I don’t move, standing stock still as he pulls his shoulders back and quirks his lip up into a sneer. “You’ll regret that, Lily.”
“Go near her and I’ll break your fuckin’ hands,” I growl, telling him with my eyes that I mean every word of it.
“Whatever.”
He tries to barge past me, but at the last second he moves, walking down the hallway with a swagger in his step I want to knock right out of him.
“Why did you do that?”
Spinning around, I look at Lily, seeing the fire in her eyes that wasn’t there a few seconds ago.
“Huh?”
“I don’t need you to come and save me, Luke.” She huffs out a breath, shaking her head. “Forget it, I need to get home.”
I open my mouth, about to reply, but she’s already halfway down the hallway before my brain catches up with my body.
What the hell just happened?
Following her, I go over and over it in my mind, wondering what I did wrong. Was I not meant to go and save her? Okay, so save is a little extreme. He was a grimy teenage boy probably wanting to get his hands on her. He wouldn’t have been any real danger, but just seeing his hands on her body had my temper fraying and snapping with force I’ve only ever felt once.
I don’t say anything when I get to the table, instead I walk out, heading to the SUV and jumping inside, my head elsewhere as I start to drive us back to Mom’s house.
Maybe it’s me? Maybe I lose it too quickly? Should I step back and really see what’s going on before barging in there? I don’t want a repeat of that night.
Memories flash in my brain, and when I look down at my hands clutching the steering wheel, all I can see is them covered with blood.
My eyes widen, my breath catching in my throat as I pull up at Mom’s. She says something to me, but I can’t really hear what over the white noise buzzing in my ears. All I know is she leans over, kisses my cheek, and then gets out of the car. But still I can’t move, can’t stop staring, watching as the blood flows through my fingers, dripping onto my jeans and soaking into the fabric.
It was my fault, it’s all my fault.
A hand landing on my arm has my instincts kicking in and I move my arm out, takin
g their wrist and looking up into the face of… Lily.
I let her wrist go so fast. “Shit. Sorry, angel.”
“It’s…” She clears her throat, her gaze batting over my face. “It’s okay. I just wanted to say thank you for tonight.”
Nodding, I turn the engine off, my body working on automatic again as I get out of the car and say, “I’ll walk you across the field.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she rushes out.
I don’t reply as I shut the car door, instead, I start walking, hearing her quick footsteps as she catches up to me, the top of her head coming to my shoulder.
We walk in silence the whole way, only stopping at the edge and out of sight of her house when we come to another little alleyway.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur, surprised the word is coming out of my mouth.
“What for?” Her brows furrow as she looks up at me.
“For barging in with that guy. I should have—”
“I don’t need saving, Luke.” She stares up at me, her blue eyes telling me something different. I want to tell her I see the front she’s putting on, but I can’t find the words. She’s trying to be strong, and I won’t be the one to knock her down.
“I know.” I step closer. “But if you ever do then you call me.”
“A regular superhero, huh?”