Duke had shifted so that he stood between Asa and Mick. The two had gone at it more than once over the years; that was how they worked through a lot of shit. But what had just happened needed words too.

“You’re embarrassing yourself, Asa. Ask Jesus why you’re dating a goddamn Girl Guide or whatever she is.”

Duke sighed. “What’s it to you anyway? You lay low for years and suddenly you’re back here ready to pass judgment on something you know pretty much nothing about.”

Asa had to admit Duke said it better, and less angrily, than he would have.

“What? Being gone means I can’t say what needs to be said? I had my own shit to handle.” Mick shrugged.

Asa let Duke do most of the talking. He was better with people. “Yeah? How’d that work out for you? I mean that truly, because we’ve been asking you for a week straight and you don’t seem to want to answer. You in some kind of trouble and that’s why you’re starting shit? Keep our attention on that? What are you running from? Or hiding from? Let us in. We get that you’re hurting, but you can’t take it out on PJ. She doesn’t deserve it. She’s good people, and in case you haven’t noticed, she makes Asa happy.”

Ignoring that opportunity to tell Duke and Asa what was up, Mick rolled his eyes. “Asa, what can you be thinking? I mean other than how taut those tits are. You’re her ‘what do I do the year after college’ fuck.”

Asa was lifting Mick off the ground before he thought about it. Duke yelled at them both to stop it. Asa shoved Mick back as he set him down and he stumbled a few steps.

“Chill the fuck out,” Duke said genially. But he kept his body between Asa and Mick. “This isn’t the place and your girlfriend is just across the way. I think she’s had enough bullshit for one day.”

Asa glanced over but she was still on her phone, so he looked back to Mick and pointed. “You’re out of line.” Asa was surprised he’d managed to get the words out at all, given how hard he was clenching his jaw. “No one talks about her that way. You got me?”

“No, Asa. I don’t get you. Who are you? This is… I don’t even know. Did you find her after the homecoming game?”

A red haze slid over his vision and he stepped forward, his fist already in the process of cocking back for a solid right to the face.

Duke shook his head. “Asa!”

“What the hell’s going on?”

Asa looked over his shoulder to find PJ standing there, holding her phone, red-faced because it was clear she’d heard at least some of the worst parts of that exchange.

“Nothing at all. Just a misunderstanding I was clearing up.”

The look on her face told him exactly what she thought of that line. “Okay then. Well, I’m going home now.”

“What? Why?” Asa stalked over, taking her hands.

Her gaze narrowed in a way that had him shifting his body, keeping his thigh in knee-deflection range. She pulled her hands from his hold and he frowned. But she wasn’t going to be swayed or charmed. Not right then.

“There’s a crowd watching us. Your friend obviously has some sort of problem with me, and I’m way too tired to figure out what it is tonight. No, actually, I don’t care what his problem is since all this played out in public in front of our friends and the people I want to hire me in the future. And when I ask what’s going on, you tell me nothing. Not a fan of any of those reasons.”

She looked around Asa to Mick, who flinched when he caught her expression. “And you? Eat a bag of dicks. Asshole. The fuck you think you are?” PJ gave him the finger and turned just as Audra approached wearing the look women get when a dude has seriously messed up.

They headed to the parking lot.

“Go on,” Duke urged. “Watch it, though. She has dick-kicking in her eyes.”

“She needs to kick Mick, not me,” he muttered as he caught up to the women, who’d neared PJ’s car.

“I’ve got it from here,” Audra said through her teeth to Asa when he stepped in their path. She was really, truly pissed and ready to defend her friend.

Asa ignored Audra and spoke to PJ. “This is stupid. You don’t have to go. It’s a misunderstanding. He’ll change his mind about you once he gets to know you.”

“Oh, okay then. I’ll just wait around for your asshole friend with no manners to judge me. Because that’s going to happen. Oh, wait, no it isn’t. He has no right, and you have no right to ask me to do so. I’m going home and I’m going to bed. Call me tomorrow.” PJ waved a hand over her shoulder as they got to her car just a few steps away.

“Are you all right to drive?” He moved around Audra and then, exasperated, threw his hands up. “Audra, back off for a second.”

“You can fuck right off, Barrons. I know you did not just talk to me in that tone.” Audra looked him over slowly and PJ rolled her eyes.

“Audra. It’s cool. You go on back. I’ll call you tomorrow. It’s not a thing. I’m just done.”

Audra hugged PJ and then stalked off after giving Asa a dirty look.

He took a risk and stepped close once they were alone. “I don’t want you to go.” Which was odd. In any other circumstance he couldn’t imagine not having just said, Okay then, see you later, drive safe. But he didn’t want her to leave. He wanted her to sleep over like she had the weekend before. And he didn’t want her to feel bad because of Mick’s attitude.