;I do struggle, I just don't quit

I fucking hate alarms. Hated everything about them. Only this wasn't my alarm that I was hating on, it was the godforsaken iPhone default ringtone.

It was barely seven am and my dad was already on the blower.

"Dad?" my voice like gravel before I quickly cleared my throat.

"I knew you'd still be in bed!" he scolded. "Kole, you owe me $100, the little shit was still asleep!" my dad bellowed down the phone as he shouted to my uncle. "It's game fucking day, get up!"

"You called me before my alarm got a freaking chance! Relax." I sighed down the speaker.

"Sometimes you make me wonder if you're taking this drafting seriously." Here we go. "I'm calling to let you know that me and your uncle will be there tonight, as will the lead scouter from Heats, I put in a good word so I expect you to be on top form tonight, ya hear?"

"Mhm. I hear."

I always hear. And although this is my dream, having my dad, uncle and a Heats scouter there piles on the pressure, pressure that was not welcome so early on in the season.

Even as I trained my ass off, first in the gym and last out, there's always doubt that I haven't done enough.

That nagging asshole in the back of my mind telling me to push further, train harder, sleep less and practise drills more.

Fuck that asshole.

"Good. I don't want to be stood in those bleachers and be disappointed because you haven't pulled your finger out your ass. This is your chance, so take it with both hands or someone else will." he so nicely advised me hours before an already impending anxious game.

"I hear ya. Dad I gotta get ready so I'll see you tonight." I say, somewhat frustrated.

We said our goodbyes and I hung up.

Giving myself a few minutes to decompress, I lay lifeless staring up at the blank white ceiling of my room when suddenly Tori pops into my head.

Ever since the date, things between us have been easy.

We're actually kinda friends now.

And yeah, I wanna be more, but I suppose it's a good thing she keeps me at arms length, especially with this season being one of the more important ones of my whole college career - I can't be getting side tracked trying to woo a girl who wants nothing more from me than friendship.

Praying she's awake, I grab my phone and call her.

It takes a few rings for her to actually answer. Damn diva.

"Hunter, this better be life or death if you're calling me at seven in the freaking morning!" Her groggy voice almost startled me with how she boomed down the speaker.

Teasing time. "Well, good morning to you too, Bella."

"Do you want to continue being alive and breathing?"

"Your threats are getting more life threatening everyday." I point out. "It's a shame I have so much fun annoying you or I'd be severely worried." I turn on my side and clear my throat while she lets out a soft but frustrated sigh. "I was wondering if you wanna go for breakfast this morning?"

She snorts. "You called me at buck ass o'clock to ask me if I wanna go for breakfast? Boy, you're so crazy if you think I won't stick my foot up your ass."

This girl seriously has no fucking filter, especially when it comes to me.

"Please? I could really use someone to talk to right now."

Groaning she says. "Fine. Grab me in an hour."

Grinning like a motherfucker. "That's my girl."

"You're a disaster. Bye, Maddox."

"Quinn! Wait," I raise my voice slightly in case she's removed the phone from her ear.

"What?" She huffs.

"What colour panties you wearing?"

"None. Bye." Then she hangs up.

Tori Quinn was something else for sure.

How can she have me biting back a smile from a fucking phone call?

An hour later - as requested - I pull up outside Tori's apartment complex, locking my door and running up the stairs, I knock on.

Thinking I was going to be greeted by my Bella, Steph opens the door. Blonde hair in a ratty bird nest looking bun, smeared mascara under her squinting eyes.

"Tee, it's for you." She calls out, looking behind the door.

"Hey Maddox, how are ya, good morning." I mimic in a high pitched voice.

Steph rolls her eyes. "Hey Maddox, how are ya, good morning." She echoes in a mockingly fake tone.

"That's better." I step inside the door way. "I'm good thank you, Stephanie." I grin while following behind into the kitchen, just as Tori exits her room.

"Hey." My brunette beauty greets me with a smile and holy fuck my jaw just drops.

No girl is supposed to look this good at eight fifteen in a freaking morning!

NO girl.

Stepping into the kitchen looking like a whole damn meal.

It's like she's purposely trying to torture me.

Dressed in a pair of dark, distressed denim booty shorts, a strapless black tank with a white Nike, open baseball jersey that's hanging off one shoulder. That pretty face bare and natural, while her hair is hanging down her back in loose waves, held back with a pair of shades.

I have to divert my eyes so I don't get a boner, that would be embarrassing - only to realise we're wearing matching Jordans.

"Damn, Bella. If I'd of known this was a date, I'd of dressed accordingly instead of shorts." I quipped, admiring her from head to toe.

"In your dreams, Hunter. I haven't even done my hair." She rolled her eyes.

"I can tell." I couldn't.

"Are you guys hiding a relationship from me?" Steph quirks up an eyebrow over the top of her coffee mug.

"No, but I think someone's hiding a hairbrush from you." Tori quickly remarked, gesturing to the messy hair.

"Don't give her idea's Steph, this girl would jump my bones if I let her." I jilted my head in Tori's direction, who proceeded by giving me a slap on the arm and shoving me towards the door, yelling bye behind her.

Once we're in the landing of the apartment complex, she nudges me. "Do you have to? You put shit in their head and I have to deal with it afterwards." She protested.

"I'm 80% sure I can't keep my mouth shut." I admit earnestly.

In a huff, she brushes past me and hops down the stairs.

As soon as we get into the car, she instantly pulls out her phone and connected to the Bluetooth.

"This a thing now?" I ask, pulling out the lot and onto the street.

"Mhm." She murmurs distractedly, flicking through her phone.

"Okay, okay, beautiful. What British banger you got for me today?"

The song starts.

"Zie Zie - mingle." She grins.

It doesn't take long before she turns into full blown rapper, dancing with her hands with such animation - it was extremely hard to keep my eyes on the road and not the facial expressions she's pulling, her sweet voice, slick body movements - she was too sexy that it was utterly distracting.

"Never sitting back, mans active. Brown and peng, she's attractive." she actively raps.

Without trying to sound like an ignorant and clueless dick, I ask. "What does peng mean?"

Of course Tori being Tori, she snorted at me. "Good looking, hot, y'know?" She informs me with a sly smirk. "I sometimes forget you don't know my lingo."

"You're peng." I say giving her a side glancing smile, but inside, I'm completely cringing.

Note to self; keep big mouth SHUT!

We reach the beach front, pulling up and cutting the engine outside a breakfast bar that does some mouth drooling bacon and egg sandwiches.

"This place is so cute," Tori says, looking around the breakfast bar in awe. "How did you find it?"

"Accidental. I was running, got hungry and stopped off here. Never regretted it since." I tell her, my hand on the small of her back as I usher her through the gated fence.

We find a seat outside, sitting across from one another, Tori's eyes are constantly flickering here, there and everywhere, like she's soaking in her surroundings. It's cute.

Looking up from the menu, she places it down in front of her and studies me.

The burning sensation doesn't go a miss because my whole body is on fire.

"What?" I asked, peaking over the menu.

She shrugs nonchalantly. "You said you wanted someone to talk too."

I nod amicably. "This is what I said."

"Is everything okay? Do you wanna talk?"

There's no teasing, no mocking, no pretend to care in her tone, she's being 100% sincere.

"It's nothing," I object. "Just.." trailing off as I grab my glass of water and take a long drink.

Tori reaches over the table and places her hand on top of my free one, wrapping her fingers around mine. "You know you can talk to me and I'll take it seriously, right?"

I do know that. Our date night proved it, yeah we bag on each other but there's a common understanding between us and we know life isn't always easy.

I let out a bitter sigh, placing my glass back on the table, avoiding as much eye contact with the beaut as possible. "My dad invited a Heats scout to my game tonight." I admit solemnly.

Her brows knit together in confusion. "Shouldn't that be a good thing?"

"You'd think so, but it's the start of the season and my dad is already convinced I'm going to disappoint him." I let out a half hearted chuckle. "What's new though, right?"

"Did he say as much?" She asks, sympathy pooling her eyes. "I mean, how do you know he's already convinced?"

"He doesn't need to come out with it outright, Tori, the shit he says is enough. Like this morning he rang me just before my alarm went off to then be telling me he doesn't think I'm taking this drafting seriously. It's like nothing I do is good enough, you know?" A heavy feeling settles in my chest as I pull my hand away from Tori's and sink in my seat.

"Well you know what I think?" she says, the brown in her hazel eyes shimmering under the sun rays.

I tilt my chin up in response.

"I think if your dad can't see how truly gifted you are at a sport you love, then he's not watching with open eyes." she softly speaks, a proud and reassuring smile on her face. "And if that is the case, then it's sad. But know this, Maddox,"

I look up with a raised eyebrow because of the fact she used my name in a serious manner.

"Know that you have plenty of people around you who can see how talented, and dedicated you are. Without a doubt in mine - or anyone else's - mind, you will get drafted and show your dad he was wrong." she promises.

I can't help but give her one of those half arsed snorts. "Whoever wins your heart is going to be a very lucky man, Bella." I confess. Feeling sick at the thought it might not be me.

"No thanks, you're enough." She sighs, picking her menu back up and scanning over the items.

Oh?