“Ah, now you’re not so cocky,” Mikey says with a smirk when I don’t respond. I hate to back down because it would mean living through hell for almost forever, since no one in Star Grove can seem to forget, but at the same time this isn’t my home. I might be here for holidays if that, so in the end, does it even matter?

Sucking in all of my stubbornness, I put my hands up and step back, putting distance between us. “Fine, you win,” I say through gritted teeth.

“No fucking way.” He counters my step back, narrowing the distances between us. “You insulted me and ruined the leather in my car. You don’t just walk away. The question is, how are you going to pay? I mean, I could just make you pay to get it reupholstered.” His eyes scroll up my body suggestively. “Although, there might be something else you can give me.”

I can’t help it. I burst out laughing, which probably isn’t the best thing to do but I’m drunk and not thinking rationally. Big guy starts rushing for me as I back away with my hand over my stomach, my laughter echoing around us. But he slips and eats it, falling flat on his back and I laugh harder and Mikey’s face heats with anger. He snatches my arm and jerks me forward, his fingers pressing against my skin and I wince as I stumble.

“Fuck off,” I say, yanking my arm back.

His fingers dig tighter as he wrenches me forward, opening his mouth to say something, but I bring my knee up and slam it in his manly parts. I’m not sure how much force is behind the blow since I’m intoxicated and having a hard time keeping my balance, but it seems to do the job and he frees me from his hold, clutching his junk as his face contorts in pain. I’m about to turn and run when he lifts his arm and strikes me across the cheek.

My ears ring and I see spots as I clutch my cheek and blink. “You fucking asshole!” I shout, pissed off. Some girls would have cried, but the pain only makes me want to get him back. I see the big guy walking toward us as Mikey lifts his hand to hit me again. I bring back my own hand and slam my fist into his cheek. It’s not the first time I’ve hit someone and I’m pretty sure it won’t be my last, but no matter how many times I punch someone in the face, it still hurts my God damn hand.

We both cry out in pain, Mikey cupping his jaw where I clocked him while I shake out my hand as I scramble away from him, ready to bolt for the car. But then a group of guys and girls exit the bar, creating a lot of noise and making it so there are now witnesses.

One of the guys gives a questioning look in our direction as he lights up a cigarette and I seize the opportunity to hurry over to the Chevelle and climb in with Lila.

Her eyes are huge and dotted with tears and her arms are wrapped around herself. “Oh my God, Ella. That was—”

“Star Grove,” I tell her then add, “Lock your door.”

She obeys as I lock mine, too.

Mikey goes up to one of the guys who just walked out and they exchange a hand shake while big guy stares me down with his arms folded over his chest. I reach for my phone inside my pocket, debating who to call. I know that if I call Micha he’s going to come here and if Mikey’s still here then there’s a good chance a fight’s going to go down and that’s the last thing I want.

“I already called them the second that asshole came after you,” Lila tells me. “They were at a pub a few blocks over. They’re headed here right now.”

“Shit, Lila, now they’re going to come here ready to throw punches.” I glance in the rearview mirror, wincing as I touch my red, puffy cheekbone. “I think it’s going to bruise.”

Lila frowns. “Great, now you’ll have a giant bruise in all of your wedding pictures.”

“What pictures?”

“The ones Caroline’s going to take.” She slaps her hand over her mouth. “Oh shit, I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”

“What?” I gape at her as I cradle my injured hand. “Who invited them?”

She drops her hand from her mouth to her lap. “Micha’s mom. She thought it would be good for you to have your brother here.”

I’m not sure how to respond. My quiet wedding is now turning into a bunch of people who are going to be staring at me while I seal my future and of course read the vows I haven’t even started to write. It shouldn’t seem like a big deal, but at the same time it does. Especially if I do something stupid like panic. I don’t want anyone to see me panic.

I slump back in the seat and keep my eyes locked on Mikey, who’s still chatting with the guy. “God, I forgot how intense this town is,” I say, changing the subject. “Everything is either life or death.”

“Why don’t I just drive somewhere close?” Lila suggests, reaching for the door handle to get out of the car and switch seats with me “I feel sober enough now to at least get us away from here and then we can tell Micha and Ethan to meet us somewhere else so they won’t have to show up here and get into a fight.”

“It doesn’t matter where we go,” I tell her. “Mikey will just chase us down. In fact, I bet he’s hoping we drive somewhere just so he can chase us.”

“What is wrong with that guy?” she asks, looking at Mikey. “He hit a girl.”

“It’s just how people are around here.” I put the keys in the ignition, debating whether or not to start the car and turn the heat on. It’s cold as death in here but at the same time the rev of the engine might set Mikey off. If my vision wasn’t slightly blurred I’d totally take on racing Mikey in a heartbeat, but I have a feeling that if I try anything right now, I could end up wrapping the car around a tree. Lila could get hurt, or someone else, and if something happened to me then that lovely future Micha and I have planned will be gone. The last thought sits in my chest, but in a good way because a few years ago I’d have driven the car and risked it all.

Some of the girls start off for a truck, lighting up a cigarette and passing it around, and the guys soon follow, waving at Mikey and the big guy. A gangly guy with a beanie on lingers behind and then he says something to Mikey and then all three of them climb into the Camaro.

“What are they doing?” Lila slants forward in the seat and squints at the Camaro as Mikey rolls up the window. He doesn’t drive away, but he does turn the headlights off.

I thrum my fingers on top of the steering wheel. “Probably dealing drugs.”

“Oh.” Lila frowns and then stares out the window to the side of her. I’m about to say we should just take off on foot and meet Micha and Ethan when someone knocks on the window.

I jump but relax when I see Micha standing outside with the hood of his jacket pulled over his head and this relaxed look on his face like he’s had more than beers to drink tonight. Ethan is beside him and when he glances inside the car, he winds around the front, heading toward Lila’s side.

“When they ask what happened, tell them it was a girl who hit me,” I whisper to Lila and then unlock the door.

Micha backs up so I can open the door and then he ducks his head to look in the car, his blond hair hanging in his eyes. “What happened?” he asks, his breath smelling like an array of alcohol. He carefully looks me over and then his eyes flare as he notes my swollen cheek. “How the hell did that happen?” He glances over at Lila and then his burning gaze lands back on me. “Lila said you guys needed help.”

I shrug as Lila opens her door and I hear Ethan say something to her about looking so hot. “There was this bitch in the club who we used to go to school with,” I tell Micha. “Apparently I kicked her ass one time and she was drunk and wanted to fight. Lila panicked and called you guys, even though I told her I could handle it.”

“Hey.” Lila pokes me in the back and I flinch. “You were not handling it very well.”

I discreetly glance over at Mikey’s Camaro that’s still parked in front of the door. “I handled it fine. Can we just go home now?”

Micha crouches down, his eyebrows knitting. “Yeah, I think that might be a problem.” He leans to the side and laughs this silly drunk laugh as he says to Ethan, “I think we were lucky to even make it here.”

“You’re drunk,” I remark and Micha looks back at me with a guilty face. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him drunk and it worries me, not because I think he’s going to be mean but because if Mikey comes over and tries to start something Micha is more likely to pick a fight and more likely to lose.

“Maybe,” Micha admits with an adorable grin on his face. “But I won’t be mean and hurt you.” He presses his hand to his heart. “I said I’d never hurt you again and I won’t. In fact, I’ll be really, really nice if you let me,” he says, glancing at my chest. “I’ll do all sorts of nice things to you…” His fingers spread across the top of my leg.

I roll my eyes as Lila laughs, and then Ethan laughs, too. I don’t dare turn around, worried what I might see the two of them doing if I do.

Out of the corner of my eye, I check on Mikey’s car, relieved it’s still parked and quiet. “I think we should go home,” I say, looking back at Micha.

“And how do you suppose we do that?” Micha asks innocently as he glances around at the four of us and then chuckles under his breath. “Is anyone sober? Because I’m not.”

“I’m not either,” Ethan says with a slur to his speech and Lila laughs even louder.

I blink my eyes, hoping the blur and merry-go-round effect has vanished, but no such luck. “No, but we could always call your mom,” I say, racking my mind for more ideas but all I get is a headache.

Micha waves me off and staggers to his feet, grinning proudly like he’s just come up with the best idea ever. “Nah, we can just walk. Walking’s fun.”

I laugh as he tugs me to my feet and grips my waist to hold my balance as I stumble in my heels. “Easy for you to say,” I tell him, gripping onto his shoulder as we both slide on the ice. “You’re not the one wearing heels.”

He works to steady us and then his eyes roam down my legs as he sucks his lip ring in between his teeth. “God, those are some fucking sexy legs.” His eyes heat with lust and I know if I don’t get him home soon, I’m going to have my hands even fuller. If a fight doesn’t break out, then a live porn show might. “I just want to rub my hands all over them,” he growls, moving in for a kiss.

I laugh louder, trying not to trip as I gently put my hand to his chest and push him back. “I’ll tell you what, you call your mom to come get us and I’ll let you rub my legs as long as you want.”

“Promise?” he asks, with an intense look on his face.

I cross my heart with my finger. “Promise, but make sure she brings Thomas. We can’t leave your car here.” Otherwise it’ll probably get trashed.

He grins at me and then retrieves his phone out of his pocket to call his mom. I keep an eye on Mikey’s car, hoping he stays in there until we’re gone, because if he gets out and Micha finds out he hit me, all shit’s going to hit the fan. Micha isn’t the most violent person, except when it comes to me. I remember how Micha told me he punched Grantford Davis because he was the one who drove me to the bridge that night.

“Okay, she’ll be here in, like, five,” Micha announces, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. Then he steps forward, rubbing his hands together, breathing out a cloud of air. “Now for some leg rubbing.”

I laugh as he backs me up against the car and then lifts me and sits me down on his lap as he sinks into the driver’s seat and shuts the door. He starts rubbing his hands up and down my legs, tickling my thighs and making the air feel sweltering even though it’s below zero out. Ethan and Lila start making out in the passenger seat, making these breathless noises, and Micha whispers something about them challenging us and then kisses me roughly.

The next few minutes move by in a blurry haze full of kissing and touching and awkwardness because Lila and Ethan are in the seat next to us doing the same thing. But everyone’s too drunk to care and by the time Micha’s mom pulls up beside us in Thomas’s old pickup, she damn near gets an eyeful.

Thankfully, everyone’s clothes are still on when she raps on the window. She makes Micha and I get out, cracking a joke about us acting like teenagers again, almost like she sort of misses it.

Micha and I get in the backseat and Ethan climbs back, too, ungracefully diving over the console. Then Lila follows him, jumping onto his lap. We’re crammed in the backseat, Lila’s knees pressing against mine as I pretty much ball myself up on Micha’s lap.

“There’s room up here,” Micha’s mom says, patting the empty passenger seat and then she adjusts the rearview mirror.