| VEXED |

chapter | four

Alex

I slipped on some shorts and a t-shirt and walked quietly downstairs. It's 6 am, but I'm awake and need to take some anger out. I'm not home, so I haven't been doing my normal training at the gym.

I saw that the other section of the training room had a punching bag, and at least looked more like a gym then the other part.

I walked over to it and wrapped my hands. I put my headphones in and blasted music. I began steadily hitting the punching bag as I paced my breathing.

-

"Ethan! stop!" I yelled laughing as he tickled me on the couch. "Nope." he smiled, tickling me worse. "Jackson!" I yelled seeing the guys looked amused. "Sorry, it's out of my hands." he laughed looking at us.

Grayson ran behind Ethan and wrapped his arms around his stomach playfully throwing him to the side. I caught my breath and looked at Ethan who was on the floor laughing.

I stood up and looked down at Ethan and he looked at me with a playful look and I immediately moved when he tried grabbing my leg.

Instead, he slapped Graysons. "You're it!" he yelled, running away. We all glanced at each other. "There's no way I'm playing a child's game." Grayson said, throwing his hands up.

Grayson was side eying Landon, and he slapped his arm and ran up the stairs. Landon was closest to Ethan. Jackson took off up the stairs. Landon smacked Ethan on the back of his head and ran towards the stairs as well. I looked at Ethan who had and animal-like stare in his eyes.

I looked at the stairs and back at him, and took off running. he caught me before I made it. He slapped my ass and laughed. "Well babe, it looks like you're it." he smirked as I heard the boys still running above us. 

He walked closer to me and I felt my back hit the wall in my attempt to back away. His face was really close to mine now, and he held the same smirk.

He placed his hands beside my head and my breathing quickened. Our lips brushed against each other. I smacked his face and began running up the stairs.

"You're it!" I yelled while running. I heard the boys laugh, coming around the corner watching me run up the stairs. "That's not fair! She cheated!" Ethan yelled. "On what grounds?" I asked in defense of myself. "Seduction!" He yelled back, before running up the stairs. We all began running in the opposite direction, laughter filling up the house. 

-

I felt someone grab my hands and I snapped out of a memory I wish never revisited. "Hey!" I heard the person yell while shaking me back and fourth. 

My vision cleared, and I saw the guy from yesterday in front of me. I yanked my arms out of his hands and took a breath. I felt tears on my face, I didn't even realize I was crying. I looked at my hands and saw that there was a red tinge underneath the wrap.

"Uh are you okay?" he asked. His eyes were giving me a "she's crazy" look. I nodded, trying to ignore him. I began walking away from the punching bag while I unwrapped my hands. 

"What are you doing in here this early?" he asked in a raspy voice like he just woke up himself. "I needed to take some anger out and train." I responded, barely above a whisper. I closed my eyes tightly feeling pain in my hands and the wrap came off. 

"Well next time take it easy on the bag, it's expensive." He mocked behind me and I turned towards him. "What is your deal with me?" I raised my voice at him, wiping my face with my injured hands. 

He looked at me sideways and I crossed my arms looking straight back at him. He laughed quietly, making me confused.I let out a breath of frustration, and grabbed my stuff pushing past him towards the weapons wall. I felt him following me and I grew frustrated.

"Here," he spoke from behind me. When I turned around he threw a stick at me and I looked at him with furrowed brows. 

"Your training starts now." he grabbed a stick for himself. "What exactly is this stick going to do for me?" I laughed sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and twirled this stick in a circle with his hands. It was cool to watch.

He walked closer to me and lunged his stick towards my face. Fear flooded through me and I held my stick up, quickly blocking it.

"What the hell?" I yelled, pushing him backward with my stick. "Good defense. Now offense. Hit me." he responded with a straight face.

I looked at him like he was stupid. He wants me to hit him... with a stick? Okay, I will. He's a major dick to me.

I swung the stick towards him and he ducked. He swung his stick towards my legs causing me to fall on my back. 

I groaned when the wind got knocked out of me. I opened my eyes and he had the stick pointed towards my neck. "Boom you're dead." he laughed at me.

I quickly hit his stick away from me and stood up. I swung and hit him in the back making him fall the same way I did. I stepped over him and held my stick flat across his neck.

"Boom, now you're dead." I said, catching my breath. He looked at me for a second, kind of surprised. I blinked and stepped off of him straightening my clothes and tossing my stick to the side.

He stood up and put his stick away. "I let you do that." He replied with a straight face, and began walking beside me out of the training room.

"You just can't accept defeat can you?" I stopped in front of him crossing my arms. He rolled his eyes and looked away from me. "Yesterday it was a temper tantrum, and today it's an excuse." I laughed, making him even more mad.

"Don't get too cocky. Tomorrow will be hand to hand combat." He spoke, coming closer to me with each word. 

I backed away so that I could actually breathe. Being close to him felt like my air supply was being cut off. He suddenly began smiling, and walked away without saying another word. I shook my head to myself, and walked back up to my room. 

Ethan

"Ethan stop!" the voice on my phone yelled. "Ethan I mean it, stop recording me." She laughed holding her hand up.

"I can't help it. You look so good in my shirt." My voice responded. "and your shirt is all I have on, which is why you should stop filming!" her voice raised. she began pulling my blanket over her.

"fine, fine." I laughed seeing her trying to be mad. "one more thing before I cut it off." my voice continued. "I love you Alex." I spoke again, seeing her lips curve into a shy smile.

"I love you too." she smiled into the camera before the video ended. I felt something wet on my cheek and realized I was crying. I quickly wiped it away and decided not to watch the video a 7th time.

if only she knew why I did it. I thought to myself, but she couldn't. no one could. 

-

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I'm editing this now, (Feb 23, 2020) and there are a lot of errors lol. I'm gonna try to get it done asap, but i have school tmmr soo i might have to call it a night with this chapter. 

Xoxo,

h <3