Page 54 of My Brother's Best Friend

“What the fuck are you doing to my sister?” Oliver was seething, hurling another fist at Alec. It collided with his cheek. “This is for putting your hands on her.” Another fist to the eye socket this time. “And this is for that fucking post.”

Fists began flying between the best friends. They fought like I had only seen them do in hockey. Desperate to hurt each other. Desperate to knock the other to the ground, to gain the advantage, without caring about the consequences.

After a couple of moments, four guys from the hockey team pushed through the crowd. And all four of them finally pulled Oliver and Alec away from each other, holding them back by their arms.

“How could you do this?” Oliver asked, finally calming down slightly and looking at me for an answer, upper lip curled in disgust.

“I … we …” I nervously licked my lips. “It happened, Oliver. I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that this was happening? He is my best fucking friend!”

Alec growled, “Don’t shout at her.”

“Why don’t you shut the fuck up, Wolfe? I’m talking to my sister.”

“You’re talking down to my girl,” Alec said. “I’m not fucking cool with that.”

“You don’t need to be cool with it. She’s not yours.”

“The fuck she isn’t.”

Oliver turned back to me. “Guys like him will do nothing but hurt you. He sleeps around. Remember what happened with Spencer?”

“I can date anyone I want to, Oliver,” I cried, crossing my arms, glaring at him, and vowing that I wouldn’t burst out into tearsagainin Redwood’s halls. That had happened one too many times this past year. “As much as you think you do, you don’t own me.”

“If I don’t look out for you, who will?”

“What don’t you understand about this?! I don’t want you to look out for me! I can make my own decisions. Stop acting like our parents because you aren’t! If I want to date Alec, then I can date him!”

“Don’t come crying to me when he breaks your heart,” he said.

After ripping himself away from the guys, Oliver stormed through the crowd and left me there, not even able to mutter another word.

Alec hurried over to me and grasped my face again. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Alec.” I wiped some blood off the corner of his lip with my sleeve and glanced down the hallway toward a departing Oliver. My stomach tightened. “I just hope he’ll come around.”

But honestly, I didn’t think he would. When Spencer had broken up with me, Oliver had beaten the shit out of him every day until Spencer transferred out of Redwood. Now, I was dating his best friend. Or at least his former best friend.

“He will,” Alec said, following my gaze. “Hopefully.”

The crowd erupted into murmurs around us.

Alec grabbed my hand and looked around. “I don’t care who is angry about it. Maddie Weber is mine. And if you have a problem with that, you will deal with me. And when I fucking find out which one of you hacked my accounts, I’ll personally fuck you up.”

After a few moments, the quiet crowd parted again. Dean Sanatora—dean of students and acting principal—stood before us with her hands on her hips. “Alec Wolfe, come with me.”

Alec grumbled to himself and kissed my forehead, then left with the dean. Slowly, the students dispersed through the hall. Sandra sent me a dirty look. Piper wished me good luck for the rest of the day and headed off to class. Vera brought me to the parking lot and told me that I should take the day off.

When she finally left to head to class, I leaned against my car and stared at the video posted on Alec’s account. My heart hammered against my chest. I couldn’t believe that this had happened, that itwashappening.

My phone buzzed, and an unknown number popped up again.

Unknown: I warned you to stay away from Alec.

Unknown: This isn’t the only dirt I have on you and your family.

Unknown: Watch your back, Maddie. I’m coming for him.

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