“If you don’t mind me saying, you’re very beautiful.”

My stomach churns, but I force myself to smile. “Thank you.”

I’m going to kill Selena when I see her next.

The next twenty minutes is filled with sleazy comments, lame pick up lines and occasionally his hand brushes across my thigh. When excuses himself to use the bathroom, I pull my phone from my bag. My fingers tap the screen quickly as I compile my text message.

TO: SETH. TIME: 7:00PM

I’m going to kill you! This guy

is a creepo! I can’t wait for

dinner to finish. I’m coming

to kick your ass!

I get a reply almost immediately.

FROM: SETH. TIME: 7:01PM

Where are you?

My brows knit together and I reply.

TO: SETH. TIME: 7:01PM

Are you high? I’m

with Brent... YOUR date at

Phillip’s Gourmet.

I hit send and read over the text messages. It’s strange, even for her. My stomach sinks into my shoes and my hand flies up to cover my mouth.

“Oh no.” No, no, no, no... Seth is directly under Selena in my contacts list and I must have clicked his name without realizing. I feel like vomiting. A hot, nervous flash tears through my body when my phone vibrates and I see Seth’s name.

FROM: SETH. TIME: 7:03PM

I’m on my way.

Brent slides back into his seat next to me and I shove my phone into my handbag. I don’t have time to reply to Seth. A two-seater is cleared up in front of us and I’m aware that it’s the only available table in the entire restaurant. I look at the waiting line... only large families wait. I silently pray that a couple comes and takes up the table before Seth shows. He’ll probably sit right in front of me and make this as torturous as he can. The waiter brings our food and I occupy myself by eating my salad. While I shovel lettuce and chicken into my mouth, I can’t help but notice Brent’s eyes boring into me. I try to ignore the way he watches me closely as I eat the pieces of delicious grilled chicken or hard croutons. I glance at him and his eyes are following the fork as I bring it to my mouth and he stares at my lips as they close around the food. The chicken, tomato and lettuce form a barricade in my throat, fighting its way down as I force myself to strike up a conversation with Brent. I’ll do anything to get him to stop staring at me. “Tell me about yourself.”

McCreepo tells me all about his life. He has a little boy named Jonathon and he’s not allowed to see him because his ‘bitch-whore’ of an ex doesn’t allow it. Other than that, I’m not paying that much attention to what he’s saying... I’m too focused on the front door. Every time someone enters my heart skips a beat. I’m anxious because I don’t know what’s going to happen...

It isn’t until we finish dinner and dessert rolls around that I see Seth’s large frame enter the restaurant. His eyes find me immediately and relief washes over his features. He looks like he’s come from the gym. He’s wearing a white hoodie and black sweat pants. Even dressed down he provokes a naughty filling inside me. I clear my throat. I’m still mad at him.

Seth eyes Brent and his eyes darken as Brent rubs his hand across my shoulder before resting it on the back of my chair. Brent reeks of booze. He’s slammed down countless beers and he’s hiccupping all over the place. Great. He’s going to try and kiss me. I drop my gaze to the table. Brent’s mumbling about some motocross event and when I look back up Seth is being seated at the table in front of us. His back is to me, but I know he’s listening.

“Do you want to come?”

I flick my head toward Brent. “Hm?

“To motocross tomorrow night?”

I flush. This is awkward. “No... I don’t like motocross.”

“We can do something else if you want?” His chair scrapes the floor as he shuffles closer to me. I can’t breathe as he rubs my back and his other hand caresses my knee. He sways slightly in his chair and I’ve had enough.

“I’m gonna go.” I mumble, sliding my chair back.

“Well,” he exhales following suit and standing up. “At least let me walk you to your car.”

Seth angles his head and I can see the whole side of his face. His jaw flexes under his skin and I know he wants me to say no.

“No, it’s okay. You stay and finish your beer.”

“Oh please,” he laughs. “I insist.”

Brent holds the door open for me and I try hard not to look over my shoulder as we exit the restaurant. The car park is void of any people and the lighting is dim. I’m kicking myself for not getting a park closer to the door. I can hear his feet scuffing annoyingly over a few pebbles and I think I heard him stumble a few times, too. In the distance I can see my car and I almost sprint to it. I hit unlock on my button and grab the handle. Brent grabs my other hand and presses his lips to it.

“It was a pleasure meeting you.” His voice is slurred and his eyes are thinned into drunken slits.

My face hurts from too many fake smiles. “You too.”

I try to pull my hand back, but he won’t let it go. I take a deep, calm breath. “Brent, let me go.” I say in my calmest voice.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I just want one goodnight kiss.” He pulls me into him and his hands push down to my ass as he squeezes me hard against him. I twist and turn as much as I can to get away from his face. As a result, his mouth finds my earlobe instead and a sickening shudder overcomes me as his tongue traces my ear.

“You’re so beautiful.” His breath is warm and sticky on my skin.

I shove him, but he doesn’t budge. My heart slams against my ribs and painful tendrils of fear burrow through my stomach.

I try to bring my knees up, but he’s too close and has positioned himself on a weird angle. I have no momentum and no way to kick his junk.

“Brent!” I whisper urgently at him when I see Seth’s fierce, approaching figure. “Let me go!”

“I just want one kiss. Just one. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Let her go.” Seth didn’t raise his voice, but the coldness in it got Brent’s attention.

“Fuck off.” He spits. “We’re busy.”

His small hands cup my breasts and I let out a strange choking sound from my throat. My stomach churns and twists. I think I’m going to throw up. Seth’s warm hand grabs my arm and I’m yanked out from underneath Brent. He tucks me safely behind him and as I peer around his large frame, Seth slams Brent’s face into the side of my car. I gasp and my hands fly up to cover my mouth as I distinctly hear a cracking sound and I don’t know whether it’s my window or Brent’s nose. Brent rolls around on the car park floor clenching his face. I grab onto Seth’s waist and tuck myself behind him. Seth wraps an arm around his back and presses me closer to him. My hands are shaking—I’m shaking. Seth steps toward Brent again, but I squeeze him harder.

“Please, stop.” I beg and I’m not even sure why I want Brent to be spared. Then I realize it’s not about Brent. I couldn’t care less about him. It’s about Seth. I don’t want him to do something stupid because of me. Seth wraps an arm around my shoulder and guides me away from my car and away from Brent. Soon, I find myself leaning against his Range Rover. Seth is pacing the concrete in front of me, breathing heavily and running his fingers through his hair. I step forward. “Seth? Are you okay?”

He tilts his head up to the cloudy sky, but his breathing doesn’t slow. I walk closer to him and run my hands over his chest and up the sides of his neck. He tilts his head down to me, but I can’t see his expression, it’s too dark. His breathing slows and he pulls my hands from his neck, allowing his thumb to glide over the top of my hand.

“You’re shaking.” His voice is low and soft.

“Yeah... I... it won’t stop.”

“You’re in shock. We need to call the police.”

“No, we can’t. You hurt him. You’re an MMA fighter, right? You can’t hurt people. You’ll lose everything you’ve worked for.” He shrugs, but I feel him tense. “I’ll tell Selena and she can tell her friend.”

He nods. “Then at least let me take you home.”

“What about my car?”

“I’ll pick it up tomorrow.”

Seth helps me into the car and we drive away from the restaurant. I keep replaying what almost happened over and over in my head. Did I do something wrong? Did I give off a wrong signal somewhere? A tear rolls down my cheek and I quickly wipe it away. I don’t want to cry in front of Seth.

“It’s not your fault, Olivia.” He states, like he read my mind.

“It is. Selena told me he can be grabby when he drinks... I still showed up.”

He frowned, his hands gripping the steering wheel tighter. “Why?”

“Because I told Selena I would and I thought I’d be able to avoid it.”

Even I realize how completely idiotic it sounds. Seth and I don’t talk for the rest of the ride and when we pull up outside my house, he helps me from the car. Sometimes, for a guy with attitude issues, he sure was a sweetheart. He walks me up the stairs and I unlock the door. Before I open it, I turn to face him and he looks up at me through his eyelashes from a lower step. From this angle he seems so vulnerable, so innocent.

“Can you stay with me?” The words are out of my mouth before I have the chance to think about them.

He noticeably stiffens and his gaze falls from my face to the stairs. “I don’t think that—”

“Please...I don’t want to be alone. You can leave when I’m asleep, if you want to.”

He analyzes me for a little while before nodding his head and climbing the rest of the stairs. When we enter my house, Seth kicks off his shoes and I bypass the dimly lit lounge room to my bedroom. I flick the light switch on and look at Seth. He seems uncomfortable and I have no idea how to make it easier for him. I doubt he has ever kept a girl non-sexual company until she falls asleep before and the thought makes me smile a little. I grab a pair of boxers and a tank top from the end of my bed and I change into them in the bathroom. I brush my teeth to get rid of the taste of second hand beer and when I go back into my room I see Seth has taken his hoodie off, but kept his white t-shirt on. He’s still standing in the same spot, awkwardly and I bite back a smile as I switch out the overhead light. I cross the room to put the lamp on and then climb into bed. To my surprise, Seth’s arms gather me close so my face is on his chest and his nose is buried in my hair. He’s so warm, I want to snuggle in closer and wrap my legs around his. It takes all of my strength not to run my free hand that rests on my leg, over his body.

“I’m so sorry, Olivia.” He says. His lips moving against the top of my head.

“For what?”

“For not trying harder to clear things up between us after dinner. If I had, maybe this could have been averted.”

“What happened with Brent isn’t your fault...” I pause to contemplate my next words. “I shouldn’t have agreed to go and I definitely shouldn’t have showed up even though I knew he was going to get grabby. All of this screams me, not you.”

My fingers twitch as I lift my hand from my leg and move it towards his body. I want to rub his chest and feel the warmth of his skin under my hand, but I rest it on his hip instead and Seth tenses underneath me.

“You can relax.” I giggle. “I’m not going to throw myself at you, again.”

On my head I feel his lips smile. “It’s not you I’m worried about.”

He pulls me in tighter and I feel safe. I can only hope to repay Seth for tonight, at some point.

“I’m sorry for running out on dinner last week.” I mutter.

“It’s okay, I don’t blame you. I can be a bit of a dick.”

“You really don’t like talking about yourself?”

“No.”

Silence fills the room and normally I’d push for it, but I don’t want to ruin this. My heart beat speeds up in the silence and the adrenaline of tonight begins to wear off. There’s a constriction in my throat and I can’t seem to shake it. Seth drags a deep inhale through his nose.

“I don’t have the most interesting life,” He exhales. “But there is one thing that completely turned my world upside down… my dad died of cancer two years ago just before my amateur championship bout in the MMAC tournament.”

I wrap my arm around his waist and my chest compresses. This is what my dad was talking about the first day I saw Seth in the gym. The family drama was his Dad’s death?

“I stopped doing MMA to look after my mom and my little sister.”

The thought of Seth having a little sister warms my heart. I can only imagine how protective he is of her.

“And now you’ve decided to try again?”

“Yeah, it’s what he would’ve wanted. Everything I know about MMA, I learned from him.”

“Well, I’m sure he’s very proud of you.”

He shrugs. “Maybe... he was a hard guy to please.”

“Sounds familiar.” I chuckle.

He squeezes my arm between his index finger and thumb causing me to laugh out loud.

“I’m not that bad.”

“I know.”

We lay together in silence. It isn’t awkward or uncomfortable. It’s nice and I don’t want to fall asleep because I’m afraid I’ll never experience it again.

“I have a qualifying fight in tomorrow night here in Maine. If it goes well and I win, I’ll be contending in the MMAC amateur tournament.”