At that, he chuckles. “Well, she did say you were rude.”

That confuses me. “But you just said—”

“I said it was the first time I heard about her having a boyfriend. Not my first-time hearing about you.”

“Oh.”

His eyes crinkle at the corners. “See what happens when you assume?”

“If you’re about to give me a sermon—”

“Do you want a sermon?”

“Not particularly.”

“Then I won’t give you one.” He looks at me curiously. “I just have one question.”

“What’s that?”

“Do you ever get mad at Sawyer?”

What a weird fucking question. I should bullshit my way out of it, but I didn’t come here to impress him.

I came here to see my girl.

“Yeah, actually. A lot. She drives me insane most days. But she also makes me happy. Really fucking happy. So, there’s that.”

I expect him to yell at me for my language, but he doesn’t.

He squeezes my shoulder. “You ended with a positive. Good for you, young man.”

Ended with a positive?

“What does that mean?” I ask as he walks down the aisle.

He chuckles again. “Ask your girlfriend.”

I’m making my way down the stairs when I hear her.

And him.

“I can’t not tell anyone about this, Oliver.”

Oliver? Who the fuck is Oliver?

An ugly feeling stews in my chest.

I knew it. I knew this thing with Sawyer was too good to be true, and sooner or later, she’d move on to greener pastures.

Her voice drops to a soft whisper. “Please, let me help.”

Help?

“You can’t,” Oliver protests. “Trust me, you’ll only make it worse, baby doll.”

“I’m not gonna let you go back there so he can do this again.”

“Just let it go, Sawyer,” the guy chokes out. “I’m sorry I involved you in my shit.”

“Don’t ever be sorry,” she says. “No one deserves this. You have the right to love whoever you want.”

Muffled sobs infiltrate my ears. “He said I would go to Hell for being a fag.”

“That’s not true,” Sawyer argues. “God doesn’t punish people for love.”

The guy sniffles. “You sure?”

“I’m positive.” She clears her throat. “But you have to let me get you out of there, Oliver. I can’t let him hurt you again.”

“I don’t turn eighteen for another week. He’ll call the cops and they’ll take me back.”

“Then you need to stay with someone, somewhere you’ll be safe. I can ask my parents. And if you don’t want to stay with us, my best friend Dylan and her boyfriend have an extra room in their apartment—”

“No. Thanks, but I can stay with my boyfriend and his mom.” He blows out a shaky breath. “I don’t have any of my stuff though and I’m scared if I go home and start packing…he’ll, you know.”

Beat the shit out of him again.

“I’ll go with you,” Sawyer says. “After that, I can take you to your boyfriend.”

Over my dead body.

Turning the corner, I walk into the room where they’re huddled up on the floor.

“I’m going.”

I’d like to see the prick lay a finger on either of them while I’m there.

The guy Sawyer has her arms wrapped around lifts his head. He has two black eyes, a bloody nose, and a busted lip.

Jesus.

I understand parents don’t always agree with their children—but to beat him to a bloody pulp because he’s gay?

That type of shit just doesn’t make any sense to me.

“Who are you?”

“He’s my boyfriend,” Sawyer replies with wide eyes. “What are you doing here?”

I take another step forward. “I—”

“Your boyfriend?” Oliver utters. “Damn, girl.”

Sawyer’s lips twitch. “I take it you approve?”

“I more than approve.” He points to the ceiling. “The good Lord up above has blessed you, honey.” Eyes on her again, he says, “I want to hear every word about how you ended up with this gorgeous, tall glass of water.”

I shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans since it’s clear I’m no longer included in this conversation.

She laughs. “How about I fill you in on the deets after we get your stuff?” Standing up, she helps him off the ground. “Deal?”

“Deal.” Turning to me, he sticks out his hand. “Does my knight in shining armor have a name?”

The guy has a sense of humor, I’ll give him that. “Cole.”

“About time you brought a girl home,” the drunk bastard slurs.

“Sawyer’s my friend. She’s helping me get some of my stuff,” Oliver informs him.

“Get your stuff? Oh, you think you’re leaving, you little homo? Let’s see how far you get after I—”

And that’s where I come in. “Lay a finger on him and I’ll break every single one of yours, motherfucker.”

Eyes growing big, the asshole staggers back. “Who the hell are you?” He turns to Oliver. “Let me guess. He’s a fudge packer too.”

“Hey—” Sawyer starts to shout, but I grab the guy by his shirt.

“I’m the guy who will obliterate your miserable drunk ass if you don’t shut the fuck up.”

I look at Oliver and Sawyer. “Grab your shit.”

“Are you two sure you don’t want to stay for a little while?” Oliver’s boyfriend asks. “It’s bad out there.”

He’s not wrong. It rarely rains in California…except tonight of course.

Tonight it’s pouring.

I pluck Sawyer’s keys out of her hand. “I’ll get her home safe.”

Oliver smiles. “Thank you for—”

“You don’t have to thank us.” Sawyer gives him a hug. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“You better.”

I grab her hand as we walk out to the parking lot of the apartment complex. The rain is coming down in buckets, so we make a run for it.

We’re almost to the van when Sawyer chokes out, “Cole.”

“I know. The weather s—”

She kisses me.

Safe to say I couldn’t give two fucks about the rain now.

Jesus Christ. There’s so much passion behind her kiss it draws a husky groan from my throat.

That only spurs her on. She pins me against the side of her van.

I have no idea what warranted this, but fuck if I’m gonna do anything to stop it.

Her mouth travels to the side of my neck. “What you did for Oliver—” she rasps. “You’re amazing.”

I don’t know what she’s talking about. It wasn’t a big deal.

If anything, what she did for him made the difference. I was just the muscle.

However, I’m also not an idiot. If she wants to lavish me in compliments while she—fuck.