Page 66 of The Bro Date
“Dance party!” someone hollers from the living room, and Tate and Daija come rushing into the kitchen to surround Toby.
“Time to shake it, baby boy!” Daija encourages Toby as they sandwich him in between them and whisk him away to the makeshift dance floor in the living room.
I grab both of our drinks and follow after them like the personal security that I am.
Toby grinds and dances against me while I feed him sips of alcohol like I would grapes to a Greek god. My dick likes it, too, and I think I’m ready to go home soon.
After half an hour of dancing and drinking with our friends, Toby finishes off his drink, and I slip away for two seconds to toss our empty cups in the trash. When I get back, Toby, Tate, and Daija are surrounded by three creeps, as if they were waiting for their chance to pounce.
What the fuck is going on?
This isn’t a club.
As I get closer, I recognize two of them from Stick Shift. The assholes who were trying to get Toby and Tate drunk.Landon,I think. Don’t remember the other one. I come up behind Toby, slowly letting my presence be known so I don’t startle him.
Leaning down, I whisper into his ear. “You okay?” I ask while giving Landon the evil eye.
“Aww. How sweet. Is your big, bad, bestie protecting you again?” Landon sneers. “Pathetic. Just like you were that night, accepting free drinks from everyone.”
Toby shrinks in on himself in my arms, and I fucking hate it.It feels wrong.Toby is a bright, shining flame, and I am the circle of stones protecting the fire. No one willeverdim his light and make him feel small.
“I’m his boyfriend now,” I declare without a second thought, maneuvering Toby safely behind me, where Tate and Daija are currently standing. “You’re the one who’s pathetic. A desperate creep trying to get innocent people drunk.”
Landon scoffs, rolling his eyes as if it’s not true. “This slutty twink was about two drinks away from letting me and my bro fuck him. Needy little?—”
My fist swings, stopping his mouth from spewing any more disgusting lies.
Landon stumbles back in shock, covering his mouth with wide, bulging eyes. “You hit me,” he mumbles in disbelief. He drops his hands, baring his blood-stained teeth. “Motherfucker!” he bellows like a war cry before charging me.
His grimy little friend doesn’t have time to stop him like he did at the bar, so the creep gets a swing in. I dodge the first punch, but before I can recover, the second one clips me in the chin. A sharp burst of pain splinters through my jaw, shaking my teeth. I see red, tackling Landon to the ground and trying to put him in a chokehold. He rolls us instead and hits me right in the fucking eye.
Sonofabitch.
“Stop!” Toby shouts, but I can’t look away from my opponent for even a second, or I could lose.
I dodge the next blow, crossing my forearms in front of my face and taking the hit there. Grunting at the impact, I thrust my arms forward as hard as I can, knocking him backward off of me.
Landon’s friend from the bar takes the opportunity to grab his unhinged friend and hold him back.
I quickly climb to my feet, raising my fists, ready for him to charge again.
“You’re a complete fucking psychopath!” Tate yells at Landon, speaking the truth, but not helping the situation in the slightest.
“Shhh,” Daija murmurs, attempting to shush him because his words are only rubbing salt into Landon’s wounded ego and making him even more rabid.
“Shut your fucking mouth,” he growls out, struggling to get free from his friend’s grip.
Toby runs his hands and his eyes over my face. “Oh my God.I’m so sorry.”
“Not your fault,” I grunt. “The asshole had it coming, and I was willing to take a couple hits for it.”
“Shane . . .” he says breathlessly, but I brush it off because it was honestly nothing.
I would die for Toby.
Spencer and Jake suddenly rush down the stairs and run over to us. A bit too late, to be honest.
“Shit.You okay?” Spencer asks with concern, inquisitive eyes roaming my face.
