Page 19 of Wrath

“Eden!” He looks shocked when he glances over his shoulder and catches me staring. My cheeks heat as he releases the bar and quickly dusts off his hands. “Whatcha doin’ here?” The frown on his face suggests he’s not happy about it, and now thatI can see how ripped the front of his body has become, my mouth goes dry and my words disappear.

“Ya good?” he checks, starting to look weirded out.

“No.” I shake my head when, suddenly, I remember why I’m here.

“What's the matter?” He steps closer, and I instantly back away. I can’t let him touch me again. His comfort may feel like it’s what I need, but it’ll only complicate things.

The disappointment in his face takes me back to the night when my whole world changed and I quickly shake those memories away and pull myself back together.

“You can’t enter that tournament, I won’t let you.” I keep my voice stern and my head held high, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach that I get whenever I’m around him. Though the way he strokes his bottom lip with his finger, and grins at me so cockily makes it impossible.

“Ya think ya got a choice on that?” He raises one of his eyebrows.

“Aaron, I’m being serious. I don’t want you to do this.”

“What’s the matter? Don’t ya think I can win?” he asks, and I have to put all my efforts into not glancing down at his body again.

“I never said that, but I know the reason you're entering and it’s stupid. I hurt Mark, and he’s mad at me right now. When things have calmed down I’ll speak to him again. I can reason with him,” I try to sound confident.

“Eden, I’m enterin’ that fight.” Aaron lifts the pack of cigarettes up from the table and slides one into his mouth. “There’s nothin’ you can do or say to stop me.” His stare intensifies, and I decide now isn’t the time to argue. The fight isn’t until next month, that gives me plenty of time to talk him out of this.

“You remember all those times we hung out here?” I look up at the lights that I stapled all the way around the porch roof. “Are they still working?” I smile.

“Light the fuckin’ place up like it’s Christmas, every night.” He laughs as he lights his smoke and tosses the lighter back at the table.

“It was gonna be here, wasn’t it? At least this is always where I pictured it happening.” I think back to all those years ago and how I’d been so desperate for Aaron to be my first. In my mind, there could never have been anyone else.

“Don’t.” Aaron looks as if he’s taken a punch to the stomach as he shakes his head and glances away from me.

“You want the truth about why I came back?” I whisper. I’m not sure what the hell’s come over me, but being here alone with him is suddenly reminding me of all the reasons I feel so in love with him.

“Of course, I do.” His answer comes out so deep and raspy that I feel it in my chest.

Swallowing a little more of my pride, I close the gap between us and take the cigarette from between his fingers. Then, placing it between my lips I take a deep inhale and watch him stare as I blow the smoke back out at him. “I saw you ride past a bar that I was coming out of,” I admit, smiling when I realize how ridiculous it sounds. “You rode past me, and suddenly all those feelings came back as if they’d never been gone. For the first time since…” I close my eyes and stop myself from going back to that night again. “...I wanted to be Eden again. I missed the girl who was in love with you. I missed the girl who wanted to lose her virginity on this houseboat and ride the back of your bike.” I crush the cigarette out in the ashtray beside me and take another step closer. “I missed the girl who you’d try real hard to resist but always gave in to.” I trail my finger over the tattoo on hischest. “That moment when you rode past, despite all she’s been through, I wanted to be her again, just so I could have th– .”

I haven’t even finished my confession before his hand slips behind my head, fisting at my hair and dragging me onto his lips. His kiss is exactly like I remember, deep, possessive, and all-consuming. It feels familiar and comforting, but when I go to wrap my arms around his neck he forces me away.

“We shouldn’t do this.” He stares at me and catches his breath. “You’re never gonna be that girl again, not after what happened. I destroyed you. I made you hate me so much that you wanted me to think you were dead.” He steps back and drops into the chair behind him, sliding his hand over his face in frustration.

“That was over ten years ago, Aaron, we were both so young. Are you really gonna let that ruin what we could have?” I look down at him begging for him to show me some fight.

“Ya know, I’ve spent the past ten years wonderin’ what I’d say to you if I ever got the chance.” He laughs to himself. “This, right here…” His finger flicks between the two of us. “...Is all I’ve ever wanted. But I’ve spent far too long hatin’ myself, and the rest of the world, for me to be good for ya.” He closes his eyes as if this is a realization that he needs to let sink in for himself.

“Aaron, you're a good person. The fact you want to do this tournament for me proves that.”

“I kill people, Eden.” He slowly raises his eyes back up at me and I see the disappointment in them. Is he expecting me to suddenly be afraid of him? “ I torture and kill people. and the most fucked-up thing about it all is how much I enjoy it.” I can see that he’s trying to scare me, but it won’t work.

“Where’s the guy who was begging me to stay yesterday?” I keep my shoulders back, determined not to show him or admit to myself how hurt I am to hear him talk like this.

“He’s right here.” He lets out that bitter laugh again. “He’s here, and he’s a bad person. Believe me when I tell ya darlin’ I’m tryin’ to do what's best for ya.” I want to punch the blank look off his face, but not as much as I want to kiss him back and make him realize why I’m here. My stupid pride just won’t let me.

“I came back here because I was fed up with living a lie. Maybe it’s time you stop living yours too.” I turn around and step back onto the wharf, leaving him to think about what I’ve said.

One Week Later

“Keep your guard higher,” Raze calls out from the edge of the pool pit while I find an open spot and flick my foot into Ruckus’s ribs. I manage to duck the haymaker he throws at me and catch him with an uppercut on my way back up, and while he recovers my eyes glance up to the motel balcony. Eden’s leaning over the rails wearing a denim skirt that’s far too short and when I catch her watching me, she quickly diverts her eyes onto something else.

“You two have been sparrin’ since ya balls dropped, you know him too well. Your opponents at that tournament ain’t gonna be so easy to predict.” Raze shakes his head and looks displeased. I’ve been pushing my body to the limit this past week, I’m tired, I’m frustrated, and I hate that Raze ain’t liking what he sees.

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