I sipped slowly at my milkshake, trying desperately to get the ice-cream goodness up the straw. I kept my gaze pointed down at the fake-wooden tabletop but tried to discretely raise my eyes enough to watch Rex fidget with his own straw.

"Where are the others?" I tried to keep my voice low as it interrupted the completely dead silence between us, though it did little to ease the awkward tension.

"Echo, we usually always go there after a fight..." His voice trailed off, those dark eyes refusing to meet mine as I let my gaze rise completely towards his handsome face. It went silent again, but I couldn't tear my gaze from him, even though his refused to stay longer on me for more than a few seconds.

I sipped quietly at the milkshake until he finally grunted and pushed his aside. "Stop giving me that look." Rex grumbled a tense moment later. Those dark, chestnut eyes I loved so much finally meeting mine.

"You shouldn't do those fights."

"It's my job."

"It's dangerous."

The corner of his lips twitched at that, and the awkward tension surrounding us faded a little—but just a little. "It's good money, great money, and I'm good at it."

"You're good at a lot of stuff, Rex." I murmured softly and forced my gaze back to the table between us. I know I didn't have a right telling him what he could and couldn't do, but that place alone was a dangerous disaster, I didn't even want to think about how much worse the guys he had to fight were.

"Not like I am with fighting."

I let out a small sigh and sat back in the booth until I was slouching far into the seat. "You can do other stuff to make money besides illegal fighting. Like-like body-guarding, or being bouncer, or something..." I grumbled lowly so the passing waiter couldn't hear.

We were practically the only two people in the late-night little ice-cream shop just past the Maine/New Hampshire border, but that didn't mean I wanted the staff to hear our conversation. I doubted Rex did either.

He let out a disgruntled sigh and rubbed that large hand of his through his dark tousled hair like always. Those chestnut eyes looked more tired than anything, and I was honestly starting to feel bad about giving him a hard time—but this was his life we were talking about now and I never wanted to see him hurt, ever.

"It's not just the money, Roza." He admitted softly, those dark, tired eyes watching my fingers play with my forgotten straw. "This anger inside me... it never goes away, no matter how hard I try to shove it down." His voice was so soft it tore at my heart, and the fact that that was probably the most he's ever shared kept my lips glued shut.

"I can ignore it for a while, but eventually it builds up to a point where I get explosive, and I just—this is the only way I can get it all out. Then I'm fine for a while longer until it starts to build up again."

I didn't know what to say when he finished, or if I was supposed to say anything at all. So I just sat there silently as he took his sweet time raising those gorgeous eyes up to mine. It was another quiet moment later before one of those large, warm hands I loved so much reached slowly across the table until it could rest on mine.

"I always win, you know."

I couldn't help the little smile that pulled at my lips at his small smirk, or the giggle-scoff that past my own. "I don't doubt it." I mumbled as I watched those strong fingers push the back of my hand down on the table so they could trace my palm. Every soft brush of the rough pads of his fingers against my soft skin sent electric tingles straight up my arm.

"Then stop looking at me with that horrified, worried, expression."

"I can't help it." I grumbled as those fingers started to travel just barely over my wrist. It was such a simple action, such a little kind of touch, but it was making my head go one hundred and fifty percent completely foggy. Not to mention that strange heat from whenever he touched me started spreading to nearly every corner of my body.

"You could get seriously hurt, Rex." I tried to make my voice firm, even though my gaze was glued to those fingers slowly tracing my skin and I'm sure it only sounded like a weak-willed murmur.

I saw his shrug out of the corner of my eye, though his dark gaze was watching our hands too. "I haven't yet, I'm better than all those fucks. Besides," He added softly, his tone growing an ounce sadder though I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't so highly aware of every single inch of him right then.

"It's not like it would matter, no one cares-"

"I care." I didn't understand the sudden burn in my eyes, or the tightness in my throat. I tried so hard not to cry in front of anyone, especially him, but just hearing those nonchalant words slip past his beautiful lips put water in my eyes.

His fingers froze on the soft path they were tracing, and that dark gaze flickered up even though I kept mine glued to our hands. "Rose-"

"No." I sniffed, blinked the tears rapidly away, and sat up in my seat until I was leaning back over the table again. "I know you didn't want us to be... to be friends at first, and I know you didn't think you were good for me, or whatever," I added that last part as a grumble, "but I care about you so much it actually hurts sometimes, and if you ever got hurt I would—I would..."

I couldn't even finish the sentence, much less the thought, and I felt like my heart was practically in my throat from how much effort it took for me to swallow. I didn't know what I would do if he ever got seriously hurt, but just the thought made panic start to swell in my chest.

I didn't notice his free hand reach up until it was pushing my hair behind my ear and brushing gently across my cheek. "You shouldn't care so much about me." I finally forced my gaze to his, my breath catching as the dark depth of his eyes stared into mine.

"And you shouldn't worry so much about me." I countered as his thumb brushed softly along my cheekbone. Those perfect lips of his pulled up at the corner in that smirk that made the butterflies in my stomach go haywire.

"Impossible." But then that smirk slowly fell and those chestnut eyes grew serious again. "We still need to talk about the whole 'following me' thing."

"No, we don't."

"Rosalyn."

"Rex."

Dark gaze narrowing, he pulled away just enough for that hand to drop back down to the table again. I would have pouted at the lost, if it wasn't for the deadly serious stare he had directed my way.

"If I say you can't go somewhere with us its for a good reason."

"I know."

"Promise me you'll never do something stupid like that again." There was no joking tone in his voice, or light in that chestnut glare, but I knew he wasn't angry at me anymore—no matter how hard he tried to appear that way.

"Are you going to fight like that again?"

He didn't answer, but I didn't need him to. I knew he wouldn't stop, especially with how much it meant to him. I knew it wasn't only for money, or for that release of anger. I saw how much he enjoyed it, recognized that smile the violence had pulled on his lips. I would never bring that up to him though. I doubted he even knew it himself, but I knew the attachment he had to the fight.

Rex sighed a minute later, and those fingers that hadn't left my palm began to slowly entwine with my own. "I just don't want you getting hurt." His voice was soft, though I didn't pretend I didn't notice the hard seriousness in his tone.

"Ditto."

He rolled his eyes at that, but that smirky-smile was back, and so were the butterflies. "I will... look for other ways to let out the anger, but I can't promise anything." His hand wrapped completely around mine then, and I tried to swallow down that traitorous blush as his thumb brushed along my skin.

"And I will try not to follow you again."

He laughed at that, a soft one, but genuine nonetheless. It made my heart want to jump out of my chest and straight into his hands. "Alright, then I will 'try' not to tie you to something to make sure you don't."

Being tied to something by Rex didn't necessarily sound like a bad idea.

The back of my neck flamed red hot at the thoughts that suddenly slammed into the forefront of my mind, thoughts I had to viciously try and choke down. I kept my face pointed towards the table so he couldn't see it turn me into that 'tomato girl' again. Though, I doubted I ever actually hid the blush well enough.

I latched my lips tightly around the milkshake's straw again as he let out at that familiar low chuckle that turned my stomach to mush. "Alright Roza, it's beyond late. I should get you home."

I wanted to shake my head viciously and say 'no way Jose', but that beyond tired look pulling at his beautiful dark eyes trapped the words in my throat. He had been fighting all night, then dealing with me, and kind-of arguing with Trey over making sure he drove Rex's car instead of one of the twins (specifically Denton), so he could drive us in my dad's Jeep. I couldn't blame him for wanting to go home—even though I desperately did not want to leave him.

It was becoming a really big problem.

Rex paid for our milkshakes, even though I told him not to. He had just shushed me and pulled us both out of the booth with that strong hand wrapped firmly around mine. I tried not to make it obvious that I was practically gluing myself to his side as we walked out to the parking lot, but he didn't seem to notice.

The drive back into Massachusetts was quiet, though not uncomfortable. A hazy, sort-of, sleepy-like state seemed to fall over the entirety of the Jeep, and I was honestly surprised Rex was able to drive all the way back without a problem. I was happy he insisted on driving, even though he had to remind me how bad I was at it so I would cave.

Despite that sleepy haze, the drive back was a lot shorter than when I followed them, sadly, and it wasn't long before Rex was driving the Jeep up into my garage. There weren't any lights on in my house, and I prayed that was a good sign Luce didn't know I was gone—or heard the garage door open and close. I'm sure she was exhausted from yelling so much the past couple of weeks, but I wasn't dumb enough to believe that would stop her anytime soon.

"I'm crashing at Trey's tonight if you need me." Rex said softly as we walked through the door that led to the kitchen. "For anything." It wasn't hard to notice the dark look that entered his eyes, or the hard set to his jaw. He was worried again, even though the determination in his words made my tummy flutter.

"I'll be okay, thank you." I murmured softly as those strong fingers placed the Jeep's keys in my hand, though my voice sounded loud as bells through the dead silence of the house.

"Get some, sleep. I'll see you tomorrow." His tone was low as he turned and headed for the front door.

"Hey T'?" I spoke softly as I followed him towards the entrance of the house.

"Yeah?"

"I like your smile."

He looked back over his shoulder, that small smirk pulling his lips up at their corners.

"I like your smile, my Roza."

"Okay. How the hell did you do it?" A crystal-like voice I had only ever heard at a distance sounded right next to my ear as a slender body suddenly appeared by my side the next day.

I jumped at the very unexpected bright blue-eyed cheerleader staring down at me from the locker next to mine, pink glossy lips puckered to match the scowl on her rather beautiful face.

"Uh, um... what?" I was too shocked, confused, and honestly kind of scared, to care about the fact that my voice came out as a stuttering, jumbled mess. What in the world was going on?

"Oh, right, right. Gotta start with manners, momma' always said." Jeslyn Mayne straightened up her stance, pushed her shoulders back and flipped that pretty blonde hair over her shoulder. "Hi, my name is Jess. You might have seen me around school, I'm in a bunch of clubs and stuff, yadda, yadda." She trailed off, bright blue eyes flashing in the light of the hall as she shined those brilliantly, blinding, perfectly straight white teeth at me.

"Now tell me, how did you do it?"

"Um... Do what?" My voice took over where my brain couldn't pick up.

I knew Jeslyn Mayne, or at least, knew of her. She was one of the most popular, significant figures in the whole school, much less our senior class. Head cheerleader, head of student council, head of the student academic office, pretty much anything that required a leader she was a part of and controlled.

She's the girl version of the Dimajio twins when it came to sports, and possibly one of the most beautiful girls that ever lived in our town. I honest-to-goodness did not believe she knew I existed, and this is the first time we have ever talked... like ever.

"The Big Four. How did you get in?"

"Get in...?"

"Yeah, I have been trying for years but those boys are as solid as brick." Her bright, barbie-like blue eyes were nearly as wide as saucers as she leaned towards me, her perfectly polished fingers gripping tightly at her own arms in what I could only describe as excitement.

"I... I don't think I know what you mean." I stammered, still in somewhat shock, as I zipped up my backpack and closed my locker.

"Come on-n-n, don't be like that. The whole school has been talking about it. They have stayed locked solid in that little group of theirs for years and then all of a sudden, they're all hanging out with someone new? And a girl?" She raised one perfectly arched eyebrow at me, her fingers now tapping somewhat impatiently against her bicep as her slender arms crossed over her chest.

"Oh... I, uh, I'm not really sure..." I mumbled as I brought my bag up over my shoulders. Jeslyn didn't have a backpack, just a very expensive looking purse that seemed to match her kitten-heels and the silver bracelets resting on her wrists.

"You hooked up with one of them, didn't you?"

"What?"

"Which one? It was one of the twins, wasn't it? Trey and Rex barely talk to anyone, there's no way they would sleep with you." She just kept talking on, like she did see my mouth gaping open like a dying fish, or the kind-of hurt flashing through my eyes. I knew Rex didn't like me like 'that', but actually hearing that he never would hurt a lot more than I was prepared for.

"Then again, everyone does say its Rex they see hanging around you a lot..." She gazed down at me in what I could only describe as cold calculation as one of those perfectly manicured nails reached up to tap her glossy lips. "I guess you could be seeing each other, certainly seen worse pairs before-"

"Rex and I are not seeing each other..." We weren't, then why did that hurt so much to say? Or did the hurt only come when that calculation in her bright eyes turned to sheer, joyful, excitement.

"Oh, really?"

"Um, yeah. We're just friends." Just friends. Just friends. Just friends. Saying it in my head was one thing, the actual bitter taste the real words left in my mouth was something completely different.

"Great! Then I don't care which one you hooked up with!"

"But I didn't-"

"Listen, I've been trying to get their attention for a while now—especially Rex's. Think you could slip that in some time? See if he would be interested?" Her barbie-doll eyes were wide, excited, and practically begging me.

I don't think it would have mattered what I said in that moment, she would have just kept pestering until I said yes—no matter how much this whole conversation was making me want to crawl inside a hole somewhere and never come out.

"I'll—let him know..." I murmured right as the bell that signaled lunch started to ring.

"Great! Thanks so much Lily!" That crystal-like voice practically sang as she turned on her kitten-heels and practically bounced away to the lunch room. Her hand raising to wave behind her.

"It's Rose..." But my voice was too soft to reach her over the last of the crowd disappearing towards the lunch room—not that I really wanted her to hear.

I stood stone still in the empty hallway, my fingers clutched like iron around my backpack's straps as I stared after the spot the cheerleader disappeared from. There was a very bad taste in my mouth that only seemed to match the ringing in my ears.

Jeslyn Mayne liked Rex. The two embodiment's of perfection this world could ever hope to see, and she liked him. The minute he would find that out, I wouldn't exist anymore. But we were just friends anyways. Just friends. He—he could be with whoever he wanted. It didn't matter. I knew from the beginning I could never have him like that. I was beyond lucky just being his friend.

A little bit of Rex Turner was better than no Rex Turner.