Page 103 of Necessary Roughness
“Let’s get out of here.”
I took her by the hand and led her out into the party. A few bystanders who had seen me knock down the door called out to me, but I didn’t care. There was a pulsing warning in my head,blinking like a check-engine light, screaming at me toleavebefore something really bad happened.
“Roman, what’s going on?” Logan asked by the beer pong table. “Someone said…”
“Troy cornered me in the bathroom,” Sloane said. “He wouldn’t let me leave.”
Knox’s expression darkened. “That piece of—”
“It’s fine,” Sloane reassured him. “I’mfine. I just want to leave.”
Logan turned to Isaac, the host of the party. “You need to kick someone out.”
“Fuck yeah, I love kicking people out,” Isaac said with the loyalty of a soldier following orders. “Tell me who and they’re gone.”
“Him,” Knox said, pointing. “Troy.”
“He’s my ex,” Sloane added.
Troy was standing in the doorway to the beer pong room, one hand lightly cradling his stomach. I felt myself smile. He was lucky I hadn’t done more to him.
Isaac’s jaw fell open. “You want me to kickTroyout?”
“Why?” Knox asked. “What’s wrong?”
Troy began laughing. “You stupid idiots. This ismy house. And you—” his finger came up to point at me, “—broke my door down. All ofyouneed to leave.”
“You said this was your house,” Logan hissed at Isaac.
“I mean, it kinda is? I’m paying half the rent. But Troy’s father bought it for him.”
“Let’s get out of here,” I said, putting an arm on Logan to guide him toward the door. I wasn’t going to let me or my roommates get in a fight with Sloane’s ex. I was confident in the knowledgethat he was a loser, and she was better off without him. As our coach always said: victory was the best kind of revenge.
“That’s twice you’ve been defended by the football team,” Troy said, voice thick with contempt.
“Let’s go,” I warned Logan.
Knox pushed around on the other side, leaning toward Troy. “Touch her again, and you’ll regret it.”
Troy’s laughter was full of mockery. “Ohh, I’ll regret it? What will you do? Are you threatening to attack me in front of all these people? That’s all you big brutes know: violence.”
“Knox,” I growled, “let’sgo.”
“He’s right,” Sloane told Knox. Then she took Logan’s hand. “Let’s leave.”
It was a mistake, and I knew it immediately.
“Oh oh oh!” Troy pointed at their interlocked fingers. “That’s why you’re defending her. You’refuckingher.” His eyes flicked over to Knox, then to me. “Wait. Hold on. Are you fucking all three of them?”
Logan tried to step forward, and I had to block him with an arm. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Logan,” I hissed, and this time he allowed me to push him toward the door. On the other side, Sloane was guiding Knox away.
“This is insane!” Troy shouted over the party music. “You’re fucking three football players? Or are you letting the entire team run a train on you? I dodged a bullet by dumping you. Stupid fuckingwhore.”
I didn’t remember turning around. Nor did I remember calmly walking toward him, pulling back my meaty fist, and burying it in the middle of his face.
I remembered the bright flash of pain in my knuckles, though.
