Highly Inappropriate

20.

"That was EPIC!", Jason gasped as Tyler pulled up in front of my house, clearly still really excited about what happened.

"I second that!", Tyler chuckled in the front seat.

"I mean, and I thought that I had to rescue you or something.", Jason scoffed, shaking his head and glancing towards me.

"Yeah, glad you found it amusing dude.", I halfheartedly joked, opening the door and motioning to get out of the car. "I'll see you guys. Thanks for the ride T."

I made my way up the stairs and into the house, Jess not too far behind. I wasted no time in taking off my jacket and my bloody t-shirt and stuff it in the washing machine. Grabbing a new shirt from the laundry basket, I slipped it on before fetching two beers from the fridge and sinking into a chair at the dining table next to Jess.

"Are you okay?", she asked in a soft voice, her eyes never leaving me.

"I'm pissed, Jess. I'm so fucking pissed.", I mumbled, taking a sip from my beer. "I was having a perfectly good night and that jerk had to ruin it."

She stood from her seat in silence and walked to the fridge, retrieving a bag of frozen peas and handing it to me on her way back.

"Put this on your hand, it'll help with the swelling."

"Thanks..", I whispered as I complied.

We sat in silence as we sipped our beers and I iced my hand. I kept replaying what happened in my head over and over again, trying to figure out what got into me and why I couldn't bring myself to stop.

"Alex..", Jess started, studying me as she probably noticed that I had zoned out. "I know that guy pissed you off, but I also know that there's something else bugging you even more.."

"I couldn't stop Jess.", I blurted, locking my eyes with hers. "I couldn't stop and I was nowhere near to do so. I-.. I didn't want to stop and-"

"Okay, stop that thought right there.", she shushed me, taking in my troubled expression. "I know what you're thinking but don't. Don't even go there, not even for a split second."

"How can I not go there Jess?!", I sighed, releasing a nervous laugh.

"Listen to me..", she hesitated, looking for the right words to say. "That guy got exactly what he deserved okay? He was groping you, he was molesting you and most of all he was hurting you."

"That doesn't justify or explain why I couldn't stop Jess. I could have elbowed him and break his nose and end it right then and there, but I didn't."

"True, you could have.", she nodded. "But you were pissed out of your mind, not to mention freaked the hell out. It's totally normal that you snapped and reacted Alex. God, I would've done the same and give him a piece of my mind even though he was already pretty knocked out! Plus, you had a fair amount of alcohol in your system and we all know that that shit makes you do stupid and irrational things!"

"Oh, so I should blame it on the alcohol then?", I half joked, running a shaky hand through my hair.

"My point is: your reaction tonight has nothing to do with what you're thinking Alex. We all know you used to have quite a temper, but you've come a loooong ass way from there.", she stated, giving me a sympathetic smile.

"You sure?", I whispered, really trying to let her words sink in but mostly convince me.

"Positive.", she nodded, flashing me a comforting smile.