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blood boiled with energy. The chanting surrounding him was exhilarating.

It made him feel alive and the adrenaline was rushing through his bloodstream, in absolute aggression and daringness.

Boxing was a true release.

As he sent one more powerful punch to his opponent, Maddox knew he'd be declared the winner. His opponent went flying backwards as the hard hit to his jaw sent the blood flying from his mouth.

It was in slow motion. Letting Maddox see how well of a punch he delivered.

The crowd saw the prideful look in Maddox's eyes as he sent an unnoticed smirk their way, the bandana covering his mouth and nose.

Walking off the boxing ring, he made his way past the cheering audience as he walked into the more secluded hallway. Making his way to his dressing room, he collapsed on the soft bench waiting for his muscular body. An arm over his forehead, he let his eyes close as he attempted to rid himself of the ache in his back muscles.

A sudden slam of a door being opened had him flinching and snapping his eyes in high alert.

"Someone wanting to see you," a gruff voice cut through the stilled and tense air.

Rolling his eyes, Maddox looked over at his bodyguard. "You know to direct them away from me and make sure they don't disturb me."

Nathan shook his head, "They know you."

Waving a hand in dismissal, Maddox closed his eyes once more. Everyone said they knew him, it didn't mean they actually did. What kind of bullshit was Nathan referring to?

"They always say that."

"No," Nathan's hard voice lamented, "they know you."

Realization dawned over Maddox as he looked back at Nathan in cautious uncertainty.

"Who is it?"

"Some girl," Nathan said with a shrug.

Maddox resisted the urge to slap Nathan over the head, "What did she look like?"

"Uh tiny, long hair and um her name is Eve? Or Eva. Something with an E."

Like a ghost possessing his body, Maddox was sitting up in seconds and calling for Evelyn to be let in. Why was she here? How did she even know about this place? Running his hands through his hair, Maddox felt like he wasn't prepared enough.

The conversation they had back at his house happened over two weeks ago. He kept the conversation short, telling her the same shit he spout the day when she first confessed that she liked him. She called him out on his bullshit again. He made it seem like she was just seeing things again.

After that, he made it a mission to ignore her. He knew it was dangerous to get into anything with Evelyn. She was too innocent and he was too stained.

He had a complicated life and she just added to that. He didn't need to be a burden to yet another person.

He'd been ignoring her for a while now and Reese gave him hell for doing such a thing. He passed on going to the diner or warehouse just in case she'd be there. Knowing he couldn't hide from her in school, he did the shitty thing of walking past her and letting everyone take their pleasure in tormenting her once again. Even though he knew she most likely hated his guts at the moment, she still chose to spare him some of the kindness in her.

It started on Monday.

She passed him a smile and continued to greet him to which he proceeded to walk by as if he'd never seen her. Then Tuesday turned over and he did the same thing. By the time Thursday rolled around though, she got the message.

He had no interest in sticking around.

So why was she here all of the sudden? Why would she even risk showing her face around here? And what the hell was taking so long? He'd told Nathan to bring her in a while ago.

Groaning, he grabbed the bandana and tied it around his mouth and nose once again before making his way outside into the relentless crowd of drunk, horny and rebellious young adults.

Finding Nathan frantically looking around, Maddox grabbed his shoulder forcing Nathan to turn towards him.

"I told you to let Evelyn in," he yelled over the loud music.

"When I walked back into the crowd, I lost her. I've been trying to find her ever since," Nathan said with a guilty conscious.

Maddox's eyes widened in honest rage.

"What the hell! In this crowd, her being lost is bad for all of us! You know the kind of people that hang around here aren't exactly most kind," Maddox growled out in concern and anger.

Throwing his hands up in surrender, Nathan tried to calm Maddox down, "Look I'm sorry man. But someone told me that they saw Reller talk her up."

His blood ran cold. Reller wasn't a name he found very welcoming and he hated that guy's guts with the utmost passion.

"Find her," he gritted out in irritation and fury.

Walking off, Maddox made his way around the facility, trying to find Evelyn. Knowing her, he had a feeling she didn't willingly disappear. And he had a feeling she didn't exactly want to be around Reller.

Just a guess, but Evelyn was smarter than that.

Looking around, he groaned in frustration. He decided to go back to his room and call some other people to help him out. People he trusted.

As he made his way back though, he caught sight of a small brunette in a pair of his joggers being delicately led to a more desolate area of the party.

Pushing past the massive throng of people, he rushed into the narrow corridor as he caught sight of Reller with his girl.

Catching up to them, he quickly ripped Reller away from Evelyn as he smashed his head into the wall beside him. Jabbing him in the gut, Maddox then brought his knee to the bloodied guy's head.

"The fuck!"

Not letting Reller get a word in, Maddox briskly held Reller up against the wall. "Don't you ever go near her again," he seethed with disdain and disgust.

A maniacal laugh fell out of Reller's mouth though. "We'll see about that," he threateningly mocked.

Growling, Maddox pushed him into the wall once more before letting go and rushing over to Evelyn.

Seeing her collapsed form, he lifted her chin and took notice of the dried tears staining her face and a cheek that looked like it was going to sport a fresh bruise by tomorrow morning. Noticing her droopy eyes and slouched form, he cursed under his breath.

Fucker had the audacity to drug her.

"Come on," he mumbled hoisting her up in his arms. "Let's get you somewhere comfier."

As she groaned quietly, he swiped the hair sticking to her forehead in this humid environment.

"It'll be okay," he gently said as he rushed back to his dressing room.

Kicking the door open to the dimly lit space, he walked over to the big sofa and lay her down as gently as possible.

She was out of it.

Rushing over to the mini fridge, he rummaged to find a water bottle before opening it and hurrying back to Evelyn's dazed form.

Lifting her falling head up, he tried to open her mouth.

"Come on Evelyn," he mumbled. "Open your mouth for me."

Nathan bolted through the door trying to catch his breath, "Someone said they saw her on the other side of the building."

As his eyes trained onto the scene in front of him, his face flushed. "Oh yo—you found her."

Nodding his head in annoyance, Maddox rolled his eyes. Dismissing him, Nathan went back outside closing the door.

Looking back at Evelyn, he was taken aback by her intense stare. She was looking up at him, with tears brimming her big eyes and a distraught expression. He almost got lost in them.

He barely noticed when she started leaning closer, her eyes focused on his lips. However, all he could think about was his father's words. They had been playing in his mind since he ruined everything.

He'd always be a broken wing.

Shaking his head to snap him out of his trance, he tried to get her to drink water once more. Coaxing her into drinking some, he finally succeeded as he let the water rest on the table beside them. Watching her shift around uncomfortably, he had a feeling she was dying to get out of the sweater she was wearing.

What was she even wearing?

Shaking his head in amusement, he stared at her with a small smile on his face.

"Do you want to wear a thinner top?" he asked as she shifted once more. Stopping at his voice, she looked at him before shaking her head.

"You look like you're dying to get out of that sweatshirt Evelyn," he spoke.

"N—no I'm fi—I'm fine," she stuttered out with a croaky voice.

Shaking his head, he combed his hands through her hair. "I don't believe you," he said with a set tone looking at her to challenge him.

Not meeting his gaze, she stared at the pilling of her sweatshirt before mumbling incoherently.

He had to strain his ears to hear, but when he did he froze in his place.

You don't like the way I look.

He could tell the drug still hadn't worn off completely. It wore off enough for her to have some sense of what was going on, but not enough for her to be in complete control of what she was saying.

"What," he gritted out with furrowed eyebrows.

"You don't like the way I look," she mumbled looking up at him beneath her eyelashes. "I'm ugly to you."

Before he could respond and reassure her otherwise, she continued onwards.

"I do—don't want to be ugl—ugly to you," she whispered in a broken voice. "I want you to think I'm beau—I want you to think I'm beautiful."

Lost for words, he had no clue what to do. She left him in a state of shock. Why would she think that he found her ugly?

For obvious reasons asshole.

He knew his words from that night hurt her, but he was so focused on his own pain, he didn't realize just how much damage he had made.

As a tear fell down her cheek, he worryingly wiped it.

"Hey hey," he murmured, "I don't think you're ugly."

Staring at him in confusion and sadness, she sniffled as more tears made their way down her cheeks.

"Then why didn't you kiss me," she cried as her voice cracked.

She turned her head away from him as he attempted to wipe her tears, her body shaking from all the crying.

Not knowing what to do, he took advantage of her distractedness as he slipped her sweatshirt off her. Grabbing a thin tank top from his small closet, he quickly slipped it onto her as she continued to softly cry.

Shuffling onto the sofa and bringing her on top of him, he kissed her cheeks faintly.

"I think you're beautiful."

Watching her stare back at him, he knew he had told the truth.

Her delicate cheekbones set high on her cheeks and her pout lips open as she licked them to take the taste of tears away. Her big eyes as she looked at him with doubt and her long lashes almost touching her furrowed eyebrows.

She was beautiful.

Fuck everything he had previously thought about her because in that moment, he had never said anything truer.

She blew his breath away. Quite possibly the most beautiful girl he'd ever laid eyes on.

All the sudden, he regretted not kissing her when he had the chance.

But it seemed he had another chance in that moment as she leaned closer once again, her eyes flickering between his eyes and his lips. He didn't scold the action as he raised his head to close the distance between them. Thoughts ran through his head and he stopped.

Not because he didn't want to kiss her. But because it was the wrong time. The drugs still had an effect on her and he didn't want to savor her oh-so-kissable lips while in a grimy room in an old boxing facility with her high.

He saw hurt flash through her eyes as he turned his face away from her to keep their lips from finally touching.

She bit her lip as she quietly looked away, an angered blush dotting her cheeks.

"Look at me," he whispered, grabbing her face in his hands softly and bringing their foreheads together.

"I do want to kiss you. But not like this."

Understanding crossed her features as she flushed with embarrassment at what she was about to do.

"Because I'm high," she stared in seriousness.

As he digested her words, he found himself amused. Chuckling, he kissed the corner of her lips.

Close enough.

"Something like that," he smiled against her cheek.

She let out a light giggle as she let her body collapse onto his.

"Okay," she whispered.

Kissing her temple, he wrapped his arms around her in an affectionate embrace.

"I don't wan't to quote The Fault in Our Stars but," he paused smiling at her softly.

"Okay."

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