The Fighter and His Tiger (Unexpected Love #1)

28. Friday Week Ten (pt1.)

28. Friday Week Ten (pt1.)

Eli was driving me home from school and my mind drifted to Noah and how I had spent the week giving him the space that everyone said that he wanted. All week he had found some excuse to not be around us, football or school or work, there was always something that meant that he didn't have to see me.

Saddened by my thoughts, I sought a distraction, "what time does your fight start tonight?"

"I don't think you should come to this one, tigru."

Were we really going to do this again? "Eli, I'm coming."

His lips twitched into a smirk, "that's not how I imagined you would say that to me."

Immature little prick, I smacked his arm with the back of my hand, but I couldn't ignore the way my stomach flipped at his words. "Eli, I'm being serious."

He sighed, "Rei, it's different tonight."

"How is it different?"

Eli pulled up outside my house before turning to look at me, his eyes searched my face for a moment, he was deciding whether he wanted to tell me or not. He turned away and I thought he wasn't going to reply until, "my father is going to be there."

That was not what I was expecting him to say, "okay, so why does that mean that I can't be?"

"He isn't a nice person, Rei," his eyes flickered back over to me to gauge my reaction.

I gave him a cheeky smile, "neither are you, Eli."

His lips twitched in response and he shook his head at me, "fine, but you stay with Maxon for the whole night."

"Deal," I reached across the centre console to peck his lips. I then rushed out the car to grab a change of clothes, yelling a bye to my Nan as I left the house and hastily rejoining Eli in his car.

— — — — —

After the last ordeal at Staircase with the pervy bouncer, I decided to cover my black spaghetti strapped dress with a neon yellow puffer jacket which matched my white and neon trainers.

Eli's hand was clasped tightly in mine as he led me through to his locker room in the back, but we were stopped on our way over by a cute blonde boy with a cheeky smile. And by cute I obviously mean drop-dead gorgeous — he had deeply tanned skin, similar to Eli's, and light blue eyes which shone in contrast to his messy blonde hair.

"Have you gotten prettier, Ryker?" He asked with an excessive wink.

Eli's face showed no reaction for a second before it split into a grin, surprising me, "fucking asshole," he muttered as he gave the cute boy a bro hug.

They pulled away from each other with matching grins lit up across their faces, "you look good, man," the model guy said, clasping Eli on the shoulder.

Eli tugged on my hand, "Rei, this is my friend—"

"um best friend," model guy interrupted

Still grinning, Eli rolled his eyes, "my best friend, Cayden. Cayd this is Rei."

Cayden stuck his hand out for me to shake, "ah, you're the girlfriend," I shook his hand, "how does it feel knowing you've taken a perfectly good bachelor out of the runnings?"

"Hm, it feels like you have a lot less competition now."

Cayden released a loud laugh, "I like her, Ryker."

Eli's eyes flickered over to me and feeling cheeky, I winked at him which just made his grin widen.

The boys then led me through to the back room where Max was waiting.