// Best YA Romance in the Romance Fiction Awards 2021//
Thrill Hawthorne, keeping up to his name, lives his life on the edge. Or so people think.
Ignatius Rookwood is the darling son and the sole male heir to a gigantic business corporation. Or so...
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The moment Thrill landed the punch, he knew he would never be able to forgive himself. His self-hate skyrocketed and he wanted to kill himself, right there, right then.
Drayden stumbled back, his eyes wide and mouth agape, a hand to his cheek.
Thrill stared at him. His hands were shaking, his heart was racing and the familiar rush of tears was stinging his eyes. "I – I told you not to do it." His voice was cracked beyond recognition. He wasn't sure if he was angry or sad or... terrified. On one hand was Drayden whom Thrill loved more than anyone in the world, and on the other hand was Ignatius who did not deserve this. Whose life Drayden had just ruined.
"You... hit me," Drayden whispered.
Thrill felt a sob climb its way up his throat but he gulped it down. "I told you not to do it," he repeated.
Drayden sucked in a deep, shaky breath and turned his back to Thrill. "We're trying to save your life."
"By destroying someone else's?"
"That someone else," Drayden's voice was seething, "insulted you. Insulted dad, insulted all of us."
"His mom, not him!" Thrill cried.
"It's the same thing, you moron!" Drayden snapped, turning to look at Thrill. He usual poker face was twisted with such anger that, for a brief second, Thrill flinched. "It's because of people like them that people like you are in trouble." Drayden marched up to Thrill and roughly grabbed him by the collar. "You want us to beg, Mithril? You want dad to beg for their mercy?"
"No! But this is..." Thrill broke off. He vividly remembered Ignatius' face at the prospect of his mom finding out he had done something like this. It was the same fear that was visible in his eyes the day he almost drowned. If a child was that terrified of his mother, just what were those people capable of doing to him? Thrill wanted to punch Drayden again. "This is wrong."
Drayden scoffed and pushed Thrill back. "Grow up."
Thrill gritted his teeth. He curled his fingers into a fist and lunged at Drayden. This time, Drayden saw it coming. He blocked the punch and slammed his knuckles against Thrill's jaw.
Ignatius saying 'Your brother can punch' suddenly came to Thrill's mind as his vision momentarily went dark and pain shot up his brain. Where was Ignatius now? Was he okay? What was he going to do? What was going to happen to him? What...
What was he going to think of Thrill now?
I think I have a crush on you.
Thrill wanted to rage. He kneed Drayden on the gut and toppled him to the ground. Drayden grabbed Thrill and brought him down with him.
The fight was messy and downright painful. Physically, the cuts on Thrill's hands reopened, and emotionally, he could not believe he was fighting Drayden; each blow Thrill handed hurt him more than it hurt Drayden.
