Chapter 31

I didn’t even move. Something told me I didn’t need to. Before her palm could come down, a hand shot past my shoulder and clamped down on her wrist, shoved her backwards. Willow stumbled, arms flailing for balance. Her head whipped up, ready to mouth off, but the second she clocked Ashton’s face, she faltered. Hard to keep swinging when the guy pinning your arm looked like he could snap you in half for blinking wrong. She yanked her hand free with a pathetic little noise. ‘And who the hell are you?’ she barked. ‘Why’re you getting in the way? You…’ Her voice got quieter the longer Ashton stared her down. Willow shifted from foot to foot, tried to size him up, and then her eyes flicked to me, and to the jacket hanging off my shoulders. ‘That’s his coat, right? Your new boyfriend?’ She folded her arms, sneering. ‘When did you start sneaking around behind my brother’s back, huh? You bang on about Rhys cheating, but look at you! Wearing some random guy’s jacket like a badge of honour.’ ‘I