9 Chapter Eight

"Erik!" I yelled when I got home. I looked in the kitchen and saw a note on the table. That's odd. Why didn't he just text me? I looked at the note.

Devyn, At the Lotus Diner. See you around 7.

-Erik

I pulled out my phone and saw I had 4 new messages from Chris.

2:07 DEVYN, I KNOW WHY KYLE WAS MAD. TEXT ASAP!

3:15 DEV, GET BACK TO ME NOW

4:30 DEVYN GET TO THE LOTUS DINER NOW!

5:OO OH MY GOD DEVYN PLEASE GET THIS MESSAGE!

5:02 MISSED CALL FROM CHRISTINA

The last message was sent at five and it's 5:04. I ran out the door and got in Aunt Valery's car since she was here, just asleep. I drove straight to The Lotus.

When I got there I saw Christina standing outside the diner looking really upset. I got out of my car and made my way over to her.

"Hey Chris what's..." I started but was cut off by her wrapping herself around me in a hug. When she pulled away, she started to explain.

"Erik and I were hanging out at your house when Kyle came barging in with a black eye and a cut lip. Erik tried to ask what happened, but Kyle wouldn't say anything— and I mean anything—with me in the room, so him and Erik stepped away and I caught a little of their conversation." She smiled coyly. That's why she's my best friend.

"Well?" I pressed.

"Devyn, Kyle is a professional fighter. One of the best." Now I'm confused.

"What does that have to do with what's going on?"

"Follow me." She said, grabbing my wrist, leading me like a child.

We walked next door to the training dojo. She led me to the back and led us through the crowd of people huddled around a fighting ring where Kyle and a light haired dark Arizona tanned boy getting ready to fight. I know that boy. There is only one person here with an Arizona tan other than me.

"Kasen?" I asked. He turned to look at me and his eyes widened so much I thought his eyes were going to fall out of his sockets. He looked between me and Kyle as if he was deciding which was more important: explaining what the hell is he doing or fighting Kyle anyway.

"Let's get this over with Mason. Beating your ass should be easy since I've done it for the past 3 years." He said with his eyes never leaving mine until the last minute. I could see the apology and guilt written all over Kasen's face, but I ignored it and did the one thing I've always done. I ran.

I don't know if Christina tried to follow me or if Erik did, but at this moment I didn't care. I walked out of the dojo and sat down on the bench outside the dojo. I just sat there stunned. Kasen, my best friend for 3 years, fights? I must have been so out of it that it wasn't until Kasen came out of the dojo and started screaming that I realized I had zoned out entirely.

I looked to my right and saw Kameron and Kasen about to go at it. I looked to my left and saw Erik and Christina bringing Kyle out of the dojo. Seeing the way Kyle looked it made me flinch. Kasen did all that? I ran over to Kasen and tried to stop him from starting something he didn't want to start. (In hindsight, I could have tried to stop him better but at the time my mind was blurred). I went to stop him by running right between them. By the time I made it into his line of vision, his fist had made contact with my jaw. I heard screams from all around as the world I once was able to see faded to black.

===

"Hey, guys, I think she's finally coming back." I heard a voice before I saw the person. My eyes fluttered open. I took in what I saw before me. Which wasn't much since someone's fat head was in my line of vision.

"Hey Dev." Someone said. I went to sit up and pain surged through my head.

"Okay, I know I didn't get drunk so this pain is not because of a hangover, so I'm only going to ask once, why in the world does my jaw hurt?" I asked, leaning my head on whoever helped me sit up.

"You got punched in the face by an asshole Princess." Someone that was definitely not Kasen muttered. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw 2 unfamiliar faces, my best friend, Kasen, and jail cell bars.

"Kasen, what's going on? Who are these people?" I asked panicking while pulling my head off this stranger.

"Devyn, don't you remember us?" The same guy said again this time his voice full of concern. Where have I heard that voice?

"No, should I?"

"Yes. Devyn, don't you know any of us? Kyle? Erik? Christina?"

"Erik? I remember Erik, but not Kyle or Christina."

"C'mon, Princess." A new voice said. I looked and saw him.

"Kyle." As I repeated it memories came flooding in my brain. I looked everyone in the cell and with a new face came new memories.

"Princess?" Kyle asked.

"Why do you keep calling me Princess? I thought my name was Scarface to you." I asked. His eyes glazed over with hurt but only for a second then poof! It was gone.

"I told you Scarface just doesn't suit you anymore." He folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes as if he was masking his pain with an act of an bad boy persona. His sentence echoed in my head.

He kissed her; she kissed back. When they pulled away he looked her in the eye and said, "Princess, I haven't known you long, but I think I am falling in love with you."

I gasped loudly; Kyle didn't move. "I remember." I said turning to Kasen. "I remember it all." I said to him. My hand went to my jaw and I flinched. He flinched too. He didn't say anything though. He didn't apologize. He didn't explain. Nothing. It was all quiet.

"I still can't believe you got us arrested." I muttered, breaking the silence. Christina was beside Kasen, and Erik. Kyle was beside me. Kyle and Kasen looked as if they got in a fight with each other. (Bloody lips, lightly forming black eyes, and cut up fists). This in reality Kyle and Kasen did.

"We didn't get arrested Princess, you can stop your glaring. We're just waiting for our parents." Kyle muttered back mimicking my agitated tone poorly.

"Are you kidding!? We are still in a jail cell!" I yelled finally snapping.

"Dev, just calm down, we are only in a holding cell." Kasen finally said after not talking for what seemed like hours. I looked at him and saw the pain in his eyes. He didn't want to be any more than I did. I decided at that moment that maybe I was too worked up about this.

About 9 they let us go, so I caught up with Kasen.

"Hey, you have some explaining to do." I told him.

"You really think I'm going to explain my business to you?" he snapped

"Kasen... I... Never mind. I'm just going to go." I said walking to my car. I think I heard him curse under his breath.

"Devyn wait!" He called after me. I ignored him and walked faster. The police station was a good mile from where the car was parked so I figured the walk would be great to clear my head. Kasen caught up to me and grabbed my hand to stop me. He was about to say something when I cut him off.

"No, don't say anything. You were right. You don't have to tell me about your business. It's not like we have some kind of best friend bond where we don't keep freaking secrets from each other! It's not like I've waited for the day where we both were out of that foster home so I could tell you that I loved you and could hold your hand and all.'

"So, yeah, you were right. Just don't tell me what the hell you were doing here two weeks early and in the same dojo with Kyle fucking Mason. Don't tell me any of this because what friendship we had, it's..." I was ranting when Kasen cut me off by kissing me right then and there. It was one of those kisses that make your stomach flip and your knees go weak. It was long and passionate. When he finally pulled away, we were breathless. All was silent except for our breathing.

"Don't you dare try to finish that sentence." Kasen warned. He ran his hand through my hair, resting his hand on my neck.

"And what if I do dare?" I teased as we started to walk again.

"I might just turn around and leave." He said seriously.

"Oh." I said biting my lip to keep from saying something else. I don't want him to go.

"Stop that." Kasen said out of nowhere.

"Stop what?"

"Biting your lip. It makes me want to kiss you." He mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh really now?" I asked and he nodded. I smirked a little, sped up until I was in front of him, and bit my lip. He smiled. Like genuinely smiled. He bent down and kissed me. I broke it off short and he pouted.

"So now will you explain what the hell I saw today?"I asked him.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, but first I want to apologize for punching you in the jaw. Devyn, I'm really really really sorry." He said as he ran his thumb over the bruise forming on my jaw. I flinched a little and hoped he didn't notice, but he did. He pulled his hand away and started to walk again. I caught up to him and slipped my hand into his. He didn't object to it, actually, he gave my hand a mild squeeze.

"6 years ago, I discovered fighting at a local dojo. I started to train. I became really good and my coach asked if I wanted to compete when I was 15. Remember while you were at school I'd be training?" I nodded "Well, I'd be training for competitions. I started winning a lot. More than most 15 year olds. Little did I know, there was someone in Georgia, someone in the 14 year old division almost as good as I was."

"Kyle" I guessed.

"Yeah. Well, anyway, it got down to where 4 years ago we fought each other. He beat me. I trained harder. The next year, I beat him. Same with the next. Then last year and now this year. I've only stayed in fighting for the prize money involved in all the winnings. Kyle does it for that reason too."

"Thank you for explaining that to me." I said as we were walking.

"You're welcome. I should have told you sooner." He said. Things got quiet after that. Soon, I saw the Lotus Diner.

"Devyn?" Kasen asked.

"Yeah?" I answered. Kasen stopped me before I made it to my car. He stepped to where he was in front of me and grabbed my hands with his.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Those five words made my heart stop and start beating at the same time.

"Yes. Kasen, yes, I'll be your girlfriend." I responded. As soon as 'Yes' exited my lips I was lifted into a big hug. I looked at Kasen to see the biggest grin broke out on his lips. He sat me back down on the ground and grabbed my hand as he walked me back to my car.

"Do you need a ride home Kase?" I asked him when we made it my car.

"See, I don't have anywhere to stay really." He mumbled.

"Get in." I said and he looked shocked at first, but soon obeyed. He walked around and was about to get in when he ran back around and opened my door for me.

"Really Kase?" I asked silently thanking the fact that it's dark so he won't see my reddening cheeks.

"What? I was just being nice." He said walking around to the passenger side. "Oh, and Devyn, stop blushing." He added.

"I-I-I wasn't blushing. My cheeks got cold and turned red." I lied.

"Yeah. Sure. Uh huh." He said not believing me. I just rolled my eyes and got in the car. After I started to drive, I called Jenny but got no answer. By the time we made it to Aunt's house, it was too late to ask for Kasen to stay, so I wrote a note for Aunt explaining everything.

"So, this is your room huh?" Kasen asked me when we made it to my room.

"Yeah, this is it." I said.

"You're tired." He stated. How did he know? "You mess with your ear when you're tired." He explained.

"Oh." Was all I managed to say because it shocked me to know he noticed that? I didn't even bother with pajamas. I went straight to bed and left room for Kasen. After a few minutes, I felt the bed dip and Kasen's arm drape over my waist pulling me closer to him.

"Dev?" Kasen whispered.

"Yeah Kase?"

"I love you."

"What?"

"I. Love. You." He said. I turned over so I was looking at him.

"You're kidding right?"How could anyone love me?

"No. Devyn Nicole Waters, I love you. I have since I met you." I opened my mouth to respond but he cut me off.

"I'm not done. Devyn, the moment I first saw you at Miss Donna's I knew you were a strong girl. Even with your past visible on your face and your collarbone, you still managed to keep a smile on your face. You never let anything get to you. The first time I saw you at your weakest, I understood why. No one could stay as strong as you did.'

"Then Kameron did what he did to you. And you still managed to keep a smile. Even though most people would have blamed themselves, you, Devyn, blamed him. You were so strong. You still are. All of this is just a .1% of what I love about you. If I were to list every little thing I loved about you, we'd be here until we were both on our death beds. You're so much more than I will ever deserve, and if you let me, I will spend every waking moment proving to you how much I am erratically in love with you."

"Wait, you're in love with me? I thought you just said you loved me..."

"I am in love with you Devyn." He said with all the surety of the world in his voice.

"Kasen James Horton, guess what?"

"What?"

"I am in love with you too." I said with all the surety of the world in my voice this time.

"You are?" He asked.

"I am." I said as I yawned.

"Get some sleep Devvy."

"Okay. Goodnight." I turned over and felt myself slip into the dark wonderland of sleep