Page 2 of Battered Moves

“Who the fuck leaves their coffee on the floor?” I mutter to myself, trying to contain my anger.

I make my way to the reception desk, finding Jax and the twins standing there with Chris.

“Jaxon, I’m done playing nice with my students if they abuse it like this,” I say, my fists clenched. He senses that something is off and immediately approaches me.

“What happened?” he asks.

“Tyler, one of my students, kissed me without my consent, but I pushed her away immediately,” I say, my tone still agitated.

“Locker room Tyler?” Ryder asks, getting to the point.

My frustration increases at the mention of her name. Chris, who’s been standing there quietly, speaks up after cussing under her breath.

“Liv may have seen this when she brought over the coffee earlier,” she says, concern etched on her face. The guys exchange a worried glance, while Jaxon paces back and forth, his anger building.

“I can’t believe this is happening. We need to find Liv and make sure she’s okay,” he says.

Ryder ends his call, looking at the others. “Her phone is off. I tried to call her a few times, but it just goes straight to voicemail.”

“I mean, I get that she’s hurt, but why would she leave like this? You guys are still in the friend zone, right?” River asks me, and I stifle a groan before answering.

“I may have fucked up last night.”

* * *

Jaxon

“In my office, now,” I command, and they all file in with bowed heads like naughty schoolboys. As soon as the door is closed behind us, I turn to Chase and ask, “What do you mean you may have fucked up last night?” I try to stay calm, but my words come out between clenched teeth.

“I was staying late, going over the books, when she came in to dance again,” Chase explains. “She wasn’t dancing like she does normally. It was hot and seductive, and I couldn’t stay away from her. One thing led to another, and…yeah.”

“Chase,” I say, struggling to keep my cool. “I’m trying really hard not to punch you right now.”

Chase lifts his palms in a gesture of surrender. “I know we said we’d take it slow, but I’d like to see any of you say no to her when she’s coming on to you.”

“She started it?” Ryder asks.

“I mean, I wasn’t discouraging it…” Chase admits sheepishly.

I ignore that and ask, “You did it in the studio, where anyone could have walked in?”

“The cameras,” River says, swiping a hand down his face, and I curse under my breath. He goes to my computer and tells us, “I need to delete the files before they get uploaded to the security server.”

Chase’s eyes widen. “I didn’t even think about that. I swear. Fuck, I’m so sorry. Can I help?”

River frowns at him. “No, I’m going to do it as quickly as I can, and I’m not going to let any of you look at the footage. I’m trying to protect her privacy, not stalk her like a perv.”

The room falls silent as River works to delete the footage. Chase is leaning against the wall on the opposite side of my office when River jumps up from the desk chair and charges towards him, landing a punch on his face.

I’m impressed. I’ve never seen River hit someone, but his form is perfect.

“What the fuck, Riv?” Ryder asks, now holding his twin back after reacting too slowly, while Chase just holds his jaw in pain.

“You didn’t use protection! You’ve slept with half of the city’s female population and didn’t use a condom! Does her health mean nothing to you? Is she just another one of your fucking conquests? If you ruined this for us, you are dead to me, Chase,” River yells at him, angry as fuck. I’ve never seen him like that before.

Chase’s face falls. “I know, man, I messed up. I realized it right after she left me standing there. I’m so sorry. I’ll do anything to make it right,” he says, his voice heavy with regret. “Believe me when I say I’ve never slept with anyone without a condom before. I just forgot, but that’s not an excuse. I forgot because she’s not just a conquest. She means everything, and I couldn’t think about anything else. I’m going to get tested right away to make sure I haven’t fucked up even more.”

I believe Chase, and honestly, I don’t think he would have intentionally done anything to hurt her. We should all go get tested to make sure we are careful with her.

---