Then he wheeled around to face me. “What thefuck, Hawthorne?”
Blood dribbled from the side of his mouth. He swiped it away with his fist before pushing off the counter to get in my face. Drawing back his arm to swing at me, he moved too late.
Already charging toward him, I rammed my left fist into his gut. His body caved over my punch, forcing us closer. He wheezed, spraying blood over my shoulder, and a girl shrieked in disgust.
I didn’t let him fold against me. I shoved him away.
But even in a heap on the floor, rage flared in his eyes, and he missed what I saw coming out of the corner of mine.
Resting back on my heels, I smirked down at the douche-canoe as he scrambled to his feet. As soon as he was upright, he charged at me.
And he met a brick wall in the form of oneenragedtwin brother.
“What the fuck did you say about my sister?”
Travis bounced off Adam’s chest and stumbled back.
But Adam just stalked closer, radiating fury.
With his spine ramrod straight and fists clenched at his sides, I took in theoh fucklook on everyone’s faces around us. Everyone thought I was the intimidating one in our trio, while Adam was the quieter, gentle giant. But his reaction didn’t surprise me at all.
My best friend was unflappable in most situations that required a response.
But he went from detached to deadly if someone fucked with Addie.
Sure I’d face him like a man if it ever came down to it, taking whatever he threw at me, I’d vowed never to be on the receiving end of that rage.
So, I did nothing to hide the shit-eating grin on my face when Travis looked from Adam to me, as if I might help him out.
Big mistake.
Adam’s voice cracked like a whip through the sudden quiet.
“Don’t you fucking look at him. Look at me.” Every eye in the party stared as Adam towered over the cowering linebacker and stepped on his chest. “I asked you a question.”
“I-I was just fucking with Blake,” Travis whimpered, and I smirked as Adam shifted his weight forward, ever so slightly. “I meant nothing by it. I swear!”
I sauntered over, glaring at the sniveling prick who messed with the wrong girl. Leaning down, I fisted the collar of Travis’s polo and got right in his face.
“If we ever hear you’ve gone within five feet of her, I’ll introduce my fist to your ass.” I jerked him forward, bringing us nose to nose. “And I do mean that, literally.”
When I released him, his head ricocheted off the tile floor. I wiped my hands on his shirt before returning to full height. As Iturned away, a sharp grunt of pain confirmed Adam had stepped off his chest to join me.
I faced the dance floor, locking eyes with Addie Barrow, right as her razor-sharp gaze narrowed on both of us.
No longer swaying to the music, she stood eerily still. With her arms crossed over her chest and her body rigid, she didn’t flinch as partygoers around her kept dancing.
She marched off the dance floor, heading straight for the front door.
Adam, reverting to his Bruce Banner alter ego, shot me a wary glance. I shrugged, as confused by her reaction and sudden exit as he was. But we followed her either way.
As soon as we stepped outside, she whirled on us. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Adam and I froze. We faced off with Addie at the top of the porch steps, saying nothing.
She jabbed her finger into our chests. “Is it too much to ask for one night without having to worry about what you two are getting into?” Spinning on her heel, she stomped down the porch steps. “This is our graduation party, for crying out loud!”
Adam kept his voice level. “We didn’t start that, Addie. If you’d heard?—”
