Page 9 of Casper
Dominik watched him go, shaking his head of dark hair. “Someone needs to seriously humble that guy. He’s out of control.”
I nodded my agreement. I tried not to stare when I saw a frat guy approach Luna. She was alone now. Ripley had disappeared.
The frat guy sauntered up to Luna with a swagger in his step. My gaze narrowed. They were too far away for me to hear what they were saying. He said something with a nod toward her costume, and she smiled in return. When he reached to touched her pink and purple locks, I almost lost it.
Pretty bold move. Putting his hands on a woman so brazenly without invitation. Maybe she knew him. Maybe it was none of my damn business.
Unable to restrain myself, I pushed away from the church, starting forward. Dom stopped me with a hand on my arm.
“Whatever you’re about to do, think it through first. If you really like this girl, going over there acting like a possessive maniac might not be the best approach.” Dom considered his own words before adding, “Although it worked for Rebel and Stray, so what the hell do I know? Have at it, I guess.”
I wasn’t planning to rampage over there and butt into the conversation. Instead, I grabbed myself a drink from inside the church before wandering the party. Getting close enough to overhear their conversation without inserting myself into it.
Frat boy was telling Luna that he’d seen her around campus. Apparently, he’d always wanted to talk to her but never found the opportunity. This asshole was clearly looking for a Halloween hook up and didn’t really give a shit about her.
She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, smiling up at him politely. The lack of interest in her eyes reassured me. It shouldn’t have mattered if she was into him or not. She wasn’t mine. Except that she was now.
I’d endangered her tonight. Inadvertently, yet that was irrelevant. She’d almost been hurt because of me. So I protected her. Now she was mine. Mine to protect.
Just when the frat boy thought he was getting somewhere, one of the cheerleaders strolled up. She grabbed him by the arm, spinning him around.
“What the fuck are you doing?” she demanded, loud enough for plenty of people to hear. “You ditched me tonight so you could come here and flirt with this freak? Did you think I wouldn’t know what you were up to?”
Luna’s jaw dropped, her face draining of color. I froze in place, reminding myself that I didn’t hurt women. Every part of me wanted to snap that bitch into pieces.
“I didn’t ditch you, baby,” the frat guy said, trying to climb out of the hole he’d dug for himself. “I said I was coming out with the guys tonight. They’re over there. I didn’t lie. There’s nothing going on here. Luna and I were just talking.”
The cheerleader cast a scathing glare at Luna. “What could you possibly have to say to her? She’s a fucking hippie weirdo. Have you seen the way she dresses? She doesn’t eat meat, and she wears crystals. She’s probably a witch.”
This dumb bitch was trying way too hard to insult Luna. Clearly she was threatened to find her boyfriend chatting her up. A few people standing within earshot snickered. That did it. I’d heard enough.
Before I could get involved, Luna shoved away from the headstone, disappearing into the darkness as she left the graveyard. Should I go after her? I wasn’t sure she’d appreciate that.
So I turned my growing rage on the frat guy and his stupid girlfriend instead. Emerging from the throng of partygoers, I grabbed him by the throat. I slammed him down against the headstone, satisfied with his pained scream as his spine bent awkwardly over the stone.
Not content to stop there, I pulled him upright and slammed a fist into his face. His girlfriend let out a shriek, shouting for someone to help him. Not a single person stepped forward to do so. Not even his friends. Nobody wanted to incur my wrath.
“What the hell is your problem?” he shouted, making a futile attempt at hitting me back. “I didn’t do anything.”
Of course not. He only tried to hit on Luna while having a girlfriend and then stood there like a fucking idiot while said girlfriend humiliated her in front of everyone.
Over and over, I hit him. Finally, I got him on the ground, where he took several kicks in the ribs and face. When someone grabbed my arm, I whirled around, ready to let them have it.
Dom stood there, hands raised. “Cool it, Casper. He’s had enough.”
Glancing down at the jackass on the ground, I decided that Dom was right. The guy’s face was a mask of blood. He fought for every breath. Good enough.
Before letting Dom drag me away, I locked eyes with the cheerleader. Silently, I thought,you’re next.
CHAPTER SIX
LUNA
My night was already too fucked to put up with this bullshit. I wasn’t interested in Brad anyway. Him and his stupid girlfriend could get fucked.
Rather than ruin the evening for my friends, I got an Uber home and texted them that I had a headache and went home early. It was a relief to get back to my dorm room. As soon as I locked myself inside, I stripped out of my costume and got in the shower.
Not every room had its own bathroom. There was a communal restroom down the hall. Being an only child of divorce had its perks. My dad had paid the extra for me to have my own room with a tiny attached bathroom. Since the only time we really spoke now was Christmas, it was his meager attempt at staying on my good side.
