#make me choose
TW!
Make Me Choose, on Wattpad.
@drunkonliterature
How To Run From The Mess You Made | 7
Make Me Choose
Chapter Seven
Hunter
I know I shouldn’t have left so suddenly last night but I just couldn’t stay. Regret was ripping through my chest from the inside out and I was starting to think that I wasn’t going to survive the night. Coach won’t think anything of it but I know Elizabeth heard me leave. As soon as I did she switched on her bedroom light.
A great shame overwhelms me. I’m searching for any good reason as to why I am still here on this godforsaken planet. I survived the crash… but at what cost?
My father was a good man. Yes, he got a little angry sometimes but now I realise it is only because he really cared about me. He cared about my future, he cared about my grades, he cared so much about me that he selflessly searched for me when I was rebelling against him. He loved my mother so much… and she loved him. I took that away from her. I destroyed my family.
My mind glitches with dark thoughts, just like an old broken computer screen, as I sit with my head thrown back against the uncomfortable seat of my photography class. My eyes are closed and all I can see is my fathers face etched onto the insides of my eyelids. I can’t escape from the memories awake or asleep.
“Psst… Hunter…” I hear a soft call of my name, like someone is trying to bring me back from my darkest hour- like someone is trying to lull my demons to sleep. I open my eyes with caution and effortlessly tilt my head to the side. Elizabeth has scooted into the seat next to mine and I’m not sure if I should just get up and leave before she pisses me off or if I should stay and listen to whatever bullshit she has to say. I don’t think I have ever seen her in this class before…
“What do you want?” I ask with a groan and she leans in closer to me, keeping her voice low as the lecturer carries on with their lesson.
“You left really late last night… and I don’t appreciate the fact that you woke me up again. Why did you leave?” She tries to disguise the worry in her voice but I can hear it clear as day. I sit up straight in my seat, bringing my face as close to hers as I can and I smile wickedly. Her doe eyes are trained on my face and I can hear her breathing begin to quicken. As soon as my face is mere inches from hers I say, “None of your fuckin’ business, blondie.”
Her small natural smile quickly dampens and I smirk at her as her eyebrows come to tighten together in both anger and confusion, “Okay. Be that way, but just so you are aware, our assignments are due today and I hope Professor Amber has your ass.” She huffs back against her seat and I roll my eyes at her childish behaviour. Moments later she swoops her bookbag up from the floor and bolts for the classroom door, the dismissal bell soon following after her exit seconds later. Strange…
I don’t allow myself to think too much about it… about her. She is right about the assignment, I haven’t completed it yet and it is due for today. I know that if I hang back after school and beg Professor Amber’s for some extra time then she will most likely give me it. She gets so flustered when I talk to her- she probably has a thing for tattoos.
I’m feeling like utter shit today and Elizabeth’s little strop didn’t make my migraine any better. I have a tonne of shit to do today and I absolutely need to start training or I am going to fall behind. I’ll complete the assignment tonight as well, even if I have to stay up to do it.
After visiting the Professor I head for the gym, however when I arrive the entrance door is swung wide open and I contemplate the possibility that we may be actually getting robbed this time. As I stalk my way further into the building I realise that I am mistaken…
Elizabeth is sat near one of the benches by the ring, her olive coloured sweater is pulled over the palms of her hands and her legs are crossed, “Why the fuck is the door just laying open like that?” I throw my bag down onto the ground and she just shrugs her shoulders, her eyes remaining on her mobile phone.
“It smelt sweaty in here. Needed to air the place out.” She replies after some time and I sigh. I really hope that I am not stuck with her tonight… Her presence is overall distracting and everything she does seems to frustrate me in one way or another.
I walk my way back over to the glass door and close it over, keeping my back turned to Elizabeth I ask, “Where’s Coach?” I tilt my head slightly, catching a glimpse of her with the corner of my eye as I look over my shoulder.
“You mean my dad?” Her tone is daunting and I don’t know how much longer I can cope with her cockiness, “He’s busy. You know… he has other priorities besides training someone like you. Like bills, groceries- Oh!-” She trails on for a moment and I slowly turn back to face her, my eyes narrowing, “-let’s not forget the most important one of them all. Me.” She smiles at me and I can feel my blood begin to curdle like warm milk beneath my skin.
Who the fuck does she think she is?
“Quit being smart with me.” I snap. Her eyes settle on my face, emotionless, and I watch as a shit-eating smile stretches across her pink lips. She finds this amusing.
“Or what, big boy?” She stands to her feet, full of confidence and I am rendered speechless, however actions have always spoken louder than words, right?
My feet move quickly towards her, swooping her thighs up into my arms and slamming her against the wall. Her chest rises and falls rapidly with both surprise and confusion, and I bring my lips close to her neck, pressing a chaste kiss right onto her quickened pulse.
“Why do you always have to be so bad, huh?” I whisper huskily, my eyes glare into hers and I watch closely as her eyes seductively begin to close. I stroke my thumb against her bottom lip, dragging the plump skin slightly with the pad of my finger. My cock twitches in my pants and I smirk slightly at how quiet she has become. The warmth of her body pressed against mine is too much to handle. I drop her back to her own feet and I walk away, forcing myself to the other side of the room before I do something that will fuck up everything. Elizabeth stands there for a moment, her cheeks are dusted a rusty shade of pink and I try to tame my wild thoughts. She smelt amazing… just like the blanket from the other night.
“Look…” She coughs to clear her throat as she speaks after some time of silence, “I didn’t come here to argue with you… I’m not a child. But I do have something to ask you.” She steps closer to me but I keep my feet planted firmly where I am.
“What would that be?” My tone is teasing and I can tell that she is still trying to recover from the moment that happened just seconds ago. Depending entirely on what she says next I may or may not have an easy going night ahead of me.
She has come to me. Of all the people that she knows… something isn’t adding up. We barely know one another and we are always at one another’s throats… literally.
“This might sound weird.” She warns and I cock my head to the side, intrigued. I’ve never seen this side of her. She seems so soft and… almost shy, “Just… don’t laugh.”
I blink solemnly at the anxious blonde girl in front of me, “I won’t.” I half promise… maybe it is something totally ridiculous?
“Would you-” She stutters, bringing her fingers down to play with the soft fabric of her jumper, “-teach me how to box?”
“I-” I find myself recoiling slightly, totally taken back by her question, “What?” I finally manage to ask. Why would she ask me? Her father is the perfect individual for a task like this… why wouldn’t she just ask him?
“Will you teach me how to box?” Elizabeth repeats but the words go right in one ear and then right out the other. I’m finding it hard to process this,
“I want to learn how to defend myself.”
That sentence alone makes me feel uneasy… in fact, it takes me off guard. Defend herself? From what? Or who?
“Why?” I push further and a lot more harsher than before, my eyebrows scrunch together in what is now concern. “Is something going on?”
“Everything is fine.” She attempts to wave my worries away with an inattentive flick of her hand but I’m not buying into her bullshit. I take a few steps towards her, my eyes narrow as they study her face. She is refusing to meet my gaze.
Elizabeth is lying, I quickly come to realise, right through her pretty fucking teeth. I refuse to pry further, it would be a dick move if I made her tell me something that she is uncomfortable with… besides, this is the first time I’ve had the company of a female in a while.
“Okay.” I say lowly, even though I am still unsure of this whole situation. I guess I can try and help her out…
I watch as the light springs to her eyes and just like that I can’t look away. Something about the way she is looking at me is addicting… it makes my chest airy and my brain mush. I shake the thoughts and groan silently.
“What do you want to learn exactly?” I eventually ask, shoving my hands into my black jean pockets.
“Well-” she says breathlessly, “-anything… everything!” She exclaims a little too excitedly and I feel my lips twitch.
I bring my hand up to scratch at the back of my neck, “I don’t have a set in stone rota just yet… between general training and actual matches it may be hard to fit ‘everything’ in. You have to be a little bit more specific, Elizabeth.”
“I know… I’m just really unfamiliar with it all.” She says understandingly.
“We have school.” I continue, bringing two of my fingers up to briefly scratch my itchy eyebrow, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She nods instantly, “Yes. I’m positive…” her voice is desperate and I can see something burning deep within her eyes… something I am unfamiliar with, “I just want to train. We can do it after hours? I can help you with your assignment…” She states and I stare at her for a second, frozen. How does she know that I haven’t done it yet?
Noticing the look on my face she continues, “Please, Hunter.” She takes a step towards me and her words swirl around in my mind. How can two words possibly excite me this much? Her eyebrows curve into soft arches as she frowns, “I’ll help you and you can help me. Just… Please don’t tell my dad. He can’t know.” She says and that’s when I fully remember that I am talking to my Coaches daughter… fucking hell. This just complicates things. She is asking me to keep secrets now.. a lot of secrets.
“Alright.” I swallow thickly, treading over to my duffle bag I dig out a piece of paper and a pen and I hand it over to her, “Write your number down and I’ll text you with mine. I’ll message you on nights that I am free… and if you aren’t too busy then we can meet here.” With a soft touch she takes the small tear of paper from my fingertips alongside the pen. She scribbles down some digits onto it and I contemplate the possibility that she may be giving me a fake number.
“I’ll write your assignment for you tonight, I completed mine last week.” She promises and hands me back the piece of paper, of course she completed her assignment last week, “I know about the big fight coming up… congrats on getting accepted.” Her voice is warm for a change and I nod my thanks in response. She is acting so differently…
The two of us stare at one another for a long, silent moment. The spell is soon broken, however, when Elizabeth takes a small step away from me, clearing her throat and diverting her eyes to the ground in front of us.
“I think I should go…” She says and I cumple up the piece of paper in my hand and shove it into my pocket.
“Yeah. You should.”
“Just remember to lock up, loser.” She says as she steps towards the exit and I stare at her, unamused. If she wants me to teach her how to behave then I can definitely do that, too…
“Obviously.” Whatever civil ground there was between us has now vanished and I can physically feel my mind turning cold.
“Goodnight.” Elizabeth murmurs but before I have the chance to say anything back she is gone, retreating to the dark streets outside.
Deal | 6
Make Me Choose
Chapter Six
Hunter
-
The drive back home was wary and silent. Elizabeth made no snide remarks and I am thankful for that. I can’t believe how fast I managed to lose control- my brain is frightening and sometimes it is hard to distinguish the difference between reality and what is replaying inside of my mind. I was careless, I was selfish to endanger us both and when push came to shove I was a wuss. I couldn’t hold myself together. Everything I have been running from, everything that haunts my dreams just flashed before my eyes all over again and I just couldn’t keep my grip from slipping.
When we arrived back at Vieve Springs, empty handed, Coach wasn’t pissed. He understood, even though he had no idea what the actual truth was. I lied through my teeth and said that the Nathaniel guy didn’t bother to show up with the paperwork which he believed instantly. Elizabeth didn’t say a word which has left me nervous.
It is now Thursday morning and the events of last night have been repeating themselves over and over inside of my head. At college I manage to arrive a little earlier than usual. I don’t have to shower this time but I do need to speak with Elizabeth- and considering she is always here on time I am guessing she is hiding out somewhere until classes begin. I check the library first, I know that she enjoys reading so that is the first place that comes to mind. When I enter the room, silence reaches my ears and straight away I begin to scan around, looking for the blonde girl that I despise so much. She should be easy to find, judging by her awful fashion sense and her dry humour. Unfortunately for me I can’t seem to spot her in the small number of students that are situated at a couple of the tables, happily reading. Fuck. Where could she be? She doesn’t seem like the type to enjoy sports so there isn’t much point in me searching for her in that department.
I run a hand down my face in both exhaustion and agitation. She knows too much about me and I know absolutely nothing about her. She holds too much power over how people can come to view me. My reputation can be ruined and all she has to do is open her vile mouth. My hands twitch into fists and I strongly consider punching the brick wall to my left when something blue involuntarily catches my eye. I look ahead of me, witnessing Elizabeth round the corner from Theatre Studies and slowly walk down the hallway towards me. She is alone. Her hair is pinned back into a messy braid and some fly away strands of hair frame her face. She is wearing a pale blue and pristine white stripy t-shirt with some dark denim jeans and the same little ankle boots from a few nights ago. Her pink bookbag is slung messily over one of her shoulders and I stare a little too long for it to ever be considered polite. I don’t think I have ever seen Elizabeth wear something that isn’t a sweatshirt… or loose.
Without hesitation I charge for her, taking the soft flesh of her arm firmly into my hand. I drag her alongside me and push her into an empty classroom. She stumbles slightly before quickly regaining her footing and glaring at me narrowly, “What the fuck?” Her voice is bitter and she shoves her hands against my chest but I don’t budge, instead I take hold of her again and push her to the nearest wall. Her back slams against the hard surface and her eyebrows soften, her eyes are now blown widely as she looks up at me.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Her voice is a hushed yell and I gently press my fingertips into the bone of her jawline, holding her soft face steadily in place as I move my mouth down to rest at the shell of her ear.
“If you tell anyone about what happened last night on the highway-” I whisper, my grip around her jaw tightening slightly as I hold her face in place, “-i’ll fucking ruin you.” I finish lowly and full of honesty before I pull my face back and away from her, looking her dead in the eye to make sure my words have been taken on board. Something dark swirls in her blue eyes and her plump lips are pressed together shakily. She nods at me silently and I ignore the shame that shrinks my chest. I should be protecting this girl, not threatening her. But what choice do I have?
“Okay.” She croaks quietly but I can tell that she is not afraid and I finally step away from her small frame, allowing her to leave if she really wants to. She slowly steps towards the door of the classroom, toying with the strap of her book bag with one of her hands and gripping the handle and throwing the door open with her other but before she leaves she twists her head over her shoulder to look at me, “But just so you know-” She pauses briefly, “-threats can work both ways, asshole.” And then she leaves.
Threats can work both ways.
Threats can work both ways?
Her words ring in my ears and I tense my jaw. She is challenging me and yet she has no idea what this game looks like. She hasn’t had so much as a glimpse into the rule book. No one fucks with me and I can assure that Elizabeth Douglas will soon come to know this. After a moment or so I follow her out into the hallway. We are both in the same class first period and I know just what to do to make her life difficult. No one at this shitty school has any idea what she is really like- everyone thinks she is immaculate and untouchable but I know different. Maybe if I push her buttons hard enough she will crack under pressure. She will reveal herself as what she actually is- A raging bitch.
In class my mind conveys from one thought to the next as my eyes land on Elizabeth, how can one person be filled with life and then be empty? Where does it all go? I want to bury myself into her brain. I want to know what makes her tick and what keeps her awake at night. I want to know everything and anything. What was her life like before I got myself involved with her father? Where is her mother and why is she never around?
I suppose she and I have a lot more in common than I thought. We both have one absent parent however she was left with one that is incredible… I haven’t been that lucky. I can only dream about having a family as great as she has, yes it is only her dad and herself but it is better than being alone… better then being invisible.
I know she can feel my gaze on her because she discreetly turns to face me, her features remaining soft and her eyes unwavering. She looks tired- genuinely tired. Did she sleep last night? Was she awake like I was? With Elizabeth it is so hard to tell. She can smile and laugh but even when she is trying to hide her emotions she forgets that eyes can always talk… and right now they are begging me to go easy on her. On my short and angry walk to this classroom I planned on publicly embarrassing her- but how can I possibly do that when she is looking at me like that. With those big blue trusting eyes.
Goddammit.
I turn my face away from her and break our line of eye contact. Why is it so difficult to hate her? She is condescending and a liar… however I find myself thinking about her way too much. There is a side to her that even I am unsure of. She showed me last night that she can care when she wants too and I blew her off like it was nothing. I know how hard it is to show how you feel and to be shot down so harshly must have left an unpleasant mark.
My thoughts drift and I realise Coach and I have a meeting arranged with one of the executive hosts of the Worldwide Boxing League Championships tonight. Glen and Zion are old friends and apparently he owes Glen a favour, so he agreed to squeeze us in on his busy schedule. I am always going to be forever thankful for all the shit that Glen has done for me. To this day he continues to surprise me with the awesome stunts that he is able to pull, like meeting with one of the most important people in the boxing industry. Without him I would probably be in a prison cell or in a crack house right now. Class is soon dismissed and I head off to complete the rest of my school day, keeping my mind occupied so I don’t have to think of Elizabeth or the nerves bubbling in my stomach about the events that can unfold tonight. I can do this, I remind myself, then,
And even if I can’t, I have to.
-
Before I have any time to blink the clock strikes twelve and Friday morning is fast approaching. My head buzzes from the liquor and I find it hard to concentrate on words that are slipping from Glen’s lips.
“He is the best in the business! Trust me, fellas… this boy-” Glen grabs my right shoulder tight and shakes me slightly, rattling my brain in the process, “-he is gonna be somebody. Give him a chance.” He sounds confident, but behind that facade I can see the desperation deep in his eyes. Elizabeth. My drunken mind wanders to her, all because she and her father share the same colour of eyes.. hers are prettier, though. Coach wants this deal more than I do… but I trust Glen. He knows what he is talking about.
“Fine. Only because I like you. Don’t let me down, Douglas.” Zion- the host of the championships- speaks with such hesitance that my eyes shoot open with shock. Holy shit. Did he just… he couldn’t have…
Glen springs to his feet and holds out a firm hand towards Zion, “Thank you, this opportunity will not go unnoticed. You won’t regret this.” They clasp their hands together and shake one another’s arms for what seems like a lifetime.
I slowly rise to my feet to greet Zion in the same way before Glen and I are hastily led out of the champagne room and down a grand spiral staircase towards the exit of the massive luxurious building.
“You’re fighting, H! You’re fucking fighting at the big leauges!” Glen smacks a hand down onto my back as he chuckles wildly but I am a little too drunk to be responsive. We have been drinking since we left his house earlier… It seems to have worked in our favour but I am going to be so hungover for school- or even worse, I will show up still drunk.
In my haze I hear Coach ramble on about how I cannot afford to be distracted and that we should start training tomorrow night but I find my eyes focusing on the sky above us. The navy blue clouds swirl and turn with one another in the most artistic way and I wish that we could see the stars from here- unfortunately New York generates a shit tonne of light pollution so those odds are extremely low.
I wrap my arm around Glen’s shoulder and I turn my face to meet his, “You are one stud, you know that? You got me into the fucking championships!” We both sway back and forth for a second and I almost fall onto my ass, luckily Coach provides me with some leverage.
His nose twitches as he smells the strong scent of alcohol on my breath but I just smile, “You can crash at our place tonight. I’m not letting you walk home like this.”
Our place. For a moment I had forgotten that he totally ditched his own daughter for this deal earlier. She is such a pain in my ass- always so bitchy and serious… lighten the fuck up, am I right?
She is livin’ the dream. A dad, a house- a bed! She has nothing to be complaining about…
“Hunter?” I blink my eyes open, only now realising that they have been closed for god knows how long.
“Yup?” I look around, beginning to recognise the street- we are close to home.
“Just checking, bud, thought you were passing out on me.” I hear Glen laugh and I join in. I’m not usually much of a drinker- I haven’t had a drink in a year but tonight is a special occasion. I just got accepted to fight. That is a pretty big fucking deal to me.
We fall through the front door together and I snort a laugh as I crash into a cabinet in the hallway, causing a loud disturbance to occur. Rushed footsteps come from upstairs and I hear the stairs creak with weight as someone sprints down them.
“Uh oh- here she comes.” I gasp, quite amused with myself. Glen has disappeared into the darkness and I feel my way around the walls as I struggle to manoeuvre my way into the living room. A bright light is turned on and my eyes sting at the sudden exposure. Both Coach and I turn to the doorway and squint at Elizabeth who is responsible for the abrupt outburst of light. It takes my eyes a moment to adjust but when they do I can tell that she isn’t happy. She looks fucking pissed.
She is wearing a thin white tank top with some pink fluffy pyjama pants and I can’t help but notice the stiff peaks poking out from her breasts. I suck in a tight breath and force my gaze to the ground where I observe that her feet are bare… I almost feel bad for waking her.
“Where the hell have you guys been?” She scolds and I take in how soft and tired her eyes are. I hold back an irrational laugh, she looks so funny when she is angry- not one bit intimidating.
“You think this is funny?” She strides towards me and I raise both of my eyebrows, challenging her to continue, “I thought we were getting robbed!” She pokes at my chest and I wave a hand nonchalantly at her before wobbling over to the sofa to sit down. Her eyes watch me before she turns her attention elsewhere.
“And you.” Glen watches as the scene begins to unfold and I can’t help but compare it to a shitty movie I have watched once, “You are drunk. You blew me off for the third time this week and I have school tomorrow!” She yells and I bring my hands up to cover my ears. She is killing my buzz and giving me a fucking headache. I want to say something to her. I want to tell her to stop being such a party pooper and to maybe join in on the fun instead of being a twisted little bitch- but I decide against doing so. For Glen’s sake.
“Look-” Glen slurs and I can tell that Elizabeth is seconds away from ripping his head off, “-go back upstairs. Hunter is going to sleep on the couch and I am going to bed. No biggie. No robbers.” He tries to throw in a joke but Elizabeth isn’t for taking any of his shit. Just as I believe she is going to go ape-shit again she sighs a little too heavily.
“Fine. But if I hear anything else you are out and so are you.” She looks between Glen and I and I shrug my shoulders before casually folding my arms behind my head. Glen sneaks away to his bedroom and I open one of my closed eyes to see Elizabeth still standing in the living room.
“What?” I bite out and she rolls her eyes, picking up a folded blanket she purposely throws it over my face.
“I want you gone before I wake up.” Her voice is cold and I almost flinch at her cold tone, “And don’t think for one second that I have forgotten about your little stunt earlier in the classroom. You are lucky I value my dad’s happiness or I would have thrown your ass to the curb by now.”
“Whatever. Don’t act like you don’t want me here.” I peel the blanket from my face and smirk up at her.
“Don’t be a fucking smartass. I don’t like you, in fact, I fucking despise you. Stop trying to push me because I can and I will shove you back.” The words roll off of her tongue so sharply, like it caused her physical pain to hold them for much longer in her mouth and I remain silent, my mind swirling with drunk thoughts.
Little prick.
She drags her gaze from me and I kick my shoes from my feet so I can lay comfortably on the sofa. Thankfully, it doesn’t take blondie long to fuck off back up the stairs to the protection of her bedroom.
The scent of a flowery perfume fills my nostrils as it beams from the fabric of the blanket folded against my chest and as much as I hate to admit it, it smells really fucking good.
Sleep quickly captivates my drunken mind and before I have any recollection of my day I am sound asleep. Blue eyes stare at me from behind my eyelids and I try to blame the alcohol. Nothing on my mind except…
Guilt.
Him | 5
Make Me Choose
Chapter Five
Elizabeth
-
I think the saddest people are the ones who always try to make everyone feel included and loved, because they know how miserable it is to feel utterly worthless and alone. So they try their best every damn day to assure that no one else ever has to feel that way. My dad and I are best friends, I look after him and he looks after me.
For a long time money has been tight and the stress just piled onto me throughout the years, so when my dad least expects it I like to sneak away to parties to hang with people I have no intentions of talking to again.
When I burst into the gym the other night I had no idea Hunter would be there. The party I was at got crashed by people that weren’t invited and a fight broke out. A gun was shot off and my vision blacked out- I just ran until my legs eventually started to give out. The gym was my safe haven… it was the closest place I could hide. I thought Hunter may have been one of the guys that showed up at the party and followed me into the gym, that’s why I was so terrified when he tackled me to the floor. As much as I hate to admit it, when I realised it was Hunter I immediately felt safe. He has this undying loyalty for my dad and I knew he would have protected me if he needed too.
I’m not a bad person, I am just a very stressed person who struggles to find ways to wind down. I don’t smoke and I have never really liked drinking alcohol… but when I surround myself with people that are a little bit like me, it brings me comfort.
We are all just people made up of broken pieces.
-
The bookcase is ornate, as if carved by someone with a profound love for literature. The engravings are of leaves, of autumn berries and birds with spanned out wings- so sublime as if to invite the fingers to take in the art just as much as the eyes.
The musky smell of old worn pages fill my nostrils and upon the shelves that line the library walls are the rainbow spines of a banquet of books. The ink filled pages hold stories greater than real life, stories that are able to take you from one universe to the next. I often find myself lost in the world of words, picturing myself a happy ending where everything is still and calm.
My ending would be peaceful- alone in a field with the love of my life, we are laughing and talking and messing around.. we would be gazing up at the bright sunny sky and that is where my story would end. I’d be happy…
The clock strikes 7 p.m. and I have never been happier to leave the library. After school hours I work shifts at the local library not too far from the college campus, the pay isn’t extortionate but it does help my dad and I on a rainy day. I usually help reorganise the shelves into genre and dust and polish the bookcases, it is time consuming but it keeps me busy… I like to be busy. It keeps my mind from wandering to places it shouldn’t.
Winter air engulfs me in an unwanted embrace and I am so thankful for the gloves that cover my fingers and the grey beanie that is pulled across my scalp. I yank my coat tighter around my torso, clinging onto any sort of warmth that I can. I head for home, my father and I haven’t been very lucky in life- sure, our house is small and boringly decorated but it is better than being homeless. We are just thankful that my mother signed the house over to us before she passed away…
My dear mother.
I never got the chance to meet her… she died giving birth to me. Pictures of her and my father litter the walls of our house but that is the closest thing I have to remembering her. Crumbs… literal crumbs of what was once an amazing human being. My father has always said that I have her smile, and that I definitely have her personality. He would joke about how much of a perfectionist I am and knowing that my mother was the same brings me some sort of comfort.
I sigh out softly and allow my eyes to scan my surroundings analytically. Paranoia begins to seep into my brain and I choose to walk a little faster. This city is dangerous and I have to be aware of what monsters may be sneaking around in the shadows.. Luckily for me I’m only around 7 minutes away from my house. I walk this route every day, day in and day out, and each time it gets a little bit quicker. The music buzzing through my headphones never really seems to last as long as it used too.
When I was little my dad tried to get me into boxing but I just couldn’t take to the sport. As a little girl I was more interested in sparkly ponies with bright coloured hair and barbie dolls, not sweaty boxing gloves and punching bags. I regret not taking him up on his offer, I know that if I did I would feel a whole lot more secure walking home alone…
Instead of him trying to force me into something I hated he would take me ice skating every Friday after school. He would pick me up from the school courtyard and we would just drive straight to the ice rink. It was the highlight of my week… but when I started highschool it just stopped. He got more occupied with business and I tried to understand. Disappointment became a regular occurrence in my life and I learned the art of independence. I went off on my own and I stopped relying on others for company… I taught myself how to not need anyone.
I push forth through the chilling wind and eventually I am met with my front door. I hear my father chuckle loudly from inside and brush it off, blaming it on the fact that he may be watching something funny on the television. Before I enter inside I kick my shoes off from my feet and step into the warmth of my house- only for my ears to be met by the laughter of one other person. He is here with someone.
“Hey, sweetie! We’re in the kitchen!” My dad booms loudly as he catches his breath from laughing so hard and I remain silent as I stalk my way through the living room and into the kitchen.
We?
“You remember, H…” My eyes land on the lean brunette who is sitting in my spot at the dining table and I nod, smiling briefly.
“How could I forget?” I peek around my fathers frame and notice that the stove is cold.. “I thought we were going to eat when I got home?” My eyebrows soften as disappointment seeps into my chest. He hasn’t done this before… I’ve gotten used to my father disappointing me with certain things but this is new and it hurts.
“Shit.” He brings his fingertips up to press the crease between his eyebrows, his eyes are closed tightly with frustration, “I forgot. I’m sorry, El… ” His eyes land on me and I allow my shoulders to slump as I physically relax at the sound of my nickname. I know how busy he can get sometimes… especially when he and Hunter get together.
“It’s fine, Dad… Why don’t you throw something on now while I go and take a shower?” I drop my book bag down onto the kitchen table and I can feel Hunter’s eyes following each move I make. He is such a weirdo. My stomach clenches with hunger and I clear my throat to mask the grumble that comes from it. I ate breakfast this morning but other than that I haven’t eaten anything else… I’m starving.
“I could give you some cash… I think Mr. Peterson’s store is still open. You can grab something from there.” I watch closely as he plunges his hand into his coat pocket and I find myself questioning why he still has his jacket on. Is he planning on leaving? Why is Hunter even here?
“And what about you? Won’t you be eating anything?” He hands me a ten dollar bill and I take it from him hesitantly, frowning slightly as I await his answer.
“Not tonight, Honey. Hunter and I have some errands to run.” My jaw flexes at the mention of Hunter’s name and I let my eyes flicker to the tattooed asshole seated in the corner. He is already staring at me and he spares me a smug smile- a look that say ‘fuck you and eat by yourself’.
“Brilliant.” I snap, frowning deeply and turning on my heels to head out of the kitchen. My father’s feeble attempts to call my name go unnoticed and I am persistent to continue on with my rant.
I bound up the staircase, stomping my feet purposely hard on each step that I walk up until I reach the top. I know I am overreacting but I just can’t control the anger bubbling up inside of me. It’s not just anger, it is hatred and hurt. I slam my bedroom door closed and pace around the floor. I can hear the muffled sound of Hunter and my dad talking down the stairs which only aggravates me more. The ignorance of that man makes me want to scream- and I am not talking about my father. Hunter knows exactly what he is doing, he is pushing me and pushing me because he knows that he has something to hold over my head. Something he can easily tell my dad. I can’t react to him in the way I want to, not when my dad is present anyways, and he is aware of this. Why can’t he just piss off and interfere with someone else’s family?
I grab a pillow from my bed and whack it against the wall. Urgh! I hate him. He has gotten his stupid nails wedged so deeply between my father and I that there is literally nothing I can do about it. About him. My dad is treating him like he is a part of this family- like he is the son he never got to have. Fucking Morales.
Epinephrine floods my bloodstream and I try to control my sharp and fast breaths. Life was fucking great before that idiot showed up. I never got caught doing anything- I could do as I please without consequences but now that has all changed. Hunter has crashed into me like a meteor strike and my life is in diabolic ruins. He needs to go… or something has to change. I need to know more about him, where he came from and how long he intends on fucking around.
Concentrated and calm I head back down to the kitchen, walking in at what seems to be the perfect moment, “Coach, I can’t drive- well, I can but I don’t want to. There is no way you can take us because you’ve already had one too many beers. Let’s just wait until morning-” An idea rockets into my mind and I step further into the room.
“I’ll take you. I’m sure you are a delight to spend a couple of hours with.” Hunter shoots me a questioning look at my sarcastic tone and I shrug my shoulders. This is the only opportunity I have to get a bit more information about him and I’ll take whatever chance I can get.
“Meet you out front in 5 minutes.” I give both of the boys a tight lipped smile before I head to the front of the house. Luckily my shoes are easy to slip on and I am outside in the matter of seconds. I juggle the car keys in my hand before I click the small black button to unlock the vehicle. It is a silver Toyota Prius, the 2010 model. It isn’t the flashiest car in the world but it is cheap to run and the maintenance isn’t too bad. It gets us to where we need to be so I’m not complaining.
I slip into the driving seat and immediately I turn on the air conditioning, setting the dial to hot as I try and warm the car up a little bit. Hot air blasts through the vents and I relax into the padded seat. With the corner of my eye I see something dark charge towards the car, and I barely have time to realise it is Hunter before he is diving into the passenger seat. A scowl rests heavily on his face and I smile at him.
“What is your problem?” He asks harshly but I simply ignore him and I turn my head away from him to look out onto the dark road in front of us. We haven’t even left my house yet and he is already talking too much. Shoving the key into the ignition keyhole I turn the key to start the engine. It takes two tries but eventually the engine roars to life. I shift the stick into gear and we speed off into the night. Hunter’s breath catches in his throat and I glance at him vaguely.
“Put your seatbelt on, Elizabeth.” I look down at myself, only now realising that I actually don’t have the protective belt strapped across my body. Doing as he asks, and for my own safety, I clip the belt into place. Clearly it puts Hunter at ease as he is now not tensing up like he was before.
“Where are we heading?” I ask with both hands slackly gripping the steering wheel I keep my eyes trained on the road, reading any road signs that flash up at me and sticking to the speed limit.
“Uh…” Hunter hesitates for a brief moment, clearly wracking his brain for the answer, “Think he mentioned something about picking up some paperwork from a few towns over. A guy named Nathaniel is going to meet me with it.”
“Hmm, okay.” I reply back and nod my head in agreement. There is some common ground between us… for now, anyways.
“So… when will you be abandoning ship then? A couple of weeks from now or-?” I watch as Hunter’s face wrinkles with both confusion and distaste. I go on to say, “Just because no one sticks around forever, ya know? You seem like one of those guys that just goes wherever they please.” My blows are hidden by the neutral tone in my voice but that doesn’t stop Hunter from overreacting- as always.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” He almost growls and I grip my fingers tighter around the steering wheel, my knuckles turning an icy shade of white. The air is beginning to feel thick between us already and I don’t know if I should blame myself or the air conditioning but I don’t stop.
“Don’t you have a family of your own?” instead of trying to steal mine, is what I want to say but I don’t. For a moment his features darken and I feel a pang of regret hit my chest. Maybe I’m being crazy and harsh… maybe he is just a boxer and my dad is just his coach.
“You know fucking nothing about me, blondie.” He fires back lowly after some time and I gulp down a growl.
“Stop calling me blondie!” I yell, totally enraged at his lack of interest in my questions. He doesn’t seem to care that I am asking him these things, but he is being ignorant with his answers.
“Would you shut up and quit yelling, I can’t even hear myself losing the will to live.” I turn my head to him and the look on his face sends me flying over the edge. I grind my teeth uncomfortably tight and glare at the road passing us by.
“Kiss my ass.”
Hunter releases a gravelly laugh and I breathe out heavily, trying to calm my raging inner emotions. I don’t think I can even stand to be in this car with him for much longer, but this was my idea. Maybe I do make bad decisions…
To my right, Hunter starts to dig around blindly in the glove compartment of the car and I glance between him and the road a couple of times, both confused and a little bit angry that he is mindlessly going through our things, “What the hell are you doing? Stop touching stuff that isn’t yours!” With one of my hands I reach for him over the centre consol and struggle to close the compartment whilst also keeping control of the moving vehicle.
“Chill out, I’m just looking for some CD’s.” He carelessly remarks and I scoff.
“You’re going to make me crash!” I say seriously and Hunter freezes. His entire body comes to stiffly sit in place and I retract my hand from his side of the car and focus back on the road. His breathing becomes gripped and deprived and I look at him worriedly. What is up with him?
“Thank yo-“ I go to say.
“Stop the car.” He pants harshly and I can hear the panic entwined in his voice.
“I can’t just stop the car, moron, we are on a highway-” I try to argue back but he frightens me by doing something that nearly sends me spinning off of the road.
“I said stop the fucking car, Elizabeth!!” He reaches across the console and grabs at the steering wheel. I scream and push his hands away forcefully, my heart and mind racing frantically. We swerve from left to right and I feel my body begin to shake.
"OKAY! OKAY!” I wail loudly and pull over to an empty spot on the side of the busy road. Hunter is fast to unclip his seatbelt and plummet out of the car and I instantly follow behind him, basically falling out of the driver’s seat. He nearly got us both killed!
Furious, I open my mouth to scream at him but what I see stops me right in my tracks. Hunter is curled over on the ground, his hands are pressed flat against the floor and his fingers are splayed out across the concrete. I can see the rapid movement of his back muscles as he breathes in and out briskly. He is having a panic attack. It is painful and scary to watch him lose control of himself.He needs someone… and I am the only one here.
I crouch down next to him and place a caring hand on his buff shoulder, letting him know that he is not alone and that I am here for him, whilst also leaving some distance between us both, “Hunter…” My voice is quiet against the roar of the traffic and my chest tightens when his teary eyes meet mine. Impassiveness shrinks his irises as terror gleams through his forest green eyes and he rises up from his knees and to his feet, “Don’t.” He says coldly, “Just don’t.” There is a warning behind his words and I respect his boundaries.
Maybe I went too far.
Masterlist✨
Angst- * Fluff- • Smut- +
Make Me Choose Chapters (OC x OC)
This story is about an odd paring- Hunter Morales is a dedicated boxer with strong hopes of one day going pro, and Elizabeth Douglas… she dreams of stability. She wants a good education and a job to support all of her wants and needs. When the two clash things don’t go all that well. Both of them have nasty secrets.. how long can they keep the truth buried? (READ MORE BELOW TO FIND OUT)
Hardin Scott x Reader
This is the one where Hardin encounters the Reader who has moved next door to him, however it doesn’t go all that well.
A continuation of the first part (which is featured above) with a fluffy twist.
The one where Hardin gets overly jealous at the Readers study ‘date’ with Jace.
The Reader is Smith’s regular babysitter and a family friend to the Vance’s which only leads to the Reader having to keep Hardin out of trouble.
This one is a sweet story about the one and only Hardin Scott falling for the quiet girl which is the Reader. After trying to win her over he succeeds and in return for her accepting his offer of going on a date with him, takes her to her favourite place.
At a party a rather observant Reader is approached by Hardin Scott after accidentally staring at his ‘group’ for a little longer than intended. Whilst in mid conversation with the Reader Hardin overhears some things he really shouldn’t..
A continuation of the first part (which is featured above) which includes a whole lot of cuteness.
The one where the Reader rebels against her older sister, Molly. The Reader ends up at a party near by and sat in a room privatly with a boy she knows well. However when Hardin finds her kissing another mans lips he just couldn’t help his dominant side from surfacing and showing her what a real man is.
The one where Hardin falls victim to Tessa’s controlling ways and only wants for to see the Reader more.
What Goes Around Comes Around*+
Upon the Readers literature teacher assigning class projects to the class the Reader ends up being paired with her all time campus crush, Hardin Scott. Something bubbles between them both however it’s not what it seems..
Whispers*•
At a party some college girls are beyond horrible to the Reader about both her weight and outfit. Luckily Hardin is there to make her feel better.
(Contains DDLG!)
The one where Hardin walks in when the Reader is in little space.
This may turn into a series featuring a Mobster!Hardin Scott that finds himself hooked on the Reader.
Continuation of the first part (which can be found above.)
Third part to the series. (Chapter 1&2 can be found above.)
Fourth chapter to the series. (Read above.)
Fifth chapter of the series. (Read above.)
Plus!reader x Hardin where Hardin kisses Tessa and the Reader becomes insecure.
I Thought My Secrets Were Safe With You*•
Hardin gets drunk and brings up the Readers past trauma. (This contains trigger warnings do not read if they are unpleasant to you!)
Based roughly on the song ‘Drivers License by Olivia Rodrigo.’
*******************************************************
Hero Fiennes-Tiffin x Reader
The reader is an aspiring journalist that has just freshly started in the field, when asked to go to a scene and try and get some information on the After star she doesn’t hesitate to jump at the opportunity immediately. However she isn’t as ‘media’ like as she seems… and Hero seems to really like it.
Can I Ask You Something?|| 2*•
A continuation to the first part (which is mentioned above) however there are some trigger warnings! And a sweet ending.
A lovely quarantine one shot with an adorable ending!
Hero and The reader together are a spark found in even the darkest of times where light seems impossible (trigger warnings!)
On set Hero gets nervous at what a great actor you are.
UPDATED MASTERLIST
Shadow | 4
Make Me Choose
Chapter Four
Hunter
-
The once busy street is now dull, the roads are dark where I am and only the streetlights speckled along the path provide me with any light. A chill races up my spine as a small but freezing cold gust of wind ripples through my grey sweatshirt. I should have brung a coat with me on my run.
I jog further, keeping a steady pace. It doesn’t take long for the sound of traffic to hit my ears- New York is a pretty busy place after all. My headphones are blasting ‘Young God’ by Halsey, the rhythm and beat of the music forces me to run faster with more force. Harder than I ever have before.
I can’t seem to stop thinking about my Mom. She looked so different since the last time I saw her.
The room was dark and the house was quiet. She laid asleep on the couch the night I left- she couldn’t stand to sleep alone in her and my fathers bed. After his death she grew to despise me, she never said it but I could feel it… the way she started behaving towards me. I was suffocating her and she was crushing me. The best decision for the both of us was if I left… and it looks like it worked out in both of our favours.
My breathing is loud and heaving as I come to a staggered stop, toppling over I let my fingers grip my thighs as I try to catch my breath. The unforgiving winter air punctures my lungs and makes a task as simple as breathing agonising, it feels as if my chest is in flames. Soon enough my shallow breaths become slow and controlled. I straighten back up and glance around, recognising where I am I begin to gently jog back to the gym where I am hoping it is empty. It’s a Wednesday night so I know Coach will be at home sorting things out for tomorrow, we are working towards championships so I need to be invested in my training and I think he is writing up a schedule for my sessions with him. Usually I am just freelance and train whenever I can but shit is getting serious now and we need a game plan.
It seems that the world is on my side tonight, when I arrive at the gym it is deserted. Only the red neon sign in the window shows any evidence of life. I peek around, scanning the area surrounding me before I head around to the back of the building. Glen doesn’t know this but I have been sleeping at the gym for some time now. When he arrives most mornings I act like I have only been here for mere minutes when in reality I have just rolled out of bed. I hike up the metal fire escape and loop myself through a window on the second floor. The lock on the window is broken so it is never fully shut, meaning I have constant and easy access to the gym building whenever I want. I fear this may change soon, Glen has been earning a lot more money recently and chances are he will most likely install security cameras.
I yank my headphones from my ears by the wire and flop down onto the floor. It isn’t the warmest place in the world but it is better than the streets. I push myself back until I am flush against one of the walls. I keep the lights off, the moonlight shining through the uncovered window provides enough natural illumination for me to see where I am going. I am only ever here to sleep and think… If I had a choice I wouldn’t be sleeping on the floor, I would be in an apartment of my own. It would be safe and warm and I would never have to worry about getting caught when I have to go to sleep at night. I would have a king sized bed with cosy linen sheets and the shower would be as warm as I wanted it to be for however long I wanted. Such basic things that people take for granted… that Elizabeth takes for granted.
Fucking Elizabeth. I’m thinking of her again. Her lame clothes and her twisted mouth- she is like a jelly-fish. Her looks are so hypnotising but they are also really fucking deceiving and her sting is deadly. She is the most dangerous type of female, the type that can get whatever she wants whenever she wants and from whoever she wants. I can see her for what she truly is. I can see the insecurity that she is consumed by. To everyone else she seems like the perfect student. Straight A’s, always ahead of the class and probably the only one of us that isn’t swimming in student debt. To me, however, she is a liar. A fake. Someone who doesn’t mind pretending to be someone she isn’t. At least I am brave enough to be who I am, asshole or not I am still me.
I shake the blonde girl from my thoughts before I end up hurling and pick up a photograph that lays by my side. The edges of the polaroid are charred from when I tried to burn the plastic. I don’t want any reminders of my past. It’s not who I am anymore… but this photo feels so foreign to me- like I am not one of the boys behind the camera lens. I flick the image away from me and watch as it spins off from between my fingers and flies to another corner of the room.
Loneliness begins to close in on me and I decide that it is better if I just go to sleep. Coach mentioned some errands that have to be taken care of tomorrow so I want to be fresh for whatever he has to throw at me. Just as I begin to unlace one of my shoes I hear a clatter come from downstairs and I tense. Is someone breaking into the gym? I waste no time and rise to my feet, shakily navigating through the darkness to investigate. I walk out into the hallway, keeping my footsteps light as I cascade down a flight of stairs and enter through some double doors into the main training area of the gym. It has become quiet but I am more than certain that I heard some sort of movement down here. My eyes scout the area, now fully adjusted to the darkness I will be able to see anything or anyone that may be sneaking around. The neon sign at the front of the gym buzzes quietly with electricity and that is when I notice a heavily breathing shadow dash across the gym floor and without thinking I sprint after whoever it may be, ready for whoever it is that I am up against.
In a matter of seconds I am flying from the ground and dragging down the shadowy figure with me. They struggle in my arms but I only grip them tighter against my chest, “Let go of me!” A female voice yells and I feel my hairs stand on end. Elizabeth? My mouth suddenly turns dry.
What the fuck?
She slams her elbow into my stomach, trying to get away, and I fall back against the floor. I grunt, my back is now flat against the ground and Elizabeth is still struggling in my arms, “Help!” She screams, like someone will be able to actually hear her, and I clamp my hand firmly over her mouth.
“Would you shut the hell up!” I growl near the shell of her ear and her body tenses more at the realisation of who I am. She pulls my hand from her soft lips and grits under her breath, “Let me go, Hunter.”
She squirms in my arms and her ass presses into my groin. Heat blankets me and I hold her tighter to try and stop her movements, “Stop moving!” I plead and she groans out loudly, “If you stop wriggling I will let you go…” I promise and she is quick to fall limp in my embrace. Keeping my promise I unhook my arms from around her and she bounces up to her feet. I follow after her.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I ask her and she half laughs. She stands close to me, her breathing is empty and desperate.
“This is my dad’s gym. What are you doing here?” She attempts to interrogate me but I only smile. She is obviously hiding something.
“It’s 12 o'clock at night, Elizabeth. I bet your dad doesn’t even know where you are.” I dodge her question and survey her body language. Her shoulders jitter with discomfort and her arms fly up to cross against her chest defensively, “What was it? A one night stand… A party? Or maybe you just couldn’t resist staying away from me.” Locking eyes with her I see a nervous twitch come from one of her eyebrows.
“None of that. It’s nothing to do with you!” She argues back and I notice her lips purse together, “Just because you and my dad slap and tickle one another like fucking gorillas doesn’t mean I am any of your goddamn business. Got that, Morales?” I smirk at her tone. Well, well, well… little Miss Priss has some balls.
“You just got a lot more interesting, blondie.” I remark slyly and she just rolls her eyes in disgust. In the dull light I can see she is dressed in a thick knitted sweater with some tight jeans. Her hair is thrown up into a loose ponytail- almost like the hair tie had become slack from running- and on her feet she is wearing some suede ankle boots. My eyes narrow- definitely would not be my choice of errand clothing that’s for sure.
“Please don’t tell my dad that I was here.” She begs in a whisper and I blink at her whilst I contemplate my next words carefully. Moments ago she was yelling at me and now she is calm?
Females.
“Wow-” I begin, my tone light and teasing, “-Elizabeth Douglas needs something from me?” I gasp mockingly and she balls her hands into fists, “I never thought I would see the day.” She steps towards me and I see fear flash in her eyes.
“I’m serious, Hunter. If you keep your mouth shut…” the words linger on her tongue for a moment, “Then I will too.” I scrunch my face up sourly. Why would she need to keep her mouth shut about me? For all she knows I could just be here training… in the dark.
As if she can read my mind she goes on to say, “The door is always locked. I know that because I just had to unlock it with my key… meaning you are obviously here unlawfully.” Her lips are now curved up into a shit-eating smile and I stomp down a growl rising up my windpipe.
God fucking dammit!
“Fine.” I agree, swearing myself to secrecy, “But if you rat me out I swear to god-” Elizabeth interrupts me by patting her hand firmly down onto my chest.
“Relax, Mike Tyson. I’m not going to say anything. Just don’t piss me off, comprende?” I can physically hear the smirk in her tone and I grit my teeth together in pure annoyance. Nodding silently she takes that as her queue to leave, exiting back through the front entrance and onto the dead streets.
What the fuck just happened?
You | 3
Make Me Choose
Chapter Three
Hunter
-
Classes come in go in agonisingly slow waves and by the end of the day I am absolutely done for. My feet ache and I feel as though I am moments away from collapsing. Exhaustion is an underestimate to describe exactly how I am feeling right now. I’ve been sitting at the bottom of a metaphoric swimming pool for a while now just trying to drown the thoughts out.
Some days are better than others but that doesn’t stop the ache in my chest. No one knows about what happened last year… I intend on keeping it that way.
“You’re dead on your feet!” Coach yells at me and I contemplate on telling him to fuck off, however I remember how good his intentions are and decide to keep the vulgar language to myself.
I’m back at the gym and am standing in front of a massive punching bag that is hung from the ceiling beams by a strong metal chain. Whilst I was out at my classes it seems that the roof has thankfully been repaired. My knuckles are beginning to cramp the more I swing into the heavy bag of sand.
“I’m tired, Coach.” I hiss back quietly and allow my forehead to rest against the cool leather material of the swaying bag in front of me but he manages to hear each word I say. He drops some training pads to the floor and heads towards me, there is a look of sympathy on his face but I ignore it.
“Life is tiring, H. You are always going to be tired- whether it be in the ring or at school. It’s all about how you recover. How personal are you willing to take it? How far are you willing to go for what you truly want?” His words of encouragement sink into my brain and something inside of me stirs. He’s right. I need to get my shit together.
I pull as much energy as I can from my numb upper arms and lay two weighty punches into the swaying bag, smirking lightly as the supportive chain rattles above my head after each of my rapid blows.
“That’s more like it!” Glen chirps and I roll my eyes before totally fixating on the bag ahead of me, “Keep moving your feet, kid.” Coach adds and I silently nod. For now, this bag is my opponent. Someone who is trying to take something away from me… and I just can’t let that happen.
I feel my knuckles begin to wrench with tension the more I pound into the bag and the back of my t-shirt is soaked through with sweat. I silently decide that maybe it’s time for some weight lifting instead, I need to train everywhere I can and it’s good to keep my routine exciting. I know I am tired but sleep and rest just isn’t an option. Just as I swipe my water bottle up from the ground and head towards the benching station a loud sound spells from the front of the gym, announcing someone’s arrival and my body turns rigid-
In walks the blonde girl from class. I never did catch her name but all I can seem to ponder is why the fuck is she in my gym. In class her hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail but now it is fully down, soft and fluffy ringlets frame her face. She looks so much more relaxed now.
Is she here to see me?
“Dad! Are you here? I can’t seem to find my house key and I need to borrow yours…” She loudly sing songs and I feel my eyebrows pull together with confusion.
Dad? Who is her father? And where is he?
My eyes shift from her as I scan the gym floor and I am met with emptiness. Everyone has either gone home for the day or they will show up later tonight for some late night sessions.
I look back to her with narrowed eyes. Coach emerges from the locker rooms, his eyes concentrate on the girl and I feel my throat turn dry. He steps out further and walks close to her and that is when realisation hits me like a tonne of bricks. Holy shit…
I blink slowly. Seeing them standing together I see the resemblance immediately. They both share the same deep toned eyes and almost the exact shape of sharp eyebrows. The only difference between the pair are their faces. The girl has long and dark eyelashes- they don’t have the same nose or lip structure either. Coach is fairly short so it is pretty amusing to see that the height runs in the family.
“Sure thing, sweetheart. The keys are in my backpack by the door. Help yourself.” Glen flashes her one of his signature ‘fatherly’ smiles as he tightens the straps on his training pads that cover his hands. I wish the ground would swallow me whole right here, right now.
She is Coach’s daughter.
My heart sinks to my stomach as I meet her gaze for only a moment, everything about her seems so gentle- her eyes are warm, unlike earlier, and in a way that would keep me from ever feeling cold again… but it doesn’t take long for that to change.
“Ay, Hunter! Get over here. There is someone I want you to meet.” Fuck. I want to act like I didn’t hear him, I want to turn around and exit through the fire escape but before I can even contemplate my own thoughts I am walking towards the pair. I refuse to make eye contact with blondie, god knows what she is capable of and I intend on continuing to train at this gym.
She jingles her keys in her hands and the sound irritates me, “H, meet my daughter Elizabeth.” Elizabeth… It’s good to finally put a name to her face, “Elizabeth, this is Hunter- also known as H.” My eyes find her face and I quietly suck in a breath, keeping it lodged in my throat. I hope- I pray that she will keep her pretty little mouth fucking shut. Coach can’t know about how I humiliated her earlier. Yes, it was only a debate but I left her nauseous with anger. He would be so disappointed if he knew that we have already met…
Her face shifts and she throws a hand out towards me and I flex my jaw, tensing it tightly as I try to put the pieces of this messed up situation together, “It’s nice to meet you. My dad talks about you all the time… it’s cool to finally know who he is constantly raving about.” Her bitter words are masked with a smile and I clasp my hand firmly around hers but I don’t bother to say anything until Glen walks off into another room.
“You.” I insinuate lowly, My lips twitch down into a frown as I glare down at her. She stares back at me, a secret confidence radiating from her. I pause for a moment, remembering that this is my coach’s daughter and that she deserves some sort of respect. For fuck sake.
“Thanks… for not saying anything.” I sigh in a quiet tone, letting my guard down briefly so I can actually thank her properly for not ratting me out in front of her father.
“Get fucked.” I stiffen, taken completely by surprise by her dirty mouth. Instantly my guard flies up and I step towards her, a smirk toying on my lips.
“If that’s what you want, blondie, why wouldn’t you just ask?” Her furious glare deepens on her face and I bring my hand to teasingly graze her cheek which she immediately swats away. Anger flares her nostrils and I chuckle loudly as she storms off to find her father.
My gaze hits the ceiling as I lay myself back onto the weight bench, my fingers curl around the cold metal bar and I lift it from its stand. I lift the heavy weight up and over my torso and chest, instantly feeling the familiar burn of my muscles. My thoughts are hazy and unclear. My palms are slightly sweaty and my heart is racing inside of my chest. I am fucking reeling.
1.. 2.. breathe.. 3.. 4.. breathe. The pattern repeats itself over and over in my head. I try to build a decent momentum, keeping my pace steady and slow. Shallow puffs of breath leave my mouth and I try to refrain from groaning as the lifting gets a little bit harder. I need some food.
I pause, setting the weightlifting bar back onto it’s rack before I rise up to my feet. My muscles are screaming, “Coach… I’m going to grab a bite to eat. You want anything?” I take a long swig of water from my water bottle and Glen’s face hardens with engrossment.
“Fuck it. I’ll have a cheeseburger with some fries. Do you want anything, El?” He turns to the girl I now know as Elizabeth and her gaze meets the ground- full of embarrassment.
“I’m fine. I already ate.” Her voice is emotionless but I am no fool- I can tell she is lying. I don’t know what her problem is but I hope she sorts it out fast.
“Suit yourself.” I keep my tone cold and unbothered. I could give less of a shit about this girl’s problems. Part of me wants to care, considering she is Glen’s daughter after all, but that part of me is always shut down… It’s been a long time since I was able to feel sorry for someone. I’m not starting now. I’ve developed this perfect thick armour that has helped me get over a lot of shit throughout the years- I have kind of lost sense of what is really important to me but people do what they have to in order to survive.
“Strawberry or vanilla shake? With your burger.” My eyes shift across the room to Glen who folds his arms across his chest. I smirk childishly, “You know damn well that I only like the strawberry one.” He grumbles like an old man and I snicker softly, grabbing my wallet from my bag I dart for the front of the gym. I hear Glen’s protests behind me as he tries to offer me cash for his meal but I am out the door before he gets the chance to hand me manything.
“I’ll be back in 20, don’t miss me too much.” I tease and straight away the horrid temperatures from outside hit my warm skin, coating me in a blanket of goosebumps.
Fucking hell it’s cold.
The restaurant I enter feels as if I have walked into a dreamland, the happy chatter, the delicious fragrances, the easy and natural colours. I can already tell that I will be returning here again.
I put in our orders and stand by whilst I wait for our food to be brought to me, only now do I realise that I haven’t eaten all day. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own head and don’t really focus on looking after myself… I should start working on that.
A stressed wrinkle creases my forehead and I shove my hands into my pockets. I haven’t been waiting long but my patience is wearing thin. It can’t possibly take that long to throw a fucking burger together.
A man walks towards me, dressed in all black attire. He must work here, “Order 15?” He asks and I nod. He hands me a white plastic bag filled with styrofoam containers, the steam from the hot food is causing condensation to plague the inside of the bag. He also hands me a cup holder which is helping to steady two large take-out cups. I struggle to juggle it all but I manage.
“Thank you.” I add quietly before stepping away from the man and heading towards the front of the restaurant. I pass by multiple faces but I don’t seem to recognise a single one until…
Mom?
It takes me a moment to fully recollect my thoughts and actually realise who the lady is. Francesca Morales. My heart stammers in my chest and I quickly bolt for the exit before I collapse from the electricity that is vibrating through my jelly-like legs all while passing by her table and avoiding her gaze as best as I can. She doesn’t seem to notice me but I definitely notice her. My ears are pounding alongside my jackhammer heartbeat and I stare at her through the restaurant window. Her mouth is sloped up into a soft smile and her green eyes are bright with white eyeshadow. She looks happy… happier.
I wonder if she is dating again. The thought alone makes my stomach twist into an uncomfortable knot. I don’t expect her to be miserable forever but it just seems so soon for her to start to move on. For a moment I visualise myself talking to her again but then I remember how suddenly I just left. I left her on her own… I left her to cope with grief alone and I know that is not easy to forgive.
I turn away from the window and force myself to start walking down the sidewalk. She is moving on with her life and if me not being in it makes her happier then so fucking be it. I don’t need her… just like I don’t need anyone.
Glen’s gym lights step into my vision and I smile at the sight. There is something so 'homey’ about the building… or maybe it is just the people inside that make it feel that way.
“Who’s ready to eat?” I chime as I push through the glass doors, Coach rises to his feet and a massive smile graces his face, “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!” He chuckles wholeheartedly and I embrace the sound. Glen is a very comforting character to be around, I don’t ever have to put my guard up around him.
I snap back to my senses, recalling that he has his own family and his own child to worry about… speaking of the devil, where is she?
Spite begins to bubble up my throat as my eyes land on Elizabeth. She is sitting away from us in the far corner by one of the massive windows, a book is laid neatly on her lap as her fingertips gently skim the pages. A strong hatred irks my chest and I force myself to look away from her. I can feel my insides turning to concrete.
She has no idea how fucking lucky she is.
“Everything okay?” Glen asks from my side, noticing my discomfort he pauses his attack on his french fries and I nod my head, “Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?” I fire back a little harshly and he shrugs his shoulders before shoving a massive bite of his cheeseburger into his mouth, reminding me that I have my own food to eat.
My assignment drifts into my train of thought and I gulp down the sourness on my tongue. If I am going to have it handed in on time I will have to start reading and writing tonight.
I’m already tired and the night is still young. Let’s hope this food gives me the energy boost I need.
Since I have multiple chapters already written for Make Me Choose I am going to upload more… so stay tuned! Chapter One and Chapter Two are already up!!
Hook | 2
Make Me Choose
Chapter Two
Hunter
-
Both of my gloved hands shoot up to cover my face as one of Coach Douglas’s old friends -Manny- throws another punch towards my head. I side step, managing to just barely block the blow. The gym has been overbearingly busy lately, after word spread about Titanium’s defeat men just began to flood in, asking Glen for his expertees. He is making money now, and a lot of it, however I just can’t seem to shake the annoyance that comes with a crowded room. I can’t concentrate like I used to and it’s all the commotion that is to blame.
The men are hungry for victory. They are young and stupid… we even had a boy sign up at the fresh age of only thirteen. The gym reeks of testosterone and it is competitive. We all want to prove ourselves, but I think it is clear who the real champion is here.
“C'mon, H! Watch his technique. Where is his power coming from?” Glen’s voice booms from the other side of the gym and I silently nod my head in response. I have been dancing around this ring with Manny for what feels like hours. Manny is an absolute mammoth of a man. He isn’t much older than I am, maybe in his late 20’s. He was one of Coach’s best fighters until he hung up his gloves and took a more practical approach towards making a living… I think he mentioned that he works in finance but I really wasn’t paying attention. Whatever he said, it was fucking boring.
We move in a tedious but tense circle and Manny throws a right hook however I duck my head and dodge the assault with ease. Our eyes are focused only on one another whilst other people clatter around outside of the ring. There has been a lot of rain recently which has resulted in a leak, causing a gaping hole to rip through the interior of the gym roof. Glen has bagged a bit more cash so today it is finally getting fixed.
I lunge my body forward, swinging my arm around and knocking Manny in the side of the head. He stumbles to the side, obviously caught off guard by the sudden action.
“Oooh… you’re lucky I like you, kid.” Manny warns as he shakes a finger at me and I shrug my shoulders smugly.
“Yes, finally!” I hear Coach roar over the noise and I grin. Thankfully we are both wearing head guards or Manny may be on the floor knocked out right now.
“He got fucking lucky!” Manny shouts back at Glen in an attempt to protest and I shake my head whilst chuckling lightly. It’s around 7 a.m. and I have classes soon. I shimmy my head guard from my scalp with a groan and allow my wild hair to bounce back into place.
“Leaving already, princess?” Manny pipes up and I shoot him a quick glare.
“I have class in thirty minutes, dip-shit. Don’t make me waste my time and put you on your ass.” I teasingly warn and both Manny and I chuckle.
“When can I expect you back?” Glen asks as I jump down from the stage of the ring. I contemplate my answer for a moment as I go over all of my college subjects in my head.
English literature… then it’s musical history… after that it’s physical education and to end the day it’s photography study.
“I’ll be back here this afternoon. Don’t have much to do today.” I bring my hands up to my mouth as I bite the velcro straps from around my wrists and shake the sweaty gloves onto the floor in front of me.
“Better get a move on then, you don’t have long before classes start.” Glen looks down at a small watch that compliments his thick wrist. The straps are thin and a worn out colour of mahogany brown. The small face of the clock has a crack across the glass. I raise a brow in slight suspicion, how would he know when lectures begin?
“Yeah, yeah. I know.” I throw my heavy duffle bag over my shoulder and head towards the double glass doors of the gym which is both the entrance and the exit, “Don’t let anyone touch my shit when I’m gone!” I call over my shoulder loud enough for the other trainees to hear me as I step out onto the busy streets of downtown New York. I can never get enough of the aura that this city continuously brings. It’s so full of life… so full of people trying their best to achieve their goals- to reach their dreams. If I am certain about one thing it is that no one comes to New York for no reason. Everyone here is chasing up their own purpose… I myself included.
My walk from the gym to the campus is tiresome but I have to shower quickly before classes begin. I managed to snag a locker at the beginning of the semester so thankfully I don’t have to drag around my duffel bag for the entire day. I can’t wait until next fall, when I’m done here for good. Then I can really focus on what is important.
Some of the earlier students are seated in the social hub of the campus but I take a left turn down a stranded hallway to avoid any unwanted attention. It’s embarrassing enough that I have to shower here, let alone the fact that I’m carrying my entire life around in a single bag.
I take another left turn and jog up the fire exit staircase, entering through some double doors and into the Physical Education department. Usually the locker rooms are kept locked and the only way to get inside is to have a key but I’ve noticed that the one furthest to the end of the corridor has a faulty lock so naturally I always use that one.
Each locker room has singular shower cubicles for students to access after every gym lesson and I thank my lucky stars as I walk into the changing room and discover that it is empty. I’m not sure how long I am going to be able to get away with this but it doesn’t hurt to push my luck a little bit. I make sure the door is barricaded by something before I start to get on with my morning routine. I brushed my teeth earlier this morning after I ate breakfast so that is one less thing I need to incorporate.
In the shower the water comes as a soothing cascade, as if I am within a pair of arms that flow and hug my skin gently. Taking a shower is taking some time for myself, life is always so busy and chaotic so it’s good to recenter and feel some of my calm nature return.
My bruised knuckles strain beneath the hot water as the shower head beats against my inked body. The deep tension I once felt begins to leak away from my muscles the longer I stand beneath the scolding vapour. I approximately have 5 minutes of hot water left before the stream will run cold.
I smear soap across my pale skin and douse my dark hair in both shampoo and conditioner. I’ve heard girls bitch about the importance of not using a 2-in-1 shampoo so I started making an effort with my hair routine. I trace my fingers over a massive bruise located on my abdomen. It’s hidden beneath a dark image of a snake that I got tattooed when I was only 16, for it being one of the first tattoos I ever got it is still pretty fucking cool.
I shut the shower off and pat my skin dry, pulling on a plain black t-shirt over my head. I curse aloud at the sight of a large rip near the collar. I completely forgot about it.
It happened when I got jumped one night, back when I used to fuck around with girls for fun. I turned down a girl and she spread a rumour about me, saying how I am a pig and that I apparently tried to force myself onto her. Word spread fast and even after proving these allegations wrong some sketchy guys tried to pick a fight with me. They grabbed my t-shirt and in the process they ripped it at the seam… but they got what they deserved. Besides, the rip adds to my character.
I spray some deodorant beneath my shirt and buckle up my black jeans. I forgot to bring an extra pair of shoes with me to the gym so I settle for my beat up black and white converse which I usually use for training. They are flat soled and they support my ankles so they are pretty ideal for sparring sessions however they don’t look the prettiest.
I remove the barricade from the locker room door and head to my first class of the day which is English Literature at 8:15. Usually the class starts at 8 but I am running a little bit late. I push open the heavy door to the large room and watch as row after row of students turn their heads to look at me. I allow the door to swing and loudly slam closed behind me. What can I say, I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic.
“Morales, late again?” Professor Amber bring’s the entire class to a halt as she greets me. I can tell with the tone of her voice that she is intending to make me uncomfortable- little does she know I am actually a little bit of an attention whore.
“Sorry bout’ that.” I groan out sarcastically as I throw myself down onto one of the padded seats a few spaces from a girl I am unfamiliar with. Her fresh scent reaches my nostrils and I tilt my head to discreetly snatch a look at her. Her light brown eyebrows are pulled together softly with what I assume is concentration and her soft pink lips are pinched together. I trail my greens eyes up further, allowing my vision to explore her appearance fully until I meet her deep blue hues. I try not to stare but it’s proven to be extremely difficult. It isn’t until her line of vision finally meets my own that I eventually manage to pull my gaze away from her.
My ears perk up involuntarily at the displeased scoff that comes from the girl’s direction next to me. It takes absolutely everything in me to bite my tongue and not ask her what her fucking problem is. It’s clear that she may be hot but she is a stuck up bitch. She is dressed like a prude but I bet it doesn’t take much to get into her frilly little panties. She is probably one of those girls that pretend to be innocent so they can live out their twisted ‘good girl, bad boy’ fantasy. Fucking weirdo.
“Assignments are due on Friday, I hope none of you have forgotten.” Professor Amber’s red pen screeches down the massive write board and I grit my teeth at the sound. In bold she writes, 'Friday 18th November’.
Fuck. I idiotically forgot about the entire assignment, I’ve been so invested in training recently it completely slipped my mind. I have a fight coming up and I’m not sure I’ll have time to fit it all in. I know the assignment is a book study of some kind however I’ve not even had the chance to read nor annotate anything yet.
Class seems to boringly drone on until a topic oddly sparks my interest. Maybe it is my need to always dominate a situation that draws me in… or maybe I just like to argue.
“Everyone is seeming a little too comfortable and quiet…” The professor pauses before she continues to say, “How about a debate? Relating to the assignment of course.” She smiles at all of us but her eyes plead that we all just cooperate and make her life a little easier.
“Stephen King. He is one hell of a novelist.” She folds her hands together and gently places herself down onto the edge of her desk at the front of the room, “Was he sexist towards women? Chat amongst yourselves.” Her eyes scan the area before she quickly adds, “But do so respectfully!”
Some of the more introverted students remain silent and the room fills with an eerie awkwardness before…
“Of course he was.” The blonde girl from earlier says a little too loudly and I watch as her cheeks flush with colour as multiple eyes fall onto her, “His novels don’t give women the respect nor treatment they deserve.” She continues on to say matter of factly however I just can’t help but disagree.
“Actually..” I boom, loud enough for everyone else to recognize that it is now me that is speaking, “All of his female leads are portrayed as strong, depicting them as… well, as triumphant.” Some people nod in agreement whilst others turn away from me in utter disgust but I don’t give a fuck. I have read enough Stephen King material to argue this debate out all fucking day.
“The women in his stories are often subject to domestic violence, abuse and harassment. Throughout his books there is, more often than not, some sort of violence portrayed against his female roles.” Blondie fires back at me, her words dripping with hatred and the intent to leave a mark as I watch anger begin to cloud her judgement. Her eyes are already fierce and we have only just started.
Unfortunately for her I am incredibly stubborn and there is not a hope in hell that I am letting her win this fucking argument.
“The women overcome all odds in his books, he is portraying them as strong. Champions. He is clearly just trying to express his adoration for the female race.” I cross my arms across my hard chest and turn my face so I am directly looking at the girl perched next to me. She is on the edge of her seat now, clearly full of adrenaline from our argument. I smirk at her and wonder to myself, if she can get this thrilled over novels imagine how she would react if I slammed her against a wall-
“Adoration?” She asks in disdain, “How can you possibly call that love?” her eyes scorch into mine and I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly in response to her defence.
“It’s not my perception of love. It’s King’s. People accept the love they think they deserve- maybe… just maybe… his idea of love has become distorted over the years. I mean he was heavily addicted to some heavy shit whilst he was writing… he may have been shown how to love in a very different way from you and I.” I straighten my posture, positioning myself in a stance that indicates I am confident with the words that I am speaking, “My question for you, blondie, is- why wouldn’t you call that love?” I allow my words to settle and my face morphes back into it’s natural stone cold expression but all she can seem to do is stare at me, speechless.
“Both are very interesting arguments…” Professor Amber speaks up, sensing the thick tension that is circling throughout the room, “Maybe we can continue this discussion next time?” She suggests with a warm smile, “Now go and put that energy into your assignments! I look forward to reading yours, Mr. Morales.” A loud bell sounds throughout the building, urging us all to head to our next classes.
I stand from my seat and spare the furious blonde girl- who is shoving her books rather viciously into her book bag- one last glance, I even offer her a small smirk to lighten the mood before I then decide to leave her behind. It’s hilarious how easy it is to piss her off.
꧁꧂
A/n: Oooh a conflict already?! How are we feeling about this story so far?
From that moment on I make a promise to both myself and to the frail blonde girl snuggling beneath her mint green comforter-
I will never leave her to face anything alone ever again.
Hunter Morales, Make Me Choose.
I’m afraid. Tangled in a spiders web that I can’t seem to get out of- and I am a fly, waiting to meet my own demise.
Elizabeth Douglas, Make Me Choose.
Requests are closed for Hardin Scott and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, I’m hoping my new series, Make Me Choose, can get some recognition.
Lies Or The Truth? | 10
Chapter Ten
Hunter
-
My eyes flutter open abruptly as we drive over a rocky speedbump and I slowly turn my head towards Elizabeth who is driving cautiously. Her eyebrows are in a tight knot as she focuses on the road ahead and I can see the slight worry swimming in her irises, “You’re looking a lot better today… did you manage to sleep okay?” Elizabeth breathes and I shrug my shoulders. Her and I aren’t friends and I would appreciate it if she would stop acting like I am her mate.
“Slept fine.” I answer back, keeping my tone flat. The truth is that I actually didn’t sleep well. My sleep was broken all fucking night and when I did eventually fall asleep I had to get back up again five minutes later for this shitty roadtrip to IKEA. I guess I am to blame for this unwanted journey, I just wish it could have been Glen that escorted me there instead of his sneaky daughter. Speaking of which…
“The guys that jumped me-” I start, my eyes coming to rest on Elizabeth’s features, “-they had my phone number. I thought I was texting you.” I admit, my voice is harsh and I can’t swallow the judgement in my tone. Did she set it all up? I know I haven’t been the nicest person to Elizabeth, hell, we barely tolerate one another but I would never expect this type of low blow from her…
Her sapphire eyes flash to me for a moment before she trains her eyes back onto the road, “That’s weird. Why would they say that?” She mumbles and as expected her tone is hard to read. She doesn’t sound guilty but I can’t exactly just take her word for it, she is known to lie and I refuse to be taken as a fool.
“You tell me.” I try to keep my expressions vacant as I discreetly accuse her of the whole situation but then I realise how unfair that actually is. She was at the gym, waiting for me and I know that she is better than what she seems. I need to stop thinking so lowly of her, there is a good person in there somewhere… However I have to admit that Elizabeth is a hard character to like.
“If you have something to say, Hunter, just say it.” Her voice is a snarl and I chew on the flesh inside of my cheek, “I don’t like being treated like a guilty party.” She adds and I scoff.
“You could have arranged the whole thing for all I fucking know. You definitely aren’t a saint and let’s be honest, you hate me, giving you every damn reason to do some sneaky shit like this.”
The car becomes mute and the drive goes by pretty quickly as we soon pull into the crowded IKEA parking area. I knew that the place would be busy but not to the point where we are at risk of losing the fucking car in the parking lot. I remain tightlipped as Elizabeth and I head for the IKEA entrance, she doesn’t bother to spare me as much as a fucking glance and I return the same cold attitude. Maybe I should’ve just stayed quiet in the car.
As soon as we walk into the huge shopping store I begin to search around for the appliances we need, or if I can’t find those then I will look for an employee that will surely be able to help us, “I’m going to look around, don’t leave without me.” I state clearly to Elizabeth before I decide to wander off in the opposite direction. She takes down one of the aisles and I do that same, passing by multiple tins of paint and some glittery wallpaper. Where the hell would they keep massive sheets of glass? This store is ridiculously big, how do people not get lost in here?
Music plays faintly through the store speakers and I glance around as loads of people root around quickly beside me. I look to the ceiling, trying to catch a glance at the signs that are dangling from the roof rafters. One reads ‘Paints, Pots and Brushes’ and I generally assume that I am standing in the wrong area. Heading deeper into the store I round multiple corners, slipping down each of the large aisles speedily. The scent of charred wood fills my nose and I welcome the smell, it is oddly nice.
I round one last corner and spot Elizabeth chatting with one of the employees. She giggles cutely at something he says and my eyes harden at the sight. Does she know him?
I stride towards the pair, keeping my facial front stony and unfriendly. The guy has mousy blonde hair, his eyes are a bright shade of blue and his arms are boringly plain. I stop a couple of feet away, coughing as I make my presence known. I curve my neck to catch a glance at the males name tag. Etched across the small gold plate it reads 'Dylan’. Even his name is fucking boring, “Did you find the shit?” I ask after both of them turn to face me. Elizabeth’s smile stifles but Dylan’s remains stretched across his stubbly face. His tiny beard is a weird shade of ginger and I am left to wonder what age this guy actually is. I get facial hair but this guy seems slightly older… maybe a year or two.
“My friend, Dylan, was just going to help me, actually. Before you rudely interrupted us.” She sneers and I see her eyes spark with excitement. Is she trying to make me jealous? Because it isn’t working. I grin at my thoughts, “Friend? C'mon, El, you know I’m more than that.” Dylan’s smile turns into a smirk as he flirts with Elizabeth right in front of me and I flex my jaw.
He called her El.
I don’t know why but it maddens me. I don’t even call her that so why does this asshole think he can.
“Well then… hurry the fuck up? I want to leave.” Both of my eyebrows perk up on my forehead and Dylan’s mouth falls into an 'o’ shape. My endurance of bullshit is beginning to quickly expire and I have no interest in starting another fight. Not today.
“You can’t use language like that here, Sir.” The blonde warns and I take a step towards him however Elizabeth plants a firm hand on my chest to stop my movements, “Sorry, Dylan. Help us, please?” She flutters her eyelashes at him and my lips twitch. All she has to do is bat those long eyelashes of hers and she gets exactly what she wants.
Fucking Brat.
Dylan nods and leads us down the correct aisle. Finally we manage to find what we are looking for and we are back in the car in no time. It did take us around six minutes to even locate the vehicle but we were eventually successful.
“I’m guessing Dylan is more than just a 'buddy’…” I half question and Elizabeth snorts at my side, a smirk is toying on her lips and I wish I could wipe her face clean of her cockiness.
“Does it matter?” She urges and I can tell that she is trying to provoke me. Does it matter to me? No. But it might matter to her father if he doesn’t know about it.
“Not to me.” My tone is challenging and she flashes me a nasty look. A look that says, 'what the fuck is that supposed to mean?’
“I know what you are thinking and for your information, not that it is any of your fucking business, but my dad knows Dylan.” Elizabeth scowls darkly at me and I fake gasp, pretending to be shocked at her reply.
“Wow, so you don’t lie all of the time then? Fucking news to me.” I tear my eyes away from her and look out of the window to my left. She scoffs quietly and I bite my bottom lip to suppress my smirk. I like arguing with her.
I gaze at myself in the small side mirror and for a moment I had completely forgotten about the events of last night, the only real proof that it actually happened is my fucked up face, “What happened last night won’t happen again. I’m not going to apologise because I already have but I just wanted to let you know that you don’t have to be frightened of me.” As the words leave my mouth I feel my chest begin to ache. I scared her…
“It’s fine. Besides all the damage it wasn’t that big of a deal.” Her shoulders bounce as she shrugs and I keep my gaze rooted on her. There is a drawn out silence that falls between the both of us and I almost think I am hallucinating when I hear Elizabeth say, “When we kissed last week… Do you regret it?” She is guarded and her tongue is icy as she awaits my reply. There is so much I could say. I could hurt her, I could feed her ego or I could just say nothing.
My shoulders stiffen and I tilt my head to look away from her, stamping my eyes closed. I go over the thousands of thoughts coursing through my mind, “Don’t ask me that.” My lips mould around unspoken curses and I can feel my heart beginning to race.
“Just say it.” Her voice is strangled now and I bring my thumb and index finger up to rub at my tired eyes. What am I supposed to say to her? That I like toying with her feelings and leading her on? That I like proving to her that no matter how cold her exterior may be that I can make her melt in seconds? Or maybe I can tell her how much I regret it and how her breath stank like cheese- even though it didn’t. I enjoyed the kiss… it was warm and slow and unlike anything else in my life. But I still regret it, I just don’t know if I have the will to crush her feelings like that. Have I developed a conscience?
“I don’t know what makes you think it was so special. I’ve kissed hundreds of girls before and none of them have pestered me about it the way you do. It was just a kiss, Elizabeth… we were fooling around and it’s not like I fucked you so just get over it.” Almost instantaneously Elizabeth’s shoulders begin to shudder and I have to look twice to realise that she is crying. Water begins to collect at the bottom lid of her eye and her lips start to tremble slightly. A short intake of breath follows her quivering lips and she is quick to wipe away a stray tear that threatens to slide down her cheek. Fuck. I pretend not to notice how her nose has brightened to a soft pink and how her cheeks glisten with the dampness from her tears. I am such a fucking asshole.
“Well, aren’t you just charming.” Elizabeth’s voice is brittle and I frown at the melancholy in her tone. She will get over this, she will get over me. That kiss shouldn’t have meant anything to her, it was a 'in the heat of the moment’ spur and I can’t allow myself to dwell on this for much longer.
Hurts To Hate Somebody | 9
Make Me Choose
Chapter Nine
Hunter
-
A whole week and a handful of late night sessions later, I find myself riddled with regret. The kiss between Elizabeth and I was a mistake, a big mistake. It was merely lust and nothing more. I was feeling alone and she was there- shit happens… it just can’t happen ever again.
Somehow I am cursed with memories of our virtual conversations that consisted of me letting her know I am at the gym and that I am free to train for the evening. Elizabeth’s responses to mine were always ripe with exclamation marks and enthusiasm. After our kiss things got quiet between us for a while though. It always seemed to me that she was trying to develop our ‘relationship’ further, after each lesson she would always text me a quick thank you… it became a recurring habit of hers.
I regret all of it- kissing her, agreeing to train her, complimenting her on her progress and letting my guard down around her. There have been moments when I contemplated blowing her off, lying to her that I am too busy to train her or that I am sick. I wanted excuses to not have to be around her anymore, she is getting beneath my skin and I hate it. I hate her. Even though I heavily considered the thought of ignoring her, she would just come and find me. Her father is my coach after all and Elizabeth is as stubborn as a judge.
This agreement between Elizabeth and I was destined to fail, doomed from the very start- whatever you want to call it. It would be easier if I could consider her a friend but I can’t say that much about her, there is this unspoken friction between her and I. I hate the way she acts and she hates me for imposing on her and her father. I’m not naive, I know how people can be. There are liars, cheaters, believers and I guess I kind of forgot that no one is perfect. None of us are saints, but when I first saw Elizabeth I assumed that she was different- honest and kind, loving and affectionate. Her actions betray her looks, to everybody else she appears to be this preppy school girl that behaves and follows the rules, but when no one is watching she becomes this deviant that sneaks out at night and swears like a sailor. Her personas give me whiplash but it all just intrigues me more. I want to know why she is the way she is and why she feels the need to put up a stupid little facade. I suppose she is just a coward, afraid of the judgement from her peers.
The fact that I know her better than everyone else makes me grin. People on the outside have only scraped the surface of who Elizabeth Douglas actually is and it is amusing. I wonder how Glen would react if he knew about all the shit Elizabeth gets up to.
I check my phone and notice a notification spring onto the cracked screen. It fell out of my pocket the other day and I nearly screamed aloud at the inconvenience but at least it still works and does other shit. I narrow my eyes at the text message, alarm bells fire off inside of my head but I shake the thoughts away.
Unknown: Meet me at the park tonight. I don’t want to walk alone.
Hmm… that’s weird. I have Elizabeth’s number saved into my contacts so why is the number listed as unknown? I try not to overthink it and shrug my shoulders to myself before I grab my coat from the coat wrack. Some other guys are in the gym tonight so I hope that our walk can stall us both a bit before we get back to the building, the last thing we both need is getting spotted together.
Me: Okay, this is Elizabeth right?
I hit send, my paranoia getting the best of me. Maybe she is using a friend’s phone or maybe she has switched to a new number. My thoughts are confirmed as a message pings onto the device.
Unknown: Yes.
I stare at the notification for a dragged moment, slightly suspicious and equally as hesitant. It seems strange… something is off about how she is replying. I blame the peculiar pattern on the fact that she may have just had a bad day and I head out to the park. The streets have fallen dark and I keep my headphones volume low, you never know what might sneak up behind you. The walk is quick and the pathways I take are sinisterly quiet, I just hope that she hasn’t been waiting for me for too long, New York isn’t always safe at night.
I meet the park entrance but as I gaze into the public garden I see that it is empty. I pull one of my headphones from my ear canal and search further into the park. Has something happened to her? Holy shit, what would I tell Glen? What if she is hurt? Fuck.
The park is foggy with nightfall and only one singular streetlamp shines into the area. An oppressive darkness seems to swallow humanity. The wind whistles through the bare tree branches and the only noise I can identify is the music playing through my speakers and the winter breeze blowing the loose leaves on the park floor. I struggle to see clearly and I whip my head over my shoulder. I am glad I do because I see a dark figure sitting close by on a bench, that must be her.
Thank fucking God.
I edge closer to her, a relieved smile picks at my lips but I keep it hidden.
“Jeez, stalker, do you have to look like such a murderer?” I joke with a breathy laugh but she is silent. Someone is clearly not in the mood, however, the longer I stand and stare at her the clearer my sight becomes, my eyes finally managing to adjust to the darkness.
My blood runs cold at the realisation that this isn’t even Elizabeth at all. This is a dude… a shady one.
What the fuck?
I step away from the figure, waving a hand absently at him as I go to excuse myself, “Sorry, mate.”
I try to prepare for whatever may happen next, he has a massive advantage here. It is dark and he may have a weapon that I can’t even see.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I’m not afraid but I realise that I don’t have many options. I have my fists, that I am good at using, but what if he has a gun? A knife? Either one and I am fucking screwed. Briskly I head towards whatever slither of light that I can see, if this guy is going to be any trouble then I need to see what I am up against. A quiet notification sound rings through my headphones, interrupting the song I am listening to and I glance down at the screen for a moment. My heartbeat intensifies and I feel my palms begin to clam.
Elizabeth: Where the hell are you? I thought we were training tonight? I’m at the gym waiting on you and you aren’t even here. You are a dick if you are blowing me off Morales.
The puzzle pieces begin to click together and I chew on the inside of my cheek. If Elizabeth is at the gym waiting then who the fuck texted me earlier? A loud rush of movement comes from behind me and when I turn around I see the hidden figure from earlier sprinting towards me. Before I have any time to swing a punch I am tackled to the floor, wrestling with this man that I don’t even know. Only seconds later he is joined by two other masked accomplices and I take a heavy boot to my face. The hit takes me off guard and the world becomes shaken. My face is wet with blood and I spit onto the concrete, groaning as I manage to push the man from earlier off of me. I attempt to rise to my feet quickly but it doesn’t take long for the thugs to regain control as one of them grabs me from behind and holds me tightly to their chest as the other two whack feeble punches into my torso.
“Fucking pussies, does it take this many of you to leave a mark?” I snarl, my thoughts are homicidal and I have to keep myself from seeing red. These asshole have no fucking idea who they are messing with.
They don’t take my words lightly as they smack me across the face and my knees threaten to buckle beneath me. Usually these types of punches don’t phase me but when brass knuckles are involved…
I struggle with the man that is holding me captive until I finally manage to break loose. Without any further thought or hesitation I start swinging. I don’t have time to be strategic and I am too fucking angry to care about what I am doing and how my form is. I catch one of the guy’s jaws and he flies to the floor, his head first and then his body follows.
“C'mon then!” I say, my temper growing, “Fucking come on!!” My hands are in tight fists as I scream, fury has taken the reigns over all of my emotions and I charge towards the two men that remain standing. My face may be dripping with blood but I can assure you that my adrenaline hasn’t allowed me to feel a damn thing in the past 5 minutes. The two chumps split from one another and run in the opposite direction. I go to chase after them but I am torn between following them or beating the guy that is already on the ground to death. Neither of which happen because to my dismay the guy from the floor has also taken off and I am left shaking with anger.
I let out a roar, listening as the sound empties out into the deserted streets. I start to pace back and forth, my breathing is unsettled and I can’t help the tingling feeling that is coursing through my veins. I pick up my phone from the ground and shove the shattered device into my pocket. I don’t care about the headphone wire that is dangling from my pocket. I need to get to the gym, I need to ask Elizabeth how all of this shit happened. How did they asshole get my number and why the fuck did they set me up?
My nostrils flare and I struggle to take in air. I can feel the bruises beginning to mature on my skin and they are fucking painful. I want to lose my shit, I want to go fucking mental and beat the living shit out of something, or someone.
I throw myself through the gym doors and earn the attention of everyone in the building. Elizabeth walks to me cautiously, her face twisting from anger to pure horror, “What on earth happened to you?” she asks and I push past her and head to one of the punching bags. I fire some rapid blows to the sandbag but it isn’t enough, I need more. The sting on my knuckles kindles an unjustified incandescent feeling inside of my chest and I grab the first thing close to my hand and crash it to the floor. Gasps follow my actions but I don’t care, the chaos feels good and I’m not stopping until I’m fully satisfied. I pick up a small weight from the weight wrack and use my entire body to launch it to the wall, shattering the whole mirror in the process. Shards of sharp glass fly across the room and people duck for cover as the deadly points hit the floor.
“Stop it!” Elizabeth squeals with a plea as she marches towards me but I ignore her and continue on with my episode. I flip over one of the benches and stomp some heavy blasts into the wood, each heavy footstep is punctuated by an angry grunt “Please! You are scaring me!” Elizabeth is sobbing now and my movements still. My chest feels crazy as I breathe a little too quickly and my eyes land on her as my mind begins to clear. I glance around and notice one of the other female attendees on the phone, I assume that they have called the police.
“Shit.” I whisper and tears prick my eyes as I look at the destruction I have caused to Glen’s gym. This is going to cost hundreds to fix. I blacked out, I did whatever I could to distract myself from my anger and I endangered everyone in the process.
Flashing blue lights flood the gym and my panic filled eyes meet Elizabeth, “Go and wait out the back, I’ll talk to them. Everyone go home!” She rounds up everyone from inside of the gym and I do as she says and head to the back of the building.
My heart is in my throat as I wait for Elizabeth to return. When I swallow it feels like razor blades scraping the flesh of my windpipe. What the hell is wrong with me? I never get that angry. Never. Not in matches, not in training and definitely not outside of the ring. Her face… she was terrified of me. Shakily I bring my hand up to wipe at the dry blood on my face and no matter how hard I try I can’t keep the sob from leaving my throat. My brain is in survival mode and I don’t know what to feel or what to do. I know I need to apologise but how can I possibly excuse the shitstorm I just caused?
After a couple of minutes Elizabeth’s small physique ambles towards me and I walk to meet her halfway, “What did they say?” I ask, my voice hoarse. She shakes her head and folds her arms around her torso, something I have noticed she does often.
“They didn’t say anything once I confirmed that my dad was the owner. I told them the call was a false alarm and they left.” She makes sure to keep her distance from me and I don’t blame her for being afraid, what I did was totally out of character and wrong.
“I’m sorry, Elizabeth… some guys jumped me and I guess I just couldn’t handle it.” I sniffle softly to stop my nose from running, the cold air irritating my sinuses.
“Don’t apologise to me. Apologise to my dad. You just destroyed his gym, this is how he makes money and now he will have to close the gym until things are repaired. Do you understand how selfish your actions were? You put everyone at risk because you couldn’t handle your own fucking emotions. Your excuses don’t give you the right to be a fucking asshole.” Her words infuriate me but I shove the emotion down deep, anger hasn’t gotten me anywhere tonight and I don’t plan on anything else unfolding. I step towards her but she backs away and I stop immediately.
“I’m not going to hurt you…” I promise and she sighs softly, seeming defeated, “I’m just sorry for everything. For frightening you and for everything before that.” My expression is sincere and she gives me a nod of recognition.
“Anger makes you stupid and stupidity gets you killed.” I try to ignore the gravity of her words but they weigh on my chest so tightly that I struggle to breathe, “My dad is on his way here… he is going to be distraught when he gets here and I hope you have the money to pay for the damage.” She pauses briefly and turns away from me, “I’ll see you back inside. You should get cleaned up.” She gestures to my face and heads back into the gym. I trail in after her and head to the bathroom. The person I see staring back at me in the mirror shakes me to my core. My eyes are bloodshot and beneath my right eye is beginning to turn purple. My lips tremble together, the skin crusty from dried blood and the cold winter air outside. My dark hair is twisted messily, my nose is busted open and my jacket is stained vermilion. I look like total shit.
I toss my jacket by the sink and bow my head close to the faucet. Turning it on I splash my face with some warm water and watch as the rusty brown colour streams from my skin. My knuckles are grazed as well as bruised and I hiss as the water hits the cuts, washing it clean of any unwanted debris. Next time I lose a fight I am making sure I see the faces of my attackers. Everything happened so fucking fast and even if I did see their faces it is unlikely that I would be able to remember any details. Now it is time to face the music and as much as I am dreading it I need to own up to what I have done. This is going to fracture Glen’s heart. He has been trying so hard to get the gym up and running and just when it was beginning to get popular I went and fucked the whole thing up.
I emerge from the bathroom, my dark denim jacket is draped over my forearm as I enter back into the training area. Glen has his hands on his hips as he examines the damage and I cringe at the devastation I have created, “Coach…” I call for him quietly and he turns to me. Luckily my white t-shirt doesn’t have any spotting on it and I hope I have cleaned myself up to look the tiniest bit presentable, “I’ll pay for all of it. I’ll pay for all of it, I… I’ll go to IKEA tomorrow and I’ll pick up another sheet of glass for the wall, just give me the measurements and I’ll go first thing tomorrow morning.” I ramble and Glen steps closer to me, his arms come to wrap around my shoulders and he pulls me into a tight hug.
“It’s okay, H.” His large hand pats me on the back and I reluctantly wrap my arms around him. My body shakes with pain, I try to control it but I am unsuccessful, “Elizabeth told me everything. She is going to go with you tomorrow to pick up the new glass and some adhesive to attach it to the wall.” Glen pulls away from me and I nod my head, remaining silent and full of shame.
I’m quick to grab a sweeping brush and a dust pan, beginning to tidy up the mess I have made. Glen lends a hand and so does Elizabeth before they both head home for the night and I disappear to my cold sleeping bag upstairs.
Alone.
Caught In The Crossfire | 8
Make Me Choose
Chapter Eight
Elizabeth
-
I kept my word. I wrote Hunter’s assignment for him and left it in my desk drawer so that I can drop it on his desk first thing in our lesson on Monday. I try to ignore him- I try to rid my mind of any trace of him but it is just so difficult. After what happened at the gym I can’t seem to rejuvenate the same feeling that electrified my body… when he kissed my neck I truly felt alive. Each of my cells were captivated by him and only him. I want to know more about him… I want to explore his mind and learn what his secrets are… I want to know what he thinks about me.
It is roughly around ten o'clock at night on a Sunday and I am getting ready to curl myself up in some blankets and lay in bed, scrolling through social media. We were given a photography study to look at over the course of this week but I am procrastinating… I’m just not interested in school work at the moment, plus, I can’t come up with a subject to photograph.
Soon enough my relaxation period comes to an abrupt stop as a notification banner pops up at the top of my phone screen.The number is unnamed but the contents of the message put my mind at ease.
Unknown: It’s Hunter. I’m at the gym.
Immediately I tap on the message and I am transported from one app to another. My thumbs reluctantly hover the screen before my fingers begin to tap on the keyboard. I am suddenly both nervous and excited.
Me: Hi. I can be there in 15.
Hunter’s reply is short and straight to the point. A bit like him.
Hunter: Okay. See you soon.
As I enter through the door the first thing I notice is Hunter standing in the middle of the boxing ring. His arms are hanging by his sides and his bright eyes are fixated on the other side of the room, he is breathing heavily and his sweaty hair is hanging in front of his eyes slightly. I was uncertain on what I should wear so I just threw my hair up into a high ponytail and paired a grey sweater with some leggings and sneakers. My feet begin to feel heavy as I enter further into the gym. Maybe this is a bad idea…
Hunter’s eyes are quick to find me and I instinctively shoot him a quick wave of my hand, “Hi.” I call out, flashing him a friendly smile that he doesn’t return.
He leans back against the ropes circling the ring, careful to distribute his weight evenly so he doesn’t flip himself over and land face first on the floor, He continues to look at me, a look so intense that I almost have to look away, “Hi.” He replies and I stare at him for a moment, totally hypnotised. This definitely was a horrible idea… I should have kept my mouth shut.
“You got here quickly.” He comments slyly and I laugh quietly. Shrugging my bag from my shoulder I inch closer towards the ring.
“I was afraid that if I kept you waiting you would just leave… so I rushed to get here.” I admit quietly with a smile and Hunter heaves his shoulders.
“It’s fine. I don’t mind.” He pauses, “It’s not like I can leave anyways.” He jokes and I remember that he actually sleeps here. It must be freezing at night… and lonely. He pushes himself up from the ropes and I tread my way closer to Hunter, looking up at him on the platform.
“Still…” I fiddle with the gold rings that circle my fingers before bringing both of my hands up to tighten my ponytail, “You are going out of your way to do this for me so the least I can do is show up, right?” Hunter threads himself through the ropes and jumps down to the floor. He stands close to me, a small smirk on his face and I hold my breath.
“I’m just happy that I’m not alone.” His breath fans my face and I can feel my heart hammering in my head. I don’t say anything before he walks off from me.
“Shall we start?” He asks, completely excusing what he has just said. I slowly nod and release the tight breath that I have been holding in my throat.
“Sure.” I quickly agree, walking closer to him, “Am I going up against you or…?” My voice is quiet and immediately Hunter begins to laugh at me.
Yep. I am definitely regretting this.
“Not yet.” He turns his back to me and walks towards the large punching bag that is hanging from the ceiling, “You need to know the basics first.” He pats his large hand against the leather of the bag and I nod my head to myself.
“The basics.” I echo, “Of course.” How did I not think of that? I really thought that I could just fight him straight away? He is close to being a professional. I must look so stupid…
The bag arrangement is nothing special, just three large bags strung from the ceiling by a wall covered in reflective glass. I glance at myself for a moment before I shoot my eyes away quickly. Do I really look like that?
I take in a needed breath and reach my hand out without thinking and I give the massive bag a small push with three of my fingertips. The sand inside of the bag is firm and worry sinks into my brain. Is it going to hurt to punch this? The bags show some signs of age but it is nothing too drastic.
“So, throw a punch then.” Hunter remarks with a smirk and I look at him, my eyes rounding slightly.
“Uhm… I-” I stumble over my words, “-I don’t really know how…” I gulp down my embarrassment and Hunter groans quietly with obvious frustration. I furrow my eyebrows.
“Look. You agreed to this. If you wanted to say no then you should have, but you didn’t. So… so suck it up and teach me something or… or kiss goodbye to the credit on your English assignment.” I threaten and he stares at me for a moment silently before his gaze moves elsewhere.
“Okay… I just need to see what I’m working with. Show me what you know how to do.” he says a lot more softly and I step towards the bag.
Hesitantly I deliver a blow to the bag… it is weak at best. Immediately I see Hunter studying me- obviously noticing a handful of things that I have clearly done wrong. I pull my arm back to me and peek up at Hunter, watching as he tries to keep his lips from folding into a smirk.
“What is it?” I question with a frown.
“Nothing.” He holds his hands up defensively, “Just… that was really pathetic.” His comment hits my chest and I clamp my jaw tightly to lessen the blow. I know that it wasn’t the best punch in the world but he could at least not be a dick about it.
“You do it then.” I fold my arms against my soft stomach as I nod towards the bag, an invitation for him to show me ‘how it is really done’.
Hunter smiles at me and cracks his head to the side, rolling his shoulders as he loosens the muscles there. He takes his mark in front of the bag, “Gladly.”
The chain of the bag rattles loudly as Hunter’s fist collides with the leather and my heart begins to race frantically, fearing that the bag may collapse from the ceiling. The bag swings forward and quickly hurls back towards us. I squeak and jump to the side, hiding behind Hunter as he stops it with the colossal valley of the palm of his hand. He grunts lowly beneath his breath as he struggles to steady the bag and I feel a heat rise to my cheeks at the noise. My thighs threaten to rub together but I stop my dirty thoughts right in its tracks.
Hunter peeks over one of his strong shoulders at me and a smile plays on his lips. I let my shoulders fall, “Fine. Teach me.”
Hunter is quick to find his place beside me and he softly tugs on the sleeve of my sweater, situating me in between his body and the bag. He studies my posture with analytical eyes.
“Your form is all wrong. You need to level your feet with your shoulders.” I lift my arms up in front of me as I vaguely work on my fighting stance. I try to match my feet to my arms but I seemingly fail as Hunter slides his leg between both of mine, pushing his shoe against my own as he spreads my legs further apart, “There.” He coughs and I look at him over my shoulder.
I swallow the lump in my throat, my mouth suddenly dries and HUnter’s hands pause at my waist, “Can I?” He asks and I nod wordlessly. He closes the space between our bodies and I refrain from gasping as his hands come to firmly grip my plush hips. He slots me into the correct place and I work hard to calm my pulsing heart. His large hands find my arms where he bends them a little more at the elbows, making sure that my loose fists are curled effectively in front of me. I chew on my bottom lip, remembering the feeling of his thumb gliding along it a couple of nights ago. The scent of his cologne is sending me spiralling. I take a chance and lean back into his chest slightly only for him to shift from behind me to my side.
“When you angle yourself like this-” Hunter mimics my stance, “-you need to make sure you are leading with your right foot. If you were facing the opposite direction then it would be your left foot, simple enough?” He asks and I bob my head 'yes’.
“Got it.” I reply simply, my thoughts and feelings now under control, “Won’t it hurt my knuckles if I punch it as hard as you did?” I question and Hunter begins to shake his head before he stops himself midway.
“It may sting a little bit but if you can get used to punching this then punching someone in the face won’t phase you.” I let my tongue dart out to wet my lips, fixating my focus back onto the bag. I need to stay composed, Hunter is nothing but trouble and I need to keep myself clear of him and his games.
“Should I try again?” I ask unsure and he shrugs his shoulders, “Go for it.”
Just as I am about to throw a punch he stops me, “When you lunge forward keep both of your hands up. You can’t be dropping them in an actual fight- you need to protect your face.” Hunter scolds and I spare him a silent nod before attempting the bag again.
I throw an experimental punch and pain courses through the entirety of my arm. I try to ignore it and assume that it’s normal before I throw another blow but Hunter manages to catch my fist in his hand before I even get the chance to connect my knuckles with the firm material of the punching bag.
“Keep your fist relaxed until the very last second before your hand hits the bag, then you tense up… I don’t want you to hurt yourself more than you need to.” My lips fall apart slightly in awe as I take in this new side of Hunter. He is calm and organised- like he is really trying to make an effort with me. It’s sort of nice…
“Try again.” He releases my hand and I find my fighting stance again before giving it another go.
I curl my digits loosely, lunging one of my hands forward towards the bag and before it connects I tense up my fist. I grin back at Hunter as a loud smack echoes through the empty space surrounding us. He smiles at me reassuringly before he speaks, “Nice. Good start.”
“A good start? That was fantastic!” I exclaim loudly as I tease him.
Hunter clears his throat to disguise a small chuckle that leaves his mouth and I secretly smile, allowing my hands to fall down and sway by my sides.
“I know how to punch. What now?”
“Overall there are 4 main punches in boxing. I’m going to show you what those are and you are going to try and remember them. Got it?” Hunter replies and steadies himself in front of the bag again, his right foot planted out in front of him for a strong sense of balance. I watch him closely and try to take as many mental notes as I can. Physical Education has never really been my thing…
“First-” He speaks cooly, throwing out his fist in a pointed and powerful sudden punch against the bag, “-the jab.”
I nod at him, urging him to continue and to let him know that I am managing to keep up so far.
“Second-” He says again and I brace myself for whatever punch he is going to throw next. Hunter strikes with his right hand, driving his entire weight into the blow, “-the cross.”
He looks at me again, making sure that I am paying attention and I roll my eyes, nodding towards the bag as I push him to just get on with it.
“This-” his voice is slightly breathless as he curves his left arm, angling it to the perfect point before he lays a heavy hit into the bag, “-is called a hook.”
“Right…” I verbalise before he even has the chance to look at me again. So far we have covered three of the punches. The hook, the cross and the jab. I wonder what the final one is…
“And the grand finale… the uppercut.” Uppercut. Of course. Hunter curves his arm steeply at his elbow before swooping his fist upwards to smack against the lower half of the sandbag. The chain rattles a lot louder this time, the bag looping around in all directions as Hunter casually turns to look at me. He is heavily breathing and I am absolutely speechless. I am enthralled, actually. I thought Hunter was a rookie… I stand corrected.
I feel that my eyes are blown widely and Hunter notices, his eyes thin in what I assume is confusion.
“What?” He asks cruelly and I shake my head quickly.
“Nothing… you are just really-” I pause and his eyebrows arch as he awaits my remark, “-dedicated.” I compliment and his shoulders lower from his defensive state.
He waves his shoulders, “I have to be.” Hunter hums, “This is my job. It’s how I survive.” He grabs a hold of the bottom of his murky grey t-shirt and brings it up to wipe at his sweaty face. Involuntarily my eyes shift to the exposed skin of his stomach and I stare at the tattoos there. His skin is covered in dark ink… his arms too.
It takes a moment but I soon manage to force my gaze from him. A heavy silence descends between us and I welcome it in. Hunter has stepped closer to me and I can feel all of my emotions from earlier rushing back to me at a rocket speed.
“You aren’t very discreet, Elizabeth.”
He towers over me and I shrug my shoulders as I attempt to glare up at him, “I don’t know what you are talking about.” I lie. I have always been a shitty liar. His fingers gently caress my cheek and it takes everything I have in me to not lean into his scorching touch. He tucks some of my stray baby hairs behind my ear and I can’t ignore the screaming of my heart. It is yearning for more delicacy… for more affection.
“How mad would you be if I kissed you right now?” Finally my eyes gaze into his and I shake my head, my lungs fill with hot air and my thoughts are everywhere. His eyes are so intense, they are so full of want and desire. I’m frozen still, I can’t seem to look away from the soft shade of brown that halos around his forest green eyes like a dusking sun..
“So mad…” I pant, out of breath. His eyes have a way of boring right through me, like he is reading my mind.
He smiles weakly but his eyes.. they are dark. His strong fingers grip my jaw as he smashes his lips onto mine and I allow my eyes to fall shut. His kiss is not like any other that I have encountered, it is one that is steep with a passionate flame that it ignites. It holds a promise of realness, of the primal desire that lives in all of us. In the moment of the kiss we are both our pure and vulnerable selves.
My hands come to grip greedily at his shoulders and I gasp slightly at just how hard the skin beneath his t-shirt is which gives Hunter the perfect opportunity to slip his tongue hungrily into my mouth. I find myself craving more but just as the fire begins to grow inside of me he pulls away and I am left to turn cold again…
“I hate you…” I whisper to him half heartedly as he presses his forehead against mine.
“I hate you too, blondie.”
- two ships
- two friendships
- two characters
- two shows
- two actress
- two actors
- two movies
I want to make gifs, send me gif requests! Please :)
Make Me Chooses, Gif requests, whatever!
Ok so as someone who started watching kdramas in 2012 I’ve seen quite a few dramas throughout the years and sometimes I feel like the newer ones just don’t have that same appeal to me as I got when I first started and I don’t know if its just because I’m older and in a different place in my life or if dramas really aren’t as good as they used to be. Anyway I thought it might be fun to have you guys make me choose between a newer and an older drama, lets say older from 2012-past and newer from 2013-now. They can be similar genres or just random ones, I want to see what I actually prefer!
Stim/aesthetic make me choose!
Rules: credit the gifs you use and please follow our DNI. Requesters please respect the rebloggers DNI and/or blacklisted themes. You can credit us via tagging (we’d love to see/rb what you make!)
- Liminal spaces or comforts?
- Babaycore or kidcore?
- Horror or Halloween?
- Horses or Donkey’s
- Yami kawaii or medical?
- Dogs or cats?
- Lovecore or heartcore?
- Mermaids or unicorns?
- Angels or demons?
- Worms or snails?
- Clouds or water?
- Countryside or urban city?
- Studying or procrastinating?
- Weirdcore or normcore?
- Witch or moon?
- Frogs or toadstools?
- Cutecore or softcore?
- Rainbow or monochrome?
- Clowns or dolls?
- Dreams or ghosts?
- Calm or wild?
- Nostalgia or retro?
- Synthed voices or idols?
- Vaporwave or synthwave?
- Maid/buttler (sorry idk the gender neutral term) or catpeople?
- Mad scientist or neat science?
- Gamer or reader?
- Pirates or adventurer?
- Grunge or indie?
- Virtual or Earthly?
- Refined or crude?
- Forest or garden?
- Grandparents or bloomcore?
- Cool or cute?
- Fairy or butterfly?
- Cleancore or poolcore?
- Wolves or chickens?
- Spring or autumn or winter or summer?
- Happy or hyperpop?
- Psychedelic or pastel?
- Space or vintage?
- Art or literature?
- Hero or villian?
- Violence and hatred or peace and love (/in a joking manner)
- Cryptid or fairy tale creature?
- Figures or toys?
- Halloween, Christmas, birthday, or Valentines Day?
- Fashion or crystals
- Music or doodling?
- Free question!
If there’s issues with any of these options please let us know and we will change/remove them! If you have any questions about the differences between them please ask!
