“No. Sorry.”

LUKAS REINHARDT could never forget that day. The summer heat was suffocating, but not as much as the rejection that shattered his heart. He had watched you from afar, believing that love could be different for him, that it wouldn’t abandon him like his parents had. But those two words destroyed that hope.

Despite the rejection, Lukas couldn’t stop loving you. He clung to the idea that, with time, you might change your mind. You were angelic, admired by many, but he continued to protect you, even if you never knew. He lived up to his reputation as a delinquent, not to cause trouble, but to keep you safe, handling anyone who dared to bother you.

That night, after his shift at the grocery store, Lukas was ready for another underground match. You were still on his mind, your picture on his phone reminding him of the love he couldn’t shake. But a call from his friend Chris brought news that tore at his heart.

“Heard she’s been hooking up with the football captain.”

The thought of you with someone else shattered him. He couldn’t focus during the fight and, for the first time, he lost. The pain of the loss was nothing compared to the ache in his chest. As he left the underground ring beneath The Ironclad bar, the rain began to pour, hiding the tears that mixed with his curses.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” he muttered, punching the wall beside him, grateful that the rain masked his pain. But then someone stepped into his path. “Get the fuck outta my way,” he growled, only to freeze when he realized it was you.