The late afternoon sun glared off the school’s windows, casting long, sharp shadows across the pavement. Patrick Feely stood with his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, leaning against the wall, his girlfriend at his side. Their friends—Shannon Lynch, Lizzie Young, Claire Biggs, Aoife Molloy, Katie Wilmot, Joey Lynch, Johnny Kavanagh, Gerard “Gibsie” Gibson, Tadhg Lynch, and Hughie Biggs—were scattered around, laughing and finishing up their post-school chatter.

That’s when Bella showed up.

Her heels clicked against the ground as she strode toward them, her smirk curling like smoke. Patrick’s spine straightened, the lazy smile he’d been wearing vanishing. He knew that look. Bella was here to start something.

“Scumbag,” Bella said, her voice dripping with venom as her eyes swept over Patrick.

The group went silent. Patrick’s jaw tightened, but before he could get a word out, his girlfriend stepped forward, fire in her eyes.

“What did you just say?” she asked, her tone flat and dangerous.

Bella tilted her head, pretending to look bored. “You heard me. He’s a scumbag. Trash. You all are.”

Nobody moved. Shannon’s lips parted like she might speak, but she quickly shut them again.

Then, out of nowhere, Patrick’s girlfriend punched Bella square in the face.

The sound of it cracked like thunder in the silence. Bella stumbled back, hand flying to her cheek, her mouth hanging open in shock.

“Who the hell are you?” Bella spat, her voice shaky now.

“Oh, I’m your worst nightmare, bitch,” Patrick’s girlfriend snapped.

Before Bella could even recover, she grabbed her, slammed her to the ground, and straddled her in one fluid motion. Bella let out a startled gasp, but there was no getting free.

“You like terrorizing little girls?” she hissed, her fist hovering just above Bella’s face. “Try someone your own size.”

Bella’s eyes widened as Patrick’s girlfriend’s voice dropped to a growl. “Think you can call my boyfriend a scumbag?”

She didn’t wait for an answer—her fist met Bella’s cheek again.

The group collectively gasped. Gibsie’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “Holy fecking shite,” he muttered under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper.

Patrick just stood there, frozen. His heart was pounding so loud he could barely hear anything else. He’d always known his girlfriend was tough, but this? She was terrifying. Terrifying and beautiful.

And all he could think was, Jesus Christ, I love her.