Tessa O'Conner isn't your typical high school girl. She's had a cheating boyfriend, alcohol addiction, and she is a streetfighter. Nobody knows about these things except her closest friends and family. But, when Mason Crosby, the schools man whore...
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I duck as Sparks takes a swing at me, causing him to fly right past me and land on his face. I quickly turn around and kick him in the rib. I go to take another kick and he grabs my leg leading me to fall on my back and him climb on top of me. He pins me down and begins to punch my face. I squeeze my eyes shut in pain and wince at each punch.
'You have to fight back. You have to win.' my conscious encourages me.
So I fight back. I grab Sparks hand as he's about to make another punch at me and push him off of me. I stand up as he scrambles to sit up and face me. I then use all of my strength to karate kick him in the face. His eyes roll to the back of his head and he groans before falling back to the ground. I walk over to him ready to continue fighting, but it looks like he's knocked out.
The announcer comes up behind me and check to see if Sparks is really knocked. He walks over and touches his shoulder only to be flipped over onto his back. The announcer groans in pain and Sparks then realizes that the move meant for me, ended up being him. Another announcer rushes over to the first announcer and the stands up to speak." Sparks is disqualified!" The crowd groans and shouts while others cheer for my win.
"Delora takes the win!" The second announcer cheers before grabbing my hand and holding it up to the crowd. The crowd goes wild and cheers like crazy. I smile to myself before putting down my hand and going to the bookie to collect my money.
"Nice job Delora." The bookie from earlier, Emberson congratulates me.
I smile before replying, "Thank you."
"Here's your money. And I have a question." Emberson says handing me an envelope.
"What's that?" I ask.
"Would you like to go on a date with me next Saturday?" He asks.
I'm a little taken back but quickly reply. " I have a boyfriend sorry." Then I sprint out of the gym.
I race to my car leaving the gym behind along with Emberson. My answer to him surprised me. I didn't think that I thought of Mason as my actual boyfriend. I knew that he was my "boyfriend" for our revenge plan. But I didn't think I would call him that to strangers. Maybe my feelings are more than I thought for Mason. But it can't be. I can't get hurt again.
By the time I get home my bloody nose is dry along with the cut on my lip, but bruises are yet to form and my eyes are falling heavy. I walk into the building and wait for the elevator. As I wait I lean against the wall and shut my eyes. But far too soon the elevator dings and the doors open. I push myself off the wall and turn to go into the elevator to see Noah and Mason. This will be good....
"Tessa!" Mason says once he sees me and rushes over to me. He pulls me into a hug and grips onto me for dear life. I wrap my arms around him and bury my face into his chest, taking in his scent. Noah walks up from behind him and sits against the wall as the elevator doors close, being completely forgotten.
Mason tips my chin up so that I'm staring into his green eyes. "Are you okay?"
I nod my head. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"What happened?" He asks in complete seriousness.
" It was nothing. I'm fine." I try to convince him.
"You did it didn't you?" He asks me. "You went out fighting again." He accuses me taking a few steps back from me.
I push away from him and stare at my feet.
He walks back up to me. "You got hurt again! You can't keep doing this!"
"Mason you don't understand!" I yell at him.
"I understand that you fight for money! He yells back.
"That's not all what I do it for! I fight because it helps! It helps with the pain Mason! I'm broken and you don't understand that. I am a broken person who fakes a smile daily just to make others happy, and it's terrible. I cry so much behind closed doors no matter how much I try to stay happy everything goes wrong, and I can't lose this bet, I won't survive if I lose it!" I scream at him as the tears run down my face. God I hate being so naive and vulnerable.
Mason doesn't say anything and I don't either.
I don't say anything before turning around and opening the door to the stairs. And thankfully Mason doesn't chase after me. I took my time walking up the twelve flights of stairs, thinking about everything that's happened. Finally once I got to the door of my penthouse I stand there just thinking, and my last thought was,
' no one understands' then I headed inside my penthouse and cried myself asleep.
Mason's P.O.V.
"That's not what I do it for! I fight because it helps! It helps with the pain Mason! I'm broken and you don't understand that. I am a broken person who fakes a smile daily just to make others happy, and it's terrible! I cry so much behind closed doors no matter how much I try to stay happy everything goes wrong, and I can't lose this bet I won't survive if I lose it!" Tessa screams at me as tears run down her face.
I looked down at the ground not knowing what to say. I was about to say something but she walked away, leaving me there with Noah. I stand there for a few seconds soaking in everything that just happened, before turning to face Noah.
"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Noah bursts at me, completely confused.
I shake my head." It's a long story."
"We've got all night so tell me!" He says raising his voice a bit.
So we take the elevator back up to his penthouse and sit on the couch as I explain everything, and when I say everything I mean everything. I tell him about the bet, the plan, Tessa's past, about her fighting. Noah just sits there stunned once I'm finished not saying anything for awhile.
"Wow." He finally says.
I nod my head. "Yeah...."
"So you guys aren't in a real relationship...?" He asks.
"Yeah we're not." I confirm.
"So you guys made a bet that whoever falls in love with each other first loses... And Tessa is scared that if she loses that she won't survive because Valentino broke her. And Valentino is the reason that she fights?" He says trying to process everything and make sure he's right.
I nod my head not saying anything.
"God damn this could be a soap opera!" Noah laughs and I laugh along with him. "So do you think you're going to let her win the bet?" He asks, making me ponder.
"I don't know. I don't really know Tessa yet, but I want her to trust me and I want her to be able to come to me, for anything. I want to get to know her. Her every thought. Her favorite things. Everything about her. I want her." I tell him truthfully.
"So how are you going to get her to trust you?" He asks.
I think for a few minutes. "I have an idea.... But I'm going to need some help."
So at 2:00 in the morning we call Jordan and Alex, and then we get to work.
