Rivals in Business, Allies in Love

Chapter 15

~Ivy

I had a feeling it was him. It's scary how I can tell it was him from the distance. It also helped that it's his neighborhood.

I'm not sure why I chose to approach him. The moment I saw him, I got the urge to hide away but a larger part of me wanted to confront him. Not in an argumentative way though.

I am not prepared to be met with the various shades of purple lining his face. I feel my face drop but then quickly recover. He seems to be surprise that I'm standing here. "What? Did you land face first onto a freshly painted canvas?" I eye the darker discolouration around his eyes.

"Funny." He deadpans but I hear the playful sarcasm in his voice.

I nod towards his face. "What happened to your face?" Is Zavier getting into fights now? Sure, I've seen him get a little riled up from time to time but I've never really seen him like this. It worries me a little. That's so strange.

"Got into a fist fight." He shrugs, nonchalantly like if it's no big deal. Zavier Manharti, have you seen your left eye?! "I thought everyone knows by now since it's been trending for the last eighteen hours." He sighs as though tired of it all. When you're trending for good things you want it to last but it goes by fast. When whatever you're trending for is bad, it seems to be there forever. Its flame never dying out. There are times where you think the flame had burn enough and is destined to be blown out but then someone adds wood to the fire then it shoots up again. Never dying out.

"I've been off the internet." Zavier kicks a stone away from him. "Well?" He looks over at me, slightly confused. "Who with?"

His eyes twitch and the clear of his throat breaks the silence around us. "Nathan." There's a shrug of his shoulders again but I don't miss the quick glance he throws my way.

"Nathan?" Which one? Wait, Nathan Rush? I saw some teenagers looking at pictures earlier but I never thought he'd got into a fight with Zavier. Nathan fights all the time. He does it like every other weekend. Zavier however, barely fights. I wonder what made him lose the resolve he usually has. "You're the one who got into a fight with Nathan?" There's disbelief in my voice.

"I thought you said you were off the internet? Yet you know about Nathan and not me?" A frown falls on his face. He almost looks adorable. And I can't believe I just said that.

"That's a good thing." I wave him off. "It means everyone's already forgetting that you're involved." I mean those girls were in a heated conversation about Nathan always making trouble. When he's in the limelight it's never for a good reason. There's nothing envious about that guy.

"I'd hope so. My mom went at it for five hours straight." My laugh escapes before I can contain it. It's an odd reaction and deep down I'm not sure if I hate it. I'd expect nothing less from his mom though. My mother will do the same. "If I'd stay there my ears would've received a beating or two." It's okay if I laugh a little. Zavier can be decent when he's not annoying me. "Another beating is the last thing I need right now."

"Seriously, you've looked better." A groan escapes his lips but I know he doesn't take my jabbing too seriously. "But hey, if it helps, I've seen the other guy and he looks way worse." That earns me the million dollar smile he usually gives every camera that points in his direction. I'd seen girls fall on their knees for that smile. I shift my stance to my right leg.

"He does look worse." I nod in agreement. Where Zavier had gotten a bit of a bruising around his left eye and discolouration around his jawline, Nathan's entire face took a beating. I wonder what made Zavier so angry.

"So, you guys fought. What for?" I'm curious. Will he tell me? I'm not one to gossip but if Zavier Manharti gets into a fight with the industry's bad boy then I doubt it was over something as minuscule as spilling beer on his favorite leather jacket. Although I can see Nathan being petty enough to start something over this.