“It’s just a kiss,” Nick tells me as he steps closer. His blond shaggy hair falls a little into his eyes as he looms over me. His dark brown eyes are focused on my lips as he licks his own. “I think I deserve a kiss, Mags. We’ve been boyfriend and girlfriend for two weeks now.”

I want to correct him and tell him we aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend and that it’s only been days, but what’s the point? I’ve already learned he isn’t the brightest. You think if we’d been boyfriend and girlfriend he’d stop calling me Mags like I asked the first three times. My name is Maggie. Is that so hard? Apparently it is, because now the whole school is calling me that because Nick does.

I swallow, wondering if it’s really just a kiss he wants. Maybe I’m making a bigger deal out of it than I should be. I’ve probably read too many books, because excitement isn’t coursing through me like I thought it would. I’m about to have my first kiss, and none of the things I’ve read about are happening. I’m overthinking this. All I have to do is place my lips against his. Easy. It will be over, and then I won’t have to worry about it anymore. Or maybe I will.

The other girls at school do more than kiss. I hear them talk. I’ve been at my new school for over a week, and it’s all they talk about. My first few days, I blended in, which didn’t bother me. I got used to moving around a lot because my dad’s in the military. It’s sometimes better to not make friends because I know I won’t be around for long. But my dad told me we were settling in here, so I tried to make an effort. Then Nick blew that wide open.

After only a couple more days in my new high school, Nick noticed me. It was all a little overwhelming to say the least. I went from having no friends to everyone wanting to know me once Nick set his sights on me. He’s the star of the football team, and people seem to pay attention to his every move.

Nick is exactly what you picture when you think of the popular boy in school. But for some reason, I don’t find myself attracted to him. All the girls talk about is how wonderful he is, but I’m not getting it, even though I keep trying. Maybe kissing him would make me understand why all the girls at school are so enamored with him.

“Okay,” I whisper, closing my eyes and tilting my head back. When I feel Nick’s hand grip my hip, my eyes fly open and I watch his mouth descend toward mine.

Unable to stop myself, I try to take a step back to pull away, changing my mind. I don’t want him this close. I don’t like the heat of his body pressing against mine or the feel of him digging into me. But his grip on my hip only tightens.

I turn my head, and his lips land on my cheek, but he doesn’t seem to care. He pulls me closer to him, and then I feel his fingers wandering all over my body as his mouth moves to my neck. He grinds against me, and bile rises in my throat. I don’t want this. I try to push him away, panic setting in, but no matter how I try, he doesn’t move. For some reason all the self-defense tactics my father had taught me aren’t kicking in. It feels like he’s getting closer and closer, and the breath is leaving my lungs.

“Stop,” I tell him, but the word is softer than I mean it to be. My throat feels like it’s starting to close.

“Don’t be a prude, Mags. You want this,” he says against my neck, and I squeeze my eyes closed.

“No, stop,” I say with as much force as I can manage. His size is overwhelming, but any size would be, compared to me.

Pure fear shoots through me as I close my eyes and take a breath to scream. As I feel tears start to build, he’s miraculously gone. A loud crack sounds, and then I hear a thud as something heavy hits the ground.

My eyes fly open, and I see a man, his back to me. He’s breathing heavy and standing over Nick. Nick’s on the ground, holding his face as blood gushes from between his fingers.

“I think you broke my fucking nose!” Nick yells the blood runs down his shirt. He starts to get up, but the man steps toward him and Nick changes his mind. He scurries away on the ground, trying to get away from the man standing over him.

“You okay?” The deep voice has me pulling my eyes away from Nick, up to look at the broad back protecting me. When I don’t answer him, he turns his head a little, and dark green eyes meet mine. I breathe in a soft gasp when I see a dark scar running down the side of his face. “Are you okay?”

I nod, unable to form words.

The man turns away at the sound of Nick coming to his feet. Nick looks like he’s ready to murder someone. His normally laid-back expression long gone. He goes to open his mouth, but the scarred man cuts him off.

“Don’t say a goddamn word,” he growls, and I swear I can feel the chill run across my skin. “Get the fuck out of here, and don’t you so much as fucking look at her again.”

Nick hesitates for a fraction of a second before he decides this is a no-win situation and takes off running. The scarred man stands there for a moment before he finally turns around fully to look at me. His face is hard, and I can see the anger written all over it.

I take a step back, needing to get my bearings. This guy’s size is even more intimidating than Nick’s. I’ve always thought my father was big, but this man is much larger. He might be the biggest man I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying a lot having grown up around Marines. The scar on his face looks angry and red, making me think it’s new. His dark brown hair is cut military short, and I can see the dark shadow of stubble on his chin. His scar makes him look menacing, and his broad chest and arms do nothing to help ease that.

He takes a step toward me, then another. I notice a slight limp in his left leg as he walks closer to me. I take another small step back, and he stops, holding his palms out in front of him.

“Maggie?” His dark eyebrows rise in question as he says my name.

“How do you know my name?” That’s probably not the first question I should be asking, but at least words are coming out of my mouth now.

“We’re standing in your backyard. I assume you’re Maggie.” He tilts his head to the side, a small smile pulling at his lips. Some of his angry features soften, and a little of my fear washes away.

I look around us, remembering where I am. Nick was walking me to my door after he drove me home from school. I always go in the rear door, and we’d walked around to the backyard. It all hits me at once, and I inwardly groan. Oh God, I’m going to have to face him at school.

Then I try to put together why this stranger is here in front of me.

“Why are you standing in my backyard? Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful, I just—”

“I’m Eli.” His hands drop to his sides, and one goes to his pocket and pulls out a key. He turns and walks over to the back door and unlocks it. The alarm sounds, and he walks into the house and deactivates it. Then he steps back into the doorway, filling up the space.

“I’m sorry, I completely forgot,” I admit.

My dad said someone from his platoon was coming to stay with us. That a Marine had been honorably discharged due to injury and needed a place to stay for a while. But with everything that happened in the last few minutes, it had all slipped my mind.

“You going to come in?” he asks, stepping out of the way of the door.

“Of course.” I feel myself blush, heat hitting my cheeks. He probably thinks I’m a complete idiot. I’m outside getting mauled by some guy, whom he then punches, and I stand here like a statue. I move to walk past him, but his voice stops me.

“You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” I lie. I’m not okay, but I don’t need this stranger my dad is helping out to know all that I’m feeling.

He studies my face for a second before nodding, but I can tell he doesn’t believe me and debates pushing for more but he doesn’t. I walk into the kitchen, dropping my backpack on the floor and sitting at the breakfast bar. “My dad should be home soon,” I tell him. I turn to see him closing the back door and flipping the lock.

“Yeah, I know. I talked to him a few minutes ago.”

“Are you going to tell him what happened?” I twist my hands in my lap, feeling nervous.

Eli leans against the door his eyes still on me. He looks relaxed. Not like he just punched someone in the face. His black shirt is stretched tight against his chest, the word Marines in red on the front. He’s wearing jeans that are tight on his thighs, and they lead down to black boots. He might look casual, but I have a feeling he’s anything but.

“You don’t want me to?” He pushes off the door and walks to the other side of the breakfast bar.

I shake my head. “He’ll worry, and I’m not supposed to be dating anyway.”

No dating until I’m seventeen is Dad’s rule. And to make matters worse, Nick is eighteen. A senior. Dad would probably lose it, but I was just trying to make friends. I thought it would be easier, but I have a feeling when I go back to school tomorrow things are going to be hell.

“How old was he?”

“Eighteen.”

“A little old for you, don’t you think?” He looks down at me, and my cheeks warm again. “Just tell me you’ll stay away from him. Stay away from boys in general and your secret is safe with me.”

“Okay,” I say quickly, seeing that maybe we can keep this between us.

“Promise me,” Eli says, and crosses his arms. The stern look he’s giving me reminds me so much of my dad and leaves no room for negotiation.

“I promise.” I have no problems staying away from Nick, or from any other boys. After that experience, there is not one feeling I had before and during that kiss that I want to relive.