"My family was a normal one. Sure we had our upside down moments but we always pulled through. It all went to hell a few years after we moved to New York and my father got a raise. We didn't see him anymore and my mom got more and more depressed. It didn't take a genius to know that their marriage as our family was breaking beyond repair. Everything that happened at home I would bottle it up. I was like fourteen, I didn't know how much trouble that could cause me in the long run. One day a kid tried to bully me but ended up with a black eye and a broken nose and only that because someone pulled us apart. A few guys who were seniors back then took notice of that and told me about street fighting. They told me I would get a lot of money every time I win. I didn't care about that; all I cared about was that I needed some sort of release from everything that was going on." He paused to take a deep breath. I rubbed his hand trying to comfort him and urging him to continue.

"I was so focused on me and how I felt that I completely forgot about my brother. He's two years older than me, so I thought that he was able to handle all this. He always seemed so composed and calm." He scoffed bitterly. "If we only knew back then that how he was 'handling' it would f*cked our lives I would've done something."

"What did he do that was so awful?" I asked when I saw him hesitate for a moment.

"He was doing drugs. While he could afford it, everything was fine. When he ran out of money and things to sell he began to steal. He was in and out of jail constantly. My parents began to ran out of money to bail him out and by then their marriage was f*cked up so my dad decided to move out. He left but told us that we could move with him. I decided to stay and help mom. I kept getting better as a fighter but everything that I won would either go to pay our bills or my brother's addiction. My mother had enough and made him decide between the drugs or his family. He decided to go to rehab but after a few weeks he dropped out and went back to the same sh*t. My father decided to take matters into his own hands and made him come live with him; his ultimatum was different to my mother's. It was either rehab or jail. He was not going to let anyone bail him anymore. So my mother asked me to watch him and keep him out of trouble so he wouldn't wind up in jail." A lot of pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, but there were some that still hadn't. Who is the one leaving notes in my room?

"There's still something I don't get. Why are you in danger? Who is threatening you?"

"My brother owes money to some dangerous and powerful people. Those thugs in New York have other gangs here who are still unto us. I decided to go back to street fighting because I have to help my brother. He's doing so well in rehab; he's almost done with his therapy." He looked so helpless that I wanted to hug him and never let him go.

"So you are wining all that money to pay up his debt?"

"Yes, but they can get very impatient. I've noticed that sometimes they follow me but they won't kill me because they know I always pay up. Still they don't trust anyone. When you received that note, it was meant for me to know that they are following you too. But they know better than to mess with my girl." I snapped my head to look at him. His eyes were filled with sincerity and determination. My heart began to beat rapidly. He raised his hand and tucked a loose strand behind my ear. His hand lingered there for a few seconds until he began to trace his fingertips along my jaw. He reached my chin and raised it. "You are so beautiful." He whispered softly and kissed me.

His kiss was soft and tender nothing like before. It was like he was making me feel through the kiss how he felt. It was exhilarating and at the same time frightening. I was scared that I would fall for him. That would really make me vulnerable.

I pulled out of the kiss and rested my forehead on his.

"Aren't you going to run away from me?" He asked truthfully tilting his head.

I shook my head and placed my hands behind his neck. "I'm right where I want to be." I smiled at him.

"So..." He trailed off.

"So, what?"

"Does that mean that you are officially my girl?" He looked so cute slightly nervous and expectant.

I smiled. "Well, aren't you going to ask me?"

"I just did." He said slowly and I shook my head. He rolled his eyes when he realized what I meant. "We aren't in fifth grade."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "So? Asking me to be your girlfriend it's still romantic."

He huffed in defeat. "Okay, I'll ask you."

"Ask me what?" I prompted when he wasn't saying anything.

"You in?" He wiggled his eyebrows. I had to laugh at his stupidity.

"Yeah, I'm in." He smiled and kissed me like he usually does taking my breath away.

~~~~~

When I went back to Tori's she received me like expected, like a Chihuahua on crack. I told her everything except Drake's story. It's not my story to tell besides it took him quite a while to tell it to me. I spent some time with Tori and Mason until it was late and I had to go home.

~~~~~

Monday morning and I already felt like all the energy has been drained out of me. I tried to shut my phone off but the damn thing kept moving away from me. Reluctantly I opened my eyes and threw the duvet exposing my bare legs. I shivered that made me run to the bathroom to get a nice warm shower.

20 minutes later

"Hi guys! Bye guys!" I ran through the kitchen, grabbed a cereal bar, and left the same way. I set my alarm 15 minutes before is time to go to school and I was running kind of late.

I bumped into something, or someone and I heard a girly shriek. "Emily!" Jake was all splattered on the floor after I accidentally tackled him.

"I knew that girly shriek wasn't mine." I smirked at him and left running.

I made it to school on time and with two minutes to spare, thank you very much. I was walking towards my locker when I saw my friends standing by it. "Hi guys" I greeted as I began to take the books I'll need during the morning.

They all looked at me the same way Tori does. "Ummm...Tori, have you been sharing whatever you are always on with them?" I pointed between Brad and Mason.

"You know, you kind of let me down." Mason placed his arm over my shoulder as we all began to walk towards our homeroom.

"Why?" I frowned at him.

"We always thought you had a thing for Tori." He shrugged.

I looked at Tori and she winked at me. "Who knows? Maybe I still do." I shrugged Mason's arm off and placed mine on Tori's shoulders as we walked in front of them. Tori grabbed my ass and winked at them. I laughed as I saw Mason's disgusted look and Brad's aroused one.

"You can do that again Em, just not with Tori." He tried to rub his eyes trying to get the image out.

"Oh please, let me watch! I promise I'll be quiet." Brad pleaded and Mason punched his arm.

We went in the classroom. After homeroom, English class began and Drake wasn't here yet. He didn't text me or anything and I felt the same things I did last time. Suddenly, the door bust open and in walked my boyfriend. My boyfriend, never in a million years I thought I would say that. It's so weird to say that yet so right. He looked around the room until he spotted me and smiled. Most of the students saw his sudden change of expression and turned to look at what caught his attention and, most of all, made him smile. He had become the notorious and mysterious bad boy whom all the girls were going crazy for. Walking towards me, he kissed my cheek and sat next to me. I looked at him and blushed like crazy. This boy was making me feel things I've never felt before, and he was mine.

Lunch came and I was walking towards the cafeteria to meet up with my friends when I was roughly shoved into an empty classroom. My blood froze for a moment until I met those eyes.

"You know, this is harassment." I said between breaths. Drake was holding me by the hips. He began to leave soft tender kisses from the base of my neck to the back of my ear. My heart was beating so frantically that I felt like it wanted to jump out of my chest. He raised his hands and was now holding my waist, lifting the hem of my shirt and touching my skin. I was literary frozen on spot. My brain was not listening and my arms weren't reacting. They were useless dangling by my sides. While I was trying to gain control of my body Drake got close to my ear, biting it softly. "You should fight me off then." Lord, I did not know you made a shut down switch, and why, why was him the only one who could toy with it?

"Drake..." I tried to speak but his name came out like a moan. His head snapped back to my face and the darkness in his eyes told me that he was just one step away to be untamed. I stood there looking at him unable to speak. I tried to hold my breath, but it was impossible and that was it.

That was all it took to set him off.

___________________________________

Ha! Yeah, I'm evil like that. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. :)

PS: That's how my now husband asked me to be his girlfriend, sooo romantic. (note sarcasm)

Kim <3