Part 30 (1/2)
Nate has DJ up against the wall of the building, his face inches from DJ's, and enraged.
”Who the f.u.c.k taught you manners, a.s.shole?”
”f.u.c.k you,” DJ spits out and kicks Nate in the s.h.i.+n. Nate grunts, but doesn't lose his grip on DJ's s.h.i.+rt. His arms are flexed tight in anger.
DJ looks over Nate's shoulder at me and smirks. ”Hey, baby, did you miss this?” He grabs his c.o.c.k through his jeans and laughs at his own joke.
”You have no idea who you're f.u.c.king with,” I murmur.
Nate hasn't moved a muscle. He's glaring at DJ, breathing hard, but he's completely controlled, and obviously isn't hurting the other man, given that he's able to make rude gestures at me.
DJ looks Nate up and down and smirks again.
”What do you want me to do, Julianne?” Nate asks softly.
DJ smirks. ”Gotta ask your girlfriend for permission, p.u.s.s.y?”
”Kick his a.s.s, Nate.”
”Thought you'd never ask, baby.”
Nate takes a step back, releasing DJ, and turns his back on him, and I know what his strategy is: let DJ take the first shot.
Nate is not disappointed.
DJ grabs Nate's shoulder and pulls him around to face him and punches him, square in the jaw, Blood spatters from the corner of Nate's mouth.
”What do you think of that, a.s.shole?” DJ sneers.
”I think you have a pathetic right hook, moron.”
Nate punches DJ twice, once in the nose, then in the gut, sending DJ to the ground, but the other man is stupid and gets back up, swinging. Nate weaves out of the way and counters with another right hook to the jaw, then grips DJ's shoulders and pulls him down against his knee, right to the gut and throws him to the ground again.
”Stay down,” Nate growls.
”f.u.c.k you!” DJ stands again, more shaky this time, and rubs his stomach. He lunges for Nate again, fists flying, but Nate crouches and catches DJ around his torso and lifts him, slamming him against the wall with his strong shoulder, and drops DJ to the ground again.
Holy f.u.c.k! I knew Nate was strong, but seeing him, like this, is just amazing. Not only could he really hurt someone, he could kill someone.
”If you know what's good for you, you'll stay down, motherf.u.c.ker.”
DJ wheezes and coughs, wincing in pain. I'm sure his ribs are bruised, if not broken. He gets up to his knees, and Luke speaks for the first time.
”Are you learning impaired, dude? Stay the f.u.c.k down before he puts you in the hospital.”
DJ is clearly embarra.s.sed as he falls back to the ground, sits on his a.s.s and winces again. A small crowd has gathered to watch the show, mumbling and laughing at DJ. He looks up at me and glares.
”I should have beat the s.h.i.+t out of you when I had the chance. You're nothing but a f.u.c.king wh.o.r.e anyway.”
Nate rears back to kick DJ in the face, but I yell, ”Don't!”
He stops and whirls on me, his eyes raw with rage. ”What?”
I shake my head and look back down at DJ. I offer him a sweet, fake smile, walk sa.s.sily over to him, and squat in my heels so I'm close to him.
”You tried to kick my a.s.s, remember, DJ? And I beat you b.l.o.o.d.y. I'm pretty sure that nice scar there by your left eye is thanks to me.”
I stand and walk away from him and he calls out, ”c.u.n.t wh.o.r.e!”
”Do it,” I mutter to Nate as I walk past him, and I hear DJ's low grunt, then his head hitting the pavement, when Nate punches him one last time in the face, knocking him out.
”Well, one thing I will say about our nights out, it's never boring.” Natalie turns around in the pa.s.senger seat of their Mercedes and looks back at Nate and me.
”No, never boring,” I murmur and kiss Nate's bruised and swollen knuckles. ”Are you okay?” I ask him.
”I'm fine,” he mutters. He won't look me in the face, and aside from me touching him, he's hardly laid a hand on me.
Luke pulls into my driveway and Nate and I get out of the backseat. I lean in Nat's window and kiss her cheek. ”Kiss Livie for me. I'll call you tomorrow.”
”Okay. Bye, Nate. You kick major a.s.s.” She winks at him, Luke waves at us both, and they pull out of the driveway.
”Let's go in.” I walk toward the front porch, but Nate runs a hand through his hair and stands still.
”Maybe I should just go back to the condo tonight.”
”What?” I turn back to him, confused and a little scared. ”Why?”
He shakes his head and looks at his feet. ”You said yourself that one night apart won't kill us.”
I'm completely thrown. This cold, distant man is not my Nate.
”I don't want to sleep without you,” I whisper and my stomach rolls when he winces and turns away from me.
”Look, Nate, I'm sorry about DJ...” Nate whirls back to me, his gray eyes angry and face taut.
”Don't you apologize for that motherf.u.c.ker, Julianne.”
”Okay.” I step back and fold my arms over my chest. I don't know what to say. I don't know what's wrong.
”You didn't do anything wrong.”
”Okay,” I repeat and lick my lips nervously. ”So why are you punis.h.i.+ng me?” I ask quietly.
Nate hangs his head, plants his hands on his hips and takes a deep breath. ”That's not what I'm trying to do.”
”Talk to me, Nate.”