Page 174 of Brighter Together

Tommy turns back to me.

He doesn’t run towards Lee.

He doesn’t try to fight.

He steps directly in front of me and presses me against the wall, wrapping his body around mine.

His arms come up around my head.

His back faces Lee.

For one terrifying second, all I can see is Tommy.

His eyes.

His jaw clenched.

The knowledge that he has chosen to put himself between me and a knife without even thinking about it.

“No.” The word tears out of me.

Then there is a crash beside us.

A grunt.

Someone swears.

Tommy looks over his shoulder.

Ryan has Lee face-down on the tarmac.

The knife lies several feet away.

Nick kicks it even farther before crouching to help restrain Lee’s legs.

“Get off me!” Lee shouts.

Ryan forces Lee's arm higher behind his back. “Stop fighting, scumbag.”

“That’s assault!”

Ryan gives a humourless laugh. “You really want to start throwing that word around?”

Lee twists his head enough to look towards me.

“Ella! Tell them!”

For years, that tone would have worked.

The expectation.

The command.

The certainty that when it mattered, I would protect him.

Because family comes first.

Because you don’t tell outsiders.