I’ve been avoiding her lately. Against my advice, she started volunteering once a week, and from what I understand, Ricardo is doing a good job keeping her safe. She’s sought me out a few times, and each time, I’ve made up an excuse not to spend any time with her. Something about her just reminds me of everything I lost. The day I met her was also the day my life changed.
The boy leans into her, and she backs away, her body language conveying her reluctance. “Come on,” the boy coaxes her. “It’s just one kiss, and it’s just the two of us here.”
I walk up to them, but in her distress, she doesn’t even notice me. Not until I place my hand on her shoulder. “Don’t touch her,” I warn, my tone harsh.
She tenses and looks up at me, the stiffness in her body draining away when her eyes meet mine. She melts into me, and I wrap my arm around her fully.
The boy looks at me, his eyes flashing with anger. I’m all too familiar with guys like him. Entitled, snobby and bratty. I used to be him. I can pretty much guess what happened here. The two of them must have been hanging out, they might even have been seeing each other, but he’s asking more of her than she’s willing to give. It’s a good thing she’s finding out he’s such a pig sooner than later.
“Who the fuck are you? Get your hands off her.” Pretty Boy straightens his shoulders and puffs his chest, as though he’s actually readying himself to fight me. I wouldn’t put it past him. His ego is clearly bigger than his brains are.
“He’s my boyfriend,” Alanna says, pressing herself against me. I nod and tighten my grip on her, playing along.
“Stay the fuck away from my girl, or I’ll break every part of you that touches her,” I snap, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I even have any idea what I’m saying. I generally try to stay away from trouble, but I can’t today.
He looks at Alanna, but she turns away and tucks her face into my chest. I wrap my arms around her fully, covering her in my embrace. She’s shaking, and I have no doubt she’s feeling vulnerable right now. What the fuck was she thinking, finding herself alone with such a fleabag? Why the fuck does she keep putting herself in unsafe situations?
The boy looks at us one more time before he grits his teeth and walks away, stopping a few paces away. “This isn’t over, you slut.”
I tense, but Alanna fists my shirt and clenches tightly. I watch him walk away and cup the back of her head, holding her protectively. She’s so fucking small that the top of her head barely reaches my chin. How was she going to protect herself against this guy?
“Are you okay?” I ask when Pretty Boy disappears from sight.
She nods and takes a step back, but I keep my arms wrapped around her, unwilling to let her go just yet. In the last couple of years I’ve taken to caring only about myself, and nothing and no one else. Alanna awakens a protective instinct in me that I thought I’d lost.
“I’m fine,” she says, but she’s still trembling.
“We need to talk about your propensity for putting yourself in dangerous situations,” I warn her, my tone harsh.
She looks up at me, her expression so deceptively innocent yet alluring. Does she realize how beautiful she is? She’s only sixteen, and she already looks like a vixen. She’s got curves most girls her age could only dream of, and those lips of hers have me looking away, because she’s far too young for me to be thinking about that way. Then there’s her eyes. She’s got the most beautiful hazel eyes I’ve ever seen. I can only imagine what boys her age must think of her, what they’d want from her. The thought of her kissing Pretty Boy fills me with a sense of dread, and it leaves me feeling uncomfortable.
“What would you have done if he’d forced that kiss? What if he forced you to do more than that? This park is mostly deserted, Alanna. What were you thinking?”
I tighten my grip on her shoulders, resisting the urge to shake some sense into her. I get being young and reckless, but this just isn’t right. I need her to understand how wrong this could’ve gone.
“I’d have kneed him in the balls, Si.”
She’s only just about stopped shaking. Maybe she would have gathered her courage, maybe adrenaline would’ve kicked in, but what if it hadn’t?
“Try it. Try kneeing me in the balls.”
“What?”
I nod, my gaze provocative. “Try kneeing me in the balls, Alanna. Try getting away from me.” I tighten my grip on her, and she frowns.