her body, surveying for signs that she was hurt. He tilted her face up to him, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Look at me. I’m here. I’ve got you.”
“Liam?” she said, like she needed to say his name to convince herself he was really there.
She drew a shuddering breath and the tears started streaming down her face, too fast to wipe away. Liam cursed under his breath and pulled her into his arms, cradling her head against his chest and kissing her hair.
“I’ve got you, contessa.”
She clung to him, her hands bunching in his shirt as she tried to match the rhythm of his breathing, each inhale burning in her lungs.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Aidan sneered behind them. “Are you fuckinghim?”
She felt more than heard the silence that swept over the group gathered at her doorway, felt their eyes turn from Aidan to her, wrapped in their professor’s arms. She felt Liam’s body stiffen beneath her hands, and she knew she should let him go. She should step away.
But she just couldn’t. She turned her face into his chest, his shirt wet with her tears, and waited for him to release her. Waited for Liam to deny it.
“Oh, this is too good!” Aidan crowed. “I didn’t know you had it in you, Mel.”
Liam’s arms dropped from around her and she swallowed the sob bubbling up in her throat.
“Put that goddamn phone away,” Liam barked at someone in the crowd, but Min couldn’t see who through the haze of tears.
“You like to pretend like you’re the good girl, but I should have known you’d fuck to get ahead,” Aidan laughed, despite wincing as he touched the place where Liam had hit him, his eye already swelling.
“That’s enough,” Liam growled.
Aidan’s eyes danced. She’d seen that look before. He was getting high off Liam’s anger, his mania growing with each hateful thing he said. “I would have been happy to work something out with you, Mel, to keep those legs spread for me. Would’ve been a fuck ton easier than getting you drunk.”
“Enough!” Liam roared.
She leaned back against the vanity, hiding her face in her hands. She needed Liam. Needed to feel his strength beside her. But he wasn’t touching her anymore, his face a blank mask of fury.
“Let me the fuck in!” she heard Jeff say, pushing his way past the group of on-lookers. She heard the impact of Aidan’s body being shoved against the wall, heard Jeff spitting curses at him.
“All good, bro,” Aidan said, his hands up in a placating gesture. “I was just leaving.” Jeff released him, standing between her and Aidan as the tenor staggered towards the door. “I have some calls to make,” he said over his shoulder.
