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Things get really awkward during breakfast.

I didn't want to go down, but my mom had knocked on our door early in the morning to call the both of us down. I told Beth to tell mom that I had the stomach flu but Beth wouldn't have any of it. She sighed, pulled me up into a sitting position on the bed, walked over to the bathroom and threw me my toothbrush.

Fine.

Now, when the both of us emerge from the stairs, mom and dad's eyes are on us. Mom turns the stove off, scoops the last of the pancakes unto the stack she made and dad puts down his newspaper. I nudge Beth to go first. I try my best to look fearless when I take my place a seat away from dad. The seat in the middle's reserved for Beth.

I'm not going to be dad's target of wrath today. Oh no.

Sorry, Beth, but I'm throwing you under the bus today.

"Morning," mom says to the both of us, her eyes sharp and wary. "I don't get a kiss on my cheek today, girls?"

Beth and I say nothing.

"Fine," she snaps, slamming the plate of pancakes down. "Obviously, we're still not done with last night's conversation."

You think?

"Where the hell did you run off to last night?" My dad turns to me, his nostrils flaring. It's obvious he's been trying to contain his anger for a while now. "Your mom and I were worried sick."

"Does it even matter? I'm back now so that's that," I look down, grabbing a plate from the side and scooping myself some waffles. I reach over to grab the bottle of honey and turn to Beth sweetly. "You want some?"

Beth nods quietly, half her face shielded by her hair. She clearly doesn't want to partake in this conversation. And to be honest, neither do I but it seems like it has already started and it's barreling towards me at full speed.

"You can't go running off like that again," my mom says, leaning against the kitchen table, sighing. Her eyes are soft and sweet and remorseful.

"What? You're going to stop me if it happens again? Won't you be in Puerto Rico or something?" I roll my eyes. "Don't act like you give a damn about me when clearly you don't if you're willing to move halfway across the world the minute life treats you hard."

"Please, Sienna..." She starts off. "I know you're hurting but you have to understand—"

"That's just it, mom," I snap. "I don't understand. Nothing that you can say will ever make me understand. From how I see it, you're abandoning us." And then I cast an annoyed glance and my dad. "And you aren't any better either."

Dad pounds his fist against the table, rattling everything laid on top of it. "Do not take that kind of tone with us. You're being very bratty right now."

"Last time I checked, I don't answer to neither of you." I point an accusing finger, darting at the both of them. "I made that very clear last night when you decided to break this family apart."

"But it's not like we intentionally wanted to do it, Sienna!" My dad yells. A vein pops along his forehead. "When you're adult, you have to make difficult choices. Even if it means making sacrifices."

"So you decided to sacrifice us," I breathe. "Great. Love it. Don't you just love it Beth?"

"S-Sienna..." Beth's voice warns me. Don't push dad. Just don't.

Oh, I so badly want to.

"I take that as a yes," I beam at her and start to cut a slice of my pancake. "Fucking just love. It."

"Don't you dare be sarcastic with me right now," he hisses at me. "I already told you what happened and why we did what we did. I'm tired of having to explain it time and time again."

"Then, don't. Spare me, please," I fork a slice of pancake into my mouth and moan. "God, this is delicious."

"Sienna-"

"No, I'm done having this conversation." I lift my hand up to stop my dad from speaking. "Done. I don't care what you have to say. I don't care what either of you have to say. Clearly you guys have already made your decision. I hate your guts for it, and I won't change my feelings about the matter so your pathetic attempts to try to make me hate you less actually makes me want to hate you guys even more. So, I suggest you don't bother. What I would like to do is eat my awesome breakfast in silence. Can we do that? Can we? Pretend for one last morning that everything's fine even when it clearly isn't?" I eye both my mom and dad. They look exhausted. "You at least owe that to me and Beth. One last attempt at normalcy before everything goes to shit."

My mom and my dad exchange glances. I look at Beth. She's forking around her pancakes, looking even more miserable than before.

"Fine," my dad says at last, grabbing the newspaper from the table and propping it in front of him. "Have it your way."

And the illusion is propped up—my dad reading the newspaper, my mom cleaning the dishes and my sister and I gobbling up our pancakes.

The reality is far from that. I know it, Beth knows it and my parents know it. The tension still lingers in the air, so thick and so musky that none of us are able to really concentrate on what we're supposed to be doing. The cracks of the illusion reveal itself—dad's vein throbbing, mom's eyes brimming with tears and Beth's silence so loud that it swallows the entire family whole.

"I'm sorry," my mother says quietly, breaking the facade. Her eyes lift up to meet mine, her face apologetic and sorrowful. "I'm sorry that this is happening."

"Yeah, well, me too," I say, sliding off the chair and dumping the last of the contents of my plate into the rubbish bin—and stalking off.

* * *

"I'm very impressed," Jax says when I tell him what happened this morning.

     After breakfast, I'd quickly slipped into my gym clothes and drove to Universal Fighter's Gym, armed and ready for battle. Ever since last night, my fists have been itching to make contact with the punching bag again, despite my knuckles still being severely bruised from the first workout. Jax said I couldn't do anything heavy today so instead, we're sparring. He's teaching me defense today.

     "Your parents must hate you right now," he says.

"Oh yeah, they do," I say, arms locked. We've been going at it for an hour already and I should be tired, given that this is my first time, but weirdly enough, I'm not. I've never felt more alive. "I'm surprised they didn't kick me out of the house."

"If they do, you can always live with me." He winks, making my heart flutter. God, he's such a distraction today. He's half-naked again, pants hanging dangerously low on his hips and his golden blonde hair is slicked back, with threads of hair falling past his eyes, making him look really irresistible. Damn, I should learn to control myself between around him. "We could get a king-sized bed. Just you and me, princess. Imagine the amount of sex we'd have—"

I curl my fist and aim to hit him on the shoulder but he flicks my arm away like he's batting away a fly. He gives me a really? look. "Hey, no touching me! I'm supposed to be the one doing the punching, not you."

"You were being an asshole again. I thought I'd bend the rules a little bit."

"Princess," he drawls. "Just because I'm horny as hell doesn't make me an asshole. I just like sex. A lot. Particularly, with you."

"You're lucky Julian isn't around to hear that. He loves me so much he's willing to do anything not to let you get in my pants if it means me staying around here longer."

"I'm kidding. He knows I do."

"How about those other girls you've fucked in here? Were you kidding too?"

"No." He shakes his head. "You're just my exception, princess."

I press my hand against my heart. "That's so romantic."

He emits a soft chuckle. "So what are you going to do now? About your parents?"

"I don't know." I shrug. He dives down and attempts to reach me but I lock my arms and deflect his hit. "I don't think I've ever been this pissed at my parents before. And I don't think I've ever pissed my parents off that much before."

A smirk dangles off the edge of his lips. "I must bring out the worst in you. Ever since you've met me, you've been acting out, being all crazy and shit."

"Hey, don't give yourself too much credit." I roll my eyes. "Go find some other girl to fuel your ego. You won't be looking for anything with me."

"Oh, don't be so sure about that. I have my ways of making you break." Jax winks, then as quick as lightning, dives in for a hit, and goddammit, I noticed him coming—I would be blind not to—but I fail to deflect it. His fist makes contact with my stomach and I double over, both my hands clutching my chest.

"Fuck!" I curse, looking up and glaring daggers at him.

Jax merely shrugs. "You were being sloppy with your defenses. I just took advantage of it."

"Can't you go easy on me? I'm just a beginner here."

"I am going easy on you." He extends a hand towards me and I take it, one of my hands still tightly clutching stomach. "But you're still failing at this."

"Making one mistake doesn't make me a failure."

"In my world, it does," he says sharply. "I don't have any room for mistakes. That's why I'm the best."

"Again with the arrogance." I roll my eyes. He slides an arm around me and half-carries me towards the benches.

"I'm fucking awesome and I embrace it. There's nothing wrong with that." He lowers me unto the bench and sets his lips into a deep frown when his eyes rest on my stomach. "Is it that bad?"

"Uh yeah?" I say, narrowing my eyes at him. "You've fought for years now. I've just started training an hour ago. You do the math."

He sends me an apologetic smile. "You want some ice on that?"

"Yes. And a 'I'm sorry' would be good too."

"'Sorry's aren't programmed into my system." He smirks and then turns on his heel and walks off to get some ice. I gape at him, realizing that he just threw the words I said to him on the first night I met him.

That sly little devil.

I prop one of my feet up on the bench, one hand pressed against my stomach and another resting on my leg. I sigh, looking at the direction of where Jax scurried off.

     My thoughts get jumbled up every time I think about him. At times, I get annoyed with the things he say, but that's just because I've never been challenged like that before. Never had anyone push me off the edge like he does. And that frightens me.

Maybe that's why I dislike him for it.

Because I've never met anyone quite like him before.

"Here." I blink a few times and find Jax hovering in front of me, a pack of ice dangling in front of me. "Quickly. Before it bruises."

I take the ice from him and our fingers brush slightly. "Thanks."

Jax takes a seat beside me, resting his arms over his legs. He eyes me as I lift my shirt high enough so I can rest the ice pack on my skin. I suck in a deep breath as the sudden coolness hits me.

"So, you never called me back," Jax says, rubbing his hands together as he watches the few guys in the gym going about their workouts.

     One of them is on the treadmill, another lifting weights and the other two sparring in the boxing ring. Both of them have boxing gear on—gloves and helmet. It makes me wonder why Jax—or anyone for that matter that I've ever seen fight in the underground ring—doesn't use those when he fights.

"What?" I ask, turning to him.

"I said you never called me back. I gave you my number last week, remember? And the only reason why we're hanging out is because you decided to pay a visit here," he tells me, offering a half smile. "So what happened? I know you were begging to call me. Did you so happen to have accidentally deleted my number? Or did you lose your phone?"

I roll my eyes. There it is again. That arrogance. "Girls that aren't interested in you exist, you know."

He huffs out a laugh. "Impossible."

"And I'm one of them."

"Liar."

I set the ice pack down. "Now why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because I know every time I do this," Jax reaches forward and glides the back of his index finger down my cheek. My eyes widen and my heart goes into panic mode. I can't breathe, I can't breathe. "Your body reacts to it. Very well." His finger then grazes over my lip, ever so softly, and it causes a series of chain reactions in my body, spurring everything into overdrive. "And every time you say that I disgust you, I know you really mean the opposite." He grins, his lips tugging upwards, kohl eyes shining. "And every time you think you hate me, you're really thinking that you like me. More than you ever care to admit."

"You can't possibly know all of that. We hardly even know each other."

"I don't need to know you well in order to see these things. I just know," he says. "And I'm right, aren't I? No, don't answer that question. I know exactly what you're going to say. Let me guess: You think too highly of yourself? You give yourself too much credit? You're disgusting?"

I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out. Not even a sound.

He gives me a satisfied smirk. "I'll strike a deal with you. I promise not to make any sexual innuendos or make you uncomfortable in any way anymore if you just go out with me."

"What?" I say, baffled.

"Go out with me, princess." He leans closer, sliding a hand over my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin. "What are you afraid of? It's harmless. If what you say is true and you aren't interested in me in that way, then it'll be just two friends just hanging out."

"But if I am—which I'm not by the way—but if I am... it'll be a date?" I ask.

He nods.

"I thought you didn't date."

"I don't." He smirks. "But I don't have to worry about it because you're not interested in me, right? So it's not a date."

Dammit.

I don't know what to say. My heart and my head are fighting against one another and I don't know which one I would want to allow to win. I know he's baiting me with this deal. Challenging me. And I shouldn't play games with him because it's a trap that has already earned a huge signboard with the words: Don't fall into it! It's a trap! A TRAP I TELL YOU. A TRAP!

     But part of me... wants to. Fall in. Fall all the way down, not knowing how long the fall will be and whether there's anyone down there to catch me.

And besides, I'm not interested in him that way. Or at least, I don't want to be. Maybe the time spent with him on this not-date will make me realize how much of an asshole he is and how incompatible we are.

"Alright," I say. "You got yourself a deal." I stick my hand out for him to shake it. He slides his palm over mine and smiles.

"Next Saturday. Eight o' clock. And wear something pretty."

A brown paper bag it is.

"Come on," he hauls me up to my feet. "I'm not done with you yet. You're still shit with your defenses."

"Wow, you really know how to make a girl feel good."

"Oh, yeah I do." He winks at me and I blush. Damn, I walked right into that one. "Come now, princess. You gonna fight or flight? You choose."

I crack my knuckles, leaving the ice pack on the bench and walk forward to meet him on the mats.

I'm gonna fight.

* * *

A/N: so I almost forgot to update today LOL. Sorry guys. It's been real crazy. I'm about to move into my university on Sunday so wish me luck! Let's just hope I make friends HEH.

So that was that! I know it's a short chapter but the next one is a LOOONG one, I promise you that. Hint: there's gonna be lots of JIENNA in it. Just to get y'all excited haha.

Anyways, love y'all. Can't believe we're almost at 100K reads for Perfect Ruin already. You guys are awesome!!

Stay tuned and like always, see y'all soon.

Love, Claudia.