;control your emotions

It is true I have somewhat of a reputation on campus - baller, playboy, womaniser, man whore - the list goes on, but since meeting Tori I haven't hooked up with a single girl except her, and I didn't want too either which was a mind fuck in it's self.

So when Sarah - the freshman cheerleader that sucked me off at the beginning of the season - came up to me, I wasn't shocked to say the least, however I was disinterested in anything she had to say.

My whole focus was on the front door waiting for my petite firecracker to walk through, mindlessly sipping beer from the bottle that'd now gone warm in my hand.

"Maddox, are you listening to me?" Sarah's shrill voice rang through my ears and snapped me back to the party.

"Huh?"

"I said do you wanna go up to your room, y'know. . . For some privacy?" She suggested, tracing her red talons along my right peck, but again, I was focused on the door and not the cheerleader that so clearly wanted to bang me tonight.

When the door finally swung open, in walked Tori, followed by Steph, Hannah, Sally and a couple other cheerleaders that were on the squad.

Bella has her phone in the air, assumedly taking a picture or video of her and the girls. She is obsessed with TikTok after all.

I swear my fucking heart skipped a beat.

She looked incredible.

White, low cut crop top, with black almost satin shorts, black heels. Her dark locks in loose waves flowing over her shoulder and down her back.

The way she walked in was so sexy. Hips swaying, one hand waving as she sang into her phone, biggest smile on those crimson painted lips.

All she had to do was enter a room and all heads snapped trying to get a glimpse of the English beauty.. Even Sarah's. The girl who's trying to get me in my bedroom to have a naked wrestling match, only thing is, I want it with the brunette that's just walked in, not her.

If only I moved away in time for Tori not to see me standing with a cheerleader that's giving me serious sex eyes, her nails still stroking across my peck.

With a subtle smirk and a raised brow, she pushed through the dancing drunks, and made her way into the kitchen, whispering something to Steph before she disappeared.

Fuck, I hope she doesn't think anything is going on with me and Sarah, she'd never let me continue to mack on with her if she did.

"Yo, cap. You coming?" Cammy yelled from across the room, standing in the kitchen entry way that Tori vanished through, waving a hand up that held onto two pong balls.

I give him a tip of the chin.

"If you'll excuse me, I got a game of pong to win." I say to Sarah, taking my exit strategy hastily before she can attempt groping my peck again.

"Oh great, we can team up." She grins up at me, hooking both her arms around one of mine and pulling me through to the kitchen.

Note to self; Sarah can't take a fucking hint.

I tugged my arm from Sarah's stupidly firm grip and took a stand beside Cammy and Eli - who by the way, is smashing being a baller boy, two blondies draped over him, one sucking on his neck while he makes out with the other. My guy.

"Me and you bro?" Cammy asks, eyes glossed over from being higher than a motherfucker.

I nod.

"Sammy, you and Sarah v us." Cammy says, tossing the ball towards her. "Prepare to get your ass kicked, girls." He winks at Sammy, to which she laughs and flushes all kinds of pink shades.

I can't fucking play right tonight, I've got one eye on the game and the other on Tori.

Jason's arm's wrapped around her shoulder as he whispers some bullshit in her ear that makes her laugh.

Miles, Ed, Steph, Hannah and Sally stand with them. I should be over there with her, not over here with a bunch of baller bunnies.

"Eli!" My head snaps up. "My man! You're sisters a crazy bitch!" Jason yelled over the kitchen, cupping his mouth with one hand while the other is still draped over Bella's shoulder.

I can see she's turned embarrassed, slapping Jason's chest and tugging at his arm for him to stop yelling. He cackles loud enough it rings my ears.

That's it. I've had enough of this fucking spectacle.

Like a goddamn man on a mission, I grab my bottle of beer from the edge of the pong table and storm over to where Tori is, grabbing her arm and yanking her away from Jason's roaming hands.

"Hey, what the fuck!" She cusses, trying to push back me away.

Oh, she wants to fight against me? Okay, Bella.

I flip her over my shoulder with one arm, and begin marching through the sweaty, drunken crowd.

Bella's kicking and screaming so I plant a firm hand on her ass to shut her up, the beer bottle in my hand splashing on the back of her legs so I lick it off, whistles and chants can be heard behind me, I'm assuming it's a few of the guys.

I ignore them and cart her up the stairs, taking them two at a time, kicking my bedroom door open and chucking her on the bed.

She looks really fucking mad as she leaps off the bed, eyes wide and fiery. I turn back to the door, slam it shut and lock it behind me.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Bella exclaims, trying to push past me, but I remain obstructing the door.

Her chest is rapidly bouncing up and down. I've provoked a mama bear.

"I ain't gonna do nothing to you, don't worry." I reassure her in my most serious tone.

"Nothing?" She snorts. "You just fucking went all caveman on me and locked me in your fucking bedroom! The fuck, Hunter!"

"Then don't fucking tease me and not expect me to react, Bella." I glare her down.

She shakes her head in disbelief. "Who the hell was teasing you, Baller? 'Cause I can assure you it wasn't fucking me."

"Baby, you know full well what you were doing, now kindly shut the fuck up and let me kiss you."

She snorts. "Wow, I mean I knew you were a self assured asshole, but damn, Hunter, you're giving me a new insight to your over inflated ego."

"My ego?" I raise a brow, slightly confused, stupidly.

"Mhm. You think I care you were with that freshman, then you got jealous because I was with Jason, and you couldn't handle it."

"You're damn right I couldn't handle it, you think I'm gonna let you flaunt around with that dumbass?" LOL. "Not a fucking chance, Tori."

"But you get to flaunt around whomever you please? That how this goes?" She crosses her arms over her chest, the fact she's eerily calm is disturbing - any other girl would be kicking and screaming - but not Bella.

"I wasn't flaunting around anyone, Sarah can't take a fucking hint." I protested. "What you saw was her trying to fuck me, and me not showing an ounce of interest. Staring at the fucking door all night, waiting for you!"

She rolls her eyes, turning her face away from me. In a flash of annoyance I grab her jaw and force her to look at me.

"Maddox, let me go." She says, low and coldly.

"I ain't letting you out this room until you understand what I'm telling you." My eyes narrowing, staring into the green fleck of her right iris. "I. Was. Not. With. Sarah. Clear?"

"I. Don't. Care." She mimics my tone, cheeks slightly bunched up from my grip.

I snort like a pretentious dick, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth to stop myself from macking this brats lips.

"Then looks like you have a long night ahead of you, princess." I release my grip and take a couple steps back, crossing my arms over my chest.

We're in the battle of will now.

Our eyes dare not look away, neither of us willing to back down.

The atmosphere is filled with pent up sexual tension, aggression, jealousy and passion.

It's so thick you'd be able to call it Jason Cooper.

This goes on for a few minutes. She hasn't moved an inch, and neither have I. She hasn't looked away, and neither have I.

She's stubborn, that much is true.

But, so am I.

The silence is broken when Tori's phone starts ringing in her shorts front pocket. lighting up through the sheer fabric.

Reaching in and looking down, she rolls her eyes.

"Hey." She answers.

I hear a muffled females voice, talking fast. It doesn't resemble any of the girls she normally hangs out with, maybe it's someone from back home?

"I'm not coming back for Christmas break, didn't Eli tell you?" her brows are furrowed.

Another muffled voice.

"We're planning on going to Nan's penthouse--- I get that. ----" A sigh, she turns away from me. "--No, mom. I honesty don't care. If you're not going to tell me, I ain't going to listen. ---- It is what it is. ---- Fine, bye. -- Oh mom, love you, bye."

She hangs up - shoving her phone back in her pocket, running a hand through the middle parting of her hair as she turns back around, shoulders slump and defeated eyes.

"Everything okay?" I ask, looking down at my sneakers, hands sliding in the front pockets of my jeans.

She sighs. "Let me out this room, Maddox."

Whoa. Attitude change.

"Not until you talk to me." I shrug, hands still tucked away.

Oh fuck. She's pissed. Like, extremely pissed. I can practically see the steam blowing out her ears.

"I don't wanna fucking talk to you! Let me out this fucking room now or so help me god I'll scream and kick your ass!!" She rages, hands clenched into tiny balls of fingers.

I shouldn't.

But I did.

I laughed.

I balled over at the waist laughing.

I laughed so hard a tear rolled down my cheek.

I shouldn't of laughed.

"Why are you laughing? I didn't say anything funny." She deadpans.

"When have you ever." I quipped back through a chuckle, wiping the joyful tear away.

Like the brat she is, she stomps her black heel on the hardwood floor of my bedroom.

"Quit being a brat, Bella and tell me what's wrong." I smirked like an asshole.

Instead of telling me what's wrong, she storms towards me, attempting to latch onto the door handle, only I'm faster. I stop her with an arm around the front of her waist and push her backwards, she tries again, I do the same thing - only this time I keep her close.

"Bella, please." I plead.

I don't want her thinking I was with Sarah. I don't want to lose this thing we have going on. I want her to know I'm here and she can trust me.

She looks sad. Eyes are glancing at the floor as one side of her mouth pulls into a frown.

"I don't wanna talk, Hunter."

"Then sit with me, and when you're ready, I'll be there."

She shakes her head, pushes my arm off her waist and plops down on the bed, hands resting on her lap, fingers fiddling with the rings.

I take a seat beside her, the bed dipping from my weight.

We don't say anything for a few beats but the silence is disturbed by the blood pumping into my ear drums.

"It's my mom."