I was unpleasantly surprised by Buzz's appearance. He hobbled across the grassy field and towards the two of us. Expectedly, he wasn't alone. His two minions, Finn and Lance, were right in tow.

It was the first time I'd seen Buzz since he was out of the hospital. Judging by the chunky walking boot he wore, he wasn't fully healed. This did not go unnoticed by Antonio, whose lips began to slightly upturn. However much he tried to conceal his smirk, Buzz still noticed.

"Must be proud, aren't you?" Buzz demanded once he reached us. His cheeks were reddening in anger, and his hands were balled into quivering fists.

"Just a little," Antonio grinned, revealing the singular dimple on his right cheek.

He hopped up from the grass we lay on to face the three boys. I slowly did the same, hovering slightly behind him.

"You're lucky I didn't press charges—you tried to kill me!" Buzz snapped, taking a step towards Antonio. His height, although tall, was simply no match. He ended up craning his thick neck just to meet Antonio's eyes.

"Too bad I didn't," Antonio said unabashedly. "Next time, I'll drive faster."

Buzz growled and launched in his direction, but he was held back by Lance.

"Calm down," Lance muttered exasperatedly.

He and I seemed to be the only ones tired of the endless feud. The others seemed to get a rise out of it, and I didn't quite understand why.

"No, let him go. Let's see what he can do with a broken foot," Antonio chuckled.

Buzz angrily pried Lance off, but he did not aim for Antonio again. He must've realized he didn't stand a chance.

"Laugh all you want, Brown. Just know that if it weren't for your daddy, you'd be in jail like the lowlife you are," Buzz sneered.

I could tell his words struck a nerve in Antonio, because his jaw sharply clenched. The mention of his father must've triggered something within him. I clutched onto Antonio's lower arm, silently urging him to let it go. He almost did, but unfortunately, Buzz noticed the tiny exchange between us and made a snide remark.

"What would Rose think, knowing that her little boyfriend gets the shit beat out of him by—"

"That's enough," I rolled my eyes, irritated by the pointless confrontation. I pointedly stared at Antonio. "I'm leaving. Are you coming?"

He slowly recovered from surprise at my outburst and nodded at me. "Yeah. Just one last thing."

He punched Buzz in the face.

"All done," Antonio casually picked up his skateboard before grabbing my hand and pulling me along.

I spared the trio of preppy boys a shocked glance. Buzz was on the ground, blood streaming out of his nose.

"Why didn't you two do anything?" he howled in a mixture of pain and anger.

"So I could get knocked out?" Finn defensively yelled back.

They continued shouting at each other. I exasperatedly looked back at Antonio, who appeared unfazed. "Was that really necessary?"

"No, but it felt good," he shrugged while we walked side by side. The noise of the Downsview Academy boys faded into distant chirps.

"How long do you plan on continuing this stupid feud?"

"Hey, it's not just me. Our rivalry goes way back—we're like the Montagues and Capulets."

I refrained from laughing at the Shakespeare reference and earnestly glanced up at him. "How come after all this time, Buzz isn't scared of you? I mean, you literally ran him over."

At this, Antonio's eyes darkened. "Because he has something against me." At my inquisitive look, he explained, "he knows my dad hits me."

I stared at Antonio in shock. "What? How?"

Antonio looked at the ground, kicking at a pebble. "A few years ago, when I was in the seventh grade, I got suspended from school. Wasn't the first time, and it definitely wasn't the last. My father got pulled out of an important meeting to pick me up from school. I'll never forget how angry he was that day. He said I was damaging his reputation, disgracing the family name—the usual. He couldn't even wait until we got home to beat me up," he scoffed. "Practically knocked me out on the front porch."

"Jesus Christ," I breathed.

"After that, I couldn't take it anymore. I ran away to the police station immediately after, bloody clothes and all. It was a bad mistake. You know how I told you that my father's got influence in this town?" He didn't wait for me to reply before continuing. "He's got a few officer friends as well, and..." He trailed off, allowing me to draw the obvious conclusion.

"Nobody believed me. I mean, what was I thinking? I'd just gotten suspended the very same day, so my father was able to paint me as a stupid delinquent looking for trouble. He got away with it, of course. I only made things worse for myself at home," he sighed. "In a twisted way, I think some of the cops knew I wasn't lying. They just weren't brave enough to go against the richest man in the town. The cops who didn't believe me, they got a kick out of it. Buzz's father, he was one of them. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what his family talked about at dinner that night."

"Is that even legal?" I voiced in disbelief.

"Doesn't matter. Buzz has held it against me ever since. He takes pleasure in knowing that I get abused. I guess it feels like he's getting justice, after the countless fights I've won against him."

"It's not fair. The police—the people put in place to protect you—they failed you. Buzz is even worse for holding it against you." I was rendered speechless.

"Mhm," Antonio hummed, kicking at the same pebble. It bounced off track and landed on the street, never to be touched again.

"Antonio, I have to ask," I reluctantly said. "Where's your mother in all this?"

Antonio chuckled, but it wasn't in amusement. "Gone. Never met her, and frankly, I don't care to. She got pregnant with me after a one-night stand with my father. He begged her to get an abortion, but she refused. Once she gave birth, she stole his money, took off, and never came back. My father was stuck with me. It's the reason he hates me so much–at least I think. He was given a son he never wanted in the first place."

I clutched onto Antonio's hand and stopped walking. "Your father wasn't stuck with you. To have you in his life is a blessing, and he's blind to not see that."

We spent the next few seconds in silence. Despite his passive face, I knew my words touched him.

"How come you never told me about your past?" I couldn't help but ask.

"The same reason you never told me about yours."

"I guess I never said anything because I was scared..." I slowly began, looking up at the sky. "Scared that you wouldn't see me the same; that you'd leave me. It sounds stupid," I lightly chuckled in embarrassment.

There wasn't an ounce of amusement on his face. He gazed at me with such passion that my knees weakened. "You'll always be my Flower. Nothing'll change that."

To an outsider, it might've not made any sense. To me, it was a promise. A promise that he was always going to be there for me.

I didn't know how it started or who initiated it, but we leaned in for a kiss. It was nothing like the first one we'd shared. This one was soft and gentle and fleeting. His hands slithered around my waist, leaving a path of fire on my skin. Once he held me, I didn't want him to ever let go. However, the sweet moment was over just seconds later, when we were suddenly doused in water.

I shrieked, snapping my eyes open. "Run!"

Automatic sprinklers turned on all over the field. There was no escaping the cold and sharp spurts. Antonio and I shared shocked looks before grasping each other's hands. We squinted through the water and ran as fast as we could. Our hair was matted to our heads and our clothing was drenched, yet somehow, we were having fun.

As our screams and laughs echoed throughout the field, my thoughts drifted back to the moment we'd shared earlier. Before Buzz had interrupted us, Antonio had said the three words no guy had ever said to me before: I love you.

Perhaps I didn't love him just yet, but as I ran with him hand-in-hand, I knew one thing was certain: I'd get there soon.

• • •

finally we got to know more about antonio's past. thoughts? please let me know if you enjoyed this chapter!

love, emmanuela<3