“Dude, there you are.”

I pause as I’m walking down the halls and turn to see Reese running up behind me. He’s panting and I’m about to open my mouth and shoot a teasing comment at him about being so unfit, but I see he’s got a concerned look on his face. It’s one of those looks that people give you when they tell you that someone you love is gone. My heart instantly clenches.

“What’s wrong?”

He puts a hand up to catch his breath, then he rasps out, “Your girl out there is taking on Belle.”

I shake my head. “My girl?”

“Demi, fuckwit. She’s got her rounded up on the field, all her bitches behind her.”

Fuck.

I turn and run in the direction he came from. I can hear his footsteps behind me but I don’t stop. I pound the pavement until I hit the grass, then I break into a full sprint towards the group of girls. I hear the hissing voices and screeches of pain as I near closer, and what I see is not what I expect. Instead of Belle being abused, or punched, or hurt, I see Demi on the ground, screaming up at Belle with a bloodied nose. My eyes dart to Belle, who is panting, tiny fists clenched, eye black and swollen still.

Even Demi’s friends are standing back, with shocked looks on their faces.

“Stay away from me!” she screams down at Demi.

“You stay away from Max. He’s mine, you stupid, ugly, bitch.”

“You can have him,” Belle bellows. “I don’t give a shit about any of you.”

That hurts. It hits my chest somewhere deep down.

“Then why the hell do you keep following him around like a pathetic puppy? He comes to me, you stupid slut. He fucks me. He sleeps with me. Honestly, what made you ever think he’d be interested in you?”

Belle’s face drops, and a pain I’ve not seen before flashes across her face. I leap in before Demi can spit another disgusting word. Fuck the reputation. Fuck what I could lose. Nobody is going to make Belle feel like she’s anything but the most beautiful person on this planet.

“Shut your fuckin’ mouth,” I bark as people move aside to let me in.

Demi looks over to me, eyes wide, and then she starts the waterworks. “She came in here and punched me, Max. She won’t leave me alone.”

Fucking liar.

“I heard every fucking thing you said to her, Demi. You so much as look at her again, I’ll make you wish you were never born. We’re done, through. Do you hear me? I’d rather fuck a bucket of hot water.”

Everyone around us laughs, but Demi’s face floods with rage.

“You know you belong to me, Max. You can’t just end it. I won’t let you. That little bitch has nothing on me.”

“Call her that again,” I growl, “and see what happens. That woman is thirty times the person you are.”

“You can’t do this!” she screams as I turn away.

“Just did, babe.”

I flick my eyes in the direction Belle was in, but she’s gone. I didn’t notice her run off. God dammit. Fuck. Leaving Demi where she is, I spin around and shove past people, running towards her car, because I know that’s exactly where she’s headed.

I’m right. I catch her just as she’s swinging the door open.

“Blue Belle, wait.”

She spins on me, and screams in a voice so loud I’m shocked it could come out of someone so tiny. “You go away, Max. I won’t do this. I won’t be your little companion that you turn to when you’re bored. Leave me alone. I don’t want to be a part of this.”

“Just wait,” I say, shoving her door closed so she can’t get in. “Let me—”

“No!” she shrieks. “Why did you even seek me out, Max? What purpose did you have to try and be my friend? I was happy before you came along! Then you jumped into my life and now I can’t . . .”

“You can’t what?” I growl, stepping up close so her back is pressed against the car.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like without you. I don’t want to feel like that. I didn’t want to feel the desperate feelings I felt the other day in my room, and I don’t want to feel them right now.”

She feels it too.

Fuck.

“You can’t make them stop, Blue Belle.”

“Stop calling me that,” she croaks. “Stop talking to me. Stop trying to be my friend. You’re too good for me, Max. That’s been proven. Just leave me alone.”

“There’s one big fucking problem with that request,” I say, stepping closer until my body is flush against hers. Her pink lips part and she sucks in a breath.

“What’s that?” she whispers.

“I don’t want to fucking leave you alone.”

Then I take a risk. I lower my head and crush my lips against hers. She’s silent for a moment, still as a statue, but I take that moment to enjoy how her full, warm lips feel against mine. A tiny gasp escapes her lips and then finally, she parts those beautiful, plump beauties and lets me in. I slide my tongue past them, gently stroking it against hers. A little moan escapes and she pushes her body closer to mine. I’ve never felt so fucking aroused in my life. No kiss has ever been this good. I wrap my fingers around her hip and crush her body against mine, grinding my erection against her belly.

“Max,” she whispers when I pull back, and slide my lips along her jaw.

“Don’t,” I warn, nipping her chin. “I get what I want, Blue Belle. You can fight this, or you can go with it.”

“People like you and me,” she protests, “we’re not meant to be with each other.”

“I always hated fucking rules, baby.”

“Your friends, your reputation, your coach . . .”

“Can all go fuck themselves.”

“Max.”

“Blue Belle,” I murmur, kissing her lips again.

“I’m afraid.”

I stop kissing her and pull back, looking down into her gorgeous blue eyes. “Never be afraid when you’re with me, because I’ll never hurt you.”

She studies my face. “How do I know that’s the truth?”

I press my forehead to hers, and her body relaxes in mine. She likes it when I do that. “Because anyone would have to be a true asshole to hurt a beautiful bird.”

She giggles.

I grin.

I think I just got the girl.

One Week Later

“Max!” Belle laughs. “Stop it!”

I lift the straw from my chocolate shake and blow the milk across the table at her. She puts a hand up through her laughter, trying to stop the little bits of chocolate milk from hitting her face. She’s already got it all over her.

“Max!” she shrieks again. “Stop.”

I chuckle and lower the straw, and she quickly lifts hers and blows hard. I get a face full of strawberry shake. Grinning, I leap over the table and grab her face in my hands, then I wipe mine all over hers. She laughs so hard the sounds stop coming out, but I can feel her body shaking. We’re both covered in milkshake, but that doesn’t stop me from crushing my lips against hers.

Kissing Belle never gets old.

Our lips mold together and I can taste the sweetness of our shakes on her lips. She stops laughing and clutches me, kissing me long and deep. Fuck, yes.