Aiden couldn't speak. He could barely breathe. Laying on his bed, dazing in and out as he blinked through memories. Visions of their future shattered behind his closed lids. Them dancing under the moonlight, the silken threads of her hair blowing in the wind. He'd reach out and drag some flyaways across her forehead, tucking them behind her petite ear. How he wished to lean down and nibble on her tender lobe, eliciting the sweetest moans from her delicate pink lips. A blush would rise to her cheeks and he'd pull away to let his eyes graze her fragile porcelain skin. Her molten chocolate eyes would fill with an innocent beauty that could melt his heart constantly, and he'd always stubbornly demand to protect her from the dangers of the world. Who knew that he'd be the one needing protection... from her. He felt nothing but betrayal.
Wiping his eyes, he picked up the phone, feeling the innate desire to release some energy in one of the few ways he knew how: sex, drugs, or combat.
He didn't want to hear another women's endearingly deceptive voice and drugs weren't his thing. That left him with one option.
Dialing Tristan, he waited for him to answer, the seconds ticking in hours.
"Sup dude?" Tristan picked up.
"Is there a fight tonight?" he asked.
He picked at his nail as he heard a woman giggling obnoxiously on the other side. He was sick of women.
"What, man? I thought you were done with Maniax." he replied, referring to the underground fighting arena.
"Well, I'm not. Is there a fight?" Aiden grumbled.
"What happened? This isn't like you. You'll get hurt."
He wouldn't mind that. In fact, he'd like it. The physical pain could block the emotions crushing him from Emily.
"Just give me the time, Trish," he demanded, blowing out a breath of hot air.
He heard a sigh on the other side.
"11:30 tonight. Mickey and Gunther are the undefeated, Corrie is starting as rookie. Why-"
Aiden hung up.
Ross picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Rose, we've got a problem."
She rolled her eyes at Tristan's urgency.
"What is it this time, trying to get away from Scary Sharon again?"
"How did you know I was with her? And anyway, she calls herself Super Sharon."
Carol passed the soccer ball to her and she kicked it back. He had to call during soccer practice.
"It's Monday. As in, Monday Funday with Super Sharon and her magic jugs," Carol ran to her, whispering something frantically in her ear. "Carol says hi, by the way."
"Ooh, hey baby. What's she wearing? That little maroon sweater she loves me to shag her in?"
She groaned in annoyance, glancing at Carol's sweater bouncing up with every kick, exposing her midriff to the hooting footballers running laps around them on the track... like pent-up dogs.
"Yes, she is. Looks like you've got another playdate for tonight."
"Damn, I wish, but we've got bigger problems."
"Oh really?" she laughed.
"Yeah, Aiden's fighting again." he stated, no trace of humor in his tone.
"What?"
She stopped the soccer ball with her foot.
"He called me and asked for tonight's times."
"You didn't tell him, did you? You told him I'd beat him myself if he went back into that arena, right?"
"Ah, yes and no."
She ran a shaky hand through her hair.
"Shit."
"Yeah," he sighed back.
"Pick me up at 11."
"Got it."
She ended the call, leaving Tristan to be hung up on for the second time that evening. Scooping up the ball and tossing it to a very horny Carol, she headed for the locker rooms, calling Emily on her way.
"Em, it's me, Ross. Call me when you get this. Aiden's upset and we don't know what happened, but it's gotta be really bad cause he's gonna fight tonight, and he hasn't done that since... uh, Sam. I'm not sure if he told you about that but there's really no time to explain. I gave Trish your address and we're coming to pick you up. Since you're his girlfriend, I'd think you'd be able to knock him to his senses... at least before I do, anyway. Okay, bye no-"
The machine may have hung up on her, but Emily got the message. She also got the signals in her nervous system as her heart began it's rapid beat, telling her to freak out and clouding her brain with a fog of over-thought. She couldn't possibly go, especially since she just crushed his heart and stomped on his soul less than twelve hours ago.
The breakup was so fresh, Emily was still letting tears slip from her glistening candied almond eyes as she attempted to force the painful memories out. There were so many used tissues scattered on her bed after two hours that she had to sneak past her mother to the hallway closet and grab a new box. She had to do that three times before the tears finally lightened up enough. The heartbreak would have been easier to manage if the memories weren't continuously flashing through her head, both of the recent trauma and the loving moments they shared as a couple.
In this moment; however, her mind was telling her to go to him. Even her body was determined to find and connect with him. She needed to see him, feel him, hold him. It hurt so badly to be away from him, he was like a drug. She held onto those cravings, those inner desires to be by his side... she didn't want to give them up. It was intensely painful to know that she could no longer have him. This time, she was finally going to stand up for herself... for them. Now was the moment for action, and nothing would stop her.
Emily was alarmed by the sudden knock on her bedroom window. She hadn't been too surprised; however, as she spent a good thirty minutes dabbing her swollen eyes with a wet towel and applying waterproof mascara to go with her pretty little lilac dress. Staring at the ornate emerald leaves vining around the purple silk in smooth patterns made her lips quirk into a delicate smile as she eye blotched. Not knowing what kind of fight she was getting involved in, she chose to play it safe with matching purple sneakers. She opened the window and looked down to see Tristan firmly gripping Ross' ass as he lifted her toward the window. Ross grappled with the brick on the side of the house as she attempted to steady herself in the air. Emily caught a peak of Tristan smirking at the view and tried to cover up her own jovial smile with the back of her hand. Ross noticed, narrowing her eyes.
"Hey, I'm trying to help you sneak out here! Is he enjoying this?" She swung her head around, loseing her grip on the wall a little. "Live it up now, Trish, this is the last of my ass you'll ever touch. Em, why the hell are your floors so tall? The house is only one story!"
Emily giggled under her breath. She was starting to understand why Ross and Aiden were such good friends.
"I can sneak through the front door. I'll meet you there."
She turned around and left.
Ross stared at the now dark bedroom with a wide mouth. All that effort to rescue Emily from her bedroom, and Ross was clutching the wall like a fool. She felt two large and warm hands squeeze her bottom. Her head whipped around and she growled at the handsome fool grinning up at her with a hand full of ass.
"Just living it up," he reasoned in that unbelievably sexy baritone, throwing her words back at her and smiling cheekily.
She kicked back and he swiftly let go of her, allowing her to drop airborne for a second before grasping her waist and setting her down.
"Let's go, dofus."
Moving toward the front yard, her cheeks warmed as he sidled next to her, the phantom of his touch still tingling her rump.