Page 61 of Striker’s Rebel

“Are you hearing yourself?”

“He said you came at him.”

“He put his hands on me.”

“He wouldn’t do that for no reason.”

That one lands.

Hard.

I go very still.

Eliana’s face changes, like she hears it too late.

“June, I didn’t mean…”

“Yes, you did.”

“No. I just mean there’s more to it.”

“There isn’t.”

“He said you’ve been trying to turn me against him.”

“I’ve been trying to get you away from a man who hits you.”

Her face goes pale.

“Keep your voice down.”

“Why? Afraid somebody might hear the truth?”

“Stop.”

“You have a black eye, Eliana.”

“I said stop.”

“And now he has you standing here blaming me because he and his idiot friends attacked me and picked the wrong man to do it in front of.”

Her eyes flash.

“You always do this.”

I blink.

“Do what?”

“Decide what’s best for me. Decide who I should be with. Decide what I should do.”

“Because I’m trying to keep you safe.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

The words hit harder than they should.

Maybe because I’ve spent half my life doing exactly that.