“That’s exactly why,” I winked.

We rounded a bend of drive and skirted a thick grove of trees before coming upon the little house on top of Bramwell Lake. The windows were well lit, a stark contrast against the dark forest. Also, the Tanen’s cabin was the only one for miles.

Jules ducked her head close to the windshield for a better view and let out a low whistle.“Kids are spilling out of every crevice imaginable. Do Matthew’s parents really go for this?”

“Yeah, I get the impression that they love it. They’ll be by in about an hour to check on things and to ‘make sure’ there’s no alcohol but the team knows their drill and usually wait until they’re gone to bring out the illegal stuff anyway. I know they just turn a blind eye on it, probably thinking that kids will be kids and all that or maybe it’s an ‘out of sight out of mind’ kind of thing.”

“On a scale of one to ten, be honest with me Gray, how scared should I be?” She asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Ummmm, about a fifteen.”

She laughed nervously.

I parked on the grass close to the lake’s shore. I strolled in front of the truck, opened her door for her and took her hand. Our shared current, second nature to us now, permeated through our bodies and lit little labyrinths of light out from the soles of our feet, calming us. She tried to walk toward the house but I wouldn’t let her break the hold I had on her hand.

“Look at the water Jules.”

She stood by my side and gazed out over the mirrored lake.

“Very beautiful. Peaceful. Not a breeze in sight.”

“I’ve never seen it stilled like this.”

“A bit eerie. The calm before a storm?” she asked, scooting her body closer to mine.

“You’re just being paranoid Jules. Come on,” I dragged her behind me up the deck. The wood clamored beneath our boots.

I opened the door to a living room so full of kids there was barely enough room to walk. Jules’ heart immediately tensed up when she saw Taylor and I felt just how nervous the girl made her. The music was so loud I could barely hear anyone around us.

I leaned in close to Jules’ ear, “Stay close. If we get separated meet me outside on the deck.”

She nodded. I wound her through the small passageway of kids from school to a corner of the room and sat her on top of one of Matthew’s Peavey subwoofers. I leaned in next to her and spoke closely at her ear.

“I’m gonna’ run out to the truck for my mom’s cell. She told me to keep it on me and I forgot it. I need to take a leak first though. Are you okay here for a second?”

“Sure,” she said.

“Want some water or anything?”

“I’m cool.”

“I know it. Be right back.”

I kissed her roughly, leaving her dazed before meandering my way through the crowd. I glanced a last look at my Jules. She winked in her usual confident way and I ran to the bathroom. I had to wait for three people before my turn but finally got inside. I decided to exit the back and loop around to the front to avoid climbing over people. I got the cell and bounded up the deck but before I had even swung open the screen door I heard a collective “ohhhhh” come from inside the house, making my stomach twist. I hurried inside to see what was going on and caught the tail end of an insult aimed directly at my Jules.

“.........and no one wants you hear anyway Julia. This is a crowd you don’t belong in leech,” Taylor Williams gestured at the room, her words dripping with venom. Jules was still perched on top of the speaker I sat her upon, giving Taylor a height advantage that allowed her to speak down to Jules literally and figuratively. Had to give Jules credit where credit was due. She was leaning back on her hands, cool as a cucumber.

Taylor leaned over her, “I don’t know what you did to poison our Elliott but once we figure out how to remove your cancerous claws we’ll steal him back. You just don’t fit in, which is why you should just leave Julia. No one wants you here!”

Jules’ expression was cool. Her face didn’t betray a hint of hurt but I felt it. It was strong enough of a sensation that it permeated the room and made my stomach roil.

“Enough!” I shouted, my voice booming against the walls.

All heads, including Taylor’s, spun my way and the silence was deafening. I felt sick. Above all, this was the one thing I told Jules I would protect her from and I’d failed miserably.

“Enough Taylor!” A sick glint of shimmer fluttered across her eyes when I said her name and the corners of her mouth twitched.

Apparently, she was a proponent of the theory that any attention was good attention.

I climbed over people to get to Jules and yanked her to my side.

“She speaks for everyone?” I asked the room.

I scanned their faces but they refused to make eye contact with me and I realized that Taylor was staring each down in silent threat. Leading the lemmings. I turned my attention back to Taylor. The date she had brought from a local community college took a shot of liquid courage and stood by her side, swaying slightly. Although the fool was tall and big, I was taller and bigger which told me he had to have been drunk when he eyed me like he was craving a fight. Little did I know his real motivation. I needed to get Julia out of there.

“Well Taylor, I can see that you’re also slightly inebriated so I’ll leave you to your date. I’m willing to drop this shit, for now. As for the rest of you,” I stared in seething anger at my boots, “I thought you were my friends. I guess I was mistaken. None of my friends would have allowed Julia to be ostracized like this, especially you Jesse.” I drug my heavy stare onto Jesse.

He shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes. I grabbed Jules’ hand and began to squeeze my way to the door but when we walked past Taylor, her drunk date grabbed at Jules, catching one of her necklaces and dragging her backward. I caught her and straightened her up.

“What the hell is your problem?” I asked the jerk.

“I want to talk to that girl,” he slurred.

Ahhh, the truth to Taylor’s outburst.

“What are you doing Craig?” Taylor whispered. We both ignored her.

“Can’t. We’re leaving Craig.”

“I’ve been wanting to talk to her since she got here. She keeps ignoring me.”

He started leaning into Jules’ face, barely able to keep himself up.

“Well, obviously she didn’t care to talk with you,” I said, pressing his shoulder back and correcting his posture. “Take the hint.”

I couldn’t believe the direction this conversation had taken. The rest of the crowd stood dumbstruck, listening to drunk Craig hit on my Jules in front of Taylor. Craig was oblivious to what had been going on, too enamored with Jules to pay attention to the fight between her and Taylor or too drunk to care.

“See bro,” he continued, “you’re under the impression that I care how she feels.”

He practically begged for me to sock him in his weak chin. He’s drunk, I told myself, Just walk away.

“Listen, I’m not sure where you’re from but here we don’t treat or talk to ladies like that. So why don’t you just walk away now. As you can see, we’ve already got a foot out the door. Come on sweetheart,” I said, taking Jules’ waist.

“Nobody walks away from me, especially a four,” he said eyeing Jules.

“You’re a joke dude,” I scoffed.

We started to walk away again but this time he grabbed her so harshly around her shoulders it nearly knocked her to the ground. That’s when I snapped. I charged at him and wound my arm behind my head. It came crashing down with all the strength I had, punching the guy square in the jaw. I raised my fist again, preparing myself to block the return hit, but it never came. He went down with the one punch like a sack of potatoes. I thought it was over and straightened up but out of nowhere came three friends of his I didn’t know he had with him, waiting in the wings for just such an occasion to grace us with their presence.

Two immediately grabbed and held my arms while a third began punching me in the gut and face. Let me tell you, it was painful but not as painful as the fact that Jesse just stood and watched without so much as a twitching thumb in interest of helping me.

“What. the. hell?” I asked him, between punches.

I looked over at Jules mid punch and saw the terror on her face. She felt every single punch that landed and her face twisted in pain. I knew she felt the nausea. I felt that she had and it was the first time I hated our shared connection. She rose above it and started to grab at the one who was punching me and pleaded with tears in her eyes for Jesse to help me. No one listened. Taking matters into her own hands, she sprung her leg back and delivered a knee to my attacker’s groin.

This stopped him before he could hit again and gave Matthew Tanen enough time to come through the back door with James Cappelli to discover me getting beat. They grabbed the three goons and Craig on the floor and started hauling them toward the door.

“Get them the hell out of here Taylor!” Matthew said.

She ran out the front door and we heard them struggling to get to Taylor’s car.

“What the hell happened in here?” James asked me. “We were gone two seconds and you get into a fight Elliott? Why didn’t you wait for us?” He joked.

“Ha, ha,” I sighed, out of breath, trying to stand up straight.

“You’re bleeding,” Matthew said. “Come on.” He grabbed my arm. “I’ll help you to the bathroom. Get you cleaned up.”

“No. No, thanks,” I insisted. “I need to take Jules home.”

“It’s okay Elliott,” she said, unable to disguise the terror in her voice. “I’m fine, really. Let’s just clean off the blood and see what damage there is.”

Her hand shook when she brought it to my face and tenderly brushed a lock of hair stuck to a bloody cheek.

“It’s but a flesh wound,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s okay,” I said, turning to Matthew. “Thank you but I would prefer it if we just left. Thanks for helping me out man.” I turned to James, “Thanks.”

They both nodded and helped me to my truck. Jules ordered me into the passenger seat, refusing to let me drive. I complied only because I knew she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

The drive home was exceedingly quiet. I wanted to touch her so I could see what she was feeling but was afraid of what I’d find out. The expression on her face was like nothing I’d ever seen before. At times, I thought she looked angry but she also looked to be on the verge of tears. She was trying to be brave.

We arrived at her parents’ house just after one-thirty in the morning but they weren’t home.

“Where are your parental units?” I asked.

She helped me inside and took me to the over sized bathroom attached to her bedroom.

“They’re in New York City for the weekend. It’s their anniversary.”

She signaled that she wanted me to sit on top of the counter so she could tend to me and I obeyed.