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The Favor, Part 2
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The Consumed Series The Favor, Part 3
When we pull up outside my house, he helps me from the car and walks me up the stairs. I unlock the door, then turn to face him. From a lower step, he looks up at me through his dark eyelashes."Can you stay with me?" The words tumble from my mouth and Seth stiffens, his gaze falling from my face to the stairs."I don't think-""Please. I don't want to be alone." I turn my house key in my grip, nervously working the metal with my fingertips. "You can leave when I fall asleep if you want."He straightens, pulling himself tall and proud, and stands in thought. A cold feeling zips through my chest. Am I making him uncomfortable? Can it be compared to how Brent made me feel? I open my mouth to apologize and tell him not to worry about it, but he pushes off his step and brushes past me, entering my home.Inside, I close the door and hang my handbag and keys as Seth kicks off his white sneakers. He follows me as I bypass my dimly lit living room and enter my bedroom. My stomach ties itself i
The Consumed Series The Fight, Part 1
The thunderous noise of laughter and conversation fills the arena and bangs on my eardrums. Energy pulsates through the crowd and vibrates through every physical object in the place. I can't deny the adrenaline in my blood and the excitement on my skin as it overcomes me in surges. I can't pretend it doesn't feel good. It does. It feels incredible. I shiver. I skim my gaze over the fenced ring in the center of the room. Hoisted a few feet off the floor, its lower limbs shrouded in advertising and sponsor logos, it stands proud and strong, ready to withstand anyone who enters. "Still can't believe that gross pig groped you," Selena grumbles as we shuffle between people, trying to get to our seats. I grunt my agreement, wanting to drop the subject forever, and clench my small, leather handbag to my side. A ruckus of five men storm past in a waft of expensive cologne and inked flesh. "Thank god for Seth." I glance over my shoulder at her. Her hungry eyes are glued to the group as they
The Consumed Series The Fight, Part 2
A dark fabric lands on my head, covering my sight. Cursing I pull it off and scowl in the direction it came, meeting Selena's mischievous green eyes."Don't say I never get you anything," she sing-songs, lowering herself into the seat beside me.I cock an eyebrow as she stuffs her hot dog ungraciously into her mouth, then laughs as a large drop of ketchup spills over the edge and onto the breast of her white dress. Pulling the half-bitten hot dog out of her mouth, she gapes at me wide-eyed."This is white!" she barks, as if it's my fault. "I'm never going to get this out."She hands me the hotdog and I hold it away from me. The last thing I want is to get sauce on my clean, blush-colored blouse. From her oversized handbag, she pulls out another piece of black fabric, and I glance at the one in my lap."They're the same," she said, pulling the black fabric on over her head. The large fabric hangs off her slender frame and covers her body like a muumuu.I stare at Seth's name printed in
The Consumed Series The Fight, Part 3
Seth attacks first, delivering two jabs to Frederick's face, sending a surge of tingles through me. Kennedy staggers back and I expect Seth to back off and give him room to breathe, but he doesn't. For every step Frederick takes backward, Seth moves forward, slamming powerful fists into his body. I lift my hands to cover my eyes, but stop halfway, unable to shield myself from the beating Seth gives his opponent. The crowd cheers around me, but I hear nothing. I'm mesmerized by it-by Seth-and the calculated way he moves his heavy frame. I've never seen anything like it.Thump. Thump. Thump.Frederick Kennedy doesn't stand a chance. I press my fingers to my mouth and shake my head. Every cell in my being revolts at the violence being exhibited, but there's a buzz in my blood and a zip in my skin that lights up whenever Seth's fists hit Frederick. He gets such a beating that his team grabs a white towel and Dad clenches my arm."They're gonna concede!" he shouts at me, not taking his star
The Consumed Series The Wait
The digital clock on my bedside ticks over from twelve-fifty-nine to one a.m.I blink at it. How am I still awake? I thought I washed away the remaining adrenaline from the fight in the shower, but I still feel tiny zaps of it in my blood.Huffing, I grab my phone from my bedside table, throw my blankets off, and roll onto my back. I unlock the screen and squint as the brightness burns my retinas. Through the watery haze, I set my phone to night mode, making the screen easier on my eyes. I have no new texts and no missed calls. I don't know why I checked. One a.m. is considered an early night to Selena. The only notification I have is from Facebook. You have a new memory to look back on today. I click the notification and it takes me to the Facebook memory. On this day two years ago, it reads, and it's a picture of Blade and I at Portland's Maine Zoo. We're standing side by side and we're happy. I mean, we don't look happy because the massive, yellow snake we're holding is trying to wr
The Consumed Series The Ex
My eyes flutter open and I squint into the bright morning sunlight that seeps through the gaps in my curtain. I blink until my eyes adjust and the blurry lines of the world sharpen enough for me to recognize my bedroom. I extend my arm to the other side of my empty bed, touching the cool, empty mattress. I wonder what time he left... I lift my head off my pillow, my sights set on a small, folded piece of lined paper on the white pillow next to mine. The corners of my lips quirk and I grab it, rolling onto my back as I open it.O,Gone to training.Text you later,SethI smile, kick off my blankets, and lift myself out of bed, full of energy. I place Seth's note in my bedside drawer for safekeeping, then pull my silk dressing gown off the hook behind my door and slip into it. In the living room, I peer over the back of the couch at Selena and laugh at her state. She opens one of her eyes, and it's bloodshot and puffy."Good morning, Sunshine," I coo, touching the side of her face.She w
The Consumed Series The Disappointment
Inside the clinic, there are no patients and I use the quiet moment to close my eyes and drag a big gulp of air into my lungs."Rough morning?"My eyes shoot open and I watch Mason as he saunters up the hall, brushing his palm down the front of his fitted navy suit."Something like that," I reply.I push off the door and stalk to my desk to start up the computers. My limbs tremor with rage and disappointment. Rage because Blade has the audacity to grovel when I'm trapped inside his car, and disappointment because...well...maybe Seth did kiss another woman last night. Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his slacks, Mason watches me bang around the reception area, steam billowing from my ears, probably."You wanna talk about it?"I shake my head. "Nope.""I'm here if you do."He returns to his office. I listen for the door to close before I place my head in my hands. I hate I'm being like this after Mason graciously gave me time off to get it together. I've been great. Before this mor
The Consumed Series The Moment, Part 1
Surprisingly, Seth doesn't launch himself at Mason and I slip between the two men before he changes his mind and unleashes on the lean psychologist. I press my splayed hands firmly against Seth's wide chest. He's coiled tight and I'm afraid, if I let go, he'll spring straight into a fistfight. "He's not worth it," I tell him, reminding him of the bigger picture. "Let's go, Seth."Blowing frustrated air from his nose, he growls and whirls on his heel. Seth yanks the door open so hard it slams against the front window and minutely cracks the glass. Shit. I cut my eyes at Mason. "His dad? Really? That's low.""Dating Seth is low. I expected more from you.""What did he do to you?" I demand to know. Scowling, Mason storms to his office and slams the door. The calming, blue walls shake and the framed college degrees shudder. Exhaling, I let my eyes fall closed. I use the silence to quieten my pounding heart and gather my thoughts before meeting Seth outside. He paces the sidewalk with h
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The Consumed Series The Epilogue of Vol 1
I push away from the heavy bag with a sigh, then drag an inhale in through my nose. My lungs burn, and my arms feel like stones. I pluck the towel from my shoulder and swipe it over my face. I've been slamming my fists into this bag of sand for the last hour, waiting for Olivia to finish cleaning the gym. There's no one left, the doors are locked, the blinds drawn, but she insists on having everything in top shape for when it opens in the morning.I can't say I don't enjoy watching her walk around the place with a determined little pout on her lips, because I do. I enjoy it so damn much.Blowing air from my lips, I lean against the ropes of the boxing ring. She does another round, picking up a missed towel here and there. I track her every step, my shorts growing tighter every time she bends over. Eventually, she enters my area of the gym.She doesn't pay me any attention.And it drives me crazy."Olivia," I call out, and she whips her head in my direction, her perfect, long hair whirl
The Consumed Series The Surprise Visit
I sit in my car outside Mom's house, gripping my steering. I stare at the quaint little home nestled somewhere in the middle of Sparrow Road and dread burrows deep. If I walk through those doors, I'll be alone in the house for the first time since Dad's death. The thought is isolating.Chase left for Pakistan this morning and Mom is spending alone time in a hideaway cabin in the hills. The house will be quiet. And I'll be alone.Loneliness has been the theme of my life for more days than I can count. I miss Dad. I miss Seth. It gets harder to pin Seth down with a phone call with every passing day. He calls me and I miss it. I call him back and he misses it. By the time we catch each other, he's exhausted and sleeping on the other end of the line before I can ask him how he is. He asks me to join him in every city he lands in, but I haven't had the heart to leave Mom alone, especially now Chase is gone.Releasing the wheel, I sit back against my seat with a sigh. The vermilion afternoon
The Consumed Series The Vegas Fight, Part 2
With a shake of his arms, Seth tilts his head to the ceiling, exposing the thick column of his throat, and he closes his eyes. His chest falls as he lets out a long, slow breath. What I wouldn't give to know what he's thinking. Is he nervous? Scared? Neither?A small eternity later, the referee calls both the men to the middle of the ring. He demands a good, clean fight, then sends them back to their corner. With a clap of his hands, the fight begins.Seth plays it cool, each step premeditated and predatory. Don, however, goes in guns blazing. Shooting forward, and swallowing up the distance, Don swings hard and fast, his fists flying through the air like sledgehammers. He wants to make sure that, if he connects, Seth won't get back up.I yank my blanket from Chase and pull it up to my chin. I clench my teeth together. My fingers twitch with the urge to hide under the blanket until it's over, but I told Seth I'd watch the fight.And I want to watch it......but only if Don gets what he
The Consumed Series The Vegas Fight, Part 1
I startle, sitting upright on the couch as the T.V. changes from the live stream loading screen to the emerald exterior of Las Vegas's MGM Grand. "Shhhh!" I shush Chase mid-story about some girl he met when he was stationed in Afghanistan by clamping my palm over his face and pushing him away. I've already heard the story twice. He's in love with her but doesn't know it. "It's starting!" On the screen, cars zip by, and people flood the streets, milling about like ants. "It's an eight-man fighting format," the commentator says as the camera phases into the arena. "The winner receives one hundred thousand dollars, a professional contract with the MMAC, and the title of Amateur Champion."They continue to discuss the layout of the championship and I tune it out. I'm too distracted by the grandiosity of it all as the camera pans over tens of thousands of roaring people, seated around the cage, ready for the fight. "It's a big deal, isn't it?" Chase muses between chomps of buttered popc
The Consumed Series The Swing, Part 2
"What are you doing out here?" I ask. How long has he been out here? Blush gathers in my cheeks at the thought of him hearing the things I said about him. About us."Hiding from Darryl." Seth lowers his hands and straightens. The way he holds himself with such confidence is breathtaking. "Saving you from your asshole ex. Again." I sigh and turn toward the swing. I sit down on it and pat the space beside me. Seth looks up at the worn branch while shrugging out of his jacket. "That's not going to hold me." I glance up, then at Seth. If he weighs every bit of the two-hundred pounds Chase claims he does, then I suppose it won't. I shift into the middle of the plank as Seth steps forward and drapes his jacket over my shoulders. The fabric envelops me and I melt into its warmth, into its crisp citrus and sandalwood scents. "I saw him follow you out here," Seth says, rolling up the sleeves of his fitted, black formal shirt. Each twist of the fabric reveals an inch of, perfect ropy muscle
The Consumed Series The Swing, Part 1
After the funeral, Mom invites over as many people as she can fit into her home for refreshments. They come in droves and I'm too tired to entertain, but I do it anyway. I accept condolences and hugs with grace and enthusiasm and I mingle with relatives I haven't seen since I was a child, relatives who live on the other side of the country. I keep Seth in my peripheral the whole time, wanting nothing more than to be spending this time with him since he flew all this way on the eve of his championship match. I want his touch, his comfort, and maybe that's selfish, but after the day I've had...I just want to be coddled. Chase keeps Seth out of my reach and insists on interrogating him under the guise of friendly conversation. I've tried to save him, but I can barely move a foot before I'm swept up by someone else. I wonder if Seth thinks I'm avoiding him, or can he feel my aura pining for his? Can he feel every cell in my being pushing against my skin, willing me in his direction? I hop
The Consumed Series The Funeral
Funerals happen a lot quicker than I imagined they would. This is the first time I've been at the helm of planning one and I didn't realize I'd be expected to make sensible and coherent decisions while drowning in an ocean of grief. I thought I'd have more time to come to terms with the fact my father has passed. I thought I'd wake up from this nightmare by now.To make matters worse, Seth is in Vegas. His schedule didn't allow a trip back to Portland for Dad's funeral. He demanded the MMAC approve his request for a twenty-four-hour leave, but they declined it because Dad wasn't immediate family. The championship fight is tomorrow night and it's a risk they can't take. And I get it. It just sucks. He's been so busy we've barely spoken. He calls me after midnight every night, but we fall asleep before the conversation goes anywhere. I miss him."Shit," I swear as the zipper of my dress eludes me for the millionth time.It sits between my shoulder blades, where I can't reach, taunting me
The Consumed Series The Breakdown
We pull up outside my parents' home and I cast my gaze over the property. It looks exactly as it did when I left Portland and I don't know why that surprises me. I don't know why I expected it to be any different. The glow of the sitting room light filters through the cracks in the curtains and I suck air deep into my lungs. Mom's awake.Dad's truck sits in the drive and sticks me like a knife in the heart. I glance at Selena who's looking at it too. She clears her throat, casting her attention to the road."Should I come with?"I nod, not wanting to be left alone with the tornado of emotion undoubtedly waiting for me on the other side of the front door. "Yeah, come with me."We exit the car and make our way to the front porch, Selena dragging my suitcase behind us. My palms grow clammy with every step, my heart racing. What's waiting for me inside? I grab Selena's hand and thread my fingers through hers. She wraps her arm across her body and holds the inside of my elbow. I lean on her
The Consumed Series The Declaration
I lie on the bed for a while, thinking about my brother, Chase. Does he even know? Will he have time to attend his father's funeral? I think about it for hours, it feels like. In and out of focus, of exhaustion, of grief, I remain on the bed, my mind too tired to process whether or not I've slept. I must have because the next voice I hear zipping up the stairs is female."Where is she?" Shoes hit the stairs and I shoot up in bed as Selena tears through the door, her pretty face displaying every thread of grief she feels. "Olivia?"Seeing her brings memories flooding back and I burst into tears all over again. Selena rushes over to the bed and climbs on, drawing me into her hoodie-clad arms. We fall against the mattress, our limbs intertwined."I can't believe it." She sniffles, her chest vibrating as she combs her fingers through my hair. "I can't believe it, O.""He's gone," I sob. "And I don't know what I'm supposed to do.""You'll know once you get home." She holds me for a while lo
