Page 72 of One of Them Girls

“You’re going to let him take her home? I thought you would want to do that.”

“She’s not my concern, Cass. You are. Please get in the damn car so I can take you home.”

She huffs, but gives in. Once she’s inside, I rub the side of my face that is throbbing before I get in beside her.

I drive toward her dorm, the silence in the car stifling.

“You really gave me your phone code and pin to your card? Why?” She finally breaks the silence.

“I trust you,” is all I reply.

“Why did you do that? I never took you for a bar fight kind of guy.”

“I’m not, but I won’t let another man touch what’s mine.”

“I’m not yours, Avi. We had some fun, but you were always reluctant to put a label on it. What’s changed now?”

The tightness in my chest lessens with her use of her nickname for me.

“I don’t know,” I tell her honestly. “But I know that I’m not letting you go.”

She doesn’t respond, and I don’t say anything else either.

I’ve never done anything that might land me in jail, but tonight I did. Seeing that man with his hands on her took all sense from my head. All I could think of was getting her in my arms and out of his.

Jealousy.

I was jealous.

This recent development has changed my perspective of everything that has come before.

I’ve had girlfriends before. I’m not a saint either. I’ve had sex, but never once did I feel the way I felt tonight.

If they left me, oh well. The one that cheated? Fuck her. She wasn’t worth it.

Hell, Tinsley’s the only one who ever came close to making me feel this way, but it never was jealousy. I felt like I needed to protect her. My pride was wounded when she chose Finley, but I easily accepted him when I saw how happy he made her. Well, that and when I realized he got his head out of his ass and would appreciate her the way she deserved.

Not with Cassie. I don’t think I could let her go, even if she was happier without me. I don’t think I could stand seeing her happy with another man.

We pull up to her dorm and I park, still lost in my thoughts.

“What are you doing?” she asks, shaking me from it.

“Walking you to the door. Making sure you’re safe,” I say before getting out and walking around to open her door.

Once she’s out, I stay by her side, walking her to the door. Instead of the front door, which is where I was leading her, she grabs my arm leading me around back. Once at the back door, she stops and looks at me.

“I’m not sure how I feel right now. I need time to process, but I want you to come up to my room so I can look at your eye. Then you leave. Agreed?”

I smile at her concern. “I’ll be okay. You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Yeah, but I am anyway. For my peace of mind, come up.”

It’s more of a demand than a question.

She’s quiet as she leads me up the back stairs. She pokes her head into the hallway both ways before she waves me forward.

Once in her room, she closes the door, gesturing for me to sit on one of the beds.

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