Page 66 of Off The Rush
“Stay away from her,” Alec warns his grip tight on Kenny’s shirt. “If I ever hear of you touching her again, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
With that, I grab Alec’s arm, pulling him toward the door. “Let’s go,” I say quietly, my voice shaking. He releases Kenny, who stumbles back against the piano, wide-eyed and pale.
Once we’re outside the rehearsal room, I lean against the wall, taking deep breaths to steady myself. Alec is seething, his fists clenched and his jaw set.
“Hey,” I say softly, reaching up to touch his arm. “Alec, look at me.”
His gaze shifts to meet mine, and I can see the concern etched in his features.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice strained.
“I will be.” I try to smile, though it feels weak. “Thanks for… for being there.”
“Of course, Emma.” He hesitates before wrapping an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “I’m just sorry it happened at all.”
Alec pulls out his phone and quickly types something out before wrapping his arm around me.
As we walk back to Alec, Luka, and JD’s house, I can feel the tightness in my chest slowly fading, replaced by a sense of safety and comfort. With Alec by my side, I know I’m okay.
As Alec and I approach the house, I notice Luka and JD waiting on the front porch. They look up as we draw near, their expressions growing concerned at the sight of Alec’s tightly clenched fists and my pale face.
“What happened?” JD asks as we join them, his warm brown eyes searching my face for answers. I glance toward Alec, who’s still seething with anger.
“Kenny got out of hand during rehearsal,” Alec explains, his voice tense. “He wouldn’t stop touching Emma even after she told him to leave her alone. I’m just glad I heard her yelling at him so I could intervene.”
“Son of a bitch,” JD mutters, and his face hardens too. I can see the muscles in his jaw tighten.
“Where is he?” Luka demands, his gray eyes darkening with fury. “I swear, I’ll—”
“Guys, it’s okay,” I interrupt, trying to keep my voice steady. “Alec took care of it. Kenny won’t be bothering me again. I think he’s terrified.”
“Damn right, he won’t,” Alec growls, his blue eyes blazing. “If he does, he’ll have all of us to answer to.”
“Thanks, but really, it wasn’t that bad.” I force a smile, though it feels weak. “Besides, the project ends next week. After that, I won’t have to see him ever again.”
“Nobody should treat you like that,” JD says, his voice filled with frustration.
“The project? Aren’t you going to report him to the teacher and switch partners?” Luka asks.
I shake my head. “No. I’m not. The project is next week and I won’t do well with a new partner. Who knows if the professor would even believe me? I’m just going to cancel our remaining practices and get through the performance and never see him again.”
I can tell they’re frustrated but I appreciate their silence on the matter.
“Nothing is going to happen to you. We won’t let it,” Alec swears.
I can’t help but feel touched by their protectiveness, and my heart swells with gratitude.
I move further inside the cozy living room, watching Luka, JD, and Alec still stewing in their anger. Their clenched jaws and tense postures make it clear they’re not letting go of the incident anytime soon.
“Guys,” I begin hesitantly, “why don’t we try to relax a little? How about I cook us dinner?”
“Sounds good to me,” JD grumbles, still looking irritated.
“I’ll help,” Luka offers, his voice tight with barely contained frustration. We head into the kitchen together, leaving Alec and JD on the couch.
I can tell they’re trying.
Luka bangs pots and pans around as he retrieves what we need from the cabinets. The noise makes me wince, but I know he’s just blowing off steam. As we start preparing the ingredients, I can see the tension in his shoulders gradually lessen.
