Page 153 of His Reckless Freshman

Jolie nods, her smile tumultuous.

I run my hand gently down her back before helping her get dressed, then lead her out to the entrance where we find a bunch of people waiting for us.

The second Caroline spots her cousin, she jumps out of her chair and rushes over. Casey is hot on her heels, along with Ethan and his little girlfriend.

“Careful,” I warn as Caroline pulls Jolie into a hug. “She’s got bruises everywhere.”

The thought makes Caroline whimper, her eyes filling with tears as she pulls back to check on Jolie.

I look past Casey and see my teammates moving forward. All of my roommates are here, and I give them a grateful smile when they step up to check on us.

“What the fuck happened, man?” Darian asks the second Caroline and Jolie move away to deal with the medical bill.

I keep an eye on my girl as they talk to the receptionist. Caroline’s on the phone, no doubt fielding questions from Jolie’s parents.

Shit. She still has so much more to deal with. I need to get her back to my place. All she needs right now is a soft bed, warmth, protection. We can deal with the rest of it when she’s feeling better.

I briefly explain what went down, and Darian is furious with Kieran. He sawyer, and Charli start making plans to end the guy while Jimmy calmly reminds them that he’s currently in police custody.

“He better not get off on a fucking technicality,” Mac growls. “I know people who can deal with shitheads like him.”

Jimmy gives him a skeptical frown. “What? You got an assassin on speed dial or something?”

“I might!” he snaps, then looks across the room at Jolie. She’s so skinny and fragile right now. Casey has his hand on her back, softly whispering something to her while Caroline talks on the phone. She rests his head against his shoulder, and I move to take his place.

Fuck that. I want to be the one comforting my woman.

My team follows me over, and we stand in a big clump until the bill is finalized and Caroline assures her aunt and uncle, “She’s fine. Really. I’m taking good care of her. She’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

Jolie’s expression crumples at the idea.

I don’t know exactly what Caroline’s told them, but catching the tail end of the conversation, I’m guessing she’s been overly vague on the details.

“It’s up to you how much you tell them, baby,” I assure her as we start to head for the door.

She nods but doesn’t say anything, and I hold her close as we step out into the cold night air.

It’s nearly four in the morning, and the rain has finally stopped. The air is damp and cool, the concrete wet beneath our shoes.

“Come on, sweetie. You can stay with us at the pool house. I don’t want to let you out of my sight.”

I shake my head. “She’s coming home with me.”

“What?” Caroline balks. “No, she’s not. You’re not her family. She’s my responsibility.”

“Excuse me?” Darian steps forward, looking highly offended. “She is so family. She’s Ben’s woman, which makes her our sister, and you can fuck right off with that responsibility shit. She’s an adult now and can be responsible for herself.”

Caroline lets out an indignant scoff, her eyebrows dipping into a sharp frown. Casey moves in to scowl at Darian while my teammates form a quick semicircle around the couple.

“Okay, you guys…”

“I think we need to take a breath here.”

Ethan and Jimmy both try to bring a little calm into the situation as I pull Jolie aside and crouch low to whisper, “Where do you want to go, baby?”

She immediately snuggles in against me, her words muffled by my sweater as she rasps, “I just want to be with you.”

I pull back to smile down at her. Gently cupping her cheek, I softly promise, “I won’t leave your side. Not until you’re ready, okay?”