[Ryan]

I can’t control my rage and search room-to-room for the person responsible for Emma’s appearance. It doesn’t take a leap of faith to figure out what happened. Brad has hated her since that night in the bar. It’s why he had me talk to her, knowing she’d use her snarky attitude to humiliate me.

I find him in the kitchen, leaning against the wall, a drink in his hand. He spots me and the son of a bitch offers me a smile. “Hey, HP.”

“It’s Ryan, and you know it.”

“Right.” He stands up straight, towering over me by several inches. Bullies like Brad don’t scare me. He’s pushed me around long enough. When he touched Emma, made her cry, he crossed the line. “Your little bitch turned you into a whole new man, didn’t she? Too bad you couldn’t turn her into something a little friendlier.”

I’m going to kill him with my bare hands, and I take a step toward him. I slap the drink out of his hand. “Did you touch her?”

He glances down at the drink now all over the floor, then back at me. “What can I say? I guess we all have to slum it sometimes.”

I charge and slam him against the wall, my forearm against his neck, holding him in place. “Did you attack her?” When he doesn’t answer me, I slam him to the wall again. “Answer me!”

Brad squares his chest and pushes me back. The tension in the kitchen thickens. People back away to give us room, all eager to watch an alcohol-induced rumble. “You dumped her, dude. I was offering her a little support. You know, rebound action.”

“Is that what you call it?” I point in the direction she disappeared in. “Does your rebound action involve assault? Did you see what she looked like? Why was her dress ripped?”

“That was an accident. I didn’t mean to rip her dress when I grabbed her.”

That does it. I throw the first punch, hitting Brad in the face and splitting his lip. Jesus Christ, he has a hard jaw. I hope I didn’t break anything, but even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. This animal touched Emma. He hurt her. I’ll kill him.

He stumbles back but doesn't fall. Touching his face, he pulls his hand down and sees his fingers covered with blood. “You son of a bitch.”

“Leave my mother out of this,” I quip and even smile. I have no idea why I’m baiting him, only that it feels good. I channel Emma’s beautiful snarkiness as I continue to provoke him. “Come on, Brad. Let’s see how much of a man you really are. You’ve already shown you have no problem attacking a woman. Can you hold your own against a man?”

Brad laughs in my face. Fury bubbles in my veins. “Man? We all know what you are. You’re a product she created. You weren’t a man before. She may have made you look normal, but you’ll never be a real man. You’re only a Delta because of your daddy. Stuart Ryan has a lot of pull, enough to get you into a house where you’ll never belong.”

Several people gasp and I tense. So much for keeping my father’s identity a secret. Not even that matters now. Making this asshole pay for hurting Emma, that’s all that matters. “Are you done?”

“Let’s face it, HP.” Brad grins, showing off blood in his teeth. “You are, and always will be, a fucking nerd. You’ll never be good enough to be a Delta.”

I see red. My father. My brother. Now Brad. Everyone telling me I’m not good enough, that being a nerd is somehow a bad thing. I’m done. I’m done listening to everyone tell me what I’m not. I know who I am. I’m a man, and it’s time to prove it.

I charge Brad. He does the same. He takes a swing and I go flying back, dazed from the blow. I stand and come after him again, only to have him connect his fist with my cheek. It explodes in pain and I slam into the wall behind me. I stagger upright and step toward him. He thrusts me back. I hit the wall again. When Brad punches me, once in the eye and then in the temple, the room spins and I slowly slide down the wall. I try to push myself up but I don’t know which way is up. My vision blurs and little black dots take over. I fall back down.

That doesn’t stop me from trying to stand. Brad needs to know he can’t do this, especially to my girl. I’ll kill the bastard for even thinking he had the right to touch her. I’m using the wall to push me up when hands on my shoulders easily hold me down. I glance up to see Brittany, her brow crinkled in a frown as she looks at me. She pulls tissue out of her purse and wipes at my face.

“Get up, you loser.” Brad is just getting started and dances from foot to foot, his fists at the ready to deliver more blows. I’m not an idiot. If I get back up and go after him again, the next punch will knock me out. I probably already have a concussion. Jesus Christ. Why do guys do this to each other? I’m in a lot of pain.

“Come on,” Brittany says and helps me to my feet. When Brad takes a step toward us, she points at him. “Don’t you fucking dare, douchebag. You so much as take another step and I will not only mace your ass, I’ll tie you to a tree in the forest, cover you with peanut butter, and let the rats finish you. Got it?”

Brad stills and blinks at her. I have to admit, I didn’t see that coming, either. Brittany has a dark side. A really dark side.

“Chill, sweetheart.” Brad attempts a grin as he slides his gaze over her body. He’s in the middle of a fight, yet takes the time to hit on her. What a douche. “Don’t hate the player. Hate the game.”

Brittany straightens. At first I think she’s going to come up with another threat equally as dark. I’m not expecting her to smile at Brad and take a step toward him. “You know what? You’re right.”

His grin widens. “I am?”

He is?

“I should be thanking you for getting us into the party.” She takes another step and places her hands on his shoulders. “This is how we thank guys like you.” She slams her knee into his groin, and he drops. “Good luck getting it up any time soon, dick.”

No one says a word as Brittany helps me out of the house. That is until Brad calls out. “You’re done, HP. I’ve been waiting for you to snap. You think your daddy’s power will save you from this? Think again. Not even the great Stuart Ryan has enough money to sway the Greek council on this one. You’re out. You’ll never be a Delta.”

Fine by me. I don’t want to be part of a house where someone like Brad is in charge. Something tells me my family will be just fine with the decision.

“Ignore him,” Brittany tells me. “Let’s get you home. Which mod is yours?”

I barely nod in the right direction. Everything hurts, but I’ll live. The pain in my chest would eventually dull, but it’ll never go away. Brittany gets me inside and lowers me to the couch. She then disappears, only the reappear with ice in a towel. After placing it on the side of my head, she kneels in front of me.

She has the most stunning blue eyes. She’s like a young Marilyn Monroe, with a witchy, captivating beauty about her. It’s obvious why guys fall at her feet. But I only see one woman when I close my eyes. Red hair. Hazel-green eyes. A husky laugh and crazy sense of humor. My chest pinches at the way Emma looked at me right before she ran off. She hates me and I don’t blame her.

I stiffen when I feel lips on mine. I open my eyes. Brittany’s kissing me. I push her away. “What are you doing?”

“I promised Em you had to pass the Britt test.” She licks her lips. “Since the obvious test is out…”

“What’s the obvious test?”

“Sex. But you’re clearly in love with her, and she thinks she’s in love with you. How in the shitting fuck did you two get to be so goddamn messed up in less than a month? It usually takes months and sometimes years to reach this level of ridiculousness.”

I thought only Emma had weird sayings. These two are peas in a pod. “She hates me, Brittany.”

“Call me Britt.” She sighs and rests the ice against my head again. “And no shit she hates you. You totally played her.”

Goddamn it. I’m sick of Emma accusing me of playing her. Now her best friend, too? “What does that even mean? Why does she think I played her? Because I like kissing her? Because I go to sleep thinking about her and wake up excited to see her? Because when I’m with her, nothing else matters? She’s my everything.” I sigh and close my eyes as I rest my head on the cushion behind me. This is so exhausting. “I thought she knew that.”

“Then what was that bullshit with Nancy Pettigrew?”

I can’t tell her or she’ll tell Emma. I need to be the one to tell her. “It’s complicated.”

“You’d better uncomplicate it. You broke her heart with that little stunt.”

I cringe at the news. I already knew how much I destroyed her and hate myself because of it.

“You really don’t get it, do you?”

I open my eyes to slits. Even that hurt. “Get what?”

“You’re the first guy she’s ever been with who makes her actually want to be with him. I’m not talking sex. I mean all that other stuff.” She tilts her head, smiles and shrugs. “I know that sounds weird, but it’s Em we’re talking about.”

I can’t argue that one. My IQ qualifies me for Mensa, yet I still can’t make sense of half the shit she says, let alone the shit she does. But I want to. “What other stuff?”

“She’s not an easy person to get close to. Believe me, I know. She’s pretty much been on her own since junior high. Her mom works all the time and her dad is, well…”

“They’re divorced. She hasn’t seen her dad since she was twelve. She told me.”

Britt drops her jaw. “She told you that? She’s never told anyone else except me. It’s taken me since the seventh grade to earn the title of best friend, and yet, in a matter of a month, you’re closer to her than I am.”

I sit up, but she pushes me back down. I stay.

“She’s my best friend, Ryan, and I love her like a sister. Do you have a sister?”

“A brother.”

“You’d do anything to protect him, right?”

Despite how I feel about my brother, I’d still protect him to the death if it came down to it. “Yes.”

“That’s Em to me. I’m an only child with a mother even more messed up than I am. Em is the only other family I have. If anyone does anything to hurt her, I will go bat shit crazy on his ass. Got it?”

“I, uh…” Did she just threaten to kick my ass? She’s ninety pounds soaking wet. Still, my respect for her jumps because of it. I’d protect Emma with my life. Clearly, Britt feels the same way.

“Got it?” She removes the ice and sticks a finger in my face, her blue eyes blazing.

“Yes. Yes, I’ve got it.” Jesus Christ, she’s as crazy as Emma. No wonder they’re best friends.

Her eyes flash. “I’m going to ask you this once and only once. If you lie to me, I’ll know. Now, I know you love her.”

My heart pinches. “How?”

“Because you didn’t hesitate to go after Brad, even though you knew you’d get your ass kicked.”

“Neither did you.”

“Because I love her and would do anything for her. So would you, which means you’re either an idiot, or you’re in love. Em would never fall for an idiot.”

I look at her, shock holding my tongue hostage. I finally break free of my paralysis. “She fell for me?”

“We may have to revisit the possibility that you’re an idiot. Did you not just hear what I said?”

I stiffen. I hate that word, having heard it way too many times growing up from both my father and brother. “I’m no idiot.”

She squares her petite shoulders and even smiles. “I know. Now, onto my question. And again, if you lie, I’ll know. Did you play her?”

I rest my head on the back of the couch, exhausted over the constant accusation. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“Let me spell it out for you. Can you read people? Did you read anything when you talked to her, anything that gave you insight on how to treat her? Poker players call it a tell. Gun fighters call it a sign. Are you a people reader or something? A con artist? What?”

I laugh at the irony. The TREX team just wanted to help by giving me all those pointers. I use them and Emma thinks I played her because of it. “I took some advice from friends. Apparently they know what they’re talking about.”

“Apparently. That’s it? You become this player overnight all over some advice?”

“Yep.” Advice I’ll never use again, not if it ends like this. My insides spin and I just want to give up. Emma hates me. Britt suspects me of being a con artist. Brad already kicked me out of the house after kicking my ass in front of everyone. It’s incredible how a simple deal between two strangers turned into where I am now. “Why is it so hard to believe there are guys out there who just want to be…” I shrug and shake my head. “Normal.”

Britt narrows her eyes and I shrink back. What is it with women and those looks, the ones that make you scared to say anything else? “Then why break up with her?”

“I had to.”

“For Nancy?”

“Because of Nancy,” I correct. After Britt stares me down, I give in. “Emma and I swapped midterms. Nancy caught us and threatened to turn us in if I didn’t take her to the DASH.”

“Are you seriously shitting me right now? That bitch!” She glares and, again, I shrink back. “I’m going to break her neck and leave her for the birds.”

Another weird threat that freaks me out. Britt definitely has a dark side. “Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

“Then answer me this: If you could describe Em in a single word, what would it be?”

I don’t even have to think. “Beautiful.”

“Aha!” She puts her finger in my face again. “You’re totally superficial.”

“Funny. Amazing. Has an aversion to eggs. I know that’s more than a single word.” I laugh. I then sigh as I conjure up Emma’s smile. “Confident, yet insecure. Mesmerizing. Warm. Irritating. More.” I chuckle as I realize how hard I’ve fallen. “I guess if I had to choose one word, that’s it. She’s more. She makes me want to be more.”

Britt sucks in a breath, pulling my attention to her. I’m shocked to see tears welling in her eyes. She blinks and a few break free. “You really do love her.”

“I do, Britt. With everything I am. I love her.” My entire world is darker as I admit that, knowing how she feels about me now, how she blames me for everything that’s happened. Hell, I blame myself. “None of that matters now. She hates me.”

“Okay, you pass. Tell her what Nancy did. Don’t let her keep hating you. She needs you.” She sniffles and wipes at her eyes. “Em is a better person when she’s with you. She smiles now. She’s…more.”

I inhale sharply as the word is like a light in my heart. “What are you saying?”

“Don’t give up on her, Ryan. Please.” She wipes at more tears. “Her entire life is built on disappointment and people keep handing it to her by the shit ton. Give her something to believe in. Let her know what she means to you. Don’t tell her. Show her.”

I grin as it dawns on me. I know exactly what I need to do.