Chapter 3

Tyler is a far cry from a boy who gave me the most precious thing in the world four years ago. Muscled, sinewy, and imperial, he has zero per cent body fat, bulging arms and tattoos.

A prominent V points down to his holy grail, and by the way, my fellow cheerleaders sigh beside me, they've noticed it, too. Knight is skinnier in comparison. Not that it matters. He has feline patience you cannot help but admire, and when he's in his element, I've seen him take down guys triple his size without breaking a sweat.

They circle each other, quiet and deadly and serious. Knight is expressionless, as per usual. Stoic and calm. Tyler looks out of focus, wearing a loony smile on his lips.

"Does he fight here often?" I ask no one in particular.

"Nope." Ariel who sits two rows down takes a pull of his beer. His friends beside him are passing a clipboard with names written on it between them. They've been placing bets on the fights all night, and this one takes the cake. Ariel snatches the clipboard and pushes it into his duffel bag, balling his varsity jacket and stuffing it on top to conceal it. Guess he still thinks it's a secret that he runs a betting ring. Rumour has it, he makes a small fortune running these bets, and Knight—the guy who hates money and everything it represents—gets a cut.

Everyone knows what he does with it. Saving so he can open his studio without touching a dime of his parents' wealth.

"Tyler looks unfocused Something's up." He finishes his bottle and rubs his hands together. Something's up. I need to stop this guilt-fest. Did I throw him off his game?

My breath catches deep inside my throat as the two measure each other on the dead field, their body language a perfect mirror. Knight is the first to throw a punch in Tyler's face. It's a heavy blow, and Tyler's nose bursts with blood. People shriek and suck in a collective breath. Tyler stumbles backwards, laughing and shaking his head as if he dodged the hit.

He makes eye contact with me licking the blood on the corner of his upper lip, then pounces on Knight in a way I've never seen before. Bengal tiger. I almost forgot how quick and graceful he was. Is. Tyler jams Knight to the ground, locking his knees on either side of Knight's torso, then rains sloppy fists down on his face. Some hit. Some miss. I want to throw up. The crowd is screaming.

This hasn't happened before. Knight has taken some serious beatings over the past couple of years, but he's never been thrown to the ground. Knight knows better than to squirm and waste his energy. He learned jiujitsu before he was kicked out of three different classes for being disobedient.

"Knight! Knight! Knight !" All Saints High students chant from our side of the bleachers, throwing empty cans of beer to the sidelines. Students from Las Jun, the other school, remain silent but no less intimidating.

They are less prone to public gestures, but I know better than to think they're any less loyal to their football star. Knight has a busted lip and a black eye before he manages to roll on top of Tyler and mount him, kneeing his ribs. Tyler pushes Knight clumsily, and before I know it, they're stumbling back upright again. Knight is toying with a plastered Tyler, but his fists are precise and accurate.

I see Ariel striding along the sidelines of the ring, running his fingers through his hair, exhaling sharply. "Let's wrap it up, you're bleeding like a chick on her period."

"Which is why I'm not going to kill him and just teach him a valuable lesson. He'll thank me." Knight winks, spitting a lump of blood as he circles Tyler again. He's in a mood when he fights. Knight sends a roundhouse kick to Tyler's chin. Blood sprays across the floor, shooting from his mouth like a rainbow.

He falls a beaten and bloody mess and doesn't move. One second. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Get up. Get up. Get up. A scream erupts from my mouth before I can swallow it down and rings in my ears. Sun, Lisa, and Lune tug me down the bleachers. Ariel enters my periphery, wrapping his arms around me quickly. Knights are hurling people left and right with his shoulders as kids pour out to the field in what looks like a massive fight between the two schools.

Ariel ushers me to the parking lot and shoves me into Sun's jeep. The back seat doesn't have much space, and I'm forced to sit straight and slap a hand over my mouth so I don't puke. He twists a bottle of water open and hands it to me. I take it, but my hands shake too hard for me to take a sip without spilling it all over.

"What was that," I asked shaking, there was so much blood. I was sure Tyler would have won.

"I don't know but I didn't expect that," he says looking at me.

"Do you know him?" he asked

"What, no" I lied, not sure why.

"Why did he look at you like you owed him something"

"Fuck me if know Ariel!" I yelled at him not sure why

"Whatever you say, but just remember where you come from," he says giving me a hard look "he's not part of us, they don't fuck with us. They would rather see you dead"

"I don't fucking know him, Ariel, okay! I accidentally barged into him before the match. I guess he was angry about" I said looking out the window. I don't know why I just won't tell him I knew him, it felt a little dirty secret.

"Good stay away from him, he's bad news" yeah right, I don't think you're any better than him. The door was pulled open before he could say anything else. I looked at the person and saw a bloody Knight.

He looked horrible, his eyes were already swollen, his lips had a huge cut. There was a bruise forming on his cheeks.

"Oh, Knight" I pulled him in hugging his naked chest. I don't care about the blood or sweat. This was my fault, even though he won Tyler still did a number on him. He looked bad.

"Hey, bells, don't cry I'm fine" I didn't realise I was crying until he wiped it with his thumb. I wasn't sure if I was crying for him or Tyler.

"That was horrible, I couldn't stomach it," I tell him

"Hey, it's fine I won't let you come again. Too dangerous" he pulls me placing a kiss on my head.

"Your gonna fight again!" he could have gotten seriously hurt or worse died

"Don't worry," he says ending the conversation, getting in the car. "Didn't you drive here?"

"Nah, Via gave me a ride"

"Oh," I say feeling a little hurt. He knew how much I hated her.

"That was an amazing knight!" Sun yelled when she got to the car

"The way you knock that bastard out! It was...." she made hand gestures laughing.

"Seriously sick bro," Ariel says punching his shoulders. Was I the only that was worried if Tyler was still available? I listen as the congratulated him, I guess so.

Was he out know? Was he still on the floor? I held the sea glass around my neck, I had made it into a necklace with one of my chains. My mother freaked when she was me wearing it 4 years ago, she tried her best to get me to throw it out but I couldn't. I don't know why.

"We are heading over to Ash's house." Sun starts the car "party time!!" She yells

"Are you going" Knight whispers in my ear as we zoomed past the city.

"I don't think I can sneak back in," I say looking at the time. It was almost midnight, my parents were asleep. It would be too risky to sneak back in, I will go in the morning when Melissa; our house cook. Wakes up.

"That's fine, I'm staying over at Ash you can sleep there" he was too close for my liking, but I was enjoying his warmth.

"I can just sleep at Sun's don't want to bother you," I say out loud so she could hear me.

"No problem baby" she winked at me

"It's fine, I want you to stay" his hands move to my naked thigh too close to my lady parts. I look up at him, confused why he was being touchy today. Knight has never tried to you me inappropriate before, sometimes he even apologises when he accidentally touches me.

"I need help with cleaning my cuts" I felt bad immediately. He just took a beating, of course, he needs help. And I knew he couldn't go home looking like this, his parents were there. That's why we were going to Ash's, his parents are never home.

"Okay, I will come" Looking forward I make eye contact with Ariel through the rear review mirror. He had an unreadable look on his face as he watches Knight puts his head on his shoulder and closes his eyes. He must be really tired.