My heart tightened when he turned in our direction and spotted me. It was like earlier. Just a brief moment, but too intense. So many unspoken words, so much lay between us.

His buddy Caleb patted him on the shoulder and gestured toward the bar. He stared for another second before turning away.

I began to breathe again.

“Well, look who missed us,” the brown-haired DeLoughrey laughed, raising his glass toward Nash.

And while the blond gave him a warning look and turned away from Jenny, the black-haired one eyed my ex-boyfriend with coldness.

Nash, as usual, clenched his fists and marched toward the DeLoughreys with his head held high.

I knew he only disliked them because his father had problems with their family, as he had with me being with his son even though Dr. Copeland had never met me in person.

“Wasn’t my warning clear enough?!” Nash pressed out.

The brown-haired DeLoughrey turned to him, the two female blondes beside him.

“That warning was directed at your rebellious lapdog, wasn’t it? What did you say his name was? Julian?”

Emely’s eyes snapped open.

“Stay away from him,” Nash growled angrily. “You better get the fuck off our campus right now!”

“Relax, we were just about to invite you guys for a drink,” the brown-haired one continued to laugh, holding up his hands while looking at his brothers.

Emely crossed her arms and gave him a hostile look. “Which we gratefully decline.”

The DeLoughrey raised his brows, unimpressed yet curious before smirking at Emely as if this was all a game.

“Your sister?” he asked Nash, eyeing Emely closely. “She’s quite sassy.”

Emely blinked at him dismissively and Nash, I knew, was about to explode.

The black-haired DeLoughrey seemed to notice that, too, because he stepped forward.

“We have no intention of disobeying your rules,as long asyou leave us alone.”

It sounded anything but compliant, more like a threatening, hostile statement.

Nash seemed to consider, then stepped toward him and lowered his voice. “You know I don’t give a shit? I don’twantyou here.”

I swallowed.

“That’s right, get the fuck out of here!” Noah bellowed behind him.

Miles drank from his drink and raised both brows. “How rude.”

And in the next instant, his fist sped forward into Nash’s face.

I winced, and a murmur went through the bar.

“Damn it, Miles!” The black-haired man roared, and was already about to pull this Miles backwards, when Nash’s fist flew at Miles, hitting him right on the nose.

Miles stumbled back.

Students jumped up and backed away. Jenny held up her iPad, probably to film.

“Nash!” Emely gasped, and she went to pull her brother out of the ring that had somehow formed, but someone pulledherback. Hunter.