I was almost bludgeoned to death.

By a football.

Can this day get any worse?

My vision starts to clear, and sound starts coming back to my ears. People are cursing, some screaming while others sound excited about what transpired. An audience starts gathering around me but all I can focus on is the raging heart attack attacking my breastbone.

My gaze shifts and my brain fumbles, especially now that I'm wrapped in a stronghold and getting a whiff of something seriously addictive.

I'm definitely not used to being held by a guy, especially one with muscles. My one and only boyfriend, Kenny, had been a stringy guy I met at church, and we were on the choir team together.

We had our first kiss in the church pews. All I remember from it was how awkward we were... and his bony shoulders. Tariq is solid everywhere and the way his big hand is pressed against my lower back makes me shiver and my stomach tighten.

My dainty hands are on his chest and it's practically instinctual that they fist his shirt. My knuckles graze over a hard torso that's so broad, he easily blocks me from the crowd forming behind him.

Heat coils around me and all I can do is stare absentmindedly through my frizzy bangs. They stick to my forehead and pieces of tiny shiny glass shards flicker in them.

Tariq is taking in every speck of me and even though it isn't in admiration, heat fizzles and lifts off me as if I'm steaming. His startling eyes come to mine and at that moment, I stop breathing.

It's like the ground beneath me shifts...

Wait, no?

It's shifting.

It's actually shifting.

I'm about to faint.

"Going down," I barely get out.

"Woah, woah, woah! I've got you," he says, easily taking my whole weight. "Crap you might have a concussion."

His full mouth is pressed into a thin line as he presses my tiny body into his very overwhelming one.

"Woah is right," I say dizzily.

His fingers make skin-to-skin contact with my left eye that's starting to blur. They're surprisingly warm but the contact hurts despite his gentle, calloused touch.

"And you got sliced good. You're definitely going to have a black eye. Did you get any fragments in it?"

I touch it and pull my fingers back to see blood. As for my eye, it's swelling up and fast.

Oh no!

I have contacts in!

It's weird that I panic about that. But the idea of having my contact in while my eye swells shut is horrifying.

Screw glass shards!

What if my contact gets stuck in there forever?!

I immediately brave it and dig my fingers into my uber-sensitive eye.

Tariq curses and tries grabbing my hand. "Don't try taking them out, you could scratch it."

"Not glass. I'm getting my contact out before my eye swells shut."

I manage the impossible and get it out as the sound of fabric ripping draws me back to the guy holding me up against him. My eyes glance down, capturing a hint of olive skin and V-shaped muscles that plunge into low riding jeans.

My throat dries right up.

Soft cotton is placed under my eye, and he takes my hand setting it right on the cloth. His fingers slide into my disgusting frizzy bangs, and I'm horrified.

Oh God, don't touch my hair!

There's a tug, and a glass shard sparkles between his pinched fingers.

"You have a lot of glass in your hair."

My world seems to stop spinning and I slowly step out of his hold and bend over slightly to try to dislodge some. I dig my fingers into my bangs and shake fragments out. I probably look like a dog trying to scratch away fleas.

My hand freezes as something sticky and slimy slides down my leg. I straighten and twist my upper torso to peer down at my backside. My cheeks redden and my whole-body tenses from what's caked all over my butt and legs.

I had landed on the bag carrying my yogurt.

A low groan gets my attention and I look at the kid who no longer looks conscious.

I kneel down in front of him. "Hey, you okay?"

Tariq crouches beside me as my fingers press down to search for a pulse and sigh in relief when I find it easily. "You need to get him to a hospital now. I think he may have alcohol poisoning."

When I look over at Tariq with blurry vision, his face has paled. His line of vision goes straight to Colin but before he can start another fight my hand grabs his. "Not now, I get you're mad, but you have to get him to the emergency room or at least call an ambulance."

My eyes are trained on the vein popping out of his neck. I've never realized how attractive that could be. My eyes shift from the vein to my hand on his. I give it a squeeze then stand up slowly.

"What about you?" he asks, and his eyes are intense as he takes in my disheveled appearance.

I put on a brave smile and move my body around to show it working, yet I mostly do it because the pain starts to kick in. "See? All good. Nothing a Band-Aid won't fix."

His gaze is intent and demanding like what I just did, didn't faze him at all. "Your cheek is sliced open to the point you may need stitches. It's not okay." My heart thunders and I'm looking into the eyes of a protector. It's been a long time since someone has looked at me like that. He glances back at the kid muttering, "I'll take you with Ben."

"No, please." I can't afford it.

"Beau," he calls ignoring my protests. "Get Ben. We gotta get these two to a hospital."

"They're both fine." Colin sneers.

Tariq is right in his space in an instant. "You purposely lured him here and got him completely plastered. He may need to get his stomach pumped because of you and this frat. I promise you, Colin. I'm getting you guys shut down."

While Tariq is distracted, I dart for it, but he's quick to notice and faster than me as he moves to stop me.

"Good luck with that Araneo," Colin spits. "Now get off my lawn. You and your hockey friends aren't welcome here, not that chick either."

Tariq ignores him, keeping his attention on me. He picks me up, slinging me over his shoulder like a barbarian. "Were you trying to run away?"

I start kicking and hitting my fists against his back. I'm like a toddler in his hold. I practically am since I'm much smaller than him. Not that I'm short but he's most definitely over six foot and I'm a lanky stick and not in a good way.

"Define running away," I retort as I wiggle harder while we pass the crowd of people that accumulated out of the frat house.

I can't figure out if I should be angry or grateful. A mixture of both maybe? He places me down and I swear every girl in the vicinity there wants to skin me alive.

He takes off his jacket and before I know it his hands are around my waist. "What are you doing?" I watch as he ties the nice leather sleeves around my waist, covering up the yogurt all over my butt and legs.

"Oh no, please! It's okay! Your jacket's going to get ruined."

He leans in, his breath hot on my ear. "Do you want people staring at that cute little rear?"

My pits start sweating immediately.

No one has ever said anything like that to me before. Tariq pulls away, his eyes playful but sexy mouth surly. "Stay put. I have to get my Jeep. Beau, keep guard of her."

He leaves me and I don't know what to do or think. A body comes next to me, and Beau has Ben draped over his side.

"Any chance I can outrun you?"

Beau chuckles. "Not a chance, doll."

"Elodie?!" I turn as Heather runs up to me. "Oh my gosh, are you okay? Beau, what are you doing here? What's wrong with Ben?"

"Did you just teleport here?" I ask, looking around her.

"No, I was walking back to the dorms after my scholarship thingy and saw you."

"I can honestly tell you that you're witnessing the worst day of my life unfold."

Heather looks mortified on my behalf. "Your eye's about to close shut. Do you want me to help you to an Urgent Care?"

"I've got her, Heather." I jump a little at the voice coming from above me. I tilt my head back and Tariq looks down at me. "I want to make sure she's okay."

"Tariq, hey." Heather smiles and there's something genuine in her eyes as she looks at him. "I'll leave her to you then. Please take care of her."

His eyes don't leave mine. "I will. Beau, Blue, let's go."

He grabs me by the waist and turns me toward an unknown destination. I look back at Heather who has an amused expression on her face. At least I think it might be? At this point, my vision is so rough because my left eye is officially swollen shut.

Tariq steers me to a big Jeep with mud caked all over it. He opens the door, but I refuse to get in as Beau puts Ben in the back.

"Tariq, I'm really grateful but..." I gnaw on my lip not wanting to divulge this information but having no choice but to. "I can't afford it."

When my eyes go to him, he's leveling me with a hard stare. "Get in, Blue."

"But—"

He steps into me. "I've got you."

His hands grip my hips, and he lifts me into his Jeep, sealing my fate with the click of the seat belt.

So sorry for the late update! This has been a crazy busy week for me, but on the upside, my son and I are officially done with the school year!!! YAY!!!

Poor Elodie can't catch a break and I hope you all are enjoying my weird chapter titles hahahahaha!

Any ideas on the bad blood between the hockey team and Alpha Tau Sigma? Comment here to give me your guesses!

Alright, you know how it works :) If you enjoyed the chapter just tap on that little star for me and let me know what you think in the comments!

Much love,

LivingRed