Winner Takes All.

Chapter 2

Brent’s POV

“I was just about to cum.”

The words had barely left Maddox’s mouth before my fist found his face. The crack of bone against bone echoed through the room.

He stumbled backward from the intensity, crashing into the bedside table. A lamp toppled over and shattered against the hardwood floor, sending glass flying in every direction.

Sofia screamed.

“Brent, stop!”

I couldn’t. Not this time, not after everything this motherfucker had put me through.

Maddox wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. He glanced at the smear on his knuckles before looking back at me.

Then… the idiot smiled.

“You hit harder the last time.”

“Oh, shut up.”

I lunged at him again and this time, he was ready.

His shoulder slammed into my chest, driving me backward until my spine collided with the wall hard enough to knock the air out of my lungs.

“You think this is about her?” I shoved him away.

“You think I give a damn about Sofia anymore?”

“No.” His voice came out calm. “I think you enjoy pretending she was the problem.”

Before I could process what he meant, I swung again and this time he ducked, making my fist sail past his head…

…and straight into the bedroom mirror.

The glass shattered across the room. The pain shot through my hand. I didn’t even feel it. All I could see was him.

Years of stolen moments. Years of smirks. Years of always being one step ahead.

Sofia tried to wedge herself between us, tears streaming down her face.

“Please! Stop fighting!” Neither of us listened. Maddox shoved me and I shoved him harder. He grabbed the front of my shirt. I grabbed his.

For one brief second we stood there, forehead to forehead, breathing like two animals ready to tear each other apart.

Then… The bedroom door swung open.

“Victor, thank God…” Sofia started then she stopped as she saw that Victor wasn’t alone.

A woman in a cream-colored dress stood beside him with one manicured hand still looped around his arm. Her perfectly painted red lips parted as she took in the disaster before her.

The shattered mirror. The broken lamp.The blood. The crying girl. The two grown men trying to kill each other.

She blinked once.

“…You literally said they were adults.”

Nobody answered.

At the exact wrong moment, Maddox shoved me again. I stumbled sideways, reaching for anything to steady myself… and accidentally sent a throw pillow flying.

It hit the woman square in the face and her lipstick smeared across one cheek. The room went silent again as she slowly lowered the pillow. Then looked at Victor.

“You forgot to mention your family hosts wrestling championships.”

Victor closed his eyes for a second trying to hide the embarrassment

“I did.”

“You also forgot to mention…” She gestured at the room. “…whatever this is.”

She snatched her purse from the hallway table.

“I should’ve gone out with the dentist.”

The front door slammed a moment later. The silence she left behind lasted all of two seconds.

Maddox looked toward the stairs.

“…Think she’ll call back?”

I snorted before I could stop myself. He looked at me and I looked at him for one ridiculous second…

We were both trying not to laugh.

Maddox rubbed his jaw.

“Another red flag.”

I folded my arms. “I’ve clearly lost count.”

Victor stared at both of us trying to control his disappointment; neither of us noticed until he cleared his throat.

The laughter disappeared asVictor looked at both of us. Not at the broken mirror. Not even at the blood dripping onto Maddox’s shirt or at Sofia, who was crying so hard she could barely breathe.

Just…Us, and for a long moment, nobody spoke. Even the room seemed to hold its breath.

Finally, Victor sighed. It wasn’t loud. If anything, it sounded tired.

“Are you done?”

Neither of us answered.

He nodded once, as if our silence had told him everything he needed to know.

“Good.”

His eyes drifted to my bleeding hand, then to Maddox’s split lip.

“You’ve made your point.”

“I haven’t,” I snapped.

“I know.”

Somehow, that answer made me angrier.

Maddox wiped another streak of blood from his mouth. “You should’ve knocked.”

I turned towards him so fast my neck protested.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I’ve been called worse.”

“I’m about to remind you.”

I took one step; Victor spoke before I could take another.

“Brent.”

I stopped. Not because he’d raised his voice. Because he hadn’t, he never needed to.

“I said enough.”

The room fell silent again. Victor looked toward Sofia. “You should go.”

She stared at him, stunned. “W… what?”

“You heard me.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry.”

His expression didn’t change.

“I didn’t ask for an apology.”

She looked at me, then at Maddox. Neither of us said a word. With trembling hands, she picked up her handbag from the floor.

For a second, I thought she was going to say something; at least explain or even beg, instead…she walked out.

The front door closed quietly downstairs and the sound hurt more than I’d expected.

Victor waited until the silence had settled again then he reached into his pocket and handed Maddox a clean handkerchief.

“Your lip.”

Maddox took it without a word while I looked down at my own bleeding knuckles. He noticed but simply looked away.

No handkerchief. No concern. I chuckled once and it sounded bitter.

“Figures.”

Victor’s eyes met mine. “You’ll live.”

I laughed. “Of course, I always do.”

“Good.”

There was another round of silence until he spoke. “Both of you,” he said, voice remaining calm. “Make sure you’re at my office tomorrow, six o’clock sharp.”

I frowned. “What for?”

Victor adjusted the cuff of his shirt. “We’re long overdue for a family conversation.”

Without another word, he turned and walked away.

The bedroom door clicked shut behind him.

I stood there, staring after him when Maddox broke the silence first.

“You think he’s finally disowning one of us?”

I looked at him. “If we’re lucky.”

He smirked. “See you at six, brother.”

This time I didn’t answer as I watched the bedroom door click shut behind Maddox.

For the first time that night…The room was quiet.

I stood there for a while, staring at the mess we’d left behind. From the shattered mirror to the broken lamp back to the drop of blood staining the rug.

I looked down at my swollen knuckles and flexed my fingers. What a bad idea that was. Pain shot through my hand, making me hiss through my teeth.

“…Fantastic.”

I let out a humorless laugh. Coach Jake was going to have a field day when he saw this tomorrow, assuming I even showed up.

Twenty minutes ago, I’d walked into this room thinking I was about to lose my girlfriend.

Now… I wasn’t sure what I’d lost. I grabbed my hockey bag from the floor and slung it over my shoulder.

The zipper had burst open during the fight and a roll of white hockey tape fell onto the carpet. I stared at it for a second before stuffing it back inside.

I had one more thing to fix. I switched off the bedroom light and stepped into the hallway. The awkward silence hit me immediately.

There was no shouting, or insults or smirks from Maddox.

Just…Silence.

Each step I took down the staircase seemed louder than it should’ve been. Halfway down, I stopped.

Sofia was still there, standing beside the front door with her handbag hung from one shoulder.

Her mascara had run down both cheeks.

She looked up the moment she heard me, hope flickering across her face.

“Brent…”

I didn’t answer.

She took a cautious step toward me. “I’m so sorry.”

I looked at her for a long moment, she looked so heartbroken and confused.

And then… I finally understood that she didn’t know. Not really.

“You didn’t know?”

She frowned. “Know what?”

I let out a slow breath as I continued. “He never told you.”

“Brent…”

“My first girlfriend.”

She stared at me as I continued.

“My second.”

The crease between her brows deepened.

“My third.”

Then color slowly drained from her face. “…What are you talking about?”

I held her gaze.

“You’re the fourth girl Maddox has taken from me.”

She went silent then slowly shook her head.

“No…” her voice barely rose above a whisper.

Not wanting to have the conversation anymore, I opened the front door and walked out. It felt like I’d forgotten how to breathe.

My phone vibrated in my pocket as I took a deep breath. It was Micheal. I almost ignored it then it buzzed again. And again.

I answered it with a sigh. “What?”

For once, Micheal didn’t sound like MICHEAL.

“Where are you?” He asked almost too seriously.

“Home…why?”

He hesitated before replying. “Coach Jake has been trying to reach you.”

I frowned, “so?”

There was another pause. Longer this time. When he spoke again, his voice almost sounded unrecognizable.

“They’ve changed tomorrow’s game.”

I adjusted my grip on the hockey bag, “what do you mean?”

“It isn’t an exhibition anymore.”

My stomach tightened. “Then what is it?”

I heard him swallow.

“…Winner takes all.” Then the line went dead.

I stared at my phone baffled, and for the first time that night, the fight with Maddox wasn’t the only thing in my mind.