Page 84 of You're the Reason

Seth heard the crack of his fist connecting with the side of Gabe’s face before he even knew his arm was swinging.

He hadn’t been in a fight in years, and he hadn’t planned on being in one today, but— “You? You’re my mom’s dealer?” He held up his hand, took a step back before he did something else he’d regret.

Apparently, Gabe had no intention of calling a truce. He threw himself at Seth, wrapping his arms around Seth’s middle. Seth shucked Gabe off, but Gabe rounded, and Seth barely dodged a punch aimed at his face. The miss threw Gabe off balance.

Seth sent him reeling with a shot to the ribs. “Gabe, stop! You don’t want this!”

But Gabe wasn’t stopping. His eyes were full of crazed fury as he came back in.

“Seth! Gabe! Stop.” Grace’s voice broke through Seth’s haze. He searched for her—and Gabe’s punch landed under his left eye.

Pain exploded on his face, and he thought he heard bones crack.

Seth pushed Gabe away and stepped back, his vision blurred. He jerked his arms up to ward off the next blow, and his elbow connected with something too soft for this fight.

At the cry from Grace, both guys froze and turned toward her.

Grace had stumbled back, landing hard on the pavement.

“Grace!” He could feel a trickle of blood running down his face, but that didn’t matter right now.

But Gabe beat him to his sister’s side. “Now look what you’ve done. No one in my family is safe from you.”

He wanted to argue, but Gabe was right, it had been his elbow. He hadn’t hit her hard, but it was enough to leave a light mark on her cheek that might bruise. Seth reached out for her.

Gabe slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch her.”

Seth could feel the rage building again, but he didn’t move.

Before he could respond, Grace pushed to her feet and put her hands up. “Gabe, go home.”

“You’re taking his side?”

“You were the one dealing to minors.” Seth turned on him.

“Don’t believe him.” Gabe took a step toward her. “Check his pockets. He’s got a bag of?—”

“Just leave.” She moved closer to Seth.

“Man, has he got you fooled, Grace. Just like he fooled me.” Gabe swore a string of curses before he spat blood on the dirt. “When I asked him to a party last week, you know what he said? He said he’d think about it.”

“I said no.” Seth shook his head resisting the urge to continue the fight.

“After you said you’d think about it. True or not true?”

“It was sarcasm.” He glanced at Grace, and she seemed to believe Seth, but there was a seed of doubt in her eyes that hadn’t been there before.

“Whatever you say.” Gabe held up his hands. “See you later, Seth.” He pointed at him as if they might be friends, then took off down through the parking lot.

Jerk. Seth focused back on Grace. “You okay?”

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” She grabbed his phone from where it had fallen out of his pocket and started back to his car, where she retrieved his water bottle from the roof and the keys that were still dangling from the door. He was feeling woozy enough that he didn’t even argue when she got in the driver’s seat.

He expected her to take him back to the studio, but instead, she drove to Ms. Bunting’s. After helping him inside, she handed him a washcloth and pointed down the hallway toward the bathroom. “Why don’t you get cleaned up? I’ll make us some tea.”

He stepped into the small bathroom and stared into the antique oval mirror. A cold chill ran though him. It wasn’t that he didn’t recognize his reflection. It was that he did. Only, he hadn’t seen that guy in over five years. But there he was staring back as if he’d never really left.

And for the first time, it occurred to him that maybe Grace would believe Gabe’s words that Seth hadn’t changed. And just maybe he deserved it.

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