Nerd Model Killer; BOSS 2

28- Insanely Competitive

4 Days Later

Jacob Fleming

Friday.

It is finally Friday.

Over the week nothing has happened and Ivory doesn't like it at all. Which is why she is now pacing back and forth while I punch a punching bag during the early hours of the. Morning before school. "You should stop pacing before you burn a hole in the floor." Throwing the joke over my shoulder in hopes to lighten the increasingly tense mood.

She stops. Thankfully.

I didn't hear her approach so when her arms slid around my bare waist I was shocked and flinched. It would have been nice to say it was only a slight flinch but it wasn't. It was closer tome jumping than flinching. Her face pressed into my back, her scent flowing over me helping me to relax. "You're too tense when you punch and your feet are too far apart. Any further and it'll look like you're trying to take a shit." Her breath was warm against my skin.

How she could hold me like this while I stink and am basically dripping with sweat I don't know. But it was nice. "I am tense because you keep pacing and when you start worrying it wears off on me. Plus I don't think my feet are that far apart. You are very much over exaggerating the situation." I drop my bandaged hands to her arms around me and take slow deep breaths in a failing attempt to slow my racing heart.

Ivory chuckles softly, sending vibrations across my back and through my body. "Breathing isn't going to slow your heart rate Jacob." She makes a move to retract away from me yet I grip her arms to keep her there.

"What do you suggest... other than you letting go?" I stare ahead of me chewing the inside of my cheek as Ivory rests her head back against me.

"I'd suggest you think of something else. Focus your mind on something other that the cause and make it bigger and bigger until the problem is solved." She spoke as if she'd done it a million times.

Laughing, I look back over my shoulder at her. "Easier said than done. You're very distracting." She looks up and smiles.

"How do you think I became so successful? They get distracted by my looks and forget I have skills."

"Well I get detracted by your skills. Not just your killing ones. You're smart, you have a sharp tongue, you make drawings and paintings look like photographs. You have a very protective side that both scares me and pulls me in. You're so strong even after all the horrible things you've had to go through. Yes you're beautiful and it does add into being distracting but it isn't the main factor of what distracts me." I could feel the heat rising to my face as I wait for Ivory to reply.

She just stood there silently. It was killing me.

It felt like hours before she spoke with a smile. "Thank you." She pulls away before I can stop her. "Now fix your feet, relax slightly and keep pinching for another few goes before the others get here." She sat down on the floor, legs crossed and leaning back on her hands.

Following her instructions I continue until the door swings open to Carlos and Dexter tousling. They laughed as they dropped to the ground and wrestled each other. Ivory rolled her eyes. "Can't anyone around here be civilised?"

"Nope. Civilised is boring." Taylor rumpled over the wrestling cousins and rolled up her sleeves. "Now I believe it's my turn to fight you today Ivory." She walks to the mat and I watch Ivory follow before throwing another few punches.

Taylor let's out a cry of shock and everyone stops suddenly to look at the mat. Taylor was on her stomach blinking in shock while Ivory stood a couple metres away inspecting her nails. "What the hell was that?" Taylor pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her arm.

Edging closer along with everyone else we wait. A slow smile pulls at Ivorys face. "I had an expensive fighting education. I trained with the most dangerous fighters in China for a month. One of them taught me that move. You're a competitive person so I thought I should make an impression to get the most competitiveness out of you when we actually fight." Tilting her head to the side Ivorys smile turns lopsided.

Damnit was cute.

Taylor jumps up. A look of determination on her face. It was the kind of determination that we all hated to go up against. Taylor doesn't lose. When she does its a hell of a shock. Especially if it's anything sporty. That girl is the sportiest person I've ever met. She can do any sport you throw at her. It's kinda terrifying in a way. Yet then again. We are all terrifying in a way. "Finally. A female who can match my competitiveness. It's about time."

"Does that mean there's a male that you've already found to match your competitiveness?" Her brother snickers. Taylor shot Campbell the death glare before going back to Ivory who was already in position.

This was gonna be interesting.

~~~

I was right. It was interesting.

It also looked incredibly painful on both sides. After 23 minutes they were both laying on their backs groaning in pain, unable to move an arm to wipe the sweat from their eyes.

"That was the most intensely awesome yet scary things I have ever witnessed in my life." Max laughed and the girls managed to pull enough strength together to flip him off.

Crouching down I pull Ivory up and lift her in my arms to carry her bridal style. "You're lighter than I thought you'd be. With the amount of food you eat I'd expect you to be heavier." I tease as I carry her towards the door to take her back to my house so she can relax.

She smacked me with what she had wanted to be a light hit but I still find myself wincing. "Ooo. Sorry. That was harder than I thought it was gonna be." Ivory cringed and rested her head against my shoulder. A slight bruise had begin to form on her collar from where Taylor had punched her. Hard. It was loud too.

Thankfully dad was still home so he opened the door as I approached. "What happened to her? Did someone attack?" He followed us I to the lounge area where I lay Ivory on the couch and propped her head up on a soft pillow.

"Nope. She and Taylor fought. It was Taylor turn to verse Ivory this morning. She is in a similar position. It was a scarily fair fight." I sit on the arm of the couch and reach down to play with Ivorys hair.

She smiled up at me. "That girl is bloody competitive and man does she hate losing. I haven't fought a single person for that long ever. I don't think I've even fought multiple people at the same time for that long. She's a good fighter when you bring it out of her. She has my upmost respect." Ivory moved and groaned in pain.

Dad chuckled. "Taylor is good. Now I'll let you two relax before school." He walks away and this time the groan that came from Ivory wasn't due to pain but complete and utter disgust.

"School. Ugh. I just wanna ditch since I know Owen turns up today. Plus I'm gonna look like a mess." She closed her eyes and sighed through her nose.

Smirking I bend down to kiss her forehead. "A pretty hot mess." I say against her skin and she smiled, eyes still closed.

It's nice seeing her smile. It's a beautiful smile. But it can also be deadly. Depends on who's side your on. I have never been more thankful for something than being thankful for being on Ivorys side. If I was on the other side I'd be dead.

She got shot in the head to save us. She's more loyal than anyone I know outside the 8 Riches family. To be honest though. One day, I'm seriously beginning to hope that Ivory will officially be apart of the 8 Riches family too. More specifically, the Fleming branch of the family.