Xander's POV
I didn't know why I felt the urge to comfort her.
It was strange—unnatural, even—considering I spent most of my time getting on her nerves. But when I saw the video that her idiot of a boyfriend posted... something in me snapped. And after I held her, after I saw the way she broke in my arms, she left school for the day.
But I couldn't shake it off.
I was counting down the minutes till the final bell rang.
---
I stepped into the parking lot and that's when I saw him—Derrick.
Laughing.
Like he didn't just destroy a girl's dignity. Like none of it mattered.
Rage flooded my chest. No second thoughts. No hesitation.
The next thing I knew, my fists were slamming into his face. Over. And over. He barely got one punch in. His friends tried to pull me off him, but I wasn't stopping. Not until my fury quieted down.
I'm pretty sure I broke his nose.
Good.
I stood up, chest heaving, and walked away without a word—leaving him with a bloodied, swollen face and a lesson he wouldn't forget.
---
I drove home way past the speed limit. My busted lip stung, and I pulled up my hoodie before walking inside. Bryan—my little brother—was the only one home.
"Hey bro," he said.
I ignored him.
"What happened to your face?" he asked again, trailing after me.
Still nothing.
I went straight to my room, grabbed my first aid kit, and stood in front of the mirror. My lip looked like hell, but nothing I couldn't handle.
Then came the knock.
Bryan.
He didn't even wait for me to answer—he just walked in, like he always does. He sat casually on the bed, watching me clean the cuts.
"What's up with you?" he asked.
"Nothing," I replied, short and sharp.
He sighed. "I saw the video."
Those four words stopped me cold.
I turned and looked at him fully, for the first time that day.
Because now... he had my full attention.