After the track meet, I spot Judah still in the corner of the parking lot. Elliot is getting a ride home with Oliver so at least I know she's safe. It still doesn't change the fact that my patience has run out. I clench and unclench my fist while I watch him finally get into his truck and pull out of the parking lot. Five seconds later, I crank the ignition and follow him.

Fortunately for me, Judah pulls into an alley beside the liquor store. I park one block over and let my truck idle. I know this is a bad idea, but if Oliver's going to pretend like it's no big deal then somebody needs to show this asshole that it is.

He has a cocky smirk on his face when he exits the store with a brown paper bag tucked under his arm. His face is concentrating on his phone while he attempts to text and walk at the same time.

I shake my head. Of course he's drinking again. I don't think the kid's been sober since Elliot broke up with him. It's a dangerous combination—alcohol and heartache. It makes you do crazy, irrational things. Sometimes unspeakable things you can never take back. I won't let anything happen to Elliot because of this behavior.

When Judah gets back into his truck, I pull out and follow him exactly where I knew I would. He maintains the speed limit and stays inside the lines the entire way to Elliot's driveway. Hopefully, he hasn't started yet. It will be easier to get him to leave without resorting to violence. I don't want to hit him, but my patience is running thin.

I park against his bumper and jump out of my truck. He slides out of his vehicle casually and turns back to me and laughs.

"How did I know it was you again?" Judah says sarcastically and then reaches across his seat for the small brown bag. He twists the cap off the bottle and takes a long drink. "What's your fucking problem with me?"

I cock my head to him. "Elliot already made it clear to you she doesn't want to see you. You need to stop this."

He laughs again. Right in my fucking face. "You don't know what you're talking about, man."

"I think I fucking do."

Judah runs a hand along his jaw, studying me for a moment. "Why are you so concerned with what's going on between us?"

It must be something he sees in my face because his grin widens as he tilts the bottle back once more. I watch him twist on the cap and place it on his front seat. "You're fucking her, aren't you?"

The anger burns behind my eyes as I glare back at him. "When a girl tells you no, it means no. If you can't understand that then I'm going to be forced to explain it to you." I lean into him and he keeps his stance in challenge. His nostrils flare. "Trust me, motherfucker. You don't want that."

Judah shoves me back, and I laugh under my breath. "You think I don't know what's going on here? This is what she does."

My pulse starts to beat into my neck, and I clench my fist at my side. "I'd shut the fuck up if I were you. Last warning."

His eyes turn darker. "Don't you get it? It all ends with me anyway. Everyone else is just a casualty. Dylan, obviously, now you—you're just collateral damage." His eyes lock on mine. "She always comes back to me."

"Not this time," I grit out. My fist clenches so violently I'm surprised my knuckles don't crack.

Judah looks thoughtful for a moment and then a smirk spreads across his face. "I was the first person to have her. Did you know that?" He takes a step toward me, and I take a breath. "And I'm going to be the last."

That's when I lose it. My fist flies at Judah's face so forcefully his head snaps back against the open door. Blood immediately begins to pour from his nose after I land hit after hit. He manages to get one to the side of my face, but I don't even feel it.

The white noise continues to ring in my ears until he collapses to the ground. I wipe the blood from my face before landing a kick straight to his ribs. I find the will to stop for a moment and catch my breath. The weight on my back and the screaming from beside me brings me all the way out of it. My eyes scan around, and I find a distressed Elliot clutching her chest with one hand.

"Stop!" Ollie growls in my ear.

I realize he's the one pulling me away, and I don't even remember him walking out here.

My chest heaves in and out, and I shrug him off. Judah groans from the pavement and Oliver gives me a forceful shove on the shoulder. "What the fuck, man?"

I stumble sideways, but my eyes cut to Elliot knelt beside Judah, horror on her face. He still didn't really move too much yet. I must have really hurt him.

With tears in her eyes, she's looking back to me while resting a hand on his chest. "Why did you do this?"

"I'm sorry," I say, still struggling to take full breath. "He was saying horrible things about you."

Her face contorts in disgust. "So you beat the shit out of him?"

The look in her eyes destroys me. I've seen it before, and I never wanted to see it from her. Oliver clasps my shoulder, but I don't turn to face him.

"Go to take a walk, man. Chill the fuck out for a minute."

The tone of his voice doesn't make it seem like something I can argue. My entire body is shaking, and I can't tear my eyes away from Elliot. She's still on her knees at his side and he's starting to come around and mumbling incoherently. If she could just look at me and let me know she's okay I could walk away a little easier right now—but she doesn't. She cradles his face in her hands and speaks to him in a soothing tone.

I can't watch anymore, so I stalk off down the driveway. When I make it back to the guest house, I walk straight to the bathroom. I pull my blood-spattered shirt over my head and glance in the mirror. My hands grip the edges of the sink, and I study the cut across my lip. It's going to be hard to hide that one. He must have gotten one good elbow in that I was too enraged to notice.

Reaching into the drawer beside me, I grab a towel and wet it in the sink. As I'm wiping the blood from my face, I take in the eyes staring back at me. They're as hard and cold as the ones who created them.

With a fresh T-shirt on, I make my way back to the living room as a hard knock lands on my door. My shoulders tense before I see Oliver looking through the glass. I pull it open slowly. "You gonna hit me?"

His expression is unreadable as he holds my gaze. "Can I come in?"

I wave him inside with an impassive look on my face. Might as well get it over with. This night can't possibly get any worse.

Oliver steps past me and continues to look me over with extreme scrutiny. He nods once. "When were you going to tell me?"

My heart instantly sinks. I'm not sure how to react. Did he figure this out on his own or did Elliot tell him? My mouth runs dry when I attempt to swallow. "About what?"

He runs his hand over his head and laughs. "That's how we're going to play it, huh?" He takes a step toward me. "You should have been the one to tell me—not her."

I take in a breath. I really wish she was here right now. My mind races as I try to figure out why she felt the need to confess to Oliver without me. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" He laughs again. "All those times I was trying to help you out and it was all over my sister. If I would have known, I would have told you what a bad idea this was."

I scoff. "Why? What's the big deal if we're together?"

Oliver looks at me like I'm an idiot. "For starters, she's your fucking student."

I laugh once. "She's so much more than that and you know it."

He rolls his eyes. "If I fucking knew we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. You're my best friend—you're supposed to tell me everything." His eyes narrow as they meet mine. "She was in there talking soul shattering love. You better not be fucking her around."

I pull my hands into my chest. "I'm not, Ollie. I swear. I love her, too."

"Wow." He throws his hands up and then rubs his temple. "I don't even know what to do with this."

"Listen, this is real. We're in this together, completely. It's what we want."

He shakes his head. "Completely, huh? So, that means you told her everything. She knows everything about you."

I bite the inside of my cheek and he nods. "That's what I thought." He walks over to me and looks me directly in the eyes. "You know how I know that?" I shake my head, and he continues. "Because she asked me to tell her."

My lungs feel like they collapse for a moment as I struggle to take another breath. "Did you?"

He throws his arms up again and drops them heavily at his sides. "I didn't want to, and I almost did, but then you two showed up and decided to have a brawl in my driveway. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking. I just reacted." I step closer to him, my hands still shaking. "He's going to hurt her. He's crazy."

"He's not crazy. He's a dumb kid who can't handle losing the love of his life."

I laugh sarcastically. "The love of his life? He's treated her like garbage since they started dating. He doesn't deserve a girl like Elle—he never did."

His eyes soften a little. "I know you care about her." He pulls his hand into his chest. "I care about her, too."

I clench my fist, the anger coursing through me in waves. "I fucking love her." I get right in his face. "Do you understand me? I love her. I will do anything I have to do to protect her."

Oliver holds his hands up. "Whoa. Calm down, killer. Judah is not the enemy."

My mind is completely blown right now. I can't wait to hear his rationale on this one. Oliver takes a deep breath and leans on the edge of the couch. "Hunter, they've been back and forth for years—you know that. This is probably the worst time for her to get involved with someone else. She's young, she doesn't know what she wants."

When I open my mouth to protest, he stops me. "And that's okay. She needs to make mistakes and figure things out on her own." He pokes me in the chest. "And if you love her as much as you say you do, then you need to be patient with her. She's not as strong as she appears to be."

I breathe a little calmer and nod once. "I can do that."

Oliver laughs. "Can you? You really put the beat down on the poor kid."

I grip my hands in my hair and pace around the small living area. "I know. I fucked up."

"You sure did."

I look down to him in shock. "You're supposed to make me feel better."

"Only when you're right." He stands up and places his hand on my shoulder. "Right now you're totally in the wrong, dude. Apologize to Judah and pray he doesn't spread this around to their friends. You could be in a world of shit."

To be honest, that's the least of my worries. Elliot could barely look at me. What if what I did was so horrifying that she never speaks to me again? That thought alone makes me physically ill.

So, I wait. I wait for her to come to me and pray that she gives me a chance to explain.