“And I’ll go with you,” Trip adds beside me. “You shouldn’t let this get swept under the rug, man. It’s time to fight back and stop being that asshole’s punching bag.”

I finish wiping up Max’s face and he leans his head back and closes his eyes. He’s struggling. I know more than anyone how hard coming out to the world will be for him. Turning Jackson in for what he’s done will get not only everyone in this town involved, but the press too. A star motocross rider assaulting a gay man will make headlines for sure. I can’t imagine how hard this must be for him.

Max takes a deep breath and then opens his eyes. “I guess it’s time I stop hiding who I really am.”

I grab his hand and squeeze it. “You’re making the right choice. Let’s go.”

TRIP

Inside the police station, Officer Jones stares me down for a long moment before turning his attention back to Max. It’s the tattoos that make them all nervous. The artwork on both my arms tends to have that affect on some people. I stand behind Max while he works on filing a police report and applies for a restraining order against Jackson. Holly is right by his side, just like she promised.

“So tell me, Mr. Moore, where did the assault take place?” the heavy-set officer asks Max.

Max runs his hand through his brown hair. “It occurred on the street outside of Jackson Cruze’s house.”

The cop twists his lip, making his mustache crooked. “You said you drove yourself away from the scene. What were your intentions when going to Mr. Cruze’s residence?”

Max shuffles his feet. “They were to tell him off, I guess.”

The office nods and writes a couple notes down. “So you went over there with a preconceived plan to start trouble with your assailant?”

Max shakes his head. “No, I didn’t. He hurt my best friend and put her in danger. I had to confront him about that. He couldn’t just keep getting away with hurting her.”

“Is this young lady whom you’re referring to?”

“Yes.”

He eyes Holly and returns his gaze back to Max. “Was she involved with Mr. Cruze?”

“Yes, but I don’t see what that has to do with this,” Max replies.

The officer sighs and sets his paper down. “This appears to be a domestic dispute over this girl. My advice to you, son, is to not get involved in other people’s business—even if you are interested in pursuing the lady yourself.”

Holly shakes her head. “It isn’t like that, officer. Max and I are best friends. There’s nothing going on between us.”

The cop chuckles to himself. “You might want to let Mr. Moore know that—looks like he took quite the beating defending your honor.”

Holly folds her arms across her chest. “I’m glad you think that someone like Jackson beating up my gay best friend is amusing. I’m sure the media would love to know about the cop that didn’t take the matter seriously, especially since Jackson is sort of a celebrity.”

I grin as I listen to my girl give the cop what for. I love that she’s feisty enough to stand up for herself. Of course I’ll step in anytime she needs me, but she’s doing a pretty damn good job of handling the situation herself.

The chunky cop clears his throat. “Just hold on, Miss. I never once implied this wasn’t a serious matter.”

“But you did when you were insinuating that we were just a bunch of young people caught up in a silly love triangle, which I promise you isn’t the case. Jackson Cruze is an arrogant jackass who believes he can get away with anything. He’s been picking on my friend for some time now, and it has to end. I had to practically drag Max down here. Look at his face. He got the crap kicked out of him and he was afraid to come to you people for help because he didn’t want to be judged. We get him here, and not only do you judge who he is and what he stands for, but you don’t take him seriously. You were about to blow him off, weren’t you?”

Officer Jones holds up his hands, attempting to calm Holly down. “I’m sorry if I came across that way. Believe me, this is a serious matter and we’ll get right on this. I promise you. We take hate crimes very seriously.”

“Good,” she replies. “Now let’s get back to allowing my friend to press charges against Jackson. He needs to know he’s not above the law.”

I remain silent the entire time. It’s good to know I have a woman who can defend herself. She’ll need to be tough, especially when it comes to dealing with our crazy fans. Those women go a little batty sometimes. Both Lanie and Aubrey both have had their fair share of run-ins with them and it wasn’t pretty, so I’m sure Holly will face that too.

Once everything is completed, we make our way out to the parking lot. Holly turns to Max and wraps her arms around him. “I’m so proud of you.”

He squeezes her against him. “It felt good to do that, like a weight has been lifted off me. Thank you for encouraging me.”

“You’re welcome,” she says as she pulls back. “Go home and get some rest. It’s nearly dawn, so you’ll have to explain everything to your parents soon.”

Max nods. “It’s time they knew the real me.” His gaze cuts to me. “Thank you, Trip.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Me? I didn’t do anything.”

“Yes, you did. You came into my best friend’s life and changed us both.” He smiles and then winces and touches his tongue to his split lip. “See you guys later.”