Jillian finally managed to push Brice off of her. Instead of apologizing or something sensible, Brice just laughed a little.

“Haha, what? I can’t give an old girlfriend a hug?”

Standing at around six feet, the man had barely changed from high school. He was always on the leaner side, and with age, it only became worse. His limbs were long and lanky, his loose jeans barely held onto his waist, and a black ICP band shirt hung off his thin frame. His shaggy, light brown hair looked a little greasy and in need of a wash as it partially hung in front of his eyes. Jillian glared at the man, pissed that the jerk had the gall to even touch her after so long.

“No, you can’t! You don’t just…” She tried to find the words, but her anger made her just let out a frustrated growl instead.

“Hey, I was worried about you for a long time! When they said that you had gone missing, I tried calling around to find you. I’m just happy you’re safe.”

Jillian wished that she didn’t, but she felt a little guilty. Not that she had talked to Brice much in the year before she left home. They had broken up a month before graduating. She never loved or really even liked Brice very much. He had just been a way to get at Jason and get laid on a more frequent basis. Internally cringing, she thought about how low she had sunk back then to actually sleep with this idiot. But at least he cared enough to worry. She couldn’t fault him for that.

“Look,” Jillian started, letting out a heavy sigh. “I am sorry you were worried, but I ha-”

“You look really hot. Like you lost a lot of weight recently, anyway, I wasn’t planning on this, but we should totally go get a drink and catch up. I can call in sick, and we can go right now!” Brice interrupted her. He hadn’t really been listening to her but rather ogling her instead.

Jillian’s jaw felt like it hit the floor at his comments. She couldn’t even react. She was so amazed at this idiot's lack of awareness. Apparently, he took this look of surprise as a yes. Like she was amazed at how lucky she was that someone like him would ask her for such a thing when really she was only amazed at how dense and stupid someone could be.

“Come on! My car is just over here. I know this great little Mexican mart that has great tacos and cer-base-ah.”

It was barely lunch, and he wanted to start drinking. As well as butcher the Spanish language.

Before she could snap out of her astonishment, he reached over and took Jillian by the wrist. A moment of pure panic welled up inside of her as she looked at his hand around her wrist. She was frozen with fear. Her legs wouldn’t respond and her brain screamed at her to get away.

“N-no,” Jillian whimpered out and managed to pull back at least a little. Brice just laughed.

“Haha, don’t worry! I will cover it this time. Come on, it will be good to catch up.”

She closed her eyes and mentally screamed for help, the words refusing to reach her lips.

“Jason…please, save me,” her panicked mind cried out.

Brice pulled her hard enough that Jillian was forced to take a step forward, but she kept her eyes closed as she tried to pull back from him. Her fear of men suddenly back in full force.

But then, she felt Brice suddenly stop pulling her. Opening her eyes, she saw a much larger hand wrapped around his scrawny wrist, squeezing hard enough to make a vein pop out in the back of his hand.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing?” Jason’s familiar voice said, tinged with a fury unknown to even himself.

Brice released Jillian as Jason’s hand squeezed even harder, making the scrawnier man cry out in pain. “Ahhgg! What the hell man, let go of my arm, you dick!” he said, trying to pry the hand off his wrist.

“Answer the goddamn question!” Jason roared, squeezing even tighter. Brice’s hand was starting to turn a darker hue.

“Ah, fuck! Dude, that’s my girlfriend! Let go! I swear I'm not doing anything!” he cried out, lying through his teeth, thinking Jason was just some white knight misunderstanding the situation.

Jason turned to look at Jillian with a raised brow, who was still trying to recover from the scare. Meeting Jason’s gaze she shook her head rapidly. She was worried for a moment that he was going to misunderstand the situation and think that she had some hidden boyfriend. Thankfully, a small smile crossed Jason’s face, and he gave her a quick wink.

“Oh? Is that so?”

Jason suddenly released Brice’s wrist, and he fell back, landing on his butt on the cement walkway along the outside of the building. He quickly cradled his wrist, the pale handprint of Jason’s large fist marked the man’s flesh.

“Well then, I am so sorry for interrupting.”

Jillian’s eyes bulged in surprise. Just what the hell was he saying now? She knew something was going on from the wink earlier, but she was struggling to follow just what he was planning.

“Well, ma’am, I am sorry for injuring your boyfriend. You looked scared, so I couldn’t help but intervene.” Jason tried to gesture with his eyes for her to play along. She took a moment to calm down before realizing he was acting. Really, she would rather just wrap up in his arms and go home, but she would humor him for now.

“O-oh, well, it’s alright. You were only trying to help.” Her voice was rather nervous, but she did her best.

Brice got up from the ground finally and walked over to the two. The look on his face was not happy, as she still held his throbbing wrist.

“Help nothin’! He almost broke my damn wrist! Come on, Jill. Let’s get out of here,” he said, reaching for her arm this time.

Jillian was thankfully on high alert now and twisted away from him, unable to resist the urge to press herself up against Jason. Brice’s eyes widened as she tucked herself into what he thought was some stranger.

“It seems your girlfriend feels safer with me than you…” Jason paused, and his gaze narrowed at the man, a burning anger welling up inside of him as he protectively wrapped an arm around her. Brice scowled back at Jason.

“What the fuck, Jill? Are you seriously going to trust some stranger over me? I thought I would give you another chance. All you had to do was come have a drink with me,” he scoffed like she was throwing away some great opportunity. “No wonder I broke up with you.”

Jill was already well on her way to getting pissed again, but this was the last straw.

“Uh, excuse you?! You broke up with me? Is that what you have been telling people, Brice? Ha… hahaha.”

Jillian pushed away from Jason a little, sure that he would step in if Brice tried anything stupid again. She couldn’t help but laugh as she thought of the last few weeks of high school, how people would try to console her after the breakup.

“Yeah, well, I did, so why wouldn’t I?”

He spoke like he really thought it was true, continuing to glare at both of them. Jason was still mad dogging him with a hard glare.

“Cause I broke up with you, dumbass? You don’t remember showing up at my house every day for a week begging me to take you back? Are you dense or just stupid?” She handed the bag of clothes to Jason, which he took for her quickly. Her arms folded over her chest as she glared at Brice.

“T-that’s bullshit. That didn’t happen!” Brice tried to deny her words, but his usual tactics of lying until it was the truth had no power against her.

“I broke up with you because I didn’t have any more use for you. And you are still a piece of shit. You have terrible taste in music and clothes. Your personal hygiene is awful. You constantly touched me in front of my parents after I told you over and over to stop. And you were a bully.” She listed off several reasons why she broke up with him, just saying what came to the top of her head.

Brice’s face turned a bit red at being called out for all his faults, his fists clenched at his sides in anger. He sputtered a bit after each insult, but couldn’t get anything out until the last.

“I was a bully?! And you weren’t?”

Jillian scowled at him. Of course she was. She didn’t need him reminding her.

“The only reason I picked on that fat loser was for you and your fuckin’ personal vendetta against the dude. I wonder what he would have to say about you if he saw you like this,” Brice said with a grin, figuring he had a good angle with this. “After all the shit you put him through, I bet he would be thrilled to know how willing you are to lower yourself to fuck some stranger, like some common whore.”

Jason’s eye twitched, and he took a step towards Brice. It was clear that he was about to teach Brice a painful lesson. Jillian reached out and placed a hand on his chest to stop him from mauling Brice.

“It’s okay, babe. He’s just a pathetic little boy trying to get a reaction out of me,” she said almost sagely.

“Babe?” Brice said in confusion as he looked at the two back and forth. Something felt very off.

“You see, Brice, the difference between you and me is that I actually feel bad about how I treated Jason. And I have done everything I can to make it up to him. Have you done anything of the sort?” Her words caught the man off guard.

“What? Why would I? I don’t even know where he is. Were you two already together before? Are you trying to set me up? You have to tell me if you're cops.”

Both Jason and Jillian groaned at the stupidity coming out of Brice’s mouth.

“No Brice, we aren’t cops. Okay, let me put it this way. What would you say to Jason if you had the chance to talk to him again?” Jillian said, dumbing down her question.

“Uhh…” Brice had to think for a long moment. “I dunno. I guess I would tell him that he should have tried standing up for himself more in school instead of just taking everything like a bitch.”

The silence that followed that statement was so oppressive one could have heard a pin drop.

“Just… really, Brice?” Jillian said, exasperated at this point. “I gave you so many chances to show you were at least somewhat of a decent human being, and you just proved that dating you was one of the worst decisions I ever made in my life.”

Other than tormenting Jason and being with Luis.

“Fuck you and that high and mighty attitude you always had. If it weren’t for your ass, you wouldn’t have a single good thing about you!” he spat back in anger.

She didn’t seem all that phased by the insult, just waving it away. She then looked back over at her boyfriend.

“Jason, baby, are you ready to go?” she said sweetly, moving a hand to lightly stroke his chest. Jason watched as the wheels inside Brice’s head started to turn at the name. He stared up at Jason’s face for a long moment, like he was trying to imagine a fatter version of the muscled man before him.

“Is that…?”

He didn’t have a chance to say whatever he was going to say because the sliding doors of the Ross they were still in front of opened, and a man in a cheap button-up and tie rushed out.

“Brice! What the hell are you doing out here?! You were supposed to clock in ten minutes ago!” The manager turned to look at the couple and then back to Brice. “Are you bothering this nice couple?”

Brice’s eyes went wide at the accusation.

“W-what, no! They assaulted me! If anything, they are stopping me from clocking in on time!” he said, pointing an accusatory finger at Jason and Jillian. “Just look at what he did to my wrist!”

He tried to show off what Jason did, but at this point, it wasn’t much more than a red mark. The manager didn’t seem impressed as he just rolled his eyes and turned back to the couple.

“Is this man bothering you two?”

“Yes. He tried to grab my girlfriend earlier when I was returning those keys I found,” Jason said quickly. While not as satisfying as punching Brice, it would have to do.

The manager’s scowl deepened as he turned to look at Brice, who looked like a deer in the headlights. A look of disgust shone in his eyes at the actions of his employee.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“That’s it, Brice. I have had to warn you too many times. You have been a thorn in my side since I hired you. You’re fired. Return your uniform by the end of the month and get off the property.”

Brice’s jaw dropped, and he tried to find something to say.

“I'm so sorry about that, folks. Please take this coupon for thirty percent off your entire purchase. It's not much, but I hope you can use it.”

Jillian smiled and happily took the card.“Oh, my mom will love this! Thanks, and don’t worry. We don’t blame you.”

With that, the manager smiled at them and glared at Brice before walking back into the store. The pair looked back at Brice as well. He looked shell shocked and furious at the same time. Jason could see the desire to attack them both. He knew the look well, so he shifted himself in front of Jillian.

“Get the fuck out of here, Brice. I won’t hold back if you try anything,” he warned the scrawny, now unemployed man. He opened his mouth to say something, but he just ended up letting out a frustrated grunt before turning around and stomping away into the parking lot.

“Well… that was something,” Jillian said, watching as Brice disappeared behind some cars.

“Sure was. Ready to go home?” Jason asked with a smile, wrapping an arm around her as the two headed to his car. Once they arrived at the car, Jillian got into the passenger seat, and Jason opened the back hatch to put the large bag of clothes away.

As Jason closed the hatch, he heard footsteps on asphalt running toward him. When he turned, he saw Brice sprinting toward him with a baseball bat raised high in the air. His face was contorted in a vicious snarl.

“DIE, ASSHOLE!” he screamed as he quickly closed the gap between them.

Jason’s eyes widened, but he twisted just in time. He didn’t run away or try to block the swing. Either way wouldn’t end well for him. There was only one option, and that was to attack. The last thing Brice expected was for Jason to lunge towards him. Trying to swing his bat sooner, the base of the bat bounced harmlessly off of Jason’s shoulder.

The same couldn’t be said for the devastating overhand right Jason threw. His fist crossed over the two arms that swung the bat and slammed into the frail cheek of Brice, who was out cold before he even hit the ground. His body landed with a thud, and the clatter of the wooden bat came next.

Jason’s heart was beating insanely fast. He had been in plenty of fights, in the ring at least. But getting attacked was completely different.

“What the… fuck was that?” he panted as his body trembled, his fist throbbing from punching the jackass.

He looked down at Brice, who lay face down on the pavement, not moving.

“Shit,” he grumbled. As much as he hated the guy, he didn’t want his death on his conscience. Moving over to him, he quickly flipped the thin man over and propped himself up against the shopping cart return. He sat there slumped over. Everything seemed to have moved in slow motion, but it all only took around fifteen seconds.

“Jason!” Jillian’s voice cried out as she rushed out and over to him as he was just standing up from Brice’s unmoving body. “Baby, are you alright? What just happened?” Her voice was full of panic as she rushed into Jason’s arms, almost sobbing.

“It's alright. He tried to rush me with that bat while I wasn’t looking,” he explained. Jillian looked over at Brice, and a fire lit up her eyes. Jason had to hold her back to keep her from stomping him to death.

“Why does everyone try to take away every little piece of happiness I ever get!” she screamed as tears spilled from her eyes. “Why couldn’t you just mind your own damn business?!”

She kicked the unconscious man a few times.

“Jillian, settle down. I’m not going anywhere,” Jason tried to calm her down, pulling her back to the car. Jillian fought against him to try to attack Brice. Eventually, he managed to pull her into the car’s back seat. There, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

“It’s okay. I’m okay. Just breathe, babe. It’s fine,” he whispered softly to her, holding her tight against him. Soon, her struggles faded, and she simply devolved into weeping a little into his chest. It took Jillian several minutes to calm down enough to speak again.

Jason explained precisely what had happened and how he handled it. They could call the cops and have the store pull the security footage, but there were a lot of risks with that. So what they decided to do was call the store back and explain what happened. They would deal with the police and pull the video footage if needed. Jillian was in no condition to deal with the police, and Jason really didn’t feel like it either, so they left before the cops got there. They might get in trouble later for it but that would be for later them to deal with.

Driving home, the pair stopped at a park to calm down and distract themselves… with each other. After that, he drove Jillian home and dropped her off, telling her to call him if she was contacted by the police or anyone else before sharing one of the deepest parting kisses as if they would never see each other again.

“Please… don’t scare me like that again… but thank you for saving me from him,” Jillian whispered as their kiss parted, then kissed him again several more times.

“I will try, and I will never let anyone hurt you, baby.” Jason whispered back, hugging her tight for several moments.

They parted reluctantly and Jillian headed back inside of her house to go get ready for dinner, and Jason soon did the same. All they could do now was try to push this new awful memory out of their minds. Hopefully, they could put it quickly behind them and enjoy dinner.

Just over an hour later, Jason parked his rental car in front of the Lins’s house once again. He sat there in his fancy gray suit, the same one he’d worn to take his mother out to dinner earlier.

Waiting patiently, his gaze fixed on the front door, he couldn’t help but wonder what Jillian would wear this time. Looking down at his phone, he made sure that Jillian got his message that he was outside. After another minute passed, the door finally opened, and June stepped out, dressed in a classy yet understated black blouse paired with a matching skirt that fell just above her knees. Her straight red hair was elegantly French braided to the side, cascading over her shoulder. It was a look that suited her small, innocent frame perfectly, more cute than sexy but undeniably June’s style.

When Jillian walked out, Jason couldn’t help but find himself captivated by her. Her hair was elegantly pinned back on one side, revealing a stunning silver earring adorned with an amethyst. Tresses of vibrant orange curls framed her face, partially veiling one eye, while a bold red lipstick highlighted her full lips. Her midnight black dress shimmered in the waning sunlight, adorned with small twinkling sequins that caught the eye. The dress fell to her calves and featured a daring slit from her mid thigh down the side, adding to its allure.

“Whoa,” Jason murmured to himself, watching as they approached the car with a smile.

June slipped into the back seat while Jillian took the front this time. Closing the car door after settling in, Jillian noticed Jason’s expression and gave a shy smile, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she admired him in his suit as well. They lingered for a moment until June interrupted with a wave, signaling it was time to go.

“Oops, sorry. Let’s get going. We don’t want to miss our reservation,” Jason said with a soft chuckle, starting the car.

“You both look great, by the way,” he added.

“Thanks,” June murmured quietly.

“You clean up pretty well yourself, handsome,” Jillian said, giving his thigh a playful squeeze. Jason smiled and took her hand, entwining his fingers with hers and holding it as he drove.

The car ride was pretty quiet, mostly with a lot of random chatter about nothing important. Last thing the couple wanted was to scare June by bringing up the incident from earlier. The two girls were both relieved to leave before their dad got home. They knew he would more than likely throw a fit about them going out, especially with how Jillian was dressed. She spent most of the drive messing with the radio, searching for a song. When she couldn’t find it, she grabbed her phone from her purse and hooked it up to the car stereo. They both sang along to the music, with June being quieter but still enjoying the moment with her sister.

Jason simply let the two enjoy themselves; after all, this was his gesture of gratitude toward them. He focused on the road ahead despite Jillian occasionally leaning over towards him. Her soft lips brushed against his cheek, and the placement of her hand while he was trying to drive proved to be quite distracting. Especially the seductive whispers in which he made promises. If June hadn’t been present, he might have been tempted to pull over, or she might have given him an even bigger distraction.

Jillian took great pleasure in seeing Jason squirm in his seat. She eventually settled in her own seat, feeling the stress of the day melt away as Jason’s hand took hers once more. Being able to feel his desire for her made her feel truly happy. It was comforting to feel wanted for who she was, not for what she could do for him. Unable to contain the excitement, she wiggled in her seat and grabbed Jason’s arm, holding it between her chest. He peaked over at her for a moment, a smile plastered on his face.

The restaurant they were headed to was among the city’s most upscale spots. Nestled within a luxurious hotel, it attracted those with deep pockets seeking fine dining and entertainment. If it wasn’t a Monday, a reservation would have been impossible. While it stretched Jason’s budget a bit, he figured he could splurge for the special occasion. Handing his keys to the valet, they entered the hotel lobby bustling with guests, many appearing to be relatively well off tourists. Jillian hung on to Jason’s arm while June wasn’t far behind.

Stopping to ask for directions to the restaurant, they were guided by a bellhop down a hallway and to the right. Thanking the man, the three of them proceeded in that direction. Before long, they arrived at a grand glass entrance. Several people, similarly dressed in suits and fine dresses, were waiting to be seated. Soft jazz emanated from within, and the interior boasted opulent black and gold decor.

“Whoa,” Jillian remarked quietly.“You weren’t exaggerating. This place looks fuckin’ pricey.”

Her vulgar remark drew a few glances and disapproving stares, but she simply returned them with a defiant glare, giving Jason’s arm a firm squeeze.

Approaching the podium, Jason introduced himself. It seemed they were running a bit behind schedule, and they were informed that the wait would be at least half an hour. Jason acknowledged this with a nod, while Jillian appeared displeased.

“Could we perhaps grab a seat at the bar while we wait?” she suggested. The host glanced at them and then at June.

“I’m sorry, but we don’t allow minors at the bar,” he explained apologetically.

“But what about that kid? He doesn’t seem old enough to be there,” Jillian pointed out, gesturing toward a teenager seated at the bar, engrossed in a book and his snack.

“That’s actually the owner’s son. I hope you understand,” the host continued to apologize while Jillian let out a frustrated sigh.

June wasn’t all that comfortable with all the people around her. Her attention shifted, her gaze fixing on the boy at the bar. He seemed oddly familiar. She took out her phone and sent off a short message. She kept an eye on the boy at the bar and noticed him swiftly retrieving his phone from his pocket moments later. Soon, a reply pinged on her screen, the conversation unfolding silently through text.

June: Hi.

Kyle: Hey! Finished with dinner already?

June: Where are you?

Kyle: Just at my parent’s work, getting some homework done. What’s up?

June: Could you turn around for a sec?

There was a momentary pause in the conversation as Kyle nervously glanced behind him before returning his attention to his phone.

Kyle: Are you trying to scare me or something, huh? Haha.

June: Look towards the entrance of the restaurant.

Kyle sat up straight and looked over at the entrance.

Kyle: Is that… Jason?

June: Yeah, and I’m here too, along with my sister.

Kyle: What?!

He stood up from the stool and looked over at the entrance for a moment, his eyes widening.

Kyle: Stay right there. I will be right over!

June observed as the boy, now unmistakably Kyle, hurried over. He stuck out like a sore thumb, dressed casually in a t-shirt and slacks in a sea of fancy suits and evening gowns.

“Hey, Dimitri. It’s all good. These three are with me. Can we set them up at the balcony table?”

The man at the podium appeared uncertain. Kyle hadn’t had guests before, and as he glanced at the group and then back at Kyle, his hesitation was evident. He pulled out a walkie-talkie from the podium and keyed it to speak.

“Mr. Burchett, your son is saying he’s got some guests he’d like to seat in the VIP area. Please advise?” Silence followed the walkie-talkie, offering no response.

“Sir?” Dimitri tried again. Moments later, a tall, slender man with sharp glasses and the same bright blonde hair as Kyle appeared out of nowhere.

“Greetings and welcome to Fillipe’s Garden!” he exclaimed warmly. Everyone except Kyle and Dimitri were startled a bit at his sudden arrival.

“I hear you’re friends of my son here?” His eyes quickly focused on June, and a wide smile crossed his face. He reached over and placed his hand on his son’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

“Yes, sir. It’s nice to meet you. We didn’t realize Kyle’s family owned this place, but we’re happy at the coincidence. This is my girlfriend, Jillian, and her little sister, June. Kyle’s a great kid. I'm sure you are proud of him,” Jason said, extending his hand to the older man, who smiled back and shook it firmly.

Meanwhile, June and Kyle locked eyes in person for the first time since their day at the fun center. It was just over the weekend, but they’d talked a lot over text, and one interrupted video chat in that short time.

Kyle’s father greeted the group warmly. “Welcome, everyone! I’m Peter Burchett. My wife, Rosa, who’s at home today, and I own this restaurant. We’ve been running it for nearly fifteen years, and it’s a pleasure to have guests visit Kyle for the first time. So I want to make sure you all have the best experience. Dimitri, could you please show our guests to the VIP section on the second floor?” Peter then turned to Kyle with a smile.

“Kyle, if it’s okay with them, would you like to join your guests?”

Kyle felt unsure about intruding. He didn’t want to be impolite.

“I don’t want to impose,” he mumbled.

Jillian quickly chimed in, “Sounds like he doesn’t want to join us.”

Jason playfully nudged Jillian as he rolled his eyes. She shot him a look of defiance.

“Of course he can. He is more than welcome to join us,” he said for the group, much to the displeasure of Jillian. Kyle flashed a grateful smile at Jason, who winked back at him.

“Very good, please follow me,” Dimitri said, grabbing menus and the wine list.

Jason offered his arm to Jillian again, who was still a bit miffed.

“Come on, babe, it's a good thing. We are even getting a VIP table out of it. You can’t stop it, so you might as well enjoy it,” he said, leaning down to plant a kiss on the side of her head.

“Hmmph…Fine,” she muttered, looping her arm through his as they headed to the table.

They were led up some stairs in the back. There was a separate area that appeared to be for private events, two balconies that overlooked the restaurant, and the small dance floor that had a stage attached where a band played. Jillian could only imagine the cost of reserving such a space. As they were guided through the room, they emerged onto one of the balconies. It was a unique experience for June to be seated above the crowd. However, Jason couldn’t shake the memories of getting manipulated, reminiscent of his experiences when his boss would drag him to fancy parties that he had no business attending. Meanwhile, Jillian got minor flashbacks of when she was being courted by Luis. The pair did their best to block out their past trauma.

As they settled at the table, Kyle swiftly pulled out a chair for June, who blushed softly and took her seat promptly. When she saw this, Jillian hesitated for a moment. Surely, Jason was going to do the same for her. But instead, Dimitri gallantly pulled out a chair for her instead of her boyfriend. She watched as Jason seated himself next to it. Visibly annoyed, she stomped over in her heels and sat down with a huff.

Jason had been in a bit of a daze dealing with his past, but when she sat down, he noticed her mood and snapped out of it. He looked at her with a quizzical expression as he opened the wine list.

“Your mood sure changed quickly from the car to here,” he remarked, trying to sound playful, but he only received a sharp glare in response.

“You are cut off until further notice,” she stated firmly, without further explanation.