LOGIN~LEXI~
The movie credits rolled, and the lights slowly came up.I sat there staring at the screen, feeling emptier than when the film started.The whole night had been a waste. I'd forced myself to sit through two hours of awkward small talk and forced smiles, all because I thought Enzo would care.I thought the idea of me being out with Tyler would push him, make him react, make him prove that the lessons and the heat between us had meant something.~LEXI~"Get in the fucking truck."Enzo's voice cut through the quiet night—low and sharp. He was still breathing hard from the fight, blood on his lip, eyes dark and dangerous as they locked on me.I intentionally stayed where I was, arms crossed, refusing to move. The adrenaline from watching him attack Tyler was still racing through me, mixed with something hotter and more reckless.Why did he look so sexy when he was angry? The crazy part of me felt like doing more things in the future to anger him just so I could see this side of him more often. I couldn't get sidetracked. I needed to seem like I wanted nothing to do with him. I could not rush to fix things between us or act happy that he was here right now. I had to swallow those emotions and remember why I was upset in the first place. "Why did you come here?" I demanded. "Why did you show up and ruin everything? You ignored me for days. You ended the lessons. You made it clear you didn't want to help me. So why the hell are
~LEXI~The movie credits rolled, and the lights slowly came up.I sat there staring at the screen, feeling emptier than when the film started. The whole night had been a waste. I'd forced myself to sit through two hours of awkward small talk and forced smiles, all because I thought Enzo would care. I thought the idea of me being out with Tyler would push him, make him react, make him prove that the lessons and the heat between us had meant something.Instead. . .nothing.No texts. No appearance. No sign that he even knew or cared. Maybe I'd been completely wrong. Maybe he'd already moved on. Maybe everything between us really had just been lessons to him, and I'd been the only one still holding onto something that never existed.Guilt settled heavy in my chest. I'd used Tyler. Led him on. And for what?Tyler turned to me with a hopeful smile as we stood up. "I really enjoyed that. You want to come ba
~ENZO~The basketball court behind my house was usually the one place I could clear my head. Tonight, it wasn't working.I dribbled the ball hard, focusing on the rhythm, the sound of sneakers against the ground, the sharp calls from Jax and the others. I needed the game. I needed anything that wasn't Lexi. For days I'd been driving myself into the ground trying to stay away from her. Late nights at the underground track, pushing the car past every safe limit, taking corners so tight the tires screamed. I'd been reckless on purpose. Anything to drown out the memory of her mouth on me, the way she'd looked at me when I ended the lessons, the hurt I'd put in her eyes.It still wasn't enough."Yo, Enzo!" Maddox called. "You good? You've been quiet as hell tonight."I forced a shrug and took a shot. It clanged off the rim. "Just tired."Tired of wanting their sister. Just thinking about it made me wince
~LEXI~I decided to go through with it. The date with Tyler. Enzo hadn't reached out once since our last argument. Not a single text. Not even a cold, distant glance across campus. He'd shut me out completely, and the silence was louder than any rejection. It was obvious that almost getting caught by my brothers during our last public argument had made him decide to keep his distance from me for good. If he wanted to act like I meant nothing, then I wasn't going to sit around waiting for him to change his mind. I hated the idea of going out with Tyler. Every part of me resisted it. But if this was the only way to get under Enzo's skin, then I would do it. He left me no other choice. My brothers had been protesting since the moment I told them. I couldn't blame them. This was all new, especially since I stayed away from dating for such a long time. "Absolutely not," Jax had said, arms crossed like a wall. "You're not going anywhere with that guy."Kai had paced the living room. "T
~ENZO~My father walked into the kitchen while I was grabbing a drink. He didn't even bother with a greeting. He never did when he was angry. He clearly hadn't gotten over our last argument. "During the next game at the end of the week, you need to do better than the last one if you want to make this family proud," he said, voice firm and expectant. "Scouts will be there again. I've already spoken to a few of them. They're watching you closely, Enzo. Don't embarrass me."I felt the irritation flare up instantly. I was already frustrated with everything happening with Lexi—I'd hurt her, I couldn't stop wanting her and I was lying to her brothers every single day. And now my father was here, piling on more pressure like it was nothing. "I played fine," I muttered, not in the mood for this. "We won, didn't we?"His eyes narrowed. "Winning isn't enough. You missed that tackle. You hesitated. That's not the Rivera standard. Your brothers never let distractions get to them. You need to fo
~ENZO~I was hurting her?Fuck. I knew I was but hearing her admit it made me feel even worse than before. My reason for stopping this thing between us was to protect her. . .not to hurt her feelings. Couldn't she tell that I fucking cared? All of this was for her own good. I was still seeing red when her brothers appeared out of nowhere. Just what I fucking needed right now. They must have heard the raised voices because all four of them rushed forward, eyes sharp and instantly protective. They always got like that when their sister was involved. Jax got there first, his broad shoulders tense as he looked between me and Lexi."What the hell is going on here?" he demanded, voice filled with that big brother authority I knew too well. "You two arguing about something?"Kai stepped up beside him, frowning. "Lexi, you good?"I was pissed.The image of Lexi holding Tyler’s hand was burned into my brain. And now, knowing how hurt she was—the way her voice had cracked, the tears she’d
~ENZO~What the fuck was I doing?I stared down at Lexi in the cleaner's closet, my hand still tangled in her soft hair, her body pressed against the shelves. My blood was boiling. I was pissed—no, furious—that I'd walked out of class and seen her flirting with Tyler Brooks while all his fucking
~LEXI~I barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Enzo's face, irritated, breathing hard, shutting the door on me like I was nothing. But I wasn't giving up. Not when I'd finally tasted how close I could get to him. If he wouldn't agree because I asked nicely, then I'd make him
~LEXI~Enzo stared at me like I'd just grown a second head. The easy, teasing smirk from the kitchen was gone. Instead, his dark eyes narrowed, and a flicker of something—irritation?—crossed his face."Why Tyler?" he asked, voice low and tight. He uncrossed his arms, one hand gripping the doorframe
~LEXI~I practically ran to the nearest bathroom, locking the door behind me with shaking fingers. My back pressed against the wall as I tried to catch my breath. The counter gleamed under the soft lights, and I forced myself to look at my reflection in the massive mirror.Flushed cheeks. Wide eye







