"All right." Jun bounced the two key cards in his hands as he watched me put Kay's last bag in the backseat of our rental. Before I closed it, Jun bounced the card into the other hand, as if he were juggling. "I'll check us out and if there's any refunds, I'll grab those, too."

I straightened as I looked at Jun. "Will they even give that to you?"

Jun cocked a brow. "Bro," he motioned at the empty parking lot, "who else is here? Besides, I was born and raised in Harmony. They know me."

I shrugged, watching as Jun turned for the model's office. "Fair enough." I kept my hand on the door to the trunk, but I cocked a brow. "But what if they don't?"

Jun laughed, lifting both hands above his head. The key cards stuck out between his fingers. "Fine, fine." He grinned. "If they need ya, I'll call out and have you wave at the window. Cool?"

I laughed. The look of determination on Jun's face was one I couldn't argue with. I nodded and shook my head at the same time. "All right, man," I said, looking towards the motel office. "Go ahead. I'll be here."

"Cool, cool, cool." With a hop in his step, Jun hurried to return their room keys.

I admired the way Jun was able to recover after the short weekend they had. Kay, too. Maybe it just was me; when drama collided with my life, I crumbled under the pressure and fell away into the shadows. Kay was the person who taught me I didn't need to be that way. If I wanted to accept my past, I needed to do it with open arms.

Judging by Jun's optimism, after learning the truth hidden by his parents, I was proud to see there was no ill damage.

I hoped Kay felt the same, too. All I wanted Kay to do was take her own advice, embrace her past, and face her shadows head-on. And hoped I was able to help and be her rock in her moment of need.

For her and our baby.

"Hey!" a voice shouted from in front of the car.

I didn't need to look over to know who it was. I'd heard the voice too many times over the last two days, and in ways, I didn't need in my life; at this point, there was no way to wipe the sound from my memory.

Clutching the trunk's door, I pressed the key fob and locked it. When I turned my head to look through the back window, I saw him, Mario, standing near the hood. His face was red with brows knitted close together.

Rather than feed off the energy, I smirked and pulled up the zipper of my jacket closed.

"Didn't you hear me?" Mario moved around the car. One of his hands was in his pocket, the other sliding along the car's exterior. It squeaked under his fingers until he stopped, just a foot from me. "Hm?"

I looked back at the motel for a minute. There weren't any issues inside. I was glad. The last thing I wanted was for Jun to turn around and look, to see Mario around the parking lot. After the other night, this was the last thing anyone needed.

After the morning, I thought Mario would've learned his lesson; no one wanted him around. Looking at him, I knew that wasn't the case.

"I thought you'd be out of here by now," Mario hissed.

I gave him a side glance. "We will be." I faced him, towering over him. "I thought we made it clear we don't want to see your face."

"You didn't make anything clear." Mario straightened. "I don't give two fucks about you."

I snorted as I rolled my shoulders back. "If you don't," I looked down at him again, "then why did you come to my car?"

Mario blinked, jaw clenched.

"You see, I think the truth is, you do care." I clicked his teeth.

"Why?" Mario pinched his brows together. "The fuck would I care about?"

Again, I saw it. Mario's insecurities. The need to be better than someone, and control the room.

He wouldn't get the chance. Not again.

Not with me.

A deep chuckle slipped past my lips, but it wasn't a ha ha sound. I was serious. I slid my tongue along my teeth, looking back at the motel's office before giving Mario a hard, narrow glare. "You're small," he said. "You're nothing. And with me around, you feel like the world sees that."

Mario reacted. He pushed at my shoulders. I stumbled back a step and Mario followed. "Fuck you," he hissed. "No one cares about you."

"Oh?" I brushed at my shoulders.

"Yeah." Mario bounced once, rolling his neck along his shoulders.

By the look in his eye, he was ready for another fight. I saw it right away. I wasn't going to feed off of the energy, I wouldn't give Mario what he wanted; the need to draw aggression, to attempt to overpower his opponent.

The only reason I hadn't fought back hard the night before was because of Kay, she'd been pleading with me to stop, watching on the sidelines as the crowd grew. Once Jun threw himself into the mix, I knew he couldn't let my future brother-in-law fall into Mario's trap.

But as Mario licked his lip and rolled back his shoulders, I didn't see a trap. I saw an opening. A mouse stepping into the cage with a lion. What would a big cat want with small vermin? Nothing.

Mario threw the first punch. It was quick but expected. I pressed myself against the car and dodged it.

"Mother fucker!" Mario threw another punch, bending his body as if he hoped to hit me in the face.

But again, I dodged him. Mario's hand slammed into the side of the door. Hard. He drew back instantly with a hiss.

"I think you need to go home, Mario." I relaxed against the side door. "Go back and tell your dad you messed up." I lifted my brows. "Again."

"I didn't do shit," Mario spat. "You—"

"You," I cut him off, "came to my car, in this parking lot, and swung at me. You think you didn't do shit?"

"Yo!" From the motel's office, Jun stepped out from the door he held open with one hand. The other held the two key cards loose between his fingers. When he stepped out into the parking lot, he dropped them.

Mario tried to take the distraction as an opportunity. He pulled his arm back to swing again. Jun, seeing the motion, broke into a run. "Hey!" he shouted.

But I knew it would come. Rather than submit like I did the other night, I ducked back, grabbed Mario's arm, then pulled my fist back. With a strong push forward, my knuckles collided with Mario's nose.

As Mario dipped down to protect his face, he cried. I followed, kneeling in front of him. "You thought because you hit me the other night, that you were better?" I chuckled, grabbing Mario's collar as he tried to scoot away. "But this," I pointed at Mario's nose, "is to remind you to stay away from their family. My family."

Jun hurried over and stopped next to me. He looked down as Mario looked up at the two of us. His hand stayed over his face.

"And to stay away from Kay."

***

[Thank you for reading!]