"I once had a thousand desires. But in my one desire to know you, all else melted away."

~ Rumi

He plunged calculated punches into his opponent's face as they trained inside the ring, while I sat with my knees bent in front of me, hugging them. His effortless blows caused his opponent to falter and lose his step at which point Tobias' eyes connected with mine for a brief moment as if he was checking to see whether or not I was watching him.

Instantly, his focus shifted back to his fight as he regained his aggressive stance and launched a round of fierce and bloody punches trailing from his opponent's face down to his stomach, the outcome proving catastrophic.

I flipped the hardcover of my sketchbook open to reveal a blank page, plucking a pencil from my pencil set and angling it over the page. My eyes wandered over Tobias' body, out of admiration and fascination, I gawked at him.

Droplets of sweat rolled down his forehead as his muscles flexed every time he would move. I began recreating his dominating figure onto the page, making sure to pay attention to the tiniest detail. My pencil danced across the page as I smiled to myself. Somewhere along the way, I had drifted into deep thought.

"Ariel. In the ring." Tobias summoned me as his previous opponent emptied the ring.

I wobbled my way into the ring leaving my belongings as they were and found myself standing opposite to him. He urged me to punch him, with a faintly amused look in his eyes. My punches that were directed towards his chest were gallant but unsuccessful as they left him unfazed. I recoiled to regain my stance and witnessed a subtle smile lingering at the corners of his mouth.

"What?" I shrugged with a flushed look on my face.

"You have baby arms." Tobias teased me with a playful look in his eyes.

"I do not." I frowned while pouting at him, unconsciously crossing my arms over my chest as he made me self-conscious.

"I'm joking," he whispered before yanking me forward, twisting my body around, and capturing me from behind with his arm around my neck in a chokehold.

"Don't ever let your guard down." He breathed into my right ear as he pressed his chest against my back.

With his right hand, he lingered his fingers leaving jolts of electricity along the back of my right ear, down my neck inching towards my left shoulder. On his way he gathered my messy curls and propped them onto my left shoulder, exposing my bare neck.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as his systematic breathing caused the hairs on the nape of my neck to stand erect, overtaking me with a tingling sensation. My eyes automatically fluttered shut as I leaned in at the pleasure of his touch. Suddenly, I snapped back to reality.

Despite the fact that I was still fazed and we were unequal opponents, I nudged my elbow into his ribcage with enough force to release me from his grip slightly. His loosened hold on me was a testament to the fact that he was taken aback by my spontaneous reaction, allowing me to claim the opportunity and quickly sidestep under his arm. I turned on my heel after my valiant escape, coming face to face with him as a pleased smirk danced on my lips.

He had by nature a vulnerable temper and impetuous moods yet, to my surprise, his beady eyes were tainted with amusement as the specks of gold in them illuminated under the direct rays of the morning sun.

"I guess you should practice what you preach." I bit my lip lightly, feeling confident that I outsmarted him.

"Trust me when I say, you didn't do anything I didn't let you," he retorted with gratified countenance.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, fighter boy," I replied with a chuckle, enjoying the banter, which was on the lighter end for the first time.

His eyes became impenetrable and inscrutable when a flood of people began cascading into the warehouse. He swiftly leaped down the ring, I shadowed him until we both were back on the ground. I rushed to gather my belongings, including my stole that I had left here earlier, as well as Tobias' jacket.

"Let's go." He called out from behind me while exiting the warehouse.

Immediately, I pulled his jacket over my arms, grabbed my bag, and followed in his footsteps. When I reached his car, I pulled the passenger door open. As I climbed into the seat, with my legs first, I felt something underneath me when I sat down. I reached under my butt to retrieve a pack of cigarettes. I tossed them into the glove compartment when Tobias shrugged nonchalantly.

"I bet I can drive better than you," I quipped randomly. His gaze made me feel nervous but I calmed myself with a deep breath.

"Is that so?" Tobias caught my stare with a devilishly handsome smirk.

"Mhm." I nodded, giving a confident hair flip as a response.

The sound of his mocking chuckle made my heart skip a beat. It was sinfully attractive. He had been acting being less callous and more playful all morning. I hadn't ever imagined it to be so enlightening, but it was.

He was enlightening.

"Alright, little mermaid." He returned the gear into parking and was at my door within seconds. He clicked it open with a challenging smile, "Let's see what you're made of."

Breathe.

Andy's words immediately echoed in my head.

"Tobias here is too possessive of her and won't let any of us get behind the wheel."

I slid into the driving seat, my palms were clammy and my heart erratic. I hadn't expected him to just hand over his car but I knew I couldn't back down from his challenge. It felt unnerving yet exhilarating. I clapped my hands together with a deep breath, before wrapping my hand around the gear shift, which was on the left side of the wheel, to bring the car out of parking.

Before I could press down on the accelerator, Tobias leaned across my body with his left arm, his lips mere inches away from the side of my neck. I gulped as an explosion of butterflies erupted in the pit of my stomach, trying to figure out what he was doing.

He latched onto the seatbelt, his breath fanning my face as he fastened it across my body, making sure to take his time. He slowly retreated away from me, straightening in his seat.

He said, "Safety first."

Oh, boy.

I inhaled a deep breath before slowly pressing down on the accelerator. The car jolted forward immediately, the speedometer flicking higher and higher as I tried to keep my foot steady. My hands were tightly wrapped around the steering wheel as I intently kept my eyes glued to the wide road before me. When I felt like I was steady enough, I began picking up speed, changing gears, and switching lanes to impress him.

"Okay, so I might not be better than you but at least now I can say that I've driven a goddamn Impala," I giggled sheepishly.

He remained quiet and I didn't want to sneak a glance at him while driving because I wouldn't have been able to look away. I tightened my grip on the gear shift, keeping the wheel in place with my other hand. Fortunately, it was early in the morning which meant the roads were almost empty. My heart pounded straight out of the windshield when Tobias slid across the seat, his arm thrown over the edge, around my shoulders.

"What are you..."

I lost my words when his rough fingers grazed my shoulder, the thin fabric of my stole letting his warmth seep through. The side of his body pressed against mine, his fingers lightly caressing my skin while his thumb drew circular patterns.

Fuck, I can't breathe.

My focus wavered for a split second as butterflies tickled the pit of my stomach. Instantly, the car began to derail, but Tobias' sharp reflexes allowed him to stabilize the car. He assumed control of the wheel with his right hand. His other hand reached from around my shoulder towards the gear.

I was caged by the heat of his body as he skillfully maneuvered us by keeping the wheel steady. I sat up straighter with a firm grip on the wheel, which allowed my focus to shift back to driving. He retreated, sliding back towards the passenger door with a prideful smirk.

"That wasn't my fault." I pouted.

"Uh-huh? Who's fault was it then?" He countered.

"Yours," I informed him truthfully. "You were distracting me! On purpose!" I exclaimed, keeping my eyes strictly on the road.

"Me?" he feigned innocence, "Now you're just looking for excuses."

"Yes, you," I said firmly. "I can never think straight when you're around," I mumbled to myself but he heard me. Seconds later, I cleared my throat, "Where are we supposed to go?"

"Andy's."

"So, how long are you in town?" I changed the topic.

"Why?"

"Just curious."

"It depends."

"On what?" I probed as I steered around the large front porch, which was decorated with a water fountain in the center. I nudged the gear shift into park, pressing down on the brake to jerk us to a halt.

When he didn't respond, I set the gear to parking, unclasped my seatbelt, and followed him out. Before I was able to return the car key to him, I heard a familiar voice from behind.

"Ariel? Hey, what are you doing here so early in the morning." Dan had a surprised look on his face.

"I was just--"

He cut me off, "Wait, that's Tobias' car..." He eyed the shiny hunk of metal parked behind me.

"Yeah..." I trailed off awkwardly.

"Did I just see you climb out of the driving se--"

"Keys?" Tobias called out from across the car, cutting Dan off.

I looked back and forth between Tobias and Dan, sensing a wave of testosterone thicken the atmosphere. I volleyed the keys towards Tobias, over the roof of the car. He caught them effortlessly before nodding and leaving Dan and me alone.

Emily and Melaine were aware of my training with Tobias but I hadn't told Dan yet. Ever since the whole Kiara thing, Dan was extremely skeptical of Tobias and, as far as I could tell, it was clear that they didn't like each other. I didn't want to worsen it by telling him but I didn't have a choice anymore.

"Are you two sneaking around now? I thought you hated him." He furrowed his brows and I rolled my eyes in response, heaving a sigh.

"Why does everyone keep saying that? It's not like that." I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Then what is it like?" Dan's brows were knitted, a puzzled expression on his face.

"He's teaching me to fight," I said quietly, looking at my shoes.

"So all's forgiven?" His tone was bitter.

"Dan, he's being different." My voice was low.

"He being diff--" A frustrated groan escaped his lips as he rose his hand to swipe his carpeted hair away from his forehead, "Why him, Ariel?" He clenched his jaw.

It was a tough question.

Why him?

I didn't know to answer Dan's question. 

Why not someone else?

Why did my heart have to choose him—him with the mysterious past, dangerous present, and unpredictable future?

Perhaps it was because he challenged me, made me question my beliefs. Or that he infuriated me, ignited my soul. Like hellfire. Maybe it was his alluring personality or the way his eyes danced over my skin. All my answers were a tuft of perhaps and maybes, and that was what scared me even more. 

"I don't know," I whispered, my gaze glued to the bricked driveway. "I don't know, okay? There's just...something about him, something that draws me to him. I mean, I want to be his friend because God knows he has a shortage of those but then again I don't think I can, you know? I mean, be just friends." 

I glanced at where Tobias was standing moments ago, "How can you just be friends with someone when every time you look at them, you're thinking about how much more you really want?"

It took everything in me to say it aloud. 

"You can't seriously feel that way." Dan's voice was strained.

"I don't know what I feel but I know that I'd want the two of you to get along...and forget about what happened with Kiara." Dan's features hardened when I took her name. I tilted my head, "Why do you hate him so much?"

"You're kidding, right? Have you forgotten how I gave Freddie Brown a double wedgie-punch combo for less? This prick is lucky I haven't beaten him to a pulp yet," Dan countered without hesitation.

I sighed. I understood where Dan was coming from, his concern and anger were justified but my head wasn't screwed on tight enough to rationalize; I was being driven by the thuds of my heart.

"Do you trust him, Ariel?"

"I do," I mumbled.

Dan sighed, his eyelids draping over his blue eyes and his jaw clenched tighter than a camel's ass in a sandstorm.

"Ariel, he's..." He bit his tongue, expressing restraint. He huffed, his voice lower than a whisper, "...nothing but trouble."

————

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Love, Ari