No Bad Days (Fisher Brothers 1)

When I saw my frat brother David pressed against Jess in the hallway, I almost lost my fucking mind. And it wasn’t only because I didn’t like seeing her in the arms of someone else.

No, it was the way she struggled against him that really set me off. She tried to move, to get away from him, but she wasn’t strong enough. And he refused to let her go, his face and body inching closer with every second that no one stopped him.

I saw red, blood fucking red, and it took Jess yelling in my ear to get me to calm down. I wasn’t sure what would have happened if she hadn’t gotten me to stop, but I had an idea.

I’d never been so out of control before. Usually I was too preoccupied sticking my tongue down someone’s throat, as Jess would say, to pay attention to what was really going on at my parties. The thought made me wonder if this type of thing had ever happened before, but either way, I sure as shit was going to make sure it never happened again. I had no tolerance for that kind of behavior toward girls. It did everyone in our gender a disservice.

Shaking my head to rid myself of those dark thoughts, I turned and focused my attention on Jess, who was now sitting on top of my king-sized bed, staring down at her hands.

“Are you okay?”

“I think I’d like to go home,” she all but whispered.

She looked up at me, her blue eyes brighter now they were swimming in tears. When a few slipped free and started to spill down her face, I sat next to her and rubbed my thumb along her jawline before pulling her close and giving her a tight hug. She gulped in her breaths and trembled a little in my arms. Watching her wade through her emotions and not be able to help was one of the worst things I’d ever experienced.

As president of the fraternity, I was always expected to attend our parties and act as host. So when the party was in full force earlier, I knew I should have been out there socializing, but I’d started feeling sorry for myself when I realized Jess wasn’t coming. Or at least, when I thought she wasn’t.

Assuming she had blown me off, I’d moved my pity party to my bedroom and stayed out of sight, not wanting to see everyone else having a good time when I wasn’t. Alone in my room, I was idle but my mind was busy, coming up with scenarios of her and her stupid ex-boyfriend getting back together, or thinking that maybe she hadn’t enjoyed the time we spent together the day before.

It all came back to Jess not caring enough to show up at the party tonight, and I couldn’t fucking handle it. And because of that, because of my stupid fucking ego, I wasn’t there to protect her when she needed me.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t there,” I said. Reluctantly, I released her, but ran my palm over her back, up and down and back again, keeping my movements slow and easy. “I’d been out there waiting for you all night. I actually thought you weren’t going to come, so I was sitting in my room. Sulking, to be honest. I’m so sorry, Jess.”

And I was. I felt responsible in some way. Even though I knew logically that it wasn’t my fault, my mind refused to give me a reprieve. Certain things were my responsibility, and this felt like one of them.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said softly.

When her eyes moved to meet mine, I knew in that moment that I’d do whatever I could to keep this girl safe. She was vulnerable, yet strong, but I’d be damned if anyone would ever hurt her on my watch again.

“I should have been there.”

“I wanted to tell you that I was on my way, but I didn’t have your number.” She tried to smile, but it slipped away.

“Where’s your cell?”

I held out a hand and waited as she pulled her phone from her back pocket and handed it to me. After typing my name and phone number into her contacts, I sent myself a text from her phone so that I’d have her number as well. My phone pinged in response, and I returned her phone.

“That’s taken care of. I have your number, and now you have mine.”

“Was that a pity handout?” she said with a sniff, and I smiled.

“No. I meant to ask you for it when we had lunch yesterday, but I forgot.” I reached for her free hand and gave it a squeeze, but didn’t release it. “Do you want me to take you home?”

One slim shoulder lifted in a shrug. “I came here with Rachel.”

“Any idea where she is now?” I asked, but there was no way Jess could know. She couldn’t possibly know anything after what she just went through.

“She went off with Trevor when we first got here.”

“Can you call her? Or send her a text?” I suggested, looking at the phone still in her other hand.

“Duh. Yeah, I’m an idiot. Sorry.” She shook her head, frowning at her herself, and pecked out a quick text to Rachel.

My heart beating fast, I shifted a little closer next to her on the bed, half afraid that my closeness would alarm her. When she leaned against me, I relaxed a little.

“You’re not an idiot. You’re shaken up. Anyone in your position would be.”

The cell phone vibrated in her hand, and she jumped as if it had scared her half to death. It killed me to watch her react that way to something as simple as a text message notification.