Fighter {Completed}

Chapter Seven: Woah {Cole}

Chapter Seven: Woah {Cole}

The music dies as I pull the headphones from my ears, turning off the sound and slipping them into my hoodie pocket. My breath comes out labored as I take my phone from my shorts, stopping the music and then slipping it back into my pocket.

Sebastian's door enters view as I climb the stairs, and I walk inside.

"Hey, man" Seb greets me, head still buried in his game as he gives a half-assed greeting.

"Hey," I say. Even I can hear how out of breath I am.

"Damn, where'd you run to? Fuckin' China or something?" Sebastian glances at me with a raised brow.

"Train tracks," I breathe, lacing my fingers and placing them on top of my head, stretching so that my lungs expand as I suck in deep breaths.

"Nice."

I turn my head, moving for the couch and quickly stopping when I see Ellie sitting there, nose buried in a thick book.

Without realizing what I'm doing, I lift the book from her hands, her pissed-off glare hitting me immediately. I recognize it as the book Scarlet bought her in return for Ellie coming to one of my matches from before. Keeping her page, I hand the symbol of bribery back to her.

"You read it before?" she asks, glare now gone as she sees that I held the page for her.

I shake my head.

"Oh. You should. It's really good."

"Not my thing." I stand facing the T.V., watching Sebastian play against others around the world as I catch her roll her eyes at me. Glancing down at her, she sighs, shaking her head.

"What?"

The word comes out a little meaner than I intended, but still.

"Nothing. It's just so cliché." When I raise a brow, she smiles softly. Her slightly-chapped, pink lips spread into a thin curve as she does, her green eyes lighting up slightly. "Classic bad boy type. Refuses to read, mean to everyone...full of himself," she adds at the end, quieter as she goes back to her book.

"I'm not full of myself, sweetheart. And I just don't like reading - kinda like how you don't like listening to people when they try to help you when you're drunk. Just not your thing." Shallow shot, but she really needs to realize how dumb it was to take off like that. Anything could've happened to her. God knows what would've went down if she hadn't came home with Scarlet.

I would've never heard the end of it from Sebastian, either.

"I didn't know you cared so much," she taunts, narrowing her eyes. "Everything you've ever said to me has been rude, so forgive me if I didn't think you had my best interest at heart."

I open my mouth, agitation flashing through me, but stop short when she raises a brow, waiting.

Alright, so I've been a little mean to her.

Big fucking deal.

"Fine. Truce. I'm sorry for being such a dick." It takes everything in me not to sneer the words at her, but they come out surprisingly genuine.

Very surprisingly.

"I forgive you; I knew you had heart underneath all that meanness," she jokes. I begin to retort when she grins softly at me, cheeks reddening and green eyes locking with mine.

Stunned, I stare at her.

Long black eyelashes sprout from around her eyes, naturally curved and dark. Forest green eyes alight with playfulness stay locked against mine and only avert after a few moments. A blush spreads on her face, and her lips stay in a small smile, even though she no longer looks at me. Long, wavy locks of golden hair flow around her face and down her chest, the color shining in the light of the livingroom. It seems to make her glow, especially her eyes.

For a moment, I find her... beautiful.

No, not beautiful.

For a moment, I find her breath-taking.

For a moment, all I can think is one word: woah.

And then she opens her mouth.

"What are you staring at, Cole?" It's easy to tell she's uncomfortable, and I mentally kick myself for staring at her like that. I shake my head, turning from her and looking at the screen again. I head to the other couch, spreading out and lying down as I watch Sebastian shoot people on the screen.

"Is this the plan for today?" I ask, glancing at Seb.

"Yep," he says. "Nothing else to do. Still waiting to hear back from the UFC sponsors, so I plan on getting to a 100 Overall in the meantime." I roll my eyes, smirking.

"Do mine, too, while you're at it."

He laughs, and then scoffs when someone kills him in the game, rolling his eyes.

Just past him, Ellie's head moves, turning as she glances at her phone that rests on the arm of the couch. Her hand lifts to answer it, but she stops suddenly, hand hovering in the air.

Her eyes flash up to mine, as if feeling me looking at her. But they don't stay on me; they flash to Sebastian just as quick. Debating for a second, Ellie sets her jaw, pulling her hand back and turning her attention to her book once again.

Her eyes stay locked in one place. It's easy to tell she isn't reading the page.

I've noticed that Ellie doesn't answer her phone unless Scarlet is near, which is strange.

Why didn't she pick it up?

Who is she avoiding?

Before I can think on it more, Ellie gathers her book, blanket, and phone, and heads for the hallway, towards Scarlet's room, where I presume they'll look at the phone together.

"What's that about?" I ask.

"What's what about?"

"You didn't see that?" I frown. Has he really not noticed any of this?

"No, what happened?"

"Nothing, man. Forget about it." He begins to object, but I speak again. "Switch to my account and play for me. I need another level-up before I can upgrade my guns."

Like a child, Sebastian's mind works in one direction only sometimes.

Now, for instance, he forgets immediately about what I said and moves to play on my account. When I'm sure he's occupied, I stand, moving for the hallway.

Voices from Scarlet's room get my attention, and I pause, listening in.

"I just want it to stop," a broken voice says, and then sobbing.

My heart aches for a moment. Is that Ellie or Scar? Either way, I want to punch someone. I let my anger go as I focus, making some food and forcing myself to ignore the words coming from the room just beyond the wall.

"Thanks, bro," Sebastian grabs the sandwich from my hand, grinning smugly as he takes a huge bite.

That motherfucker-

"You should try this. It's pretty good," he grins, shaking the sandwich at me. I narrow my eyes, flipping him off as I make for the kitchen again.

"Dick," I mutter, and he laughs, taking another bite.

I sigh, making another sandwich and relaxing on the couch for the rest of the day, watching Sebastian catch my guy up to where he is on the game as I do.

It takes a while for Ellie to re-emerge, and when she does, it's only for a moment. She steps into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water and then heads for the hallway again, not once glancing up at either of us.

I'm once again left with the same questions from before.

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