Page 6 of Sixty Days Of Summer

“What the hell happened?” Theo demands.

Nate looks up, his face etched with anger. “Beck broke into her apartment. He fucking hit her. She managed to get away, but she’s not doing well. She’s a fucking mess.”

“What the hell?” Theo says, clearly stunned.

Nate’s jaw clenches, his eyes burning with rage. “She came home from an audition, and Beck was already in her apartment,” he says, his voice rising with anger. “The bastard wouldn’t leave. When she tried to kick him out, he grabbed her by the throat. Then he kissed her, and when she fought back, the fuckhead hit her.”

In a fit of rage, Theo forcefully slams his yogurt container onto the counter, his face contorted with anger. “That fucking piece of shit,” he growls. “What the hell are we going to do about this?”

“First things first, we’re getting her out of there,” Nate says firmly. “She’s coming to stay with us until we figure out the next move. Then I’ll fucking deal with him.”

Just the thought of someone laying a hand on a woman makes my blood boil. “Is she okay?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.

Nate and Theo exchange a glance, and I can see the anger and concern etched deeply in Nate’s eyes. “She said she’s okay,”Nate replies, his voice tight with emotion. “But she’s scared, and that’s what really gets to me.”

Theo’s fists are clenched, his knuckles white. “We need to make sure that asshole never gets near her again,” he growls.

I keep my voice steady, even though I can feel the anger rising inside me. “What about the cops?”

“She didn’t want to get them involved,” Nate explains. “She didn’t want the media sniffing around, especially with her being my sister.”

“The media can fuck off,” Theo snaps.

“Exactly what I told her,” Nate says, as he pushes himself off the stool.

“Where are you going?” Theo asks.

“I’m getting my laptop to book her flight,” Nate replies. “She’s coming here until I can sort that fucking asshole out.” He slips out into the hall, retracing his steps from just minutes before.

Theo finishes his yogurt and gives me a look of disgust. “Beck’s a real piece of shit,” he says. “I’ve hated that cockhead since day one.” He walks over to the sink, drops his spoon in with a loud clatter, and then glances at my half-eaten yogurt. “You gonna finish that?” he asks.

“Nah,” I reply, pushing the tub toward him.

He snatches it up and digs in with my spoon, a cheeky grin spreading across his face.

“I’ll leave you and Nate to sort things out for Scarlet,” I say, turning toward the front door. “Catch you later, man.”

Stepping outside, I immediately realize that Alex’s bike is no longer there. Xander sits on the front steps of his house, fixated on his phone, oblivious to the world around him. He’s probably been on edge ever since I brought up the idea of speaking with Nate.

As soon as he hears my footsteps, he quickly glances up, jumps to his feet, and swiftly tucks his phone away in his pocket. With determination in his eyes, he strides over to me.

“Don’t sweat it, I kept my mouth shut,” I tell him before he even has a chance to ask.

“Good,” Xander replies. “We don’t need this crap blowing up before the tour. What’s going on with you, man? You’ve never cared about who you’ve hooked up with before.”

“Yeah, but this isn’t just any hookup,” I say. “It’s Nate’s fucking little sister. It’s messing with my head, knowing I’ve broken the bro code.”

“I get it, Ace,” Xander says, his frustration clear. “You’re feeling like shit because of who it is, and if you need to come clean, can you at least wait until after the tour? We don’t need any of this drama right now, especially with us being under our own label. That kind of shit could seriously screw things up for us.”

“But what if Scarlet spills the beans before I get the chance?” I counter. “It’ll look even worse if Nate hears it from her.”

“I doubt she’d run straight to her brother to tell him who she’s been fucking,” Xander says.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I reply. “I just didn’t want Nate to hear it from someone else before I had a chance to come clean. I figured telling him now would be easier, but with everything going on with Scarlet, I couldn’t bring myself to drop that bomb today.”

Seeing the concern in Xander’s eyes, I add, “She’s crashing at Theo and Nate’s for now. She’s catching a flight later today. Her asshole ex broke into her apartment and hit her.”

“Fuck, is she okay?” Xander asks.

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