I snatch my arm away at the same time Nas stands up. Vance reaches for me again and I jump back, but the next few seconds happen so fast it doesn’t feel like reality.

Vance reaches for me again, I step back and raise my hand to point and yell at him, and Nas’s fist draws back and connects with Vance’s cheek with the speed of a whip. The sound of the punch is like a thunderclap and Vance falls backwards like he’s been shot, landing flat on his back between our table and the empty one next to us. A couple of kids in the restaurant start to cry as the bartender yells at us to get out before she calls the police, and we’re all on our feet and looking down at a fallen Vance, who is lower now than he has ever been.

Nas stands over Vance and looks down at him, daring him to get up so he can knock him back down, but Vance just lies there with one hand covering his bleeding mouth.

“Don’t touch her. Ever.” Nas’s voice is low and terrifying, and it makes Vance’s muscles rigid with obvious fear. Once he’s satisfied with his conquest, Nas reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wad of money tightly packed into a silver money clip. He extracts two hundred dollar bills and tosses them onto the table before turning around and looking at me with his hand hovering for me to take. “We should go. Come with me.”

After a second of stunned silence, Juliana finally speaks. “Yeah. We all should.”

“Definitely,” Shay agrees, and the five of us gather our belongings and head for the door, literally stepping over Vance and leaving him there to bask in the humiliation alone. He doesn't move an inch before we all walk out the door.

Once we’re all outside, Nas turns to address the group. “Hey, I’m sorry about that. Violence isn’t really my thing, but he was pushing it.”

“That asshole had it coming,” DeShaun says.

“You were defending Alina,” Juliana explains. “Vance crossed a line when he grabbed her, and if he tries to pursue a lawsuit or press charges, we’ll all back you up on that.”

My friends look at Nas like he’s some sort of super hero before he speaks again. “Thanks. I appreciate your support. I should go.”

“And I should go with you,” I respond quickly, because watching Nas physically defend me is probably the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. “If you don't have plans, I can follow you somewhere. We can go back to my place. Or yours.”

I sense the smiles on my friends' faces, but I don't look at them, keeping my eyes on Nas, who raises an eyebrow.