Page 212 of Only With You

“And where were all of you when this happened?” Gabby asks and we look at all of them to explain because they look intact.

“Trust me, I wanted to do something, but Landon wouldn’t let me,” Jagger says, anger clouding his eyes, but when he looks at me, it fades. “But trust us, he had it. When we say Cole looks fucked up, we mean it. We also made sure his friends didn’t jump in because they were there too.”

“Please tell me you broke something?” Daisy enthusiastically asks. “And did someone record it?”

“Yeah, and it’s probably everywhere by now.” Jayden draws his phone out of his pocket and everyone gathers around him.

While they’re busy looking at the video, I take Landon’s hand and wince at the sight of his red knuckles and usher him to my room and into my bathroom.

“Please don’t worry. I’m okay,” he softly says.

He sits on the edge of the counter while I grab the cotton balls and run them under cold water.

“I can’t help it. I hate that he did this to you.” I stand between his parted legs and gently dab the cotton on his lip. Once it’s soaked with blood, I grab another and repeat the process.

“I let him hit me.”

I stop dabbing. “Why would you let him do that?”

“Because it gave me a reason to defend myself.”

“But—”

“Julianna.” He cups my neck with both hands. “Please don’t feel guilty. I wanted this to happen. I let it happen, and I promise I won’t get in trouble. If I do, the consequences will be worth it, because you’re worth it, okay?”

My bunched, tense muscles ease and I relax into his hold. “I—” He pins me with a look that says he won’t argue with me. “Okay. Can I finish cleaning you up?”

“I can do it.” He drops his hand, goes to take the cotton, but I pull my hand away.

“But I want to do it.” I smile at him. “Let me, okay?”

“Okay.” His gaze drifts to my lips. I lean into him, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him briefly before I resume cleaning the blood off.

“How’s your hand?” I grab his left hand, examining the red that surrounds his knuckles and the small gash on the middle one.

“Pretty good. It’s not my first fight, so I?—”

“You’re telling me people choose to willingly fight you?”

He chuckles. “Yeah, they do, but it’s fine. I never start them, but I always finish them.”

I shake my head in disbelief. “So, Cole…”

“I hadn’t broken his nose the first time, but lucky for him, I did this time. And I dislocated his shoulder, but other than that, he’s fine. Nothing some medical attention won’t be able to fix. I regret not doing more since the dumbfuck keyed my car.” His jaw clenches. “I saw it once we got out of the bowling alley, but it’s fine. It could’ve been worse.”

Anger sweeps over me, rushing in furious waves. “It’s not okay he?—”

“Hey.” He takes the cotton from my hand, sets it down the counter, and lifts me up. I wind my legs around his torso as he walks back into my room and sits on my bed. “I don’t like to dwell on things I have no control over and I don’t want you to either. It sucks, yeah, but it’s just a scratch.”

“How can you be so calm after all of this?”

“Because I see you and nothing else matters.” He rests his forehead against mine, words hushed and delicate.

Any ounce of resentment withers away, all of the anger that’s festered is long forgotten as I soak in his words. A fuse sets off in my stomach, followed by another until they blend and become hot sparks that go off all over my body.

Heat creeps up my neck to my cheeks. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to hearing him say things like that.

I kiss him carefully, smiling against his lips. “I’m glad I was failing Calculus.”

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