The music at Maddy’s house was loud enough to rattle the windows, bass thumping through the floor while people packed every room, drinks in hand, voices slurring over each other. The backyard lights cast everything in neon pink and blue, making the whole party feel like something unreal.

Most people were too busy dancing, arguing, or making out to notice the tension building near the side of the house.

But Fezco noticed.

He leaned against the wall near the side gate, hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie, posture loose like he was just another guy at a party. But his eyes were locked on one person.

Nate.

Nate stood a few feet away, scrolling through his phone like he didn’t have a care in the world. Like he hadn’t spent the last few months snapping at you, grabbing your arm too tight whenever he got pissed, acting like he had something to prove every time your name came out of his mouth.

Fez had seen it more than once.

And he’d had enough.

Fez pushed himself off the wall and walked over, his steps slow and steady. Calm. Controlled.

“Nate.”

Nate glanced up, brows raising slightly when he saw who it was. He slipped his phone into his pocket, straightening up a little.

Fez stopped a couple feet away from him.

Up close, the difference between them was obvious. Nate stood taller, broader, built like someone who spent hours lifting weights. Fez didn’t look nearly as intimidating at first glance—hoodie, relaxed stance.

But his eyes?

Cold. Sharp. Unmoving.

“The next time you lose your cool with her,” Fez said evenly, voice low enough that it didn’t carry over the music, “I suggest you find a different approach.”

For a second, Nate just stared at him.

Then the corner of his mouth curled into a cocky little smile.

“Oh yeah?” he said, tilting his head slightly. There was that familiar arrogant glint in his eyes. “Why’s that?”

Fez didn’t raise his voice. Didn’t step closer. Didn’t do anything dramatic.

He just looked at him.

And somehow that made it worse.

“Because if you don’t,” Fez replied calmly, “it’s gonna put me and you in a position where things will definitely go south.”

The words weren’t loud.

They weren’t even technically a threat.

But there was something in Fez’s expression—something steady and certain—that made the meaning crystal clear.

Nate’s smile faltered for half a second.

Just half.

Then it came back, a little tighter this time.

“You threatening me?” Nate asked.

Fez shrugged one shoulder slightly.

“Nah,” he said simply.

A beat of silence passed between them, thick with tension.

“I’m just telling you how things gonna go.”

Nate held his gaze, jaw tightening.

Across the yard, laughter burst from a group near the pool. Someone knocked over a drink. The music switched songs.

The party kept going like nothing was happening.

But between the two of them, the air felt like a wire pulled too tight.

Fez tilted his head slightly, voice still calm.

“So we clear?”

And for the first time since the conversation started, Nate didn’t have an immediate smart answer.