“She’s fucked with your head, little brother. She’s twisted everything up, and made you feel sorry for her with her pathetic stories and her ugly scars. She’s?—”

“Elliot, no,” Abi cries before she suddenly appears between me and Scott.

“Aw, look. She’s even trying to fight your battles for you.”

“Abigail,” I warn, reaching for her arm to pull her back.

I don’t trust a single hair on Scott’s head, I certainly don’t want him within touching distance of my girl.

Throwing his head back, he laughs. “Do you remember how pathetic she looked that night in the pub? Fuck. I knew it was going to be good, but I never could have imagined that.”

“Shut up,” I spit, tugging Abi back towards me.

“Abs, it’s okay. This is between the two of them,” Oak says. “Tally?” he asks.

There’s movement behind me but I don’t turn to look, instead, I keep my eyes trained on Scott.

My chest heaves as I continue staring at him, my fists clenching and unclenching.

“No,” my girl cries.

“It’s okay. Let them do what they need to do,” Raine says.

“You’re going to regret this,” Scott warns. “Eaton’s don’t give up their futures for a girl. Especially not one as pathetic as Judge Bancroft’s daughter.”

“Then maybe I’m not a fucking Eaton after all. Have it. All of it. I don’t fucking want it,” I shout.

“And what are you going to do? Live a quiet little life with your woman,” he scoffs. “Please. That isn’t a fucking life.”

My nostrils flare with anger.

“Dad was right. He’s been saying it since the day you were born. You’re an embarrassment. A disgrace. We’re better off?—”

I move faster than Scott is expecting, and I catch him completely off guard as my fist collides with his cheek.

A loud crack rips through the air before Abigail screams behind me.Hearing her gives me pause and it’s long enough to allow Scott to recover and retaliate.

His punch hits me square in the jaw, but I take it easily before launching myself at him.

“Elliot, stop,” Abi screams, but her words barely register.

The red haze of anger has descended and the only thing I can focus on is hurting Scott.

I’ve hated him all of my fucking life.

Every single day he’s looked down on me, belittled me.

I’ve always held back from doing what I really wanted to do for fear of the repercussions.

But now.

Now I don’t give a fuck.

But for every hit I get in, he manages to one as well.

We’ve both trained for rugby all our lives and we’re pretty evenly matched in height and weight. So as much as I might want to pummel him into the ground, he can hold his own.

Unfortunately for him, though, he doesn’t have anyone to fight for like I do.