HATE FALL LOVE

Chapter 4

[KENT's POV]

She should have never come to this party at the very beginning. She should have just stayed at home, just like how she always had.

Why did she even come here if she was just going to be as clueless and defenseless as she had been a while ago with that moron? Good thing I had been trying to keep a full watch on her the entire time. Yet this time, I still have to make sure she would keep herself away from those unwanted advances if that happens again. Damn it. She's just too pure and naïve. She did not even know the right way to avoid those kinds of situations.

Did she even have any idea on how to deal with sleazy bastards that would keep coming for her? This was why I knew it was just about right to attend this party.

When I learned that she was going to be here, I had quickly decided to attend the party too. I just really wanted to make sure she did not have to be picked up by any type of sleazy guy around here. And just as expected, a moron actually did and she never even handled that pretty well by herself too. She should know by now that this was going to happen eventually because, out of all people here, she was the very one who definitely understood the infamous reputation her sister had left in town that got everybody stereotyping her as well.

She did not deserve that kind of scrutiny, though. Everyone should just stop expecting Brianna to be exactly just the same as Emily. Her stepsister had never been anything near like her at all. Brianna has always been just very simple. She's too faultless, shy, and gullible; and unlike Emily, who had always been so carefree, reckless, and unconventional; Brianna will never survive being the center of negative attention.

She was supposed to live in her own orbit without having to deal with any of that. Yet she was still the one suffering from all of it ever since Emily left. I never really like it. Brianna never deserved to be judged and seen in that way.

However, I knew that I really had no control over everything that would happen around her. I still couldn't even explain why I was feeling this way in the first place. But perhaps, it must be because I have always felt like a brother to her. I have known her for years that it did not feel strange anymore to be too protective of her. And I wanted to protect her from the toxic world that we were living in. Ever since that day, when I had saved her from almost getting hurt and traumatized three years ago...

I always felt responsible to make sure she wasn't going to be in danger.

Just remembering that one memory from the past was nearly enough to make my blood boil for anyone who would dare to manipulate and abuse someone as pure as her.

"Let's get you home safe," I told her after talking to my friend, Ian Wade, who simply just followed what I asked him to. It was about time we try to keep Brianna and her good friend away from this shady party. I gave her a serious look when I turned around and she just glared back at me. She was absolutely pissed, obviously. But that won't work on me because I was not going to risk her safety just because she did not want me to boss her around.

I might be annoying her so much tonight but that's only because I was doing this all for her own good too. So I ignored her snotty attitude and pulled her to my motorbike again.

Without uttering another word, I just took the initiative to lift her up so she could get settled on the seat before I hopped in on the front and wore my own helmet. I could still feel her glaring at the back of my head but I did not mind it anymore. She could hate and curse all she wants but I will never forsake the chance to keep her away from this place right away. Then, when I felt that she was not going to do anything unwanted or jump out of the bike, I kickstarted the vehicle, letting the engine roar to life.

Then just before I pulled away from where I was parked, I turned my head to look over my shoulder, trying to get a glimpse of her behind me.

"Hold on tight, princess," I told her over the noise of the engine, but she did not attempt to even at least grab onto the back of my jacket. So finding no other choice but to make her do it myself, I reached around for her hands, which somehow had felt cold and sweaty now, and made her hug me on the waist. I heard her sharply gasping but I did not say anything about it. Though I found myself smirking unconsciously at it.

She wasn't really hard to handle. She could be just as compliant as she was right now and that made it easier for me to escape with her. And as soon as I moved the motorbike out of the driveway, I felt her fingers gripping harder on my jacket. Her warmth against my back was slowly becoming much harder for me not to notice but I tried to focus more on the road. I did not want to distract myself while getting her home safe.

No matter how much that felt so incredible and comforting to feel that she was relying on me during this entire ride, I had to brush off the natural reaction my body was doing.

After all, I was just being a good protective brother to her. And I can't really afford to get wound up with her and her sister again. That was just going to make it difficult for the three of us in the future. And I never liked complicated feelings... The drama that might come along with it was never really my thing.