Page 68 of Saving Barrette

Though I’m not sure calling him to defend me had been my intention, I knew he’d protect me and get in Roman’s face. It’s who Asa is to his core. He fights for what he believes in.

Reality slaps me in the face. I shouldn’t have called him. I should have walked away.

Any minute I know I’m going to throw up. I just know it. It’s rising and rising, and the moment I see Roman approach Asa, the anger takes over. I don’t want him anywhere near him. Suddenly, I understand Asa’s need to protect me because I feel it then. It pulses through me like the need to breathe does. Natural and effortless.

I step toward them, my pulse ringing in my ears.

“Stay away from her,” Asa warns, positioning himself between the two of us.

A crowd forms outside the building, Roman and Asa face-to-face on the stairs. “Why?” Roman asks, smirking as he runs his hand through his hair, never leading on that inside, his world is crumbling over the truth he’s afraid of being revealed. He puffs his chest out. “You gonna stop me?”

The sounds of hushed conversations and the thump of my heart tickles my ears. I wet my dry lips, urging myself to step forward and stop them. Asa can’t touch him. My body is screaming at my head as a violent battle starts up.Move!I scream at myself, but I’m rooted in place by my fear.

“You’re going to pay for all your lies,” Asa spits at him. He glances at me briefly and though I know I shouldn’t think this, he’s devastatingly beautiful when he’s angry. With his heavy brow pinched together, he turns back to Roman. “And your betrayal.”

Tension bleeds into the air as they face-off, two childhood friends, their bond destroyed by a lie. My heart aches that I’m the reason for it. I put myself in a compromising position, and Roman, he took what wasn’t his. That’s the bottom line here. I can’t blame myself any longer. It’s not fair to me, or anyone else who’s ever said no and their denial went unheard.

Pain slams into me and I know I have to gather the strength to stand up for myself and Asa. I can’t let him touch Roman. They’re yelling at one another, their harsh words inflicting pain their fists wish to follow up on, but they both know what happens if they do. I reach for Asa, and he jerks his head up, his eyes burning with undisguised rage. He steps back, forcibly trying to calm himself down. Suddenly we’re surrounded by members of the team, and I notice Terrell first. “What’d up, A?” he asks, coolly glancing at Asa and then Roman. “Ya cool?”

Asa shakes his head, unable to reply

Roman groans, crossing his arms over his chest. “Jesus Christ, mind your own fucking business, man.”

“He’smy business.” Terrell steps toward Roman, his thick massive frame towering over Roman’s. “Andshe’smy fuckin’ business. So I suggest you get to steppin’.”

Roman fixes his dark eyes on me, but he doesn’t say anything. He backs up a step, smiling. “Keep your distance, B,” he taunts, his eyes ablaze with a new kind of heat. His eyes flick to Asa and he leans in over Codey and Waylon who are trying to pull him away. “That pussy was mine first.”

That does it. Those are the words that get Roman flat on his ass. Not from who you think though. Believe it or not, it’s Terrell who sends his fist into Roman’s face. And I have to say, it’s gratifying.

Security is there in an instant, and it’s broken up quickly before anything else can happen, and the football players yank Asa away.

“I’m gonna kill him,” Asa seethes, his voice void of any emotion. He’s lost it. Completely. The good… it’s slowly disappearing because of me and I can’t, I won’t let that happen.

“No, you’re not,” Waylon tells him, backing him and me up and out of the way of the crowd. “Coach wants to talk to us.Allof us.”

Asa nods but doesn’t let go of my hand. The remaining players shuffle aside, and I’m left in the midst of all of it next to the one I fear isn’t going to let this go. Not this time.

I stand next to him, tilting my chin up defiantly and piercing him with my stare. “Leave it alone,” I remind him, knowing what he’s thinking. “He will pay for what he’s done. But not by you.”

Asa reels me into his arms, closing the gap between us, pressing his body against mine. “You need to file a restraining order,” he tells me, his voice bordering on a growl.

“I will. Right away. I’ll do it now, but you have to promise me you’re going to let the police handle this.”

He nods.

“No.” I grab his face between my hands. “Don’t, Asa. You can’t ruin your future over this. Not ever.”

He pins me with troubled eyes. “I won’t let him hurt you again.”

My eyes widen. “It’s not up to you. You touch him and your career is over. He knows that.”

Asa sighs, stepping back to create distance between us. He scrubs his hand over his jaw, tension filtering into the air again. When his eyes land on mine again they’re full of fire. “Fuck my career.”

“No.” I move closer, ignoring the questioning stares around us. “Don’t say that. He’s already taken so much from us.” His chest is heaving, his anger so embedded in his words I fear there’s no stopping this turn in him, but I know I need to. I need to because he was there for me when I needed him the most and I’ll be there for him through this. “I love you, Asa. And I don’t think I could live with myself if you gave it all up and let him win. You wouldn’t let me give up, so I’m not letting you.”

It takes him a moment before he really hears the words I’m saying. When he does, it hits him like a bullet to the chest. He yanks me hard against his chest, holding me there. And though I want to believe that’s his promise, I’m not so sure it is.

The quarterback of a team has to keep them together. It’s the most difficult position in sports. The number one trait of all the great ones? Competitive spirit. Without it, it can destroy your team. He has to be cool under pressure.

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