Tyler doesn’t speak as he drives us back to Ash’s at a speed that is well over the limit. Not that I can blame him. The little he said as we got dressed after Jack’s phone call was enough to have me anxious to get there and see Everly too.
When he pulls into the driveway, Jack is outside waiting for us. River is sitting on the ground a few feet away, legs bent and elbows resting on his thighs.
“What the fuck happened?” Ty asks, peeling himself out of the car almost before it’s come to a full stop. He glares at River and starts for him, but Everly’s voice calls out from the front door.
“Ty.” She takes off running for her brother and throws her arms around his neck.
A lump forms in my throat as she clings to him, tears falling down her cheeks. Something tells me this is the first time she’s hugged him with so much need because Ty stumbles back as her body collides with his. He moves to action quickly, though, cradling her against his shoulder and running a hand down the back of her head.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“Yes.” She pulls away as if she’s just realized she’s hugging him.
He ducks his head to meet her gaze, then brings his hand under her chin to get a better look at the bright red streak across her cheek.
“You piece of shit,” he says so quietly and filled with so much anger that I hold my breath as he stalks toward River.
Jack intercepts with a hand to Tyler’s chest.
“You fucking hit her?” He yells around Jack, still trying to get to him.
River scowls and runs his tongue along his busted lip. “She hit me first.”
Jack releases Tyler, but spins and lunges for River first. He pulls him to his feet by the front of his T-shirt.
“If I ever see you again, I will kill you, then bring you back to life and let Tyler kill you. I don’t want to see your pathetic face. Not just here, anywhere.”
River glances at Everly without moving his head.
Jack tightens his grip on the front of his T-shirt. “Do you understand?”
“Yeah.” He shrugs, and Jack lets go of him. He brings a hand to his split lip. I wonder if that’s from Everly or from Jack before we got here. “What the fuck ever. She isn’t worth it.”
“You’re just going to let him go?” Tyler asks as River gets in his car.
Jack glances at Everly, then back to Tyler. “You don’t want the cops in the middle of this.”
“He’s right,” Everly says, voice sounding stronger now that River is gone. “I’m fine.”
“He hit you.”
“I hit him first. Not that he didn’t deserve it.” She grits out the last part. “But he won’t come back.”
Tyler runs a hand through his hair and his shoulders sag with relief as he puts an arm around Everly. “I need a drink and then I want to know what the hell happened. Exactly what happened.”
We all start to go in, except for Jack. He heads to his car which I just now realize is parked at the curb.
“Where are you going?” I ask him.
Tyler and Everly stop and wait for his answer.
His jaw flexes. “She should get some ice on that face.”
Ash and Declan hang in the kitchen while Tyler takes Everly into the living room. With no ice pack in sight, I grab a beer from the fridge. I hand it to Everly.
“Have anything stronger?” she asks.
“It’s for your face.”
She rests it against the side of her cheek with a small wince. “Thank you.”
Her gaze scans me still in my dress. “I’m sorry I ruined your guys’ night out. You look so pretty.”
Tyler cuts in as I’m reassuring her.
“What was he doing here? Ash said they didn’t even know he was coming over.” Tyler stripped out of his jacket and the top two buttons of his shirt are undone. Ash pours him a glass of whiskey, but Tyler just holds it in one hand on the top of his thigh.
I don’t know if I should stay or let these two talk in private, but before I can decide, Tyler reaches for me, his gaze never leaving Everly. I drop to the cushion next to him, and he presses his leg against mine as if he wants the smallest bit of reassurance and support for this conversation.
“He called and wanted to come over. I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
Ty’s brows raise.
“Okay, fine. I knew sneaking him in was wrong, but if I’d asked Ash or Declan, they’d have called you and then wanted to chaperone the whole thing.”
His jaw flexes, but he nods. “Do I want to know why you hit him?”
“Probably not.”
He takes a drink and then says, “What happened?”
She’s quiet for a moment, then blows out a breath. “It was an accident.”
“You busted his lip on accident?”
She rolls her eyes. “We were messing around. He kept pushing my head down.” She motions toward her crotch.
I can almost feel Tyler wince at the image.
“He had a tight grip on my hair, and I couldn’t get up, so I swung my hand to get him to let go, but I missed and got him in the face.”
“And then he hit you?” The words fall out of my mouth.
“Well, first he ranted on about how I was too young and stupid to know what I was doing, and how no one was going to want to date a high school chick that couldn’t even give a decent blow job.” She looks me dead in the eye. “I know how to give a blow job, thank you very much, I just didn’t feel like bobbing up and down on his small dick.”
Tyler groans, places his drink on the coffee table, and runs two fingers over his forehead.
“I said that last part to him, and he got pissed and slapped me.” She shrugs. “It’s true though.”
She removes the beer bottle from her face. It’s still red but it isn’t as puffy.
“He shouldn’t have hit you,” I tell her. “No matter what you said or did.”
“Yeah,” she says in a tone that makes me wonder if she really believes that. Then she sighs. “I’m tired. Can I go to bed?”
“Yeah. We can talk more in the morning.”
She gets to her feet and Tyler does too. She hands over the beer. “I’m sorry I ruined your night out. You clean up nice, bro.”
“I’ll always come if you need me. Got it?”
She nods. “Am I grounded for life?”
He chuckles softly. “No, but if I find out you’re talking to that prick again, I will—”
“I won’t. I promise. I already blocked his number.”
“Good.” He lifts his arm, and she steps into his side for a small hug.
When she leaves the room, he falls back on the couch and lets his head drop back.
“She’ll be okay.” I run my hand through the hair at the nape of his neck.
He closes his eyes and leans into my touch. “I’m so glad she hit him. I wish it’d been me.”
Ash pokes his head in. “I’m heading to bed, but I want to make sure everyone is good.”
Ty opens his eyes and nods. “Yeah. I think so.”
“I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I didn’t hear him come in.”
“Not on you, man,” Tyler says. And I don’t have to wonder if he’s putting it all on him instead. I know he is.
