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I turned to Reece. “I’m sorry I disturbed you. I’ll see you on Monday.”
I grabbed Sean’s elbow and tried to pull him to the door, but he held firm, refusing to budge. His glassy eyes fixed on Reece and he squinted. “Don’t I know you? It’s you, isn’t it? Reece Forrester. We went to the same school! We had some laughs, didn’t we, mate? Remember that time the guys hung you up on your locker by the hood of your duffel coat? How long were you hanging there before the caretaker had to be called to get you down?”
Reece’s lips pressed flat. “It’s Forster and yes, I remember.”
“Forster. That’s right. Weren’t you railing the librarian? What was her name? Mrs. Franklin?” Sean let out a roar of drunken laughter. “Wasn’t she about eighty years old?”
Reece stayed silent, his face a mask of pained tolerance.
My throat tightened. “Stop it, Sean.”
Sean shook his head high, his drunken eyes wide with animation. He pointed his beer bottle at me. “Really, Skylar? You’re into geeks now?”
My stomach dropped. Sean was a terrible drunk. I turned to Reece. “I’m so sorry about this.”
“You’re sorry?” Sean threw back his head with a nasty laugh. “What are you fucking sorry for? It’s a free country. I can say whatever I want. It’s just banter. Me and Forster are fine, aren’t we?”
The silence turned chilly before Reece inclined his head in a nod. “Of course. We’re fine.”
I needed to get Sean moving. I gripped his elbow and tugged him, but he wouldn’t move. If I couldn’t get him out of here, then I’d have to go and hope he followed. I needed to get him away from Reece before he said anything insulting again. I moved past him. “I’m going home. You’re drunk. I suggest you do the same, Sean. I don’t have anything to say to you.”
Sean gripped my wrist, holding me in place. He yanked me toward him. His beer breath hit my nose, making me recoil. “And where am I supposed to go? You’ve kicked me out of my fucking house.”
Reece was at my side like lightning. “Let go of her.”
I tried to shake Sean off, but he wrenched me in tighter.
Reece’s voice was firm, and an icy confidence blazed in his level gaze. “I mean it. Let go now.”
Sean released his grip so quickly I stumbled sideways. “What the fuck are you going to do about it, Forster?”
Reece stepped in front of me, shielding me. Alarm buzzed through my veins. Reece was taller, but Sean was a professional athlete made of solid muscle.
Reece met Sean’s belligerent gaze. “You’re angry. We can see that. Alcohol is impairing your judgment right now. This conversation would be better had tomorrow.”
The mocking smirk vanished from Sean’s lips to be replaced by something brutal. Sean glared at Reece like a dog about to rip him to shreds. “You want to get up in my face? You?”
My whole body tensed for a fight.
Reece held Sean’s mean gaze without flinching. “You’re intoxicated. Sean. We can see that you’re hurt and angry, but Skylar doesn’t want to have this conversation with you now.” Reece’s cool, measured voice was as soothing as it was laced with authority. “She has made her boundary clear. It’s time for you to respect that. When the alcohol wears off, the two of you can have a discussion. I can help you if you like. We could all sit down together and talk. This is neither the time nor the place.”
Reece held his hands up before tentatively putting a hand on Sean’s shoulder. “You don’t want to cause a scene. You’re hurting. It’s not good for the team or your career. It’s been a long night. Why don’t you let me give you a lift home? We’ll stop on the way and get a coffee.”
Sean looked at him in confusion, but he didn’t back away. Reece pushed his glasses up his nose. He looked so unfazed. So elegantly composed. So many guys would have gone toe to toe with someone talking to them the way Sean was, but Reece was here talking carefully and kindly, trying to defuse him. He’d taken control of the situation with calm assurance. It only made Sean look like a bigger idiot. My ex was a grenade, stuck so far up his own arse he couldn’t see that he had blown up his own life. I’d never been surer that we had no future.
Sean blinked hard before his expression darkened and his drunken gaze slipped over me. He’d probably never encountered a man like Reece before. Kindness had confused him. He blinked a few more times, then stumbled backward. A couple of books fell off the shelves where his broad back hit the bookcase.
“Forget it. You’re not worth it, Skylar. There’s something wrong with you, anyway. It’s not me, you know. It’s you. You’re frigid or something… it’s not normal. Of course I’m going to look elsewhere.”
Icy shame shot through my system. I did my best to stiffen my spine despite my embarrassment.
Sean shook his head and let out a bitter, hollow laugh. “Fuck you, Forster. You’re welcome to her. You deserve each other.”
My heart pounded. White noise roared in my ears. Sean sauntered toward the door, and I wanted to run after him and throw myself on his back and drag him to the ground, but shock froze me in place. I held my tears rigidly in check.
There’s something wrong with you.
Not good enough.
