H E A T H

The party hadn't stopped for Leonie. The music was still louder than a nightclub, drunk college students and what I was sure were a number of minors, were still dancing without a care in the world. But I watched Leonie and followed her through the crowd, keeping close and within hearing distance as much as was possible save for putting my ear against her lips. She had perfect lips.Which was a strange detail to focus on when it was clear that something was about to go down.

She slid in between this bleach blonde girl and Bray, who still had his back to her. He kept Jess - if I was remembering that right - encased against the wall as if he was protecting her from the long thin girl that was too tanned for it to be natural. She almost seemed orange. But that might have been the lighting. I stood to the side and watched, hoping that it wouldn't get violent. The blonde girl had a bit of height and build on Leonie. There was a good chance that she would end up hurt if it turned physical.

Jess kept peering around Bray with concern. She tried to move him but he shook his head with an indifferent expression and said something along the lines of, "she'll handle it."

Leonie stood close to the blonde girl, who stared down at her with a pinch in her thin brows. "Fuck off Leonie. This doesn't concern you."

"You do realise that I was kidding when I invited you," Leonie said with amusement. She seemed to have sarcasm down to a fine art and it appeared that the blonde girl did not appreciate it because her scowl became even more feral than it was before. "Don't be so desperate. Bray doesn't want you. You're making yourself look stupid."

The girls would have been nose to nose if Leonie wasn't so petite. So instead it was more like forehead to chin but despite her smaller build, Leonie held herself with confidence. And a slight sway which I had to assume was thanks to the tequila she had thrown back just a few minutes earlier.

The blonde girl pushed her hair behind her shoulder and looked down her nose at Leonie which seemed far too self important for a girl wearing ug-boots and a mini skirt. I really had watched too much fucking Gossip Girl with Sarah. "Get your nose out of everyone's business Leonie. You're such a joke. You're like an annoying little insect that won't piss off."

Leonie laughed, one hundred percent unaffected at the insult. "You're literally at a party that no one invited you to, begging for attention from a guy who won't even look at you," Leonie winced with amusement as she pointed over her shoulder at her friends who were still in the same position as before. "Being so delusional must be a nice escape. But come on, a little bit of self respect please."

"Says you," the blonde girl scoffed. "You've had none of that since Benny drove over that damn cliff. No doubt he's relieved to be in the ground rather than dealing with your shit."

Leonie looked as if she'd been slapped. Her entire expression became flat, her stare a little wider and her mouth parted with disbelief. She clearly couldn't believe what she had just heard. Even Bray had turned around, he and Jess both looked stunned. It was hard to believe that the rest of the house were oblivious to what was going on. That wouldn't last long though. Not when Leonie lifted her closed fist, grabbed a handful of the blonde girl's white tank top and smashed her straight in the nose.

It happened so fast. One second the air was thick and tense. But before I could blink, the sound of a nose shattering was louder than the music. No one would have been able to stop her with the speed that her fist flew out. The blonde girl would have fallen straight on her ass if Leonie didn't have a tight grip on her shirt. She landed another fist on her jaw while blonde girl clutched her nose and wailed with watered eyes. Bray was laughing. Jess was staring with her hand over her mouth and there was a significant amount more attention than there had been before.

I was having trouble processing what the hell was happening. I hadn't witnessed a house party fight since I was eighteen and I had watched, Damien - my best friend - beat the hell out of a junior who slept with his girlfriend. After the fight, he'd shaken his hand and told him that he respected the fact that he could land an older woman. It didn't seem honourable. She was eleven months older than the junior. Whatever though. This wasn't just a house fight. I mean, it was. But Leonie had technique in her swing and strength in her delivery. I hadn't seen someone punch like that since I watched a national MMA match on the television at the bar when I was nineteen.

The blonde girl was sinking to the floor and attempted to fight Leonie off with flailing arms that weren't making a lot of progress. Leonie grabbed a fistful of her hair and lifted her knee as she pushed the blonde girl's face right into it. That was when I stepped in. The whole thing had happened so fast. She had landed three vicious blows to the blondes face in a matter of seconds and as I wrapped an arm around her waist, Jade came pushing through the onlookers and gasped at the bloodied mess on the floor.

"What the fuck is going on?!"

"That's Harlin," Bray pointed at the blonde on the floor and Jade's expression morphed from concerned to impressed. She gave Harlin a smug smile and shrugged her shoulders. Meanwhile, Leonie was kicking and ordering that I let her go so that she can 'put that motherfucking orange cunt in a grave.' I kept her back flush against my front and held her waist as she kicked and struggled.

"Bray," Jade shouted over the commotion. "Deal with the mess," she pointed at the floor. "If someone wants to deal with her, that'd be great."

She turned around, unconcerned and a couple of college students came forward and crouched beside Harlin while I stepped around the scene and carried Leonie towards the front door. She hadn't given up on her attempt to get free and finish the job. She was stronger than she looked as well. But I kept her close and just managed to catch Jess shouting at me to look after her. I peered back when I was at the door and saw Bray giving me a thumbs up while Jess watched us with concern.

Leonie didn't give up. We walked a few houses down where we were clear from the noise and antics. It also meant that Harlin would be able to leave without crossing paths with us and angering the little beast that I was still managing to keep hold of. "Let go of me!" She snapped, thrashing again and kicking off the ground. She wasn't making an inch of progress and I had a feeling that, that wasn't helping her to feel calmer.

We stood beside a tall fence that was wrapped around a quiet home. The poor neighbours around here must have hated the fact that Project - X was unfolding on their block once a week. Leonie stood with her feet planted on the concrete footpath and I had my arms wrapped around her shoulders so that she couldn't dash. She was starting to ease off with the struggling. Her movements were less aggressive but her breathing was harsh and ragged.

"I fucking hate her," she spat, her shoulders rising and falling with a breathless sob.

My thumb made circles on her shoulder and I could feel her relaxing into my chest. It was slight but she was definitely getting there. It felt a shame that I couldn't see her face. I wanted to wipe at her tears of frustration. The street lamps shone down and cast orbs of soft yellow glow on the road for as far as the street stretched. The echo of the music was still audible from where we stood but the night was still, calm and quiet. It might have been hopeful thinking that she would relax a little bit faster if she wasn't in the thick of the drama. The peace that the night offered was often helpful in bringing me a hint of serenity. But she might have been past finding aid in anything but sleep. It was likely that the entire world was spinning in front of her hazed gaze.

Due to the fact that I was sober and time wasn't an upside down concept, I knew that we were standing on the footpath, her back to my chest while I held her, for about fifteen minutes. She had become still and her shoulders weren't expanding quite as far with her trembled breaths.

"Leonie," I murmured and dropped the hold that I had on her so that she could turn around. It seemed unlikely that she would make a run for it now but then again, she could have been convincing in letting me think that she was more level headed.

She stood in front of me, mascara down each flushed cheek and her eyes were so unfocused that it was hard to tell if she was looking at me or if she was inside of her own head. She stumbled on her feet, stepping from side to side and then forwards and back. She couldn't keep still but she couldn't seem to find balance either. I reached out and held her hand.

"Can I help?" I offered. "You want to find somewhere to lie down? Or get something to eat?"

"I want to go home," she mumbled, her lips almost glued together. "Can you take me home, Heath?"

I nodded and stepped forward, leaning down so that I could scoop her up into a bridal hold. But before I did, I raised a brow. "Can I?"

She nodded and her eyes almost rolled back into her head when I swept her up. But she threw her arms around my neck and leaned her head against my chest. She was so light, so frail and so small. Before she passed out, I needed to know where she lived. So when we reached the car, I used one hand to retrieve the keys and unlocked the passenger door. It was something that required a decent juggling act and some semblance of strength. "Leonie," I whispered as I set her in the passenger seat. "Where do you live?"

She gave me the address and I blinked with surprise. "South Beach? Wow."

She let her lids flutter as I fastened her seatbelt. Her gaze was narrow as though she was staring straight at the sun. "I'll give you cash for the gas," she slurred. It was a miracle that I could decipher her words. But I didn't answer, I just shut the door and ran around to the driver's side.

It wasn't the distance that had surprised me. It was the location. Living in South Beach wasn't cheap. It was the home to a number of surgeons at the hospital. Shaquille O'Neil and Lenny Kravitz live in South Beach. As well as the actor that has sunglasses on his person at all times from that CSI Miami show. It wasn't as if I thought that South Beach was exclusive to big names only. It just surprised me to find out that Leonie lived there and yet she came to Flagami to a dinge house and partied with the rest of us mere mortals.

And when we pushed open her apartment door almost an hour later, I was surprised that she ever left her home at all. It was beautiful. The colour scheme was minimal, ranging from bright white to deep black with splashes of colour in the decor. Such as maroon throw pillows on the black corner couch that sat about one meter in front of the floor to ceiling windows. A large run of the same shade sat under a glass coffee table and art on canvas was hanging from the walls, allowing just the right amount of colour so that the room didn't feel sterile.

Leonie stumbled straight over to the couch as she unbuttoned her overalls. I swallowed and held the bag of McDonald's that she made me get from the drive thru, while she slipped out of her outfit and left it in a heap beside the sofa. She fell backwards onto the couch in her white tank top and lace underwear. It was tempting to stare for a little longer than I had already. But in the interest of not being a pervert, I dropped the bag of food onto the coffee table and picked up the large red throw, draping it across her figure.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" I asked.

She lifted her arm and pointed in the direction of the corridor. "Kitchen is first left. First aid kit is on top of the fridge."

Mom would have been envious of her kitchen It was enormous and the surfaces were marble with appliances that were shining brighter than my future. I found the first aid kit, it was where she said it would be. It was also still sealed and had never been used. The large container was one that could be bought from a doctor's office or pharmacy. It had plasters, bandage wraps, several different cleaning solutions and a few other essential pieces that a standard home kit should have. Our first aid kit at home was more stocked than a nurses station in a war zone.

Back in the living room, Leonie was sitting up with the blanket draped across her lap, a burger in her hand and a punnet of fries on the table in front of her. I was curious about how she had managed to devour half of her burger so fast. But I was more curious about the fact that she was just sitting in her bra. The answer came in the form of her shirt covered in mustard. It was balled up on the floor with yellow goo all over it. It wasn't surprising when I watched her attempting to bite the burger and directing it into her nose instead.

"Can I fix that hand," I said, sitting on the edge of the coffee table in front of her. She stared at me in confusion and then started twisting her hands so that she could assess them.

She must have decided that it was necessary because she dropped her burger into the paper in front of her and held our fist. It was split but the blood had dried and there mustn't have been a lot of pain, because she smiled with her eyes half closed. She let me work in silence for the most part. I used some antibacterial wipes, cleaned out the cuts and butterfly stitched them. As I began to wrap it in a cloth bandage, she sighed.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Sorry?" I peered up and saw her staring at me.

"You're single, right?"

"I am."

"You're a doctor-"

"Med student," I corrected.

"Potato, tomato," she slurred. "You're stupid hot, tall, rugged and clearly good with those hands."

It would have been a lie to say that her words didn't inflate me a little. But she was drunk and who could tell how much of it she meant.

"So are you gay?"

I laughed. "Na."

"So what's the deal?"

I finished wrapping her hand and pinned the bandage on. She retracted it, almost too fast because she was close to punching her own nose and smiled with thanks

"There's no deal," I said, resting my elbows on my knees. "I'm just single."

"But why?" She seemed to regard me with suspicion as she leaned forward. It was tempting to glance down at her cleavage that was bursting out of her bra. But I kept my focus on her beautiful blue gaze instead. "You're a hot, med student and you seem super nice. Are you a serial cheater? Abusive? Addicted to morphine?"

"No to all of the above," I laughed as she groaned in frustration. "There's nothing to it. I've dated before. I've had girlfriends. It's just not a priority at the moment. I have too much going on."

She stared at me for a long minute. It was dead quiet while she contemplated what I had told her. It was hard to determine what was so interesting about that information but eventually she shrugged, leaning back and snatching up her burger so that she could finish it.

"I have to ask," I said with caution when she glared at me. It might not have been a glare of anger but it was hard to tell considering she was so wrecked. "Where did you learn to hit like that?"

She swallowed and averted her gaze. That might have been the wrong question to ask. Her pout sure suggested that she didn't want to get into it. But before I could tell her to forget that I'd brought it up, she answered.

"I had a- my boyfr- he used to be my boyf- my ex- no-" she shook her head with frustration when she kept stumbling on her words. "I had a boyfriend. We were together for two years. He did MMA. He was a champion. He taught me how to hit and then he died. Two years ago."

I nodded. I had wondered if it was something along those lines when the name Benny was mentioned and it turned Leonie into the Winter Soldier.

She chewed on her food and it seemed as if that was all I was going to get out of her. She had been through more loss than I realised. I wondered if that had something to do with Bray's comment. About the fact that she doesn't do commitment. I decided that it was best not to ask for now. It wouldn't be fair to get information out of her when she was so wasted. Which was another fact that I needed to consider before I left.

"Is someone else home?" I stood up and glanced around. I didn't think that there was. But I was still disappointed when she shook her head.

"Mom's in London. Dad's dead. It's just me for now. Why?" She said. "Are you going to kill me?"

I slipped my hands into my pockets and chuckled. "I feel like we might be evenly matched after seeing that right hook." She seemed proud of herself. "I'm just a bit concerned about leaving you here alone."

"Why are you leaving?" She stared up at me with concern and it made her seem so much younger than she behaved.

"I mean, I can stay if you want?" I suggested. She nodded and her shoulders relaxed as she picked up the television remote and aimed it at the enormous flat screen. I wondered if she ever went to the movies. I couldn't see the point when there was a theatre sized screen in her living room. "Do you have a spare bedroom?"

She scoffed and began to lie down, kicking and flailing the throw so that it covered her. "Come and sleep with me. I don't want to be alone."

When I didn't move, she arched her head and stared at me. It wasn't that I had an issue being close to her or touching her perfect frame. But I did have a problem of taking advantage of a girl who had been tripping over her own feet less than fifteen minutes ago. But she sighed and jabbed her thumb over her shoulder.

"You're the big spoon. Come and put a movie on for me. The T.V won't stop spinning."

I hesitated for another minute but one last scowl from Leonie had me hopping over her body and lying down behind her. The fact that I had to sleep in jeans hadn't evaded me. Sleeping in jeans was the second worst thing that a person could do in denim. The first being swimming in denim and suffering from chaffing afterwards. Leonie must have shared that opinion because she ordered me to take them off.

"What?"

"It's uncomfortable," she complained, shifting around. "I hate the feeling of jeans. Just take them off."

So I did what she said, maneuvering them down while I was still lying down behind her. It took me a minute but I got them off and threw them across the back of the couch before resettling into the designated spooning position. Her legs were warm against mine. Her plump little bum pushed back against me and I took a deep breath, ignoring the feeling to the best of my abilities. I rested my arm across her waist and she handed me the remote.

"You choose," she yawned. "But nothing gruesome. And no action. It also has to have a little romance. Funny is good too. Put on Teen Wolf."

"You don't find Teen Wolf gruesome?" I laughed and flicked through the selection on Netflix. Maybe I was sensitive but the last time Sarah had watched it and some dude had been dead on a vet's table with his entire chest slashed open, I'd felt a little off. And I'm in med school. So go figure. "What about Shooter?"

"Get out," she murmured and wriggled back even further, pressing herself flush against me. "Teen Wolf. Or Gossip Girl. Or The Vampire Diaries."

I sighed and hit OK on the remote, figuring that she'd be asleep in two minutes. "Teen Wolf is it."