Chapter Nine
He actually manages to get here in exactly ten minutes.
His car tore into the gravel, and the second he slams the door shut and steps out, his entire posture screams raw, unadulterated fury. “What happened?” he growls, marching toward me.
“J-Jason was here,” I stammer, the tears blurring my vision as I look up from the curb. “And after I told him I didn’t want him back, he grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go, and—”
Before I could even finish the sentence, Bear’s large arms wrap securely around me, pulling me flat against his chest. I bury my face into his shirt, sobbing uncontrollably as his chest rumbles with a deep, grounding, “Shh.”
He gently pulls back, but my breath hitches when he catches my right arm. His grip was incredibly light, but his eyes flare with a lethal darkness as he stares down at the angry, red finger marks darkening my skin. “Is this what he did?”
“Yeah,” I whisper.
Without another word, he pushes me gently out of his path, turns on his heel, and storms straight into the sorority house.
Panic suddenly overriding my tears, I scramble to follow him through the front doors. The crowded living room parts like the Red Sea as Bear marches through. He didn’t even hesitate—he lunges forward, grabbing a random frat guy by the collar and slamming him violently against the wall.
“Where’s Jason?” Bear growls, his voice dropping into a terrifyingly low octave.
“Out—out the back by the pool, I think!” the guy gasps, his eyes wide with pure terror.
Bear drops him instantly and surges toward the back door.
“I’m so sorry!” I blurt out to the breathless guy as I sprint past.
“Thanks,” he squeaks.
I burst through the screen door into the backyard just in time to see Bear throw a devastating first punch. It connected squarely with Jason’s jaw, sending my ex crashing backward into the grass.
“Oh my god, what happened?” Liv asks, frantically running up to my side from the edge of the patio.
“Jason got mean,” I say, my voice shaking as I held up my bruised wrist.
Liv cringes, her expression softening into immediate guilt. “Shit. Danny, I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have let you go out there alone with him.”
“It’s fine,” I reassure her, keeping my eyes glued to the lawn. “I decided to go out there with him, Liv. It’s not your fault.”
Liv shifts her gaze back to the center of the yard, a sudden, breathless grin tugging at her lips. “Well... we better watch the rest of this show.”
We turn back just as Bear steps over a groaning Jason. He reaches down, yanks him up by his collar with one hand, and drags him up until they were nose-to-nose.
“You ever—and I mean ever—touch her like that again, and I will fucking kill you,” Bear seethes, every syllable dripping with a very real, very dangerous promise.
“Who—who are you?” Jason manages to choke out, blood pooling at the corner of his mouth. “Her boyfriend?”
“I’m your worst fucking nightmare,” Bear growls.
With a brutal shove, Bear threw him back to the ground like a piece of trash and immediately marches straight toward me. Before I could even utter a syllable of thanks, I let out a sharp grunt as he threw his shoulder into my stomach, lifting me entirely off my feet in a flawless fireman’s carry. He didn’t care about the onlookers; he just carried me right past the crowd and out toward the parking lot.
He finally sets me down when we reach his car, smoothly opening the passenger door. I scramble inside, and the door slams shut behind me. Bear storms around to the driver’s side, threw himself into his seat, and starts the engine, speeding off into the night.
The entire ride back to the complex was dead silent.
When we finally walk through the front door of apartment 4F, Bear didn’t say a word. He just marches straight into the bathroom. I follow him, leaning against the doorframe as he knelt down to pull a heavy first-aid kit from beneath the sink. As he lifts the plastic box, the harsh bathroom light catches his right hand. His knuckles were raw, split open and already beginning to bruise.
Yep. That’s exactly why my dad always tells me not to hit people, I think, a shiver running through me.
Bear sits heavily on the porcelain edge of the bathtub, popping open the kit and pulling out a packet of antiseptic wipes. He tears it open, but as he raises it to his hand, I saw him hesitate, his fingers trembling ever so slightly.
“Let me,” I murmur gently.
I step fully into the room, dropping onto my knees on the bathmat directly in front of him. I reach out, carefully taking the wipe from his hand. He didn’t pull away. I gently cradle his large, calloused hand in mine, lightly dabbing the cool wipe across the split skin of his knuckles.
I could feel the intense, unblinking weight of his emerald eyes on me the entire time I worked.
“How’s your wrist?” he asks suddenly, breaking the quiet.
“Sore,” I admit honestly, not looking up from his hand.
“Has he done that before?” Bear growls, his jaw tightening again.
“No,” I answer, shaking my head. “To be honest, he was always a little bitch when we were together. I’ve never seen him act like that.”
A low, genuine chuckle escapes Bear’s chest. The sound sent a pleasant warmth straight to my toes.
I carefully place a sterile piece of gauze over his knuckles, wrapping it securely with a layer of white medical tape.
“I’ll bandage your wrist now,” Bear says, his tone shifting into something surprisingly tender. “It looks strained.”
I nod, smoothing down the edges of his bandage before starting to stand up. But before my feet could properly plant on the floor, I let out a tiny squeak. Bear’s hands securely catch my waist, effortlessly lifting me up and placing me on the edge of the bathroom sink counter.
I watch in absolute, wide-eyed awe as he takes my bruised hand in his. His large, scarred fingers were incredibly soft, slowly and meticulously wrapping a flexible bandage around my joint, ensuring it wasn’t too tight.
“Bear?” I whisper.
He gave a quiet, questioning hum, not breaking his focus.
“I... I just—” Come on, Danny, just tell him! My heart hammers against my ribs as I stare at his dark curls. “I really appreciate what you did for me tonight,” I mumble, entirely chickening out.
“You’re welcome,” he grumbles softly. He gave the edge of my new bandage a reassuring tap and takes a step back, giving me space.
I jump down from the counter, a bright smile finally returning to my face as I look up at him. “You know, you should really consider being a doctor.”
“No,” he says flatly.
He turns and walks right out of the room, leaving me alone in the bathroom. I let out a long, dramatic sigh, shaking my head. The man was a total mystery wrapped in a mood swing.
----
The next afternoon, I decide to finally take Mac’s advice and get a proper haircut.
Honestly, the ends of my hair were completely dead; I hadn’t stepped foot inside a salon in over six months, which, as a marketing student who prided herself on looking put-together, was deeply embarrassing. Plus, this was the perfect excuse to finally meet another one of Bear’s family members.
When I pull open the glass doors to the salon on Fourth Street, my jaw practically drops. Mac had completely left out the most important detail: this wasn’t just a basic hair salon. It was a massive, high-end wellness hub, boasting an upscale tattoo parlor, a luxury nail bar, and a state-of-the-art tanning suite.
Wow. Bear’s brother must be absolutely loaded, I think, spinning around to look at the sleek decor.
“Hello! Welcome in,” a stylish receptionist greets me from behind a marble counter. I glance down at her gleaming silver name tag: Shelley. “How can I help you today?”
“Hi, um... I’m actually looking for Jay?” I ask, shifting my purse up my shoulder.
“I’ll go grab him for you,” she replies with a warm smile. “Who can I say is looking for him?”
“Oh, Danny.”
She nods and slips behind a set of heavy, plush velvet curtains separating the front desk from the back rooms.
Suddenly, I feel a sharp, persistent tugging at the fabric of my white skirt. I blink, looking down to find a tiny, adorable little girl staring up at me with wide eyes.
“You’re really pretty,” she blurts out.
“Oh! Well, thank you, sweetie,” I murmur, a genuine smile breaking across my face.
“Danny!”
I look up, letting out a sharp grunt as a pair of arms violently collide with my torso, pulling me into a fierce hug. It was Mac.
“Hey!” I laugh, hugging her back.
She pulls away, her sharp pixie cut bouncing as she beams at me. “I seriously didn’t think you’d actually show up!”
“Well, I decided your advice was too good to ignore,” I chuckle.
Mac reaches down, effortlessly scooping up the little girl from before and resting her on her hip. “Danny, this is my daughter, Natasha. She likes to spend her days causing an absolute ruckus.”
“Just like Daddy!” Natasha announces proudly, puffing out her tiny chest.
Mac playfully bops her nose. “Exactly right.”
“Oh my gosh!” a high-pitched, incredibly energetic voice squeals from down the corridor.
I look over Mac’s shoulder and instantly freeze. My brain completely stalls. Bear?!
Wait, holy shit. That wasn’t Bear.
Excluding the fact that this guy lacked Bear’s massive, intimidating muscle mass and didn’t have tattoos crawling up his neck, his face was an exact, mirror image of my roommate. Bear’s brother was his literal twin.
“You must be Danny!” he chirps excitedly, practically sprinting across the polished floor toward us. He stops right in front of me, throwing his hands in the air. “Mac was entirely right when she said your hair was a total tragedy!”
I sheepishly look away, my cheeks heating up as I twirl a dead end around my finger. “Well... I haven’t been to a professional in six months.”
“Six months?!” he screams dramatically, clutching his heart as if I’d personally offended him. “Danny girl, you and I have some serious emergency work to do. Get in my chair right now!”