Chapter 49
Chapter Forty-Nine
Rome
I wasn’t watching them the entire time. I promised Chrissy I wouldn’t and that I would behave. It was only when he put his hands on her that I moved, ready to shove him through the window and pummel his face in. She didn’t want him to kiss her, and why would she? He’s gross, and his intentions are slimy.
Like the coward he is, he scrambled out the door, leaving the three of us in shock.
Malik tried to kiss my girl. My girl. In front of me. He didn’t care. He wanted her, and he’s not learning his fucking lesson. He’ll never get my wildflower. She doesn’t want him. He isn’t worthy of someone like her.
“Are you okay?” I ask quietly, unsure where her mind is at.
When she nods subtly, I reach for her.
“Can I hug you?”
“Please,” she mumbles, her voice cracking as her chest heaves.
Without wasting another moment, I wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly against my chest. She continues to work on catching her breath.
Gwen appears, and I meet her worried expression and give her a nod, telling her that she’s okay. She presses her lips together before walking over to the front door and deadbolting it.
“You’re okay,” I whisper as I kiss the top of Chrissy’s curls. “You’re safe.”
Her arms find their way around my waist, and she embraces me back.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you or touch you.”
She nods and nuzzles closer. I run my hands up and down her back in an attempt to soothe her.
“It’s you and me, right?”
With another nod, she looks up at me and releases a shaky breath. “Right.”
“That’s my girl.”
I kiss her forehead as a car parks outside the café. Max, Ash, and Zack are here.
“Your brother is here. Do you want me to get him?”
She grips me tighter, not budging from her spot.
“Don’t go. Not yet.”
“Okay.”
Gwen returns with a bottle of water, and she approaches us with a careful look on her face.
“Hey, girly. Why don’t we head back to the Waylens’ instead of going out? Or we can reschedule for another night?”
“It’s okay. I want to go. I won’t let that asshole ruin the evening.” With one last sigh, her shoulders drop, but she doesn’t leave the comfort of my arms.
“Are you sure?” Gwen asks with a soft tone.
“Positive.”
Chrissy takes the water as I grab her things. The three of us head outside, where Zack jumps out of the car and tackles Gwen with a bear hug.
“There’s my two favorite girls!” When he pulls away, he sees Chrissy, and his expression drops. “What happened?”
“Can you ride with us? I’ll tell you on the way,” Chrissy responds.
Zack looks at me before looking back at his sister. “Okay, let’s go.”
During the ride, Chrissy tells Zack all about Malik. The two of them are in the back, leaving me alone in the front seat. In the rearview mirror, I watch Zack’s fists clench and unclench. He’s officially joined the Malik Is a Prick club, and I’m starting to think we need jackets to establish our membership.
When we get to the theater, Chrissy leans against me for support, and Zack gives me an approving look. He knows I won’t let anything happen to her. She’s safe with me, and she’ll never have to deal with Malik again.
“He’s not going to toss the ball to you, is he?” Chrissy whispers as we stand in line for our snacks.
“Let’s not worry about that now, okay?” I smile down at her, not letting an ounce of worry show.
“Okay . . .”
I already know Malik won’t throw me the ball during opening day, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. We have a backup plan. And while I have no idea how we’ll get Levi to replace Malik, we will because Chrissy and I will overcome anything that stands in our way.
Even Malik Chen.