Page 66 of Full Tilt
“We’ll take the elevator,” he confirms, hitting the button and falling back into an awkward silence.
This guy was full of talk earlier tonight, helping me refine my pool skills and laughing at everything I had to say.
“You bought me waaaaay too many drinks.” I chuckle and then burp as we enter the elevator, and I squint against the bright lights overhead. “I never drink this much.”
Ethan remains silent, and for the first time tonight, I feel less than safe in his presence. He has ahold of my bag, which means I can’t make use of the pepper spray Holt got me as a stocking stuffer one Christmas.
The elevator pings, and the doors slide open onto my floor.
“I think I have it from here,” I say, summoning my soberest voice and attempting to pull away from his grasp.
He doesn’t let me go, instead walking us out of the elevator and coming to an abrupt halt that has me almost tumbling to the floor.
“I said … I can take it from here. Thank you for walking me home, Ethan.”
My heart sinks when he still doesn’t release his hold on me, and suddenly, I’m fearing the worst. If he was concerned about me getting home safely, then he already made sure of that. So, what other reason does he have to keep hold of me?
A rush of adrenaline surges through me, fight-or-flight instincts kicking in and cutting through my alcohol-fueled haze. It’s still not enough for me to break free from this guy I barely know.
You were a fucking idiot to leave with him, Jenna. You should’ve gone home with Kendra.
“She asked you to let go of her, Ethan. Twice.”
At the sound of Tommy’s voice, my head shoots up from where my eyes were trained on the floor.
Dressed in all black and with a hot-as-fuck black baseball cap turned backward, Tommy pushes off my doorjamb and stalks toward us.
“Holy shit …” Ethan announces. “Y-you’re Tommy Schneider, the Blades defenseman.”
Tommy doesn’t even bother to acknowledge Ethan, and I know exactly what’s coming, even before the crack of Tommy’s knuckles against Ethan’s nose rings in my ears.
“What were you planning to do with my girl once you got her back to her apartment?!” Tommy bites out.
My hazy brain tries to piece his sentence together.
Wait … did he just refer to me as?—
“Jesus fucking Christ, I think you broke my nose!” Ethan interrupts my slow thoughts, blood dripping from his hand to the floor as he tries to stem the flow.
With one firm hand to his chest, Tommy pushes him back into the far wall, leaving Ethan with no escape.
“It’s okay, Tommy.” I quickly soothe, stumbling toward them both. “It’s okay,” I repeat, placing a hand on his shoulder as he towers over Ethan with a murderous expression that has me convinced he’s about to commit a felony.
At the touch of my palm, his shoulders drop an inch, although it isn’t enough to calm him entirely.
“When a girl tells you to let her go, that’s exactly what you do. There’s a difference between playing around and trying to take advantage of someone who’s intoxicated.”
Ethan’s eyes grow wide, and I expect him to deny any malicious intent toward me. I didn’t pick up on any dangerous vibes from this guy, I’m normally hot on that shit.
“We’d been flirting all night, and Jenna wanted me just as much as I did her. I had no idea she had a boyfriend.”
His words shock me, a cold reality punching me right in the gut. He planned to try and fuck me—or at least press for more. I didn’t even kiss this guy, and while I would describe my behavior as very friendly, it wasn’t especially flirtatious since the guy dressed in black and pinning Ethan against the wall was all I could think about all night.
I’ve zero idea what the time is, but I’m sure my neighbors are sleeping. It’s just as well since the growl that Tommy releases is enough to shake the building at its foundation.
“It doesn’t matter what she told you earlier in the night. She clearly changed her mind. If I hadn’t been here, waiting for her to come home, then …” Tommy pulls a deep breath into his lungs, his voice shaking. “Then fuck knows what you would’ve done?!”
He rears his fist back again, and I squeeze his shoulder, reassuring him that I’m okay.
