I push against his chest and Derek pulls me back, shifting me behind him. “Get your hands off her,” he growls.
“Oh, what you going to do about it? Shoot me?” Tommy dances from foot to foot, moving his fists like he’s in a boxing ring.
“Alright, that’s enough.” Derek reaches for Tommy’s shoulder, but he looks back at me for one second and that’s all it takes for Tommy’s fist to fly, crashing into Derek’s jaw.
I wince at the sound of knuckles cracking and back farther down the bar.
The police around us form a semi-circle, blocking Tommy’s exist.
“Motherfucker.” Derek shakes his head and works his jaw.
Tommy goes to throw another punch, but before he can Connor appears out of nowhere and throws one of his own. Tommy stumbles back and Derek moves fast, pinning Tommy’s arm behind his back and slamming him against the bar.
Connor shakes out his hand. “You alright?” he asks.
I nod, stunned.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. The last thing I need is Flynn walking in on this, so I check the message, relaxing a little when I see it’s from Wright.
Wright
How’s it going?
I send her a photo of Derek cuffing Tommy.
Wright
WTF???
I sigh. Normal girls go to the bar and dance. I go to the bar and watch my ex get arrested by the guy who stood me up while my stalker sits at home.
The Love Life of Hazel Halloway: A new reality TV show coming soon.
25
THE MYSTERY OF DICK
Flynn
Turnsout having a woman occupy your every thought is somewhat distracting. I flip the page in Hope’s diary but quickly lose focus when Hazel stirs from her sleep, her fingers curling around my T-shirt as she nuzzles against me. It’s really fucking adorable.
Then her eyes flick open and she stiffens.
“Flynn,” she says my name slowly. “Why am I lying on your chest?”
“Hey, you’re the one who chose me over your pillow.”
She sits up and twists to face me. “In my sleep! And I know it was in my sleep because, unless I’ve had a sudden lapse in memory, you were not here when I went to bed.”
I stare back at her. “And the problem is?”
“Argh!” she cries out and slumps back onto the bed. Frustration scrunches her face as she tugs the sheets up to her chin and rolls onto her side, turning her back to me. “I’m going back to sleep,” she huffs.
I lift Hope’s diary again, looking at the page as I talk. “You sure there’s not anything you want to tell me?”
“Very sure.”
I hum and put the diary down so I can lean over my lying Little Lilac. “Nothing about how your ex threatened and put his hands on you tonight?”
