At the end of class, I packed up my stuff and noticed that April was waiting for me. I gave her a questioning glance. She picked at her textbook and started sucking on her lip ring again. “So, we have that test next week,” she began.

“Yeah, it’s going to be a killer, too. So I recommend studying your ass off,” I replied offhandedly, throwing my bag over my shoulder and heading out of the room.

April scurried behind me to keep up with my longer strides. “Do you think we can study together? Because I’m lost. I don’t understand any of this,” she suggested, a note of pleading in her voice.

I stopped before leaving the building. I could see Evan standing impatiently just outside the door, a cigarette hanging from his mouth and a glower already pinned to his face.

“Yeah, I don’t think that would be such a great idea,” I said pointedly, nodding my head toward her boyfriend on the other side of the glass.

April noticeably deflated and seemed to shrink in on herself at the sight of Evan. Her shoulders sagged, and her eyes focused on the floor. “Yeah, you’re probably right,” she muttered, barely audible.

I felt myself get angry. Really, really angry.

It wasn’t right that April was allowing herself to be controlled by this guy. I thought of Renee kissing Devon, and I felt an almost murderous rage. At April. At Renee. At every girl who let herself be dictated by the moods and whims of the person who claimed to love her.

And that included me.

I squared my shoulders and shook my head. “You know what, let’s study together. We can meet at the library. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?” I asked, and April looked up through her eyelashes. She seemed so small and timid. Like a dog that had been kicked one too many times.

“I would really like that, Aubrey,” she said, her lips trembling, as if afraid to smile. I wanted to punch the abusive dick standing just outside.

“Great. Then let’s get together tomorrow evening—”

“What the fuck is taking you so long?” a voice barked, the door slamming open and ricocheting off the wall.

April instantly recoiled. Her eyes glazed over and her shoulders went up, her chin tucking into her chest as though bracing herself for a blow.

Evan glared down at his tardy girlfriend, clearly expecting an immediate answer. But April had gone mute, incapable of speaking, let alone explaining herself.

Then he realized I was also standing there.

“What the hell do you want, bitch?” he asked, his lip curling up in a disgusted sneer.

I looked him straight in the eye. “None of your damn business,” I responded slowly, succinctly.

Evan’s face flushed red, his jaw ticking, his eyes darkening. I had pissed him off. I got the impression he wasn’t used to having anyone talk back to him.

“You’d better watch your mouth, girlie. I’d hate to see it wiped right off your face.”

Was this guy for real? A month ago I would have most likely trembled at being confronted in such an aggressive manner. But not now.

I crossed my arms over my chest and arched my eyebrow. “You do know that sort of language can be construed as threatening and abusive. And someone with your colorful legal history should know that you can get into quite a bit of trouble for that sort of thing.”

Who is this girl? I barely recognized her. But I really, really liked her. Evan looked apoplectic. April’s face had paled, and her eyes pleaded with me to shut up. To stop goading this very angry tiger.

Fuck that.

“You will not speak to me in a threatening or derogatory way ever again. I’m not sure who pissed in your cornflakes, but it certainly wasn’t me. And whatever hard-on you have for me, you need to check it before I decide to report to someone exactly how you’ve been harassing me.” I inclined my head just the slightest and dropped my voice until it was soft, barely above a whisper, but the words held a strength as though I had shouted them.

“You’re not the only one who can make threats. And you’re not the only one who can report things and mess up someone’s life.”

Evan opened his mouth, and I had no doubt a string of violent profanities was ready to spew forth, but I wasn’t about to hear them. I looked at April, needing to communicate a silent apology for whatever my tirade would mean for her later, but she was looking staunchly at the floor.

Knowing I had only seconds to make my escape, I pushed open the door and started down the stairs, proud of how well I had handled that extremely unpleasant situation. Then I was grabbed by the back of my shirt. My hair was caught in the tight fist at my back and my head jerked viciously. I was then wrenched down the steps until we both stood on the sidewalk.

“You fucking bitch!” Evan roared, and I knew that he had every intention of using the fist he had digging into my back on my face.

I looked around, hoping to see someone . . . anyone. But unfortunately we were alone. It was getting later, and the campus was growing quiet as people left for the day. I silently cursed the tiny campus community. Normally I appreciated the lack of crowds, but not now. Not when I was terrified.

I opened my mouth to scream, but the sound got lost in my throat as I saw the murder in Evan’s eyes. He was one scary dude, that’s for sure.

“You act like a bitch, you get treated like a bitch,” Evan spat into my face, leaning over me.

“Evan! Stop it!” April screeched, and even though I was most certainly facing extreme bodily harm, I couldn’t help but be shocked by the fact that she had finally found her voice.

Evan was beside me, breathing loudly, and he pointed at his girlfriend, who stood at the top of the stairs, trembling. “You’re fucking next!” he shouted.

How could no one hear what was going on? Shouldn’t the sound of shouting alert someone to a situation? I had never felt so horribly alone. And so absolutely petrified.

Evan swung back around to look at me, his face nauseatingly close to mine. I could smell the nachos he must have had for lunch as well as the putrid stench of stale smoke. There was a good chance I would vomit. And I wanted to. I wanted to be sick all over the fucking bastard.

“You’ve messed with the wrong guy, you prissy cunt.” He sneered, and then he was stumbling backward.

Because Evan wasn’t standing in front of me anymore. He was on the ground, and there was someone standing over him, fists colliding with skin. Over and over again. Evan tried to get to his feet to defend himself but was promptly dropped back on his ass with a punch to the jaw.

“I warned you once and you didn’t fucking listen!” Maxx yelled as he brought his arm back and let it fly, fist connecting with face. The sickening thud of flesh and bone made my stomach turn, and April screamed again.

Evan scrambled backward and held his hands up, trying to protect himself. He had given up on trying to fight back, and now he was simply trying to stop himself from bleeding any more.

Maxx was a machine of violence. He kept hitting Evan. I experienced a horrible sense of satisfaction seeing Evan whimper in the dirt, but then I realized the potential implications of what was happening.

The last thing Maxx needed was to get into any more trouble. Particularly since he was most likely still on probation. I chanced grabbing ahold of his arm. “Maxx! Stop!” I yelled, pushing myself up against him. Maxx fought against my grip, still trying to get to a cowering Evan, who wasn’t so big and threatening anymore.

Now he was a crying heap of pathetic.

“You do not need an assault-and-battery charge. Please, just stop!” My voice was shrill in my own ears, and I was feeling adrenaline rush through me. I started shaking as I realized everything that had just happened.

Shit, I was going to lose it.

Maxx seemed to instinctually recognize my changed demeanor. He dropped Evan and immediately turned, his hands coming up to frame my face. “Are you okay? What did that fucker do to you?” he demanded, his voice harsh, but his touch gentle. His thumbs stroked the tender skin of my jaw, and I felt the sharp sting of tears in my eyes.