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"She is not yours," a voice says behind Danny, and I close my eyes, relief washing over me like a cool breeze. Thank God. Nathan is here.
"Look who it is. The man of the hour!" Danny's expression is inching towards manic, and even with Nathan behind me, it scares the shit out of me. "Why don't we spend some quality time together now that I'm here, old man? Or are you too busy sleeping with Noelle here so she can get a better grade?"
"This is ridiculous," I snap. "And you're being an idiot. Get out."
"Oh, you think so?" Danny advances towards me, and I shrink back, but there's nowhere for me to go. "This is my dad's house, you little slut, and there's no way in hell you're going to tell me what to do."
"Hey," Nathan growls. His hands are gentle on my shoulders as he moves me out of the way, but that's the only gentle thing about him. He's vibrating with fury. "You'll stay the fuck away from her and shut your goddamn mouth. I told you before that you won't be treating her with anything but respect."
"Oh yeah?" Danny laughs. "What are you going to do about it, old man?"
There are a few sounds of agreement from Danny's friends, and it hits me all at once. He brought them because he thinks things are going to get violent with Nathan. This isn't just some happy coincidence. He was planning for a fight, and now he thinks he's going to win.
Nathan's jaw clenches. "I don't want to have to hurt you. You're not acting like a man. You're acting like a petulant child, and that's no way to act in front of Noelle."
"Shut the fuck up," Danny spits. "I'm sick and tired of your lectures, old man. You think you're so much better than everyone else, you and your Ivy League education and your fucking big-shot job. I'm sick of it. I'm not taking it anymore."
He lunges at his dad, and Nathan sidesteps him easily, pushing Danny forward. He trips over his own feet and crashes into the wall, his face smacking against the wood paneling. He curses loudly and scrambles to his feet, but before he can make a move, Nathan punches him in the face.
I'm horrified and fascinated at the same time, and I watch in rapt attention as Brad and Dylan hesitate before jumping into the fray.
They've got no chance against Nathan. It's like three house cats against a lion.
I can tell he's going easy on all three of them, but especially Danny, giving his son only glancing blows and knocking him to the floor again and again. He doesn't want to hurt him, I think, and that makes my heart squeeze. This is my fault, isn't it?
Danny's friends seem to realize quickly that they're outmatched, even 3 against 1. They've never had a real fight before, and the looks on their faces are pure horror. Danny, though, keeps getting back up, spitting blood from a split lip onto the hardwood floor.
"I'm not a little boy anymore," he screams, throwing a wild punch at his father.
"That's enough," Nathan barks.
He grabs Danny by the neck, pinning him against the wall. His other arm pins him there as well, and Danny kicks out, trying to break free. "Let go of me!"
"Not until you promise that you'll behave," Nathan snarls. "You'll be respectful or you can walk out that door and never come back."
"Fuck you." Danny continues to struggle, but Nathan has him held fast. Not tight enough to cut off air, but enough that he can't move.
"Brad, Dylan." Nathan sounds even more animalistic than before. "If you get the hell out of here right now, I won't tell the school that you came here to assault a professor. This is the only chance I'm giving you."
They're both sporting black eyes for their trouble, but after a few shameful glances at Danny, Brad grabs Dylan by the sleeve and hauls him out of the house at a sprint. Seconds later, we hear an engine start and the squeal of tires leaving the driveway.
"Now," Nathan starts, giving all his attention back to his son, "this is going to be a cold, hard life lesson for you. I have security cameras, and I know you had to break in. I didn't give you a key for a reason. I can either call the cops right now and have you hauled off to jail or you can listen to me."
Danny struggles a little more, but finally, he gives up, hanging limp in his dad's arms. "Fine," he mutters. "Whatever."
"First, you will accept the fact that Noelle is mine, no fucking questions asked. I don't even want to hear about your pathetic attempt at dating her. She's mine. Second, I'm going to let you go, and you're going to beg her for forgiveness. For the stalking, for the asshole behavior, for being pushy—all of it. And then you're going to get the fuck out of my house. I don't care if you have to walk back to campus. I don't want to see your face again until I contact you. Got it?"
Danny mumbles something under his breath.
"Louder," Nathan snaps. "Say it loud enough so Noelle can hear you."
"Fine!" Danny says. "Fine, I get it. She's yours."
Nathan's grip begins to relax. "And what else?"
Danny has to force the words between clenched teeth, but he manages it. "And I'm going to apologize to her."
"Good." Nathan lets go of him, and Danny slides down the wall, landing on his ass.
