Destiny Disrupted (There's Always Tomorrow Book 1) by M.D. Saperstein

interrupting. “Melina, it's been a long ass night for him, so please go easy on him.”
    “What happened? Is he okay?” Melina asks, brows furrowed in confusion.
    “He's okay, just exhausted. He’s been asleep all day,” Tripp says.
    Melina opens and closes her mouth a few times, not knowing what to ask first. Tripp just shakes his head. “You need to go talk to him about it,” he says and nods toward the stairs.
    Melina frowns at Tripp but heads for the stairs. When she reaches the top of the stairs, she sees Dayne coming down the hallway toward her and he doesn't look happy. Melina starts down the hall toward him. He narrows his eyes at her and steps into her path so she can't walk past him.
    “If you came here to bitch some more to Vance then you can turn around right now and leave. He doesn't need this shit from you in his life right now. He’s got enough on his plate and doesn't need some girl giving him shit because he is too busy to call her,” Dayne spits nastily.
    Melina is stunned. Apparently, they’ve all heard about what she said to Vance, and Dayne did not like it. And it’s very clear that these guys are extremely protective of each other. Tripp also told her to go easy on Vance, in a much nicer way mind you, but he’s still looking out for his best friend.
    “I...I...I came to...apologize,” Melina says, her voice barely above a whisper. Dayne is looming over her and he’s seriously frightening when he’s pissed. His mouth is a thin line and his body is tense. Melina finds it hard not to be scared of him.
    “Dayne, dude, what the hell is wrong with you?” comes Ryder's voice from behind Dayne. Ryder rushes up and gets in front of Dayne, pushing him back a few steps. “Vance will be fucking pissed that you're threatening his girl.”
    “I don't give a shit. The last thing he needs is for some chick fucking with his heart because she can't handle not having all of his attention on her. Boo-fucking-hoo, Melina. For real, grow the fuck up. You’re with a real man now, who has a real job; not everything is going to be about you!” Dayne yells over Ryder's shoulder at her.
    Melina's eyes tear up on their own accord. That's when Vance's bedroom door flies open and Vance appears in just a pair of sweat pants. He glances at her then turns to Dayne. “What the fuck is your problem?” Vance barks as he advances on Dayne, pushing Ryder away.
    “You heard what I said to her, so you know my problem!” Dayne says as he and Vance stand toe to toe.
    “And that is something that is between me and her. It’s none of your fucking business!”
    “Bullshit! Anything that hurts you is my fucking business! And she's acting like a little spoiled brat instead of a grown woman!” Dayne shouts then gets cut off by Vance gripping him up by his shirt and slamming him into the wall.
    “You need to shut your goddamn mouth, Dayne!” Vance growls.
    Melina rushes over and grabs Vance's wrist. “Vance, stop. It’s fine. He’s being a fucking asshole, but he isn’t wrong.”
    Both their heads whip around to look at her. “What?” Vance snaps.
    “Let Dayne go. He’s just looking out for you.” She tugs on his arm a bit, but knows that she’s not actually physically strong enough to make him move on her own, so she continues. “There’s no reason to speak to me the way that he did...ever.  It was rude and disrespectful…” She glances at Dayne pointedly. “…but I understand why he did it.” She looks back at Vance. “Jesus, what happened to your face?” she asks after noticing the bruises on his cheek and jaw and the cut on his forehead.
    Vance gives her a confused look and shakes his head as if to clear it. “I got into a fight last night,” he says and releases his hold on Dayne.
    Dayne straightens his shirt and looks at Melina with a newfound admiration. Melina suspects that he respects her a little more for not backing down from him and admitting that she was wrong.
    “A fight?” Melina