Karmin had never seen 3,000 dollars in real life before, and she only hoped it would become the norm for her.

The large wad of cash was tucked away into her backpack as she clutched it tightly to her side. She had never had that much money on her before, and it was nerve-wracking. She was worried that it might just vanish into thin air, or they might ask for it back.

But tucked under that worry was relief. She almost had 8,000 dollars now, making up almost a quarter of her goal for the down payment. She was thankful for this fight, even though she had to get through Maddox to obtain it.

She had gone into the fight unconfident with every punch and kick filled with guilt. But now, the remorse just lingered slightly, overcome with excitement and satisfaction. It wasn't like she had hurt Maddox too much. The only thing that had taken hits was his ego.

Oh, how I loved deflating men and their egos.

But he almost had her a couple of times. Like when his arms caged her, which she did not appreciate. That was the closest thing to a hug she was probably going to get from him anyway.

When she had won, Rhys didn't know how to react. He looked like a flailing chicken trying to figure out what to say and what not to say. On one hand, he wanted to congratulate Karmin, but then on the other side, his best friend had lost. However, he did whisper, "Awesome job," when Maddox wasn't looking.

Even Murry was on the stiff side as he let them out of the gate. None of them spoke as it slowly opened, and once Maddox and Karmin walked down the empty street, it was still quiet.

Karmin wasn't sure if he was mad with the blank expression on his face. She didn't have Rhys to help with the awkwardness either since he decided to catch a ride with his uncle to grab some drinks at the bar. Rhys was underage, but that didn't stop him.

He had asked if the two of them wanted to come, but since neither of them were much partiers, they declined. But now, Karmin was regretting the decision from the thick tension between her and Maddox.

"So," she started awkwardly, attempting to break the tension. "Do you want to grab some waffles?"

She hadn't eaten before the match, and now she was starving. She felt bad about Choyce making her dinner, and since it was almost nine p.m., the three sisters would've been done eating already.

He glanced at her sideways but didn't say anything, so Karmin continued. "Come on, I think I deserve some waffles after I kicked your ass," she teased, hoping he would take it in a light-hearted way.

Maddox scoffed, side-eying her. "You did not kick my ass."

"Oh really, Mads?" she sang, glancing up at him with a playful smile and using the nickname she was really starting to like, "because I recall you tapping out like a little bitch."

"Fuck off," he grumbled, gently shoving her, but there was a ghost of a smile on his face when he heard the nickname once again. He didn't correct her.

Karmin laughed lightly, turning around to walk backwards cheerfully. "So, waffles then? I'll pay," she grinned.

"Hell yeah you're paying," he remarked, taking out the car keys from his pocket.

"Yes!" she cheered, getting into the passenger seat. "There's a diner not too far from here."

"I think I know which you're talking about," he nodded, starting up the engine.

She smiled to herself, slightly surprised with his answer. Honestly, Karmin wasn't expecting him to say yes, but she was glad he did.

The radio filled the now comfortable silence with the news as they drove in the sleepless city. She had always loved late-night drives. There was something about the dark that flooded her with a buzzing sense of excitement. She didn't know how to describe the feeling, but it was like taking in a deep, fulfilling breath after being underwater so long or being hugged by a loved one as they cling onto you like silk.

The darkness was exhilarating. It was an opioid oxygen, forever filling wine bottle type of exhilarating.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the voice of a news anchor on the radio. "Just in, a member of My Brother's Keeper, Mateo Rodriguez, had been released on bail this morning. He was first arrested on the suspicion of murder. The increase of gang activity and distribution of drugs has spread from downtown Harlem to other parts of New York City, such as Soho and even the Upper West Side."

Karmin listened intently to the news. She had been hearing a lot of this gang in the last few weeks, and it seemed like it wasn't getting any better.

"I heard My Brother's Keeper are making their way to the richer parts of New York," commented Maddox as he turned down the volume.

"I hope I never come across them," she remarked.

"You already have," Maddox pointed out. "At the fight club. They're frequent fighters and some of the best."

"Oh," she said dumbfounded. "Is that why you didn't want me coming to the fight club?"

He nodded silently as he turned into the parking lot of the diner. "They're hardcore criminals. I'm talking murder and torture among other things."

Well, they didn't sound so friendly. Karmin hoped that she wouldn't have to fight any of them. They probably didn't play by the rules, and the last thing she wanted was to be escorted out of the fight on a stretcher. She was finally beginning to gain the confidence and respect of the fight club members, and she couldn't afford to break her winning streak.

"But I heard they're laying low, so you don't have to worry about fighting them," Maddox mentioned as if she knew exactly what she was thinking while they exited the car.

That made her feel a little better, but the stress immediately vanished when the smell of brewed coffee and baked goods wafted to her the moment they entered the diner. The red and white tiles stood out against the dark green countertops with the menu written with black stencils. It resembled a vintage movie theater.

Karmin and Maddox took their seats in the leather booth at the far corner to be greeted by a waitress and some menus. Her curtain bangs were pinned against her blonde hair that skimmed against her nametag that said, Eliza. Her red lipstick stained her lips, and her winged eyeliner was slightly smudged. She gave off future Hollywood star vibes, who was only serving tables to make a living as she hustled on the side.

"What can I get for you two?" she asked, her voice thick with a Southern accent as she flipped her small notebook to a new page.

"I would like a plate of chocolate chip waffles, please," Karmin ordered kindly.

"Anything to drink with that?"

Karmin's eyes skimmed the menu. "Oh, a chocolate milkshake would be great."

"Perfect," she said, turning her attention to Maddox. "And for you?"

"I'll get the same," he said quietly as he fumbled with the menu.

Eliza hummed in response. "Your order should be ready soon."

Karmin smiled thankfully and glanced over at Maddox, who exhaled visibly. She looked at him questioningly, and he stopped playing with the menu when he felt her gaze.

"Ordering makes me nervous," he mumbled embarrassedly.

Her brows shot up in surprise. She would have never pegged him for a guy that got nervous for such a mundane thing. Karmin always thought he oozed confidence, but she was wrong. She was always wrong when it came to him.

"It's stupid, I know," Maddox whispered, not able to look her in the eye.

"It's not stupid," she said quickly. "My sister, Aaliyah is a lot like that. She's a loud person, but she gets nervous when ordering. She usually makes me order for her."

He relaxed, finally looking up with his mouth twitching upwards slightly. "I get Rhys to do it," he said. "Or I practice the order like ten times in my head, but I still get it wrong sometimes."

Karmin smiled softly at him. "This one time, Aaliyah wanted to say, 'no cheese,' but she said, 'no mayo,' instead. She was too scared to change it, so she just ate a dry burger," she chuckled lightly.

"That's happened before," he admitted shyly. "But you're never nervous, are you?" Maddox asked. "When it comes to talking."

She shook her head. "No, I love talking most of the time. I'm nervous before the fights, though. But you never seem to be. You're always confident."

"That's because I don't have to talk," he pointed out.

"Is that a disadvantage when it comes to your sisters?" Karmin wondered, recalling him telling her about his sisters.

Maddox scanned her face momentarily and nodded. "I have three. All of them are really loud, and I'm... not," he explained.

Three? I couldn't even deal with one most of the time.

"Is that why you fight? For them?"

"They go to university, too, and they need the money. My parents don't have enough saved for the four of us, so I help out as much as I can with the money from the fights," he explained.

"Tell me more about them," Karmin urged, excited that he was opening up to her a bit.

"Maybe some other time," he muttered when Eliza came with the plate of waffles, decorated with cloud-like whip cream.

The two of them began to eat in silence, stuffing their faces with the soft waffles. Karmin knew Maddox was relieved that he didn't have to talk anymore as they ate, but tonight was enough. All that could be heard were the forks clanging against the plate until Maddox's phone lit up.

He glanced down, swallowing his bite quickly. His relaxed position turned cold when he glanced up at her. "Ezra texted me about your next fight."

Karmin put down her fork, leaning forward eagerly. "Who is it?"

The tense silence was excruciating with nothing but the silent diner to keep them company until he spoke.

"Mateo Rodriguez."

I totally jinxed myself.

***

Author's Note:

Okay, so guys what are your thoughts on Maddox now? Like what vibes does he give off? I really hope his personality comes through the way I want it.

Until next time – m.k.t