Punch. Punch. Punch.

My wrapped fists pound into the boxing bag before me over and over again, the repetitive sound so familiar to my ears.

Punch. Punch. Punch.

Muscles tight and tired, I push through the burning I feel in my lungs.

Punch. Punch. Punch.

No thoughts cloud my mind for once as I tear into the bag in front of me.

Punch. Punch. Punch.

Boxing is my escape.

"Reecey!" I pause at the sound of my name being called amid a flurry high-pitched giggles. My eyes land on the blonde-haired princess running towards me and I smile, crouching down with my arms open for her. The little girl flings herself into my chest, little arms curling around my neck as I stand back up to my full height.

"How are you, Princess Ariella?" I murmur, gently rubbing her back as she holds on to me.

She pulls her face back from my neck and I'm met with a gap-toothed grin. "Good! Daddy said I shouldn't run up to you while you're punching stuff, but I knew you'd catch me."

I laugh, looking over her shoulder and seeing her father and my coach, Gunner standing in the doorway of his office with his younger son, Arlo, in his arms. Starting to walk over to them, I set Ariella on my hip. "I'll always catch you, Princess."

"That's what I told him!" She agrees, kicking her legs around as I carry her, patting my shoulders to some imaginary music.

"He should be training though, Sweetheart." Gunner shakes his head, setting two-year-old Arlo down on the ground in front of him. The little boy stumbles over to me adorably, wrapping his little arms around my leg. With a smile, I scoop him up and set him down on my other hip.

"Actually," I glance at the watch on my wrist, maneuvering my head around Arlo so that I can see the time. 9:36. The party will be in full swing by now. "I better be going."

Gunner crosses his arms over his chest, leaning against the doorframe. "You're leaving early." It's more of a question that a statement, his Australian accent as thick as the day I met him four years ago.

I shrug, placing a kiss on both the kids' foreheads before carefully setting them both on their feet. They happily trot away together, leaving me to unwrap my hands. "I know, but I have to go."

"Oh really?" He drags out the words, giving me a look that tells me to elaborate.

I roll my eyes, shoving my things into my bag and zipping it up, not bothering to put on my shirt as I'm too sweaty still. "Anna's at a party tonight. I'm worried about her."

His face morphs into one of realization, his muscles tensing as he gives me a nod. "Alright then. But don't make slacking a regular thing or I'll kick your áss. Got it, Carter?"

I sling my bag over my shoulder and only smile as I start walking towards the entrance of the gym. "Say hi to Paige for me!" I call out as I open the door, referring to his wife. I catch him shaking his head at me just before I turn and shut the door behind me.

The cold evening air is a welcome shock to my system as it meets my hot skin, immediately cooling me down. I don't waste any time while walking over to my car, throwing my bag into the passenger seat as soon as I get to it before getting in and leaving the parking lot.

I'm worried about this party. I'm worried about Anna being there without me. And weirdly, I'm worried about Layla who I know is going to be there too. I don't have a clue why I'm worried about her, but I am. She is too pure. I don't want anything bad to happen to her.

Twenty minutes later, I pull up outside the house party. Reaching into my gym bag, I pull out a t-shirt and throw it on before getting out of my car and heading towards the house. As soon as I walk through the open front door, my chest starts jumping with each beat of the music pounding in my ears. I walk towards the living room that has become a makeshift dance floor, knowing that would be the best place to start the search for my sister.

I quickly spot Liam amongst the crowd, his height making him easy to spot. Making my way over to where he is standing against the wall, I follow his gaze into the crowd of people dancing. I quickly pick Anna out of the bunch, seeing her dancing with a group of girls.

"Why aren't you out there with her?" I ask, making sure my eyes stay on her to ensure she is safe.

I feel Liam shrug next to me. "She's having fun on her own."

I roll my eyes. "You need to man up, bro. I know you love her, and I trust you to take care of her. Why are you holding back?"

"Reecey!" Anna suddenly appears in front of us, a wide grin on her flushed face. "You made it!" Then she turns her eyes to Liam, her face falling into a pout as she holds her hands out to him. "Dance with me please?"

He hesitates, glancing at me as if asking for my permission. Even after I have just told him I trust him, and he should go after her. I roll my eyes, pushing him towards her. Anna grins, taking his hands in hers and dragging him into the throng of dancing people.

Now that I'm sure Anna is in safe hands, it is time to find Sunshine. I can't spot her amongst the gyrating group of people, so I move towards the next room over. I step over the threshold and into the kitchen, my eyes scouring the few faces in the room.

My eyes stop their search when they land on her small frame clad in a tight blue dress, blonde hair curled and bouncing around her face. She is laughing at something the girls in front of her are saying, eyes crinkled and mouth smiling. I can't help the way my eyes wander her figure, gazing at the dip of her waist and the curve of her hips. I am completely hypnotized by her.

I quickly snap myself out of my stupid thoughts when her green eyes connect with mine. Her smile widens – if that is even possible – and her eyes twinkle under the fluorescent lights. She bounds over to me happily, blonde curls swaying around her small frame.

"Reece! I've been waiting-" She pauses as she reaches me to hiccup abruptly, "-for you to get here."

I can't hide my surprise, eyebrows raising as I stare down at her. "Oh really?"

Her head bobbles with her enthusiastic nod. "Uh huh. I wanted to dance with you," she hiccups again, "and now that you're here, we can dance!" Without warning, she grabs my hand and starts pulling me back towards the source of the music still insistently thrumming in my ears.

"I don't know, Sunshine. I don't really dance." I try to reason with her, hoping she can hear me over the music. Even as I speak, my body betrays me, stepping closer to her. I have never wanted to dance with someone so bad and I can't understand why. She is intoxicating.

Layla turns back to face me in time for me to catch the roll of her eyes. "Don't be silly." Another hiccup. "Anyone can dance!"

I can't stop her as she drags me onto the dance floor and between the sweaty bodies, pulling her body closer to mine. When her arms wind themselves around my neck, my eyes widen in shock. She is so close to me I can smell her vanilla shampoo or perfume or whatever it is that makes her smell so good. Her small body presses right against me as she starts to sway, and I can feel my face. Resting my hands in the middle of her back, I don't dare let my hands stray.

Her fingertips burn the bare skin of the back of my neck and I welcome the feeling, watching in a daze as she smiles and sways. Giggling, she comes closer, her nose briefly brushing against my own. I don't understand what is happening. How is this happening? She draws her bottom lip between her teeth, gazing up at me through dilated emerald eyes. "You have such pretty eyes." She tells me, her voice a whisper across my cheeks.

Oh. Oh. She is most definitely drunk right now.

I swallow roughly and try to hold my own. But I'm melting under her fingertips, unable to stop myself from her temptation. She isn't even doing anything. I'm not even doing anything, and yet I feel like I am indulging in something forbidden. Since my ex, I have never allowed anyone to be so close. Especially not someone as tantalizing as Sunshine.

"Do I?" I ask after a pregnant pause, flexing my fingers against her back. I don't know how she can stand there and tell me my eyes are pretty when she is staring at me with the most captivating emerald-toned stare I've ever seen.

She nods lazily, her nose brushing against mine once more. I can't explain the tingles that shoot through my spine. "And you have really long eyelashes. I wish mine were like that." She pouts and I have to force my eyes away from her lips.

"Your eyelashes are beautiful too, Sunshine." I reassure her, gazing down at the beautiful girl in my arms with what must be a stupid smile on my face.

Her pout lifts into a breath-taking grin. "I love it when you smile. And when you laugh. You look even more gorgeous than usual. And I get to see your dimples."

I smirk, trying to ignore the insistent pounding of my heart in my chest. "So you're saying I usually always look gorgeous?"

She nods, giggling again, "Basically every time I see you, you look gorgeous. But I guess you have to look ugly sometimes, right? Like, maybe when you wake up... No, never mind. I bet you have adorable bed hair and a cute lazy smile when you wake up. You'll probably look even more gorgeous than you do now."

She is babbling on now, clearly lost in her head and very obviously drunk. I sigh softly, starting to walk her backwards through the crowd. I need to get her home.

"How much have you had to drink, Sunshine?" I ask, pressing my palms firmly into her back to keep her close to me as I push through the crowd. I hesitate when she lets her head fall to my chest, leaning most of her weight on me as we shuffle through the crowd. How can she trust that I will hold her just like that? I will, obviously, but how can she just trust me like that?

"I don't know," She giggles, lazily poking me in the chest, "How much have you had to drink?"

"I haven't had anything to drink." I reply, spotting Liam in the crowd just before I make it to the front door. I gesture to Layla in my arms and nod towards the door, telling him that I'm leaving. He nods, giving me a thumbs up to let me know he is okay here with Anna.

Layla adjusts the position of her head, resting her chin on my chest and looking straight up at me. I can't resist sparing a glance down at her, only to see those bright emerald eyes staring up at me happily. "That means you can drive me to get ice cream!"

My heart practically beating out of my chest, I force my expression to remain somewhat neutral, raising an eyebrow playfully. "And why would I do that?"

She pouts, mood changing from happy to sad in a millisecond. "You're not going to buy me ice cream?"

"I-" She cuts me off quickly.

"I guess you don't care about me enough to get me ice cream." She states, pushing herself away from me.

I furrow my eyebrows, beyond confused. "I never-"

"No. Reece, it's fine. I'll go get ice cream by myself." And then she starts walking away from me.

What did I do wrong?

"I was only kidding, Sunshine." I tell her, reaching out and gently tugging her back to me by her wrist, "I'll buy you any ice cream you want."

She pauses, looking up at me uncertainly, "Really?"

"Really. As many scoops as you like too."

She grins, "Yay!"

Chuckling, I start walking in the direction of my car, "Come on, Layla, let's go."

The grin instantly drops from her lips and she steps away from me once more. "You- You didn't call me Sunshine."

I furrow my brows, "You like it when I call you that?" She nods, looking down at the ground as she continues to frown. I refrain from sighing, stepping towards her, and bending my knees slightly. When she still won't look up at me, I gently reach out to hold her chin between my thumb and index finger, forcing her to meet my gaze. "I'm sorry, Sunshine. I didn't know you liked the name so much."

Her eyes flicker between both my own for a moment, "Promise me you'll always call me that?"

I bite back a smile, nodding my head, "Sure thing, Sunshine."

She grins, grabbing my hand in hers and pulling me down the street. "Great! Now, let's go get some ice cream!" Then she suddenly stops, turning to face me once again with a little tilt of her head. "Where's your car?"

A small smile pulls at my lips as I gently tug on her hand that is still in mine, leading her towards my car. Layla skips along beside me happily for a moment before shuffling closer after a moment, yawning tiredly as she presses up against me. She must be cold.

We soon reach my car and I dig my keys out of my pocket, reaching out to open the passenger door for her as I unlock it. She gives me a breath-taking smile as she slides into the seat. "Thanks, Reecey."

I shut the door once she's climbed in and shake my head to myself. She just said thank you. Stop being a fúcking loser. Quickly jogging around to the front of the car, I hop into the driver's seat and waste no time in starting the car. Once I have pulled out onto the road, the car is silent for a mere two seconds before Layla reaches out and turns the radio on. She fiddles with the buttons for a moment before she grins. Leaning back, her hand falls back into her lap as the lyrics of the song fill the car.

I recognize the song from when my sister went through her One Direction phase a few years ago, but I can't put a name to the sound. They're music is pretty good though, so I'm not complaining. And I'm definitely not complaining when Layla begins to sing. Because she is really fúcking good.

"She's not afraid of all the attention

She's not afraid of running wild

How come she's so afraid of falling in love

She's not afraid of scary movies

She likes the way we kiss in the dark

But she's so afraid of f-f-falling in love"

My gaze keeps moving between her and the road as I try to concentrate whilst also not being able to help the way my eyes are drawn to her. Not only is her voice amazing, but she looks beautiful when she sings.

Another song comes on after that one has finished, and she knows all the words to that one too. Then the song after that as well. I just sit and listen, trying not to let the absolute awe show on my face. I find myself drowning. I'm drowning in her voice, in her words, in her presence. Drowning in her.

When I pull up outside the ice cream parlor, a feeling of disappointment washes over me. I want to hear her sing forever. But seeing her face light up when the store comes into view is just as good a feeling.

I grab my leather jacket from the backseat of the car, pulling it on as I step outside. I wait for Layla to round the front of the car as well before we walk towards the store. Opening the door to the ice cream parlor, I'm instantly greeted with cold air. I step aside and let Layla step inside before me and she smiles up at me, murmuring, "Thank you."

When we step further into the store, Layla's eyes are instantly drawn to the giant freezer containing the many flavors of ice cream. She quickly skips over to it and I chuckle softly, following after her. Pressing her hands against the glass, she peers down at all the ice cream. She shivers obviously and I frown, realizing she is still in only her small, blue dress.

Without giving it too much thought, I shrug off my leather jacket to give to her. "Put this on, Sunshine." I tell her, holding out the black jacket to her.

She turns to see what I'm referring to, eyes flickering up to mine as her eyebrows furrow. "But then you'll be cold."

I shake my head with a small smile, stepping forward to drape the jacket over her shoulders. "I'll be fine, Sunshine."

She huffs but doesn't put up anymore fight, sliding her arms through the sleeves and pulling the jacket around her tightly. The jacket is way too big on her, the arms completely covering her hands. But she doesn't seem to mind as she goes back to looking at all the flavors of ice cream. After a short while, we both decide, and I go up to the counter to order.

"Can I please get an ice cream in a cone with one scoop of cookie dough and one scoop of chocolate fudge?" I ask the older man behind the counter.

He nods, grabbing a cone, "Anything else?"

"Uh, yeah. Can I get another cone with one scoop of cookies and cream?"

"Sure thing," The man finishes with the first cone and hands it to me before he starts making the second one.

I turn to the girl standing beside me, her green eyes bright with delight as she continues to peer down at all the ice cream in the freezer. "Here you go, Sunshine." She looks up at me and takes the two-scoop ice cream cone with a grin, "Thanks, Reece."

I take my own ice cream cone from the man as he holds it out for me, handing him the money before we walk out of the store, the little ball of sunshine bouncing ahead of me. Hardly anyone is about as I walk down the footpath, Layla skipping and bounding ahead of me happily. She stops when she reaches a bench, sitting down and continuing to eat her ice cream happily. Smiling, I shake my head slightly before sitting down beside her.

It is quiet for a moment before she pulls her legs up onto the seat and turns to face me, sitting crisscross applesauce. The jacket engulfs her entirely making her look even smaller than she usually does. Tilting her head to the side a little, her eyes flicker across my face as I watch her. "What's your favorite color?"

I smirk slightly, holding back the grin that is threatening to split my face, "My favorite color?" She nods her head enthusiastically, licking her ice cream as she waits for me to reply. I sigh, "Green."

Her eyes scan my face for a moment before she grins and nods once, "Good choice. Wanna know mine?"

I smile subconsciously, "Sure."

"It's yellow!" She tells me happily.

My smile widens into a grin, "Figures."

She furrows her eyebrows, licking her ice cream, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I do call you Sunshine."

Her face breaks out into a grin again, "Oh yeah! I like when you call me that."

I tilt my head slightly as I study her. That is the second time she has told me that tonight. "Why?"

She shrugs, facing the street instead of me as she continues eating her ice cream with a small smile on her face, "I don't know. It makes me feel special, I guess."