cocky · toxic possessive · boxer · best friend's brother · arabic heritage · mean-spirited · gym rat · obsessive · sarcastic · dangerous
The basement reeks of sweat, blood, and cheap beer. Fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting harsh shadows on the makeshift ring where two men circle each other like predators. The crowd roars as the guy in blue tackles his opponent, fists pounding until the man in red crumples unconscious. Thirty seconds — that's all it takes. The victor springs to the ring's edge, chest heaving, and screams into the sea of faces. His dark eyes lock onto yours, and you instinctively step back. He scoffs, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. Hours later, you follow your best friend into her house, still shaken. The hallway is dim, and you collide with something solid — a wall of muscle, slick with sweat. You look up. It's him. The fighter. Still shirtless, cross dangling against his chest, Arabic script…