𝐍 𝐎 𝐀 𝐇 ' 𝐒   𝐏 𝐎 𝐕

Tense silence hangs over the air. The crack of my fist meeting Brooks' face is the last sound that surrounds the kitchen before the entire place falls silent. Brooks stumbles back, clutching his nose. His grimy hands finally off Ava, and as soon as she realizes she rushes towards me and I wrap my arms around her. Tucking her into my side while asking her if she's okay. My eyes travel over her and I see red finger marks on her shoulder, which is now bruising from his tight grip on her. I clench my jaw at the sight, before glaring at Brooks, who holds his bleeding nose and glares back at me.

People have stopped what they're doing and turn towards us, having heard and seen the punch I threw. The music has now stopped, and I turn my head, seeing the football team and hockey team pushing through the crowd to get to where we are, most likely having been told. Their eyes land on me and Ava before turning to Brooks and Aiden pushes to the front.

"Do we have a problem here?" Aiden asks, crossing his arms as Hannah and Sierra stand near him, their worried eyes on Ava. I look at Aiden before nodding down to Ava's shoulder, where his gaze lands on the finger marks. Understanding takes over his features. "Nose job suits you."

The smirk on Aiden's face annoys Brooks more. "Stay out of it, Mitchell. I wanted to get to know your journalist here."

Brooks once again reaches for Ava and before I can even pull her away, Aiden launches at him. Throwing a fist into his face, knowing him down on the ground. Aiden lands on top of him, both of them pummeling each other. Chaos breaks out as the hockey team tackles Aiden off Brooks to defend their captain, and that's all it takes for the football team to join in to defend Aiden. Cheers and shouts fill the space, as the surrounding people have now taken their phones out to record the brawl and cheer the fight on.

Moving my eyes off the chaos and to Ava. I motion for the girls to come get Ava, in which they immediately round the side of the counter that is safe and take her into their arms. Once Ava is safe, I jump into the fight. Hell, if one goes down, we all do. Punches are thrown, blood is spilled and guys from both sides lay down on the floor knocked out and injured. Mostly the drunker ones.

"BREAK IT UP NOW!"

A horn is blown and all of us are pulled off each other. Campus security rushes into the football house grabbing the players and keeping them detained. Escaping the grasps of campus security as they tend to the people still fighting, and the more banged up players I head over to Aiden who looks a little worse for wear as Sierra checks him over.

"EVERYONE WHO WASN'T IN THE FIGHT OR DOESN'T LIVE HERE HOME NOW!"

Everyone complains about the broken-up fight before people leave. Hearing the noise of more campus cars pull up, with more campus security. I check on some of the guys as I head over to Aiden and pat his shoulder. "You good man?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Go check on Ava. She left with Hannah and Sebastian."

"She left when the fight started, but you might catch up with her still," Sierra clarifies, and I nod gratefully. Pushing past the crowd of people making their way out of the football house. I head to the front and look both ways before taking off jogging in the direction of the football stadium parking lot. Rushing past the students that are hanging around, it doesn't take me long to catch up as Ava, Hannah and Sebastian come into view.

"Ava," I shout, and all three heads turn around as I slow down, reaching them. Ava says something to Hannah and Seb before they carry on walking leaving Ava and I. "Hey are you ok?" I ask, stopping in front of her resting my arm over my ribs.

"Am I okay? Noah, you look like crap," Ava's eyes widen, scanning my bloody face. I know I have a busted lip and a bruise forming, blood over my face, and my ribs are killing. Her hands reach up to my face, turning it to the side to see the damage.

"But I'm still handsome, right?"

She chuckles, shaking her head. "You never were."

I pout, before taking her arm and my eyes going to the bruise formed on her shoulder that is now more visible. I want to kill that fucker for laying a hand on her. "How's your arm?"

"Noah, I'm fine. It will bruise but it could have been worse," She smiles up at me, before her eyes flicker to my arm resting over my ribs. "What hurts?"

"My ribs, jackasses got a few good hits I need to wrap it."

"Come on, let's get you back to my place and I can clean you up and help you," Ava offers, wrapping her arm around my back. Being careful as she leads me to the car while my arm rests over her shoulder.

We make it to the car and get inside, as Hannah and Sebastian sit up front and drive to Ava and Hannah's apartment as I fill them in on what happened after they left. Soon enough, we're pulling up to their building and we head up to their apartment in the elevator. As soon as we're in Ava ushers me into the bathroom ordering me to sit up on the counter.

Pulling myself up and slumping a little. I watch as Ava kneels down to grab a first aid kit, and she's standing back up taking out the stuff needed. Pushing my legs apart, she stands in between them, pouring something on a cloth before she holds my jaw and starts to clean the blood off my busted lip, which earns a wince. She smiles apologetically before carrying on as my eyes watch her.

"You're staring," Ava points out, her eyes locking with mine, making it easier for me to see the intense green of her eyes.

"It's not every day I get a beautiful girl taking care of me," I admit, and she rolls her eyes, but I can see the blush forming on her cheeks. "Hey, about tonight, I'm sorry this happened. I feel terrible, I mean I knew they were there, and I saw the way he was looking at you I shouldn't have left you on your own."

Pushing some of her fallen hair behind her ear, my gaze rests on the bruise on her shoulder. Guilt hits me at full force, but she speaks up, "It's not your fault Noah. You can't control what he does, and I don't need babysitting so stop feeling guilty about it," She silences me after her words as she continues to clean up my face, wiping the blood off it. "Your face is all cleaned. I mean, you still look like crap, but you don't look as horrible looking now."

"You're hilarious."

"I need to wrap your ribs, so you'll have to take your top off."

"Babe, if you wanted me naked just say that," I tease her, hopping off the counter. "Little help?"

Lifting the top as far as I can without moving too much to not hurt my ribs. Ava grabs the bottom of my top, lifting it over my head as I wince. She puts it down on the side and I catch her staring at my shirtless chest a few times.

"Hold this here," She places the start of the bandage at the side of my ribs and I hold it in place as she maneuvers around me, wrapping it around before tightening it, making me groan. "Shit, sorry."

I wave her off as she finishes wrapping me and as soon as she's done, she packs everything up as I put my top back on. "Thanks, Ava."

"I should be thanking you for what you did. I feel bad you guys got into a fistfight."

"Ava it's fine, we wouldn't leave you with that guy and he deserved it. We've had fights with them before, ok it's not your fault it's Brooks, he caused this."

"Well thanks anyway," Ava leans up to kiss my cheek. "You guys aren't as bad as I thought you were, but then again the first impression I had was Colton."

"Yeah, he puts most people off football players," I laugh, before leaning down to kiss her cheek as a blush forms. "Your blush is cute by the way."

She pushes me back before mumbling, "Oh, shut it."

After pushing me back, she walks out of the bathroom and I laugh, following after her. As we walk back into the living area, I see Dylan, Aiden and Sierra also made it here. Everyone is sat around the living area with Dylan passed out on the chair.

No surprise there.

"You guys are back, what happened after we left?" Ava asks sitting down next to Sierra who hugs her.

"Campus security issued both teams with a warning and they're going to alert both coaches," Aiden explains, and I sigh. Throwing my head back, knowing coach is going to kill us.

"I'm sorry guys, I'll talk to coach and explain everything. You guys shouldn't get in trouble," Ava tells us, a guilt stricken look on her face.

"Don't worry about it, Ava. Brooks deserved it, and we'd do it again. The football team is a family. A dysfunctional one, at times, but still a family. You're part of that now and we look out for each other," Aiden explains and Ava smiles. He's not wrong. No matter who has problems on the team, any of us would jump into a fight for one another anytime any place.

"Do you guys want to stay here tonight? You're all kind of in bad shape and well he's passed out," Hannah offers, pointing to Dylan.

"Yeah, I'm not carrying him back," I tell them, and they all laugh.

"Ok Sierra, why don't you help Aiden clean up in the bathroom. You guys can stay over tonight, so Seb and I will get some pillows and blankets for you guys," Hannah explains, tugging Seb up as they walk off. After getting pillows, we all help set up the living room to make it comfier for us three. Ava offered for us to take her room, and she and Sierra would sleep out here because we're injured. But we wouldn't let them.

"See you guys in the morning," Sierra yawns, waving to us as she walks off. Meanwhile, Aiden and I get comfy on the floor and Dylan. Well, he's still passed out.

"Will you guys be ok here? Sure you don't want the bed instead?"

"We'll be fine, Ava," I smile.

"Ok, well goodnight guys," Ava waves before making the way to her bedroom. Sighing, I lie down on the blankets, resting my head on the pillow.

"You know coach is going to kill us, right?" Aiden mentions from the couch, and I laugh.

Dead men walking.

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑  𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄

Happy Easter Sunday!!! Hope you all liked this chapter, don't forget to vote and comment let me knowing what you think! Also made an announcement in this book and on my profile about upcoming awards, super important go check it out.

What do you guys think about Ava and Noah gradually becoming closer?

Also if you'd like to get to know me a bit more as an author/person or see some behind the scenes about my writing process or upcoming books, even about this book go check out my Instagram, I'm still fairly new to it but I try to be as active as possible and feel free to DM me on it if you would just like to chat.

Tasha Jade <3