Daniel and I ordered pizza after we got back to the condo and lounged around watching movies. He didn't have much energy for anything else. After spending the evening with him, I took my usual bus ride home, pushing the doors open with a huff. I couldn't shake the anger I was feeling. I was beyond livid.

"Emily," Ms. Smith greeted me as I entered.

I groaned loudly, "What mail can you possibly be checking, Ms. Smith?" I snapped.

She looked taken aback for a moment. "I just got food delivered," she raised a brown bag and I stared at it begrudgingly. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy," I responded shortly, walking up the stairs.

"I think you might have a secret admirer. I saw your roses." Ms. Smith grinned at me as she followed me up the steps.

"No secret admirer there."

"Ooh, that's exciting!" She chirped happily.

I turned around abruptly as I reached my door, "It's from my ex who had sex with another woman while we were in a relationship with his fitness instructor on a gym membership that I was paying for. Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

She gaped at me looking lost for words. I turned around and slammed the door in her face. I knew she didn't deserve it. I knew she was old and bored and had never received a single visitor here. I knew all this, but I couldn't hold back today.

I sighed in frustration, tossing myself onto my bed, guilt slowly creeping onto me. I groaned, throwing my phone onto the floor, shrugging out of my clothes, slipping into a pair of short shorts and a tank top, and tossing my bra off while I was at it.

I grabbed a container of cookies I had stored in the fridge and plopped onto the couch, putting the TV onto something mindless. I relished in the fact that I currently felt like a complete slob.

I must have fallen asleep with a cookie still in my hand when my phone rang.

"Hey Ashley," I mumbled into the receiver groggily. I stood up stretching, and discarded the evidence of my embarrassing evening quickly.

"Hey! Did I wake you?"

"Not all of us live the nightlife," I yawned in response checking the clock. 12 AM.

"Not anymore! I'm officially on daytime news! Come two weeks that is. Can you believe it?" She screamed effectively waking me up.

"That's amazing! I'm so happy for you!"

She sighed contentedly, "Thank you!"

"How are things with Jim?" I asked curiously. The last I heard she had dropped Jim off at home with a minor hairline fracture, which should be healed in a few weeks. I walked to the bathroom and grabbed my toothbrush, beginning to brush my teeth.

"Oh, we had sex," she stated nonchalantly.

I choked on toothpaste, "Sorry, what?" I spluttered.

I could hear her smile through the phone, "It's just casual for now, but jeez was I right about him having a great ass."

I laughed, "There goes our yoga classes. I'm not sure if I can deal with the sexual tension between you two and focus on my zen."

"Lucky for me I get to do both at his house, on my couch, in the shower."

"Too much information, Ashley."

I cleaned the kitchen after hanging up with Ashley, trying to get my frustrations out by scrubbing the week old residue lingering on my stovetop. I felt too angry to sleep.

A sudden low knock on my door made me jump. I creaked the door open, once again blaming my crappy apartment for not having a functioning peep hole and saw a towering Lucas standing there.

I took in his cut eye and bruised face before opening the door wider in a panic, "Come in," I rushed him.

He walked in slowly and I gestured to the chair before going into my closet to grab my first aid box. When I returned to the kitchen I saw him playing with the vase of roses I had left on my table.

"These are nice," he frowned at the vase, not making eye contact.

I ignored him. "What happened to you?" I asked as I reached for some rubbing alcohol to clean the cuts.

He shrugged nonchalantly, the gesture making me so annoyed that I may have unintentionally pushed a little too hard with the cotton pad making him flinch. His icy blue eyes connected with mine, his expression soft, the opposite of what it was at the gym. "It was a street fight. I got ambushed after the fight. It's what happens if you do too many of them back to back."

I frowned at him and his eyes followed the expression, trailing down to my lips. I reached for antiseptic, applying it to the wounds, "Then why did you do it?"

"Just felt like I had to let out some steam," he explained.

I stood up and walked to my freezer to fetch an ice pack for the swelling that was beginning to appear under his eye. I handed it to him and he placed it on his face. "You own a gym. You couldn't have let out your frustrations on a punching bag?"

He closed his eyes briefly, still holding the ice pack and my heart beat quicker in frustration the longer he didn't answer. "Why are you here?"

His eyes connected to mine, "I told you, I find it calming to be around you."

I waited for him to keep talking and when he didn't I sighed, "It's late and I have to get up early tomorrow, so," I trailed rudely.

He placed the ice pack on the table and his hand reached out for mine slowly, his fingers brushing mine gently. I stood warily, my heart beating, but this time it wasn't out of anger. "Can I stay for a bit?" Lucas asked quietly.

I nodded after a moment and sat down on the chair opposite him.

His gaze locked in on my face, his eyes pooling with unsaid words. "What do you know about what happened to my brother?" He asked.

"That he was in a car accident?"

He nodded, "Someone rammed into us as I was driving. The driver had been drinking and drove through a red light. I was panicking. All I could see was blood and Daniel wasn't moving. His legs were stuck between the dashboard and the chair. The driver of the car turned out to be a UFC fighter," he stated bitterly. "He was, is, the best middleweight fighter in the world. He bought the judge off and got away with community service hours. Daniel's stuck in this chair while this guy is fighting, raking it in." Lucas's eyes were red rimmed as he finished talking and my heart leapt in my throat for him.

"Is that why you're competing?" I asked softly.

"I have to take something from him, Emily." Lucas stated determinedly.

I looked at him for a moment, "You shouldn't have done that to Daniel today. I've never seen him so low." I reprimanded, frowning.

His eyes twinkled and a a slight smile tugged on his lips, "He hasn't been since he's met you. I'll fix it. I have to fix it."

"I'm sorry if I rushed you into doing the classes, I just knew how excited Daniel was about it." I stated honestly. I was upset with myself also because I knew when I wanted something, I pushed and pushed until it became a reality. That wasn't always the best answer.

He shook his head slightly, "You have nothing to apologize for. You've brought more joy into our lives than we've felt in a good while, Emily. I'm sorry for what I said today. I get scared at the idea of him fighting in a ring. I don't want Daniel in that world. He's better than that world." His eyes were locked on mine and I felt like I could stare into the blue orbs forever. My eyes flickered to his lips for just a moment, taking in the pink, plush look they held. I wondered briefly how they would feel. How they would taste.

I cleared my throat, "What are you going to do about your brother then?"

He grinned at me, the sight making butterflies appear in my stomach, "Don't worry about that. Just bring him to the gym tomorrow."