“Ugh! Fine! I’ll do it myself!” I pushed through the circle and broke through to the front. Romeo was straddled above the basketball player, clearly untouched, holding the collar of the guy’s shirt in his hand, pinning him to the ground.

“Don’t you f**kin’ dare talk about Mol like that again. You get me, ass**le?”

The guy beneath him smiled, blood dripping from his lip and a burgeoning bruise forming on his cheek. He was enjoying goading Rome.

“The geek ain’t shit to look at, but she clearly f**ks good if she’s tamed your ass. Does she? Does she f**k like a seasoned whore?”

Romeo growled menacingly under his breath as he turned a bright shade of red, his berserk rage taking hold, and he drew back his fist. The basketball player’s friend tried to jump in to throw Rome off, but Austin dived forward, wrestling him back, wrapping his arms in a tight lock behind his back. At least one of his friends was trying to help him.

As Rome’s fist paused, suspended in the air, I grabbed hold of his wrist and his head snapped around to me, his dark eyes wild. The crowd cautiously stepped back.

“Romeo, don’t,” I pleaded.

He tried to push me away. “Get the f**k back, Mol.”

“Molly! What the hell?!” Cass was behind me, trying to yank me out of harm’s way, Lexi and Ally standing close by with pleading expressions.

I met Romeo’s gaze again, shaking Cass’s hand off my arm. “Romeo, stop. Now. You’re better than this!”

“Yeah, Romeo, stop. Listen to your girl.”

I groaned at the stupidity of the guy on the floor; he obviously had a death wish.

Gritting his teeth, Romeo leaned down to his ear, hissing, “You’re lucky I don’t cave your f**kin’ skull in, but I won’t do it in front of my girl.”

Romeo stood abruptly and wrapped me in his arms, his heartbeat pounding like a drum in his chest. I gripped onto his shirt with one hand, the other rubbing the tension from his back.

I felt Rome turn and he shouted over my shoulder, “Fuck off, Michaels, and get outta my sight before I change my f**kin’ mind and end you!”

Michael’s buddies picked him up off the floor, dragging him away, the circle of spectators breaking up with disappointed faces now the show had come to an anti-climax.

Rome kissed the top of my head, sighing. “I should’ve beaten him good after what he said.”

I leaned back, gripping his throbbing biceps. “No, you shouldn’t have. What would’ve been the point? We both knew that you being in an ‘official’ relationship was going to cause some talk.”

“Yeah, but he’s had it comin’ for a long time, babe. He f**kin’ deserves a good beat down.”

“Why was he so hostile towards you in the first place?”

Romeo stilled and I tipped my chin to meet his apprehensive gaze. His worried expression caused me to frown. “What?”

“I… I—”

“You what?” I pushed as Romeo stared at me with an anxious expression, obviously debating whether or not to be honest.

“Just spit it out, Rome.”

“I f**ked his girl a few months back.”

My stomach curled and I stepped back out of his embrace.

“Now you’re pissed at me. I’m totally kickin’ his ass now!” He turned to run after a retreating Michaels.

I kept a tight hold of his hand. “Leave him.”

He regarded me warily. “You’re pissed, aren’t you?”

I slammed my hands on my hips. “Well, I’m not exactly doing backflips on hearing that you shagged his girlfriend, am I?”

Romeo tilted his head in warning at my tone. “I’ll let that go since you’re clearly annoyed, and I suppose justifiably.” His dark mood caused me to smirk and I shook my head in exasperation. I used to find his attitude intimidating; now I found his stubborn moodiness amusing… and really kind of cute.

“Did you hear what he said about you?” Rome continued, ignoring my amusement.

“Yes, but I don’t care, never have cared what others thought of me.”

He dropped his head, trying in earnest to simmer down his temper.

“Come on, sit down with me a while longer,” I said, tugging on his hand.

Romeo rubbed his hand down his face. “Mol. Let me just sort the f**ker once and for all. It’ll send a message to everyone else to leave us be. There’s a lotta ass**les who I’ve pissed off that’ll enjoy raggin’ on us bein’ together.”

I shook my head curtly, showing him I didn’t care.

With a curl of his lip, he hooked his arm around my neck, dropping a kiss on my head. “Fuck, Mol, I’ll be gettin’ a new rep—Rome Prince, newest member of Pussy Whipped-R-Us!”

Our friends had returned to their usual spot on the grass, but Rome and I sat under a tree a few yards to their left, sheltered away from the attention of the rest of the students. We chatted about frivolous things and eventually, Rome cooled his temper, holding me tightly in his arms.

We stood to leave for Philosophy class when a shadow cast over our relaxed place beneath the trees, like a storm ruining a bright and sunny day. Queen-bitch Shelly herself had stopped by to offer her regards, towering above us all with a face full of fury.

“What the hell is this?”

Rome groaned and pulled me closer into his protective embrace. “Ahh, f**k off, Shel. I’ve had enough in dealin’ with ass**les for one day!”

“Are you seriously with her?” She looked at me as though she’d swallowed something nasty.

“Yep, I seriously am.” And he dropped his head and took my lips in a searing kiss to prove his point. I wrapped my hand around his neck to encourage him further.

“You know he won’t stay with you, don’t you, darlin’?” she spat at me, causing Rome and me to break apart.

“And why’s that?”

“Because Momma and Daddy Prince won’t accept a money-grabbin’ whore with their son, and they can be real persuasive. They want me and they’ll get me, you can count on that.” She smiled as though she had Romeo wrapped around her little finger.

“Funny, a money-grabbing whore—that’s exactly what Rome said about you,” I replied.

“You’re nothing! A pure piece of—”