26. Chapter 26

Chapter 2 6

Lacey

Skylar has lost his mind.

"Jerrell, stop it! He's not going to hit back!"

I go running for my ex-boyfriend who is pummelling my current boyfriend into the ground. I don't know why Skylar decided to start a fight he had no intention on participating in, but right now I want to kill both of them.

"Let him go!"

I'm about to jump on Jerrell's back when an elbow hits me right in the face. Staggering back, blood fills my mouth as I watch him land another punch, making Skylar's head snap back against the floor.

Now I'm pissed.

Cursing every male in the vicinity, I stumble forward, about to start my own attack when someone grabs me by the waist .

"Don't think so, mi amor." Familiar signature cologne fills my senses as protective arms wrap around me, "You're going to stay right here with me."

"Nico?" Shifting in his arms, my panic dissolves into shock, "What are you doing here?"

"That is an excellent question."

The deep voice captures my attention and I turn to see Mo standing three feet from us.

Nico grins, "We decided to see what you were up to."

"But why?"

"You didn't text me back. I got worried."

Glancing between Nico and Mo, I notice the expensive dress shirts and slacks both men are wearing. One of whom has three gold chains glittering around his neck.

"Wasn't it your date night?"

Nico squeezes me tighter, "You're more important than fine dining cuisine."

Mo sighs, "It took me two weeks to get that reservation."

"Babe, don't ruin the moment."

A gasp echoes through the crowd. Squirming against Nico's hold, I try and break free.

"I need to help Skylar."

He clutches me tighter, "No way. You are not participating in a bar fight on my watch."

Mo tilts his head, watching the ongoing fight, "Which one is Skylar?"

Nico winces, "The one on the ground. "

I push against his arms, "Skylar doesn't hurt people. Please, let me help him."

"Absolutely not."

A frustrated scream rips from my throat and I start thrashing around, trying to loosen his hold. It doesn't get me anywhere, Nico keeps me locked against his chest, and soon the frustration gives way to tears.

"H-He's hurting him."

Nico shoots his partner a look, "That's your cue, big guy."

Mo sighs, rolling up his shirt sleeves, "You owe me a dinner reservation."

"Deal."

Blinking through my tears, I watch Taber's lacrosse champion break through the fight circle and grab the back of Jerrell's t-shirt. Mo drags him off Skylar, taking a few stray punches to the stomach as Jerrell tries to get in a few last shots.

A sob rips from my throat when I see Skylar still lying on the ground. His delicate skin is bruised and swollen, the pale strands of his hair caked with blood.

He looks every bit the broken boy I fell in love with.

I'm crying so hard that I don't notice the sudden silence that falls across the bar. I don't even notice Mo returning to our side with a smug looking Jerrell trapped in his arms.

It's not until a familiar voice cuts through the silence that I realize the lacrosse team has joined the circle.

"I didn't realize Silverwood was such a popular hangout for Tigers nowadays. "

Vector steps forward, his gaze trained on Nico and Mo. There's a stillness in the air, a collective intake of breath as everyone watches the rivals face each other.

"Maurice O'Brien. Didn't think I'd be seeing you again."

Mo smirks, his arms still locked around Jerrell, "And I didn't think you'd still be in school."

Vector cracks a smile, "Looks like we're both disappointed."

The whispers start up around us, the Silverwood students shifting excitedly as Mo's reputation starts to spread.

"Holy shit. That's Mighty Mo."

"The lacrosse legend?"

"He holds the record number for championships wins."

Cecelia appears among the crowd, her expression annoyed as Ava and Maren pop up beside her.

Vector studies our group, his gaze lingering on the tear streaks lining my cheeks. His eyes narrow as he looks from me to the surrounding crowd.

"Where's Sky?"

A deathly silence falls upon the room. Nobody moves, nobody breathes as Vector flicks through every person in attendance. Walsh appears by his side and whispers something in his ear.

And finally, his eyes drop to where his brother lies broken on the ground.

"Looks like one of your cubs needs a cage, O'Brien. "

Vector says each word slowly, spiking the tension in the room. His body is taught as his eyes stay locked on the bloody boy who isn't moving.

"He's not ours."

Mo gives Jerrell a shove and he stumbles forward. The smug look on his face has disappeared when he looks around the silent bar.

"What the fuck is going on?"

Nico's arms tense around me as Vector looks at the bloodstains coating Jerrell's fists. He doesn't say anything for a long time, just stares at the spilled blood as though it was his own.

"Get him off the ground."

The command slices through the room, the razor edge making a few people flinch. Walsh swallows and quickly walks over to where Skylar is laying.

"Come on, Baby Vin. Let's get you somewhere more comfortable."

More tears spill out as I watch Skylar get carried from the room, his beaten body limp and unresponsive. Jerrell whips his head around, glancing from the fear-stricken audience to the man twice his size.

"Can somebody tell me what the fuck is going on?"

Vector tilts his head and looks him dead in the eye. There's a stiffness in his posture, the hard clench of jaw that glimpses at the anger simmering just beneath the surface.

"What's your name?"

"Jerrell Thompson."

Those pale blue eyes flash dangerously, and suddenly I'm grateful for the barrier of Nico's arms. Despite the familiar edge of Vector's face, he doesn't look like the older brother I've come to know. He looks like the infamous Silverwood bully.

The monster who can't control his temper.

"You see, Jerrell, we have a rule here in Silverwood."

There's a long pause, and tension ripples through the crowd.

"Whatever you do to Skylar Vin gets done to you."

Vector steps forward, his massive frame making Jerrell's seem significantly smaller in comparison. My ex-boyfriend quickly stumbles back, trying to increase the distance between them.

"Look man, it was nothing personal. I didn't even know the kid."

"That's where you're wrong." A growl seeps into his voice, "This is very personal."

Bolting for the closest door, Jerrell doesn't make it past the crowd before another lacrosse player shoves him back. He stumbles back into the circle, panic filling his eyes as he searches for a way out.

Finding none, he turns and raises his hands in the air.

"He was a skinny kid looking for a fight and I overpowered him. No harm done."

"You spilled his blood all over these floors and you want to tell me it was no harm done? I don't fucking think so."

Grabbing Jerrell by the collar of his shirt, Vector's pale blue eyes ignite as he brings him up to eye level. Jerrell flails, the polished ends of his shoes scraping the ground as he tries to escape the monster's hold.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? Put me down right now."

Vector bares his teeth, "I'm the guy who's about to repay the damage you did to my little brother."

Jerrell goes still, his feet dangling in the air.

"He's your brother?" Catching sight of the unusual colour of Vector's hair, he pales, "I didn't know."

"Now, you do. And I'm going to make sure you don't forget it."

My ex-boyfriend starts to scream as Vector starts dragging him towards the side door. Nico lets out a gasp, his arms loosening around me, and I quickly break away.

"Vector, wait!"

He pauses, turning to look at me. Jerrell catches sight of me running towards him and gasps in relief.

"Oh, thank God. Tell this psychopath to put me down. This town is fucking crazy."

"Vector, could you please put him on the ground?"

He lowers him so Jerrell can touch the ground but doesn't let go of his shirt. His entire body is trembling with fear when he flashes me a grin.

"Do me another favour, doll. Tell him to let me go."

I stare at him, seeing the boy who bullied, manipulated, and violated me until I was stripped of my self-esteem and sense of self-worth. It took me over two years to find myself willing to love again, and even now, I can't shake off the past long enough to have sex with my boyfriend.

He ruined me in every sense of the word and yet the anger I feel towards him has nothing to do with the way he treated me.

"Lacey doll, anytime now. I'm not getting any young-

His words get cut off when I slap him across the face as hard as I can. Jerrell blinks, his mouth opening and closing as he stares at me.

"That's for Skylar."

Holding my stinging palm close to my chest, I turn and give Vector a nod.

"He's all yours."

"Wait. What? Lacey doll, think about what you're doing…"

Jerrell shrieks when Vector hauls him back up into the air.

"She's not your doll, dumbass. She's dating my brother."

Dragging him out the closest exit, Vector doesn't spare me or anyone else a second glance before the door bangs shut behind them.

A stunned silence descends on the crowd, the tension lingering until Nico breaks it with a hoot.

"Round of tequila on Mighty Mo!"

Cheers explode around the room while Mo turns to glare at his partner. Patrons start pushing their way to the bar and eventually the club's music gets turned back on. The nightclub slowly comes back to life as the dance floor refills and people start laughing and talking again .

The adrenalin finally leaves my body and soon I'm shaking, swaying uneasily on my feet as I start pushing through the crowd, looking for the most important piece of my heart.

Skylar

My brother always said one day I would be grateful for the person he turned out to be.

Turns out, he was right.

"I said I wanted to see your ass kicked, but this fucking sucks." Walsh sighs, pressing a washcloth against my face, "I don't like it when you're not a moody bitch."

My lips are cracked and bleeding, so I don't bother responding. The thunderous pain in my skull makes me think I have a concussion, but it could also be the swelling that seems to have taken over my face.

"Skylar? Oh my God."

Gentle fingers reach out to touch me and I instinctively lean towards her. Lacey brushes a hand through my matted hair and I smile despite the discomfort.

"Hi, Flower."

"What the fuck?" Walsh whips his head around, "You've been able to talk this whole time?"

I go to shrug but the sharp pain has me quickly rethinking that decision.

"I take it back. I don't like you even when you are a moody bitch. "

Lacey shoots him a glare, "He's not a moody bitch. You can leave now."

He grumbles under his breath and makes his departure. She quickly takes his place by my side, gently lifting and resting my head onto her lap.

"I'm so mad at you right now."

"I know."

She sighs, stroking my bruised skin, "That was so stupid, Skylar. You could have died."

"I know."

"If Mo hadn't gotten Jerrell off you…" Her voice breaks and it hurts me more than any injury ever could.

"Don't cry, Flower."

"That was so stupid." She's crying in earnest now, "I told you not to try and be my hero. Why didn't you listen?"

Her tears drip onto my face, slipping down my cheeks as if they were my own. I can feel her heartache in each one, the fear and pain she went through by having to watch the fight.

Opening my mouth to respond, I suddenly notice the bruise blooming on her cheek. A brand new ache fills my body as I reach up and touch it.

"Did you get hurt?"

"I caught an elbow when I was trying to pull Jerrell off you." She shakes her head, wrapping her hand around my own, "Don't avoid the question, Skylar. Why did you start a fight that you didn't want to win?"

"I did win." My chest clenches painfully as I start to laugh, the sound coming out more as a wheeze, "A hero will charge into battle to save the one he loves but a villain will destroy anyone who touches them."

Lacey presses her hand to my chest, trying to get me to stop convulsing, "I don't understand what you're saying."

"You needed a villain, Flower. And I needed to be saved."

This whole time, I've been worried about falling short of being the male lead this girl deserves. Now, I know that it was never about the love I have for my flower.

It was about the love between two brothers.

Turns out, I didn't have to be a leading role because someone had already claimed that title. And with one flick on the nose, I made sure Jerrell would never bother Lacey again.

"You did it on purpose." She blows out a shaky breath, "Even though you didn't know if Vector would come for him."

"I knew he would."

"How?"

My face breaks into a painfully wide smile, "Because he promised."

Lacey blinks down at me, her bloodshot eyes tracing the curve of my mouth.

"I'm still mad at you."

"That's okay. Do you want to know a secret?"

She bites her lip, trying to contain her smile. Reaching up, I press my thumb on her bottom lip until it slips free.

"I love you."

"You're a terrible hero, Skylar Vin."

"That's true."

She laughs, bending down to press her lips to mine, "I love you too."

Closing my eyes, I'm about to soak in every second of this moment when a clap echoes beside us. Blinking my tired eyes open, I turn and see silk material and glittering chains approaching us.

"Don't worry, Expressionless Wonder, I bought the perfect remedy for you." Nico grins, plopping himself down beside Lacey and passing over a shot of tequila.

"He bought the remedy for the entire bar."

The grumble comes from my other side and I shift to see none other than my brother's biggest rival scowling at the ground.

Lacey and Nico help to push me into a sitting position. Trying not to stare at the lacrosse legend, I take the alcohol offered with a nod of thanks.

"To the little guys." Nico clinks his shot glass against mine, "For not being afraid to lose."

"Nico!"

"What? I was going to say for not being afraid to get broken and bruised but that felt too soon."

I tap his glass and throw back the shot. Nico lets out a hoot and Lacey shakes her head with a smile.

The three of us sit together, watching the Silverwood students dance and mingle around the dance floor. The tequila helps to take the edge off, but the pain radiating through my body has me ready to find the cleanest spot on the ground and pass out.

"I think it's time we got you home." Lacey's hand wraps around mine, squeezing it gently. I smile at her, grateful for the executive decision when Nico lets out an excited shriek.

"Maurice, this is our song!"

"This is not our song."

"Babe, it totally is."

Mo crosses his arms, "Pony from Magic Mike is not our song."

Lacey lets out a laugh while I watch the interaction with wide eyes. Nico jumps up from the bench and shimmies over to his partner.

"Remember what happened the last time this song played?"

Mo's lips twitch, "I don't think this place has private rooms, Montez."

"See? It is our song." Nico glances back at me, "How conservative would you say this crowd is?"

I blink, "I'm not sure."

"Fuck it."

Nico grabs Mo's hand and drags him over to the dance floor. The handsome Latino immediately starts moving his hips in time to the music and after a moment, Taber's lacrosse legend joins him. It takes less than ten seconds for the two men to start grinding on each other, their sensual movements drawing envious stares from every other couple in the vicinity.

Clearing my throat, I turn back and look at Lacey .

"I wasn't expecting that."

She bursts out laughing, "They can be a lot sometimes."

"So… Mighty Mo is gay?"

"That's a story for another time. Come on, let's get you home."

Looping her arms around me, Lacey helps me stand up and hobble out of Silverwood's one and only nightclub.

By the time we crawl into bed, I'm covered in bandages and Lacey is wearing one of my t-shirts. Her long legs tangle with mine as we curl up together, our broken bodies and tattered souls welding together like two sides of the same coin.

As my eyes drift closed with my arms wrapped around the only girl I will ever love, I can't help but think today was a good day.

And tomorrow will be the same.