Reece leads me through the mass of dancing bodies, and I try to stay close behind him. At some point, I lose my grip on his hand and suddenly I can no longer see him ahead of me. I frown and continue walking in the direction that he'd been leading me, hoping to just meet him by the food.

Unfortunately, that plan is cut short by a firm grip on my wrist pulling me into a chest. The hands that grip my waist definitely aren't Reece's. I don't recognize them at all. I look up and lock gazes with a pair of blue eyes. But they aren't a comforting turquoise blue like Reece's. These are cold and icy and cruel.

They belong to Tyler Bishop.

"Hey, Sweetheart," He says, hands gripping my hips tightly. I squirm and try to get out of his hold, but he's too strong.

"Let me go," I mutter, bringing my hands up and pushing at his chest.

He shakes his head and tuts as his grip tightens on me almost painfully. "I just want to dance."

I glare at him and once again try to get away from him. "Well, I don't. Especially not with you. Now let go of me."

His hands grip my sides even tighter making me wince. His fingers dig into my hips painfully and I have no doubt that it will bruise.

I hiss, "You're hurting me."

Tyler hums and sways slightly like nothing is wrong, "And I'm hurting your little boyfriend too."

My glare turns harsher and I stiffen in his arms, "Reece? What do you mean you're hurting him? What are you doing to him?" I whip my head around to try and find Reece, not even bothering to correct him when he calls him my boyfriend.

He chuckles darkly and shakes his head, "Oh, I'm not doing anything to him directly. But he seems to have taken quite a liking to you. Which is unusual because he doesn't get close to anyone. So, hurting you, Buttercup, will effectively hurt him."

"You're sick," I snarl and thrash in his arms again.

He grins deviously, "I'm not the one who punches things for fun."

Before I can give him a piece of my mind, a thankfully calm and familiar voice cuts through the air.

"Leave her alone," Reece's deep voice comes from not too far behind me and I try to turn to see him, but it's difficult because of Tyler's grip on me. His hands tighten on my waist further and I wince.

"Now, why would I do that?" Tyler teases, hands moving down lower. I stiffen as he brings his lips closer to my ear, "She looks incredibly delicious in this dress and I'd quite like a taste."

Disgust fills my veins and I once again attempt to push away from him. This time, he lets me, and I immediately turn, stepping into Reece's awaiting arms. He lets out a small sigh of relief once he's holding me. My arms curl around his waist, underneath his suit jacket.

"Are you alright, Sunshine?" He murmurs softly next to my ear.

I shiver slightly and nod, burying my face into his chest.

"I've told you this before Tyler, stop messing with me," Reece growls lowly, arms wrapping around me protectively.

I don't need to turn around to know that Tyler is smirking when he replies, "I was just having a little fun. Don't keep her all to yourself, Reece."

"What did you just say?" Reece asks, voice low. His arms carefully unwrap from around me and he gently pushes me behind him instead.

Oh no.

"I said, I'd quite like a piece of that-" Tyler doesn't get to finish his sentence as Reece strides up to him, gripping him by the collar of his shirt. He pulls him through the crowd towards the back entrance of the school.

I quickly follow after them, fully aware that Reece is angry, and knowing that I can somehow calm him down. I open the large door just in time to see Reece throwing a punch at Tyler. It connects with his jaw and he stumbles back a couple steps.

Reece doesn't stop there, landing punch after punch on him. I probably should step in sooner than I do, but Tyler deserves it.

After Reece gets a few solid punches in, I step towards him slowly. "Reece, it's okay."

He hesitates for a second before landing another punch on him. Then another.

"Listen to me, alright? I'm here, Reece," I continue, taking another step forward.

Reece stops for a moment and Tyler staggers around a bit, face bloody. He chuckles darkly, spitting some blood at Reece's feet, "Since when does Reece Carter stop in the middle of a fight? Did you finally get a heart?"

Reece's shoulders tense and his bloody fists clench as though he's about to throw another punch. I swiftly step forward and press my hand against his back. He stops, back muscles tensing then relaxing under my touch.

Taking this as a good sign, I close the space between us and wrap my arms around his torso from behind. I rub his chest soothingly, pressing my forehead against his back just below his neck. "Everything's okay, just breathe."

I feel his chest heave up and down a couple times with his deep breaths and I smile. "That's it. Let's go home, okay?"

He nods hesitantly before starting to walk in the direction of the parking lot. I don't give Tyler another glance and just follow after Reece. I hop into the passenger seat as Reece sits in the driver's seat. I briefly think about the fact that the others are still inside, but I push the thought aside, knowing I'll call them and tell them what happened.

Instead, my focus remains on Reece, finding his chest rising and falling quite rapidly with each breath. I reach over and hesitantly place a hand in his hair, stroking it gently. This seems to relax him somewhat and for that, I'm glad.

After a moment, Reece speaks, "I'm sorry, Sunshine."

I shake my head slightly, "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"But I do. It's my fault you got lost in the crowd and Tyler got to you. And then I lost control and punched him, and you had to calm me down and I'm sorry, that's not your job. I just-"

I cut him off by placing my hand over his mouth, leaning over the center console a little more to reach. His eyes widen slightly as I stare at him pointedly, "Reece, listen to me," I pause briefly to ensure he won't interrupt, "It is not your fault. Stop blaming yourself. I'm okay, don't worry. Everything's just fine." I remove my hand from over his mouth and instead rest it against his jaw.

He's silent for a moment as he just stares at me. It isn't an uncomfortable silence, both of us just getting lost in studying each other. When he does speak, his voice is an almost-silent whisper, "Thank you, Sunshine."

I smile and gently swipe my thumb across his cheek, "Anytime, Reece."

~

As soon as we walk into the house, I take off my heels, sighing in relief when I do. They're beautiful, but very uncomfortable. Reece shuts the front door behind us.

No one is home at the moment, which is a surprise to me. Reece said the rest of the Carters are having dinner at their grandparents' house which is half an hour away. Apparently, they visit quite often, so it isn't a big deal that him and Anna aren't there. He said they probably won't be home until quite late.

I walk down the hall to the bathroom and quickly go about getting the first-aid kit out. I set it down next to the sink and open it up as Reece hops up on the other side of the sink. I start getting everything ready before Reece's words stop me.

"Wait," I turn to him with a raised eyebrow, urging him to continue. "You should probably change out of your dress, I don't want it to get... dirty."

I smile and set down the things that are in my hands, "You're right," I turn my back to him and look at him over my shoulder. "Can you unzip me?"

"Sure." He murmurs before reaching up and gently placing a hand on my back. His other hand carefully pulls the zip of my dress down while I hold the front of it to my chest so it doesn't fall down. The zip stops low on my back, and I turn back to him with a smile.

"Thanks."

His lip quirk up into a small lop-sided smile, showcasing his dimples, "You're welcome, Sunshine."

I turn and leave the bathroom, heading towards Anna's room. I find a pair of her sweat shorts before heading down the hall to Reece's room.

Finding the familiar navy-blue hoodie, I quickly drop my dress and let it pool around my feet before I slip on the shorts. As I pull on Reece's hoodie, I look down and frown when I see the marks on my sides. Two bruises in the shape of handprints are imprinted on my waist. I suck in a sharp breath when I gently press down on one and it starts to sting.

I sigh quietly and will myself not to cry, letting the hoodie drop over my waist. Earlier in the evening I looked at myself in the mirror and felt beautiful. Now I have two ugly handprints marked on my sides and I no longer feel beautiful. I feel used and I hate it. I didn't want to dance with Tyler, but he forced me and left me with a reminder that will last for at least a couple weeks.

I shake my head to rid my thoughts and walk back into the bathroom to find Reece still sitting next to the sink, drying off his now washed hands. There is no longer any dried blood on his knuckles but instead you can very clearly see the cuts and the bruises that are already forming.

I notice that he's also taken his suit jacket off and rolled up the sleeves of his black dress shirt to his elbows. I have to force my eyes not to linger on his forearms. I can't deny that Reece is gorgeous and guys always look ten times hotter when they roll their sleeves up like that. I bet he has no idea how good-looking he is either. It just comes naturally to him.

Reece doesn't say anything as I walk into the room. He puts down the towel he's using to dry his hands and rests his palms on his knees. His eyes follow my movements as I go over to the first aid kit and get out the things I need to properly clean his cuts.

I step closer to him, standing between his legs and take one of his hands into my own. His skin is cold from the cold water he used to clean his cuts. I shiver slightly and lower my head to get a better look.

Gently, I start cleaning his split knuckles, doing my best not to hurt him. Once I've cleaned one hand, I move onto the other and repeat the cleaning process.

"I think you should ice them." I tell him, my voice no louder than a whisper. We are the only ones in the house, but it still feels as though I need to be quiet.

"I'll be fine." Reece murmurs his reply, voice low and smooth.

I nod slightly, not wanting to argue with him. I know he should ice them, but it's been a long night. I start to bandage his hands up next. As I'm doing so, I pause and look up into his eyes. His eyes are already on me as he studies me with his head tilted slightly to the side. I swallow roughly, gazing into his intense blue eyes. "Thank you," I whisper, my gaze switching back and forth between his bright eyes.

He's silent for a moment or two, regarding me with his inquisitive gaze. "Why are you thanking me?"

My eyebrows furrow slightly, "You saved me from Tyler. I was afraid. He wouldn't let me go, no matter how hard I tried. And then you stepped in and saved me. So, thank you."

His lips set into a small frown and his brows furrow. "But I- I shouldn't have left you in the first place. If I had just held onto your hand a little tighter-"

"Reece," I cut him off, my voice strong but soft, "You can't keep thinking about the 'what ifs'. It happened. But you were there as soon as I needed you. Don't beat yourself up over things you can't control."

He lets out a small sigh and looks down to his hands that I'm still part-way through bandaging up. "Thank you, Sunshine."

I smile a little and continue working on his hands. We're both quiet for the next couple minutes as I finish bandaging his hands.

I wonder whether I should tell Reece about the bruises or not. I just don't want him to worry. I also don't want him to start another fight with Tyler.

When I finish cleaning his hands, I carefully run my finger over the covered knuckles. "All done," I whisper before stepping away from him.

Reece is silent for a moment as he stares at his now bandaged hands. When he does speak, his voice is low and husky, "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

I look down at the ground and stay silent, fiddling with the hem of Reece's hoodie.

"Sunshine," Reece whispers, almost begging me to tell him that what he's assuming is wrong. His voice is strained, and I wonder how important I am to him if seeing me hurt does this to him.

I swallow roughly and let out a shaky breath before grasping the material of the hoodie between my fingertips and pulling it up to just below my bra.

I hear Reece's short intake of breath and then the sound of him hopping down from the edge of the sink. I don't look up at him, even when I see his feet stop just before my own.

"I'm so sorry," I hear him whisper and it breaks me to think he's blaming himself.

Finally, I look up and see the pained look in his eyes. "It's not your fault, Reece," I tell him firmly, wanting him to know that I don't blame him at all.

"But, Sunshine-" He whispers, but I cut him off.

"I'm alright, Reece. They're not permanent. They'll fade," And as I say those words, I start to believe them too.

Reece hesitantly reaches out and when his fingers gently brush across the bruises on my waist, I don't flinch. His touch is feather-soft and I know he won't hurt me. Reece could never hurt me.

His hands move around to the small of my back where he applies more pressure, gently bringing me closer to him for a hug. I gladly oblige, wrapping my arms around his neck and resting my head on his shoulder.

After a moment of silence, Reece changes the subject, murmuring his words against the top of my head. "Are you staying the night?"

My fingers play with the small hairs on the back of his head as I think for only a second before nodding my head. "If that's okay?"

He pulls back and smiles softly, "Of course it is."

"Good. I'm just going to get rid of all this," I gesture to my makeup and elaborate hairdo, "And then we can get some sleep."

He laughs quietly and pulls away from me before starting to walk out of the bathroom. "Okay, Sunshine," He makes his way down the hall in the direction of his room.

I turn back around and face the mirror for a second before going on the hunt for some makeup remover. I find it in the second drawer down and immediately get to work.

After a minute or so, I'm officially makeup free. Although I love dressing up for events and things, it always feels nice to just take it all off and get all comfy again at the end of the night.

I rinse my face and dry it quickly, making sure I don't look like a panda with mascara all around my eyes. Just as I'm starting to take all the pins out of my hair, Reece walks back into the bathroom. He's now wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt.

I smile as he walks up behind me, "Can you help me take all the pins out of my hair?"

"Of course, Sunshine," He replies, flashing me a lazy grin. He steps closer to me so that he's almost touching me. His fingertips lightly brush across the base of my neck and I shiver at the contact. We both keep taking pin after pin out of my hair until they're all out.

"Thanks," I murmur, surveying my hair in the mirror. It's now in weird uneven waves and kinks, so I pull it all up on top of my head and tie it into a messy bun.

"You're welcome," he replies, moving from behind me to lazily rest his hip against the sink. He opens one of the cupboards and takes out a toothbrush that is still all packaged up and hands it to me.

I raise an eyebrow at him, "You just happen to have spare toothbrushes lying around?"

He shrugs, "My mom always says it's best to have spares, just in case."

I chuckle softly and take the toothbrush from him. The both of us are pretty tired, so after we brush our teeth, we silently decided that we'll head to bed.

"You can um- you can sleep in Anna's room if you want. She uh- she'll probably head home with Liam after the dance, so..." Reece trails off uncertainly.

I smile up at him, "Okay, thank you," I murmur, taking a step closer to him and leaning up on the tips of my toes to press a lingering kiss to his cheek. "Goodnight, Reece," I whisper against his skin before completely pulling away and heading into Anna's room, shutting the door behind me.

I quietly pad over to her made bed and pull back the covers, sliding under. I lie on my back, staring up at the ceiling as I try to get to sleep.

It must be a good half hour that I lie there, my mind racing with a million thoughts. Eventually I sigh, pulling back the covers and getting out of bed. Quietly, I open the door and step out into the hallway, looking down the hall towards Reece's room. His door is mostly shut, only a sliver open. Taking in a deep breath, I quietly make my way over to his door and take a few seconds to compose myself before pushing open the door.

"Reece?" I question, unsure as to whether he will still be awake.

There is a rustling of bedsheets before I hear his low, raspy grumble, "C'mere, Sunshine."

I bite back a smile, stepping into the room and pulling the door not quite completely closed as it had been before. I quietly make my way over to his bed, successfully navigating my way there in the dark. There is only a sliver of light coming through the open door, but my eyes soon adjust to the lighting.

I reach the side of the bed and pull back the covers, sliding into the bed next to Reece. I shuffle slightly closer to him and pull the covers up closer to my chin. A strand of hair falls in front of my eyes as I do so, but my arms are warm, and I don't want to pull them out to push the hair away.

It seems I don't have to. Reece reaches his hand out almost hesitantly and brushes the pad of his finger across my forehead. He carefully tucks the strand of hair back behind my ear, lingering his hand there for a moment. Then he pulls it away and rests it on the bed between us.

"Thanks," I whisper, my eyes glancing down at his hand absent-mindedly. I reach out and gently brush my thumb over his bandaged knuckles. I then trail a finger towards one of his tattoos, tracing it lightly. "What does this stand for?" I ask, tracing the three letters. N.E.C. They are written in beautiful calligraphy.

"They're my mom's initials. Novah Elizabeth Carter." He moves his other hand in front of him as well, pressing his thumbs together. On his other hand are the initials L.W.C. Both are running down the side of each of his hands below his thumbs. "I have my Dad's too. Lucas William Carter. I have all my family, actually."

I tilt my head slightly to the side as I watch him, "Can I see them?"

He angles his head closer to me and turns his head so I can see just behind his ear. Behind his left ear are the initials M.I.C. "Macy Isla Carter," He then turns his head to the other side and behind his right ear is S.W.C. "Sophie Willow Carter."

I watch as Reece faces me again and rolls up the edge of his t-shirt sleeve a little so I can see the initials on his bicep. M.B.C. "Max Brendon Carter."

After rolling his shirt sleeve back down, he pulls the collar of his shirt to the side slightly revealing the initials C.G.C on his collar bone. "Cody Gabriel Carter."