(This chapter is so cringey. Idk if I was high on coffee when I wrote it.)

"We have the results of Round Two with us." the host announced. "The top three teams which will join us in the final round are Team Roseville, Team Redwood and Team Victoria High." he continued and all the three teams hooted in excitement.

The next round will be in the evening so we have five hours to prepare for it. Excited, I gripped Adam's hand and made the way to other two teams that had qualified with us.

"I'm so excited." I said as I grinned excitedly while Adam just looked around with a bored expressions on his face.

"Aren't you happy?" I asked and he just shrugged in return. "Ugh.. It's so difficult to please you." Leaving him in his sullen mood, I made my way towards the Roseville Team.

"Hi." I said to the cute brunette girl whose hair was pulled back in a tight braid and thick, rounded glasses were covering half of her thin face.

"Hi." she said as the boy in her team eyed me up and down, a smirk appearing on his thin lips.

"Hello beautiful." he pulled his hand out for me. I glanced at his hand with an annoyed expression and then ignoring him completely, turned my face to her partner and started talking to her.

"Ooh. Attitude. Me likey." the blonde boy interfered once again.

"Back off Carter." the girl slapped his shoulder and glared at him.

"Mind your own business Peach." he said and once again, smiled at me.

"Your name is Peach?" I asked her, ignoring the pair of eyes on my back.

"No. I'm Selena. He calls me Peach because I hate this nickname." she said, rolling her eyes at the boy.

"That's because she loved to eat peaches when she was little." the boy said and poked her cheeks..

"Ignore him. He's a jerk." she said, pushing him away.

They were busy in their banters when I felt a presence behind me. It was Adam, judging by his peculiar scent.

"So umm Ali, is it?" the boy ignored the girl and turned his face to me.

"Alicia for you." It wasn't me who replied. It was Adam, his voice dripping with annoyance. A deep frown etched on that boy's face at sensing the disapproval in Adam's tone.

After a while, I felt Adam's hand gripping mine and he pulled me away, saying we needed to prepare for the next round. With his hand laced with mine, he walked faster while I tried to follow his pace which was not an easy task to do.

"What are we going to prepare?" I asked while marching beside him.

"Chem equations?" I said but he kept his face straight without replying.

"Algebra formulas?" I asked again but no reply.

"Adam?" I said but when he didn't reply, I kept my mouth shut and continued following him.

As soon as we were inside the room, I began to speak but my voice get caught in the throat when he turned around and placed his lips over mine.

For a moment, I couldn't move, my hands still at my sides and my eyes widened like a saucer. But when his lips continued doing wonders against mine, I finally gave in and responded back with an equally passionate kiss.

The kiss was hard and urgent yet strangely gentle. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me towards himself, pressing his body into mine. My hands moved to his torso and I hugged him back, taking his lower lip between my teeth and sucking hard.

I felt drunk. Drunk on his touch, drunk on his lips, drunk on his kiss. It has been so long since I tasted him that it felt like a dream.

"Adam." I breathed heavily, momentarily separating our mouths but he ignored my moan and once again claimed my lips.

"S.. St.." I whispered, my voice getting thicker with every passing second. His hands had now shifted to my butt, cupping each one in his large hands.

"Stop." I finally managed to say and surprisingly, he did. He looked down at me with darkened eyes and flushed cheeks, his mouth parted slightly. It took every inch of courage inside me to pull myself away from him and create some distance between us.

"You can't.. You can't do this to me." I gasped, my voice still rough due to the heavenly kiss. "You can't just touch me after what you did to me."

A layer of vulnerability coated his face and he squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm sorry." his voice sounded exhausted, his shoulders slumped. "I am sorry for everything I have done or said that caused any pain to you."

My heart urged to pull him in for a hug and kiss him again but I held my grounds because it was my self-respect at stake this time. "I can't... I can't let you touch me without hating myself for being so weak."

His gaze drooped to the ground and he sighed. "I wish I could show you how much I hate myself for hurting you." Not being able to look at his guilty face, I turned around and let a small tear run down my cheek.

A long, pregnant silence followed his words.

"Hit me." he said after a moment.

I turned around and looked at his face with confusion.

"Punch me. Slap me. Use me as your personal punching bag." he said, stepping closer to me.

"What? You are crazy." I said, letting out a humorless chuckle.

"I'm serious. Direct all your anger, all your hatred at me." he said, his voice filled with a strange emotion.

"I am not hitting you." I said and looked away from his gorgeous face.

"Hit me Alicia!" he took another step towards me and my heart once again started beating faster.

"What kind of crazy, sadist do you think I am?" I said but he didn't stop. Taking another step, he whispered, "Hit me."

To stop him from taking another step, I brought my hand to his chest and punched it lightly. The muscles in his chest tightened under my touch and I let out a small wince.

He was hard.

Despite the pain in my fist, it felt strangely good. I hit his chest once again, this time harder than before.

The memory when he accused me of being the reason of his problems appeared in my mind and I hit him harder, my breaths turning ragged.

"That's for being a jerk to me in the beginning." I punched his pecs and this time, he winced slightly.

My cheeks had warned up with anger, my hands trembling while tears blinded my vision. "That's for pushing me away."

Using both wrists at the same time, I pushed him and he stumbled back. "That's for your mood swings."

All the tears, all the crying came to me one by one and I let out a whimper.

I felt my heart constricting inside my chest as I pushed him once more. "That's for making me cry."

By now, I was crying. My cheeks were stained and my lower lip was trembling while he stood still, his face emotionless. "That's for all the time you have made me question my worth."

"That's for making me fall in love with you." I whispered against his chest.

I punched him again, and again and again, until I was a breathing mess. So when I was no longer able to hit him, I let him hold me and kiss the tears that were now steaming down my eyes like a waterfall.

His lips were soothing against my warm skin, his hands around my waist kept me standing on my feet otherwise I would have fallen down.

With hazy eyes, I watched his face that was inches away from mine. Not being able to hold myself any longer, I gripped his hair through my fingers and pulled his face down, brushing my lips gently against his.

I was tired. Not physically but emotionally. I was tired of staying away from him. I was tired of ignoring my need for him. I was tired of being reasonable, tired of thinking a lot before doing anything. I was tired, exhausted, drained.

Few moments passed when the slow, passionate kiss turned fast and urgent. My tongue traced the seam of his lips, parting slowly and reaching the inside of his mouth. With each flick of my tongue, my nerves became more aware of his presence. His lower body was pressing into mine, an unmistakable bulge prodding my lower stomach, causing heat to pool between my legs.

Breathless but still kissing, we retreated until my knees hit the edge of the bed. Slowly, I leaned backwards without breaking our kiss and he hovered our me.

My whole body was burning with need, his hands running all over my body, increasing the butterflies in the pit of my stomach.

After what felt like hours, he broke the kiss and shifted his attention to my neck, sucking my soft spot at a frustratingly slow speed. His other hand massaged my butt, causing a tensed moan to leave my mouth.

I wanted to feel his hand directly on my skin so pulling away from him, I slipped out of the loose T-shirt. His eyes widened as his gaze rested on my chest still covered in my bra. Licking his lower lip, he once again attached his lips to mine.

I moaned once again as his calloused fingers caressed my stomach and then slowly moving upwards, he cupped my breast gently in his hands.

"Ohh." I mumbled, his mouth sucking the sensitive skin of my neck. The insides of my legs tingled with need as his hand continued teasing my breast.

"Ad.. Oh.. Adam." I breathed out his name as his lips trailed to my chest.

Arching my back, I let him unclasp my bra and free my bosoms. I didn't get any time to feel self conscious about my body because the minute I slipped out of the bra, his mouth lingered on the cold skin teasingly, his hand squeezing the other one.

"You are so beautiful Alicia." he groaned, stopping for a moment and then continuing again.

My cheeks were burning because of the exposure yet I kept my mouth shut and relished in the pleasure he was giving me.

The hand that was holding my breast now moved lower until it reached the hem of my pants. The knot in my stomach tightened as he slipped his hand inside my pants and caressed the sensitive area with his fingers. With every movement of his finger, my body clenched tighter, my breaths turning harder, coming out in little gasps.

I felt like soaring in the air, the pleasure curling my toes while his mouth kept biting my neck. The knots tightened to the point where I felt like I was going to explode, moans after moans left my mouth and at the end, a whole bucket of pleasure washed over me and I cried out loudly, resulting in my body collapsing backwards on the bed.

Still in the lifeless state, I heard the sound of tearing of plastic. Lazily opening my eyes, I observed Adam as he passed me a sincere smile and once again hovered over me.

Pressing a soft, lingering kiss on my lips, he pulled his shirt over his head. I licked my dry lips, watching him with hooded eyes as he slipped my legs out of my pants and undies one by one, leaving me naked in front of him. I blushed hard as he wrapped my legs around his waist and then once again, kissed me slowly.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice sweet and sensual. Nodding, I closed my eyes and waited for him to deflower me.

Soon, he entered me, causing sharp pain which was followed by an indescribable pleasure, causing my body to shiver from head to toe. I lost the orientation of time and place, only remembering Adam at the moment. I probably didn't even remember my name in the height of ecstasy, not until I heard him moan it in my ear.

"Alicia." he groaned in my ear, pushing me over the edge with his throaty voice.

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