3 Breaths

by LK Collins

  My phone rings pulling me back to the present. It’s Logan. “What’s up, brother?” I answer, leaning back in my chair.

  “Not much, buddy, just getting into the gym and I’ve got a bit of a dilemma.”

  I take a sip of my coffee and respond, “And you’re calling me? I’m probably the last person that can help anyone.”

  “Oh, but I think you can. Plus, you owe me one for yesterday.”

  “You’re right. What’s up?”

  “Cam cracked three ribs sparring last night.”

  “Who the fuck was he sparring with?”

  “Brock.”

  “You need to get rid of that guy; he’s bad fuckin’ news.” My voice rises and I don’t want to wake Ivy. Looking inside, I see her ass peeking out from underneath the sheets. She’s sleeping so comfortably.

  Christ, she’s gorgeous.

  “I know, but that’s Ethan’s problem.”

  “So what do Cam’s ribs have to do with me?”

  “He was scheduled to fight tonight against Ronnie Shone, for ACM. Now we have to find a replacement fighter, and Ethan and I want that to be you.”

  “No way, I’m down on my training and am not ready to get back out there, especially with ACM.” The American Cage Maniacs is one of the top fighting companies in the US. If I were to fight for them unprepared and lose, I’d ruin any chance at a real career. “I’m sorry, but for now I’m going to have to pass.”

  “Come on, dude. It pays five grand, and if you win fight of the night it’s an extra 2K.” Fuck, I could use that kind of money. The thousand dollars here and there are nice, but it’s just not enough sometimes and Ling hasn’t called me for a while. Makes me worried that he got busted or something. “Please, man, Ethan and I will have your back. We wouldn’t ask if we didn’t think you could beat this guy. We saw you in the ring with Brock. You haven’t lost one bit of your skills. I know it’s short notice, but I’ll have everything there for you, all you need to do is show up and fight. It’s in your weight class so no cutting or anything like that. Will you at least think about it?” he asks, practically begging me.

  “When do you need an answer?”

  “Soon. Can you decide in the next thirty minutes?”

  “Yeah, let me talk it over with Ivy, then I’ll let you know.”

  “Great, thank you, man.”

  I hang up and glance inside. Ivy’s lazy ass is still asleep, so I take this time to Google Ronnie Shone and see what kind of fighter he is and what his record is. He’s undefeated in his last ten fights and has lost only one fight for his overall ‘Big 20’ Record. Pound for pound, we match up well. Going back to Google, I click on another link and read an article regarding this fight that was supposed to be against him and Cam. He’s a shit talker. A mental player, like I am. Fighting him could get me back into the spotlight, and if I win, it could jumpstart my professional career, but on the other hand if I lose, it could end it all right away.

  Looking in at Ivy, I contemplate what to do. I can’t decide without talking to her, so I get up and go in, setting my empty cup of coffee on the table before gently lying down next to her. As I brush her hair off of her back and strum my fingers over her skin, she whimpers and says, “Just five more minutes.”

  “It’s almost eleven, baby.”

  She opens her sleepy eyes and looks at me with the cutest expression. “I like when you call me that.”

  “I know.”

  I keep moving my fingers over her back again and again and she closes her eyes. “Come on. Wake up, sleepyhead,” I tell her and stop moving my hand.

  She moans in protest, looking at me. “Why?”

  “Because we have to check out soon and I need to talk to you about something.”

  Her eyes open and she rolls over running her hands over her face. Her tit pops out and I grab it, massaging it. “What’s up?”

  “Logan called.”

  “Yeah, what did he have to say?”

  “He wants me to step in and fight tonight for Cam from their gym against a guy in the ACM.”

  “Why you?”

  I fill her in on all of the details. “Am I crazy to even consider this?”

  “No, this could be huge for your career.”

  “But I’m not even sure that I want a career, some days.”

  “But there are days that you are sure.”

  Ivy and I continue this back and forth weighing the pros and cons and after watching some of his YouTube clips I still can’t make up my mind.

  “It’s such a risk.”

  “I think you should take the chance and do it,” she decides.

  “Why?”

  “Because I know you can beat this guy. Something’s just telling me you should do it.”

  Looking into her eyes, I can see the certainty I need. “You sure?” I ask.

  She nods her head and her certainty is contagious – I can feel it too. “Okay, let me text Logan.” Taking my phone from my pocket I send a message giving him a green light. Then a rush of adrenaline that I haven’t felt for a long time hits me, knowing that I’m about to step back into the world of legit fighting that I left behind.

  Ivy hops off the bed and struts into the bathroom, naked and sexy. I sprawl out on the comforter waiting for her to get back, thinking about her pussy, but knowing that I can’t have it, now that I am slotted to fight tonight. “The laundry’s back if you wanna get dressed.”

  “No, thanks,” she says and runs out of the bathroom, jumping on top of me. I laugh out loud as her naked body covers mine. She drenches me with kisses, grinding that delectable cunt so hard against my cock, but I have to put a stop to this. Flipping her over, I pin her beneath me and sit up. She looks puzzled and reaches inside my underwear. Taking both her hands, I hold them above her head and rub my nose against hers. “No.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because you made me agree to a fight tonight.”

  “I don’t give a shit,” she shouts and wiggles underneath me.

  Tightening my grip on her wrists to show her that I am serious, I repeat myself again, “Not happening.”

  “Why not?”

  “Do you know how much energy fucking you and coming exerts? I need to save it for tonight, especially with my training being how it’s been.”

  “So no sex?” she asks with the saddest look on her face.

  “No, not until after I win, baby.”

  I release my grip, hating that I can’t give her what she wants. I wish I could, but the ramifications if we fuck could be dire, and now she knows it too. She wants me to win just as much as I do. But I can still please her. Lifting her ass up, I scoot her up the bed and spread her legs. Her pink cunt glistens, wet for me, and I run my tongue over it, wishing that I could just slide my cock inside. To feel the walls of her surrounding me, how they tighten and expand from what I do to her. But I can’t, so I settle my mouth around her clit, flicking and sucking on one of my favorite parts of her body.

  She writhes and moans from my actions and I get lost pleasing her, pushing her to the edge. I realize in this instance, how from today going forward that this is truly a fresh start for us. With making the money I could tonight, I can cover the rent at both of our places for a while. I don’t want her to stress about finding another job. I just want us to be together, every day.

  “Oh my God, Krane!” she screams and grabs both of her tits, pinching her nipples. I close my eyes, pushing her into an intense orgasm that has her body red from working her.

  I look up at her as her eyes finally open and keep sucking her clit. She moans from the pleasure and presses herself hard against me. “Are you sure you can’t fuck me?”

  As I pull away, I blow a cool breath of air on her and she giggles. “Trust me, I want to…but I’m sure. Get dressed, I want to take you somewhere.” She smiles and rolls over, running into the bathroom, excited in a way that I haven’t seen from her in a long time. Too long.

  “I’ve always loved Central Park,” Ivy
says as we walk around and sip on our coffees after leaving the hotel and exploring this place. We’ve walked through so much of the park this morning, which has been a nice way to start the day.

  “Would you ever want to live in the city?” I ask her.

  She thinks about my question before responding. “Maybe if I got a job here. But I like the ocean too much. You remember that place in Long Beach I showed you the other day?”

  “I remember,” I tell her, recalling how she gushed about these condos last week when we went for a run.

  “If I could pick anywhere, that’d be it. What about you?”

  “I don’t think I’d ever want to live here again. But, speaking of a job…this fight pays a good amount of money and since I no longer have the extra payment for the apartment here, I don’t want you to stress about work or money or anything like that for a while, okay?”

  She scrunches her eyebrows at me. “I can’t let you pay for my things. I’ve got savings to last a while.”

  “You can and you will. Ivy, you’re my girlfriend now and I will take care of you.”

  “Girlfriend?” she asks like it’s a shock placing her hand over her chest. “Were you gonna run that by me first?”

  “No, I wasn’t ’cause you already know where we stand and when we talk about things, it just complicates the whole situation.”

  “Girlfriend…” she says in a quiet tone.

  “Yes, accept it! Now help me clear my head for tonight. I’m starting to get anxious.”

  “Don’t get anxious.”

  “Ha, that’s helpful,” I blurt out. “Have you looked at social media in…I don’t know…the last ten minutes?”

  “No, I haven’t and you shouldn’t either. Give me your phone.” She outstretches her hand to me and reluctantly I hand it to her. However, knowing myself, it’s the best decision. I need to keep focused. She slides it into her back pocket and I say, “If Logan calls, you better give it to me.”

  “I will, you freak.”

  I bust out laughing. Ivy grins, wrapping her arm around my waist and we leave the park, heading to see Logan at the gym and make a game plan for tonight. On the drive, Ivy’s phone rings. “Shit, it’s my mom.”

  “Then answer it.”

  She rolls her eyes at me. “Hey, Mom,” she says in a chipper tone.

  I can hear Brenda yelling right away and it makes me fume. How could any mother treat their daughter the way that she does, especially when she just lost one?

  “I don’t know,” she argues back.

  Brenda is yelling again and I swear I hear my name. “I’ll ask him. Don’t take this shit out on me.”

  A couple of beats of silence on Ivy’s end. “No,” Ivy shrieks.

  Brenda yells again and I hear her say my name loud and clear. Pulling over. I snatch the phone from Ivy. She looks at me with huge eyes and I pause giving her a minute to stop me, but she doesn’t. “Brenda, it’s Krane,” I cut her off and shut her right up. “Can you tell me why your daughter is crying?”

  “Oh, you have some fucking nerve, young man. After what you did to Zoë, now you’re with—”

  “I didn’t do anything to Zoë but try and save her, don’t you fucking forget that.”

  “That’s the last thing you did, if she hadn’t been with you, she’d be alive.”

  “What happened to Zoë was out of our control. She died of SUDEP in my fucking arms and now I have to live with those images every day. Brenda, I get that you’re in pain, but please don’t take it out on Ivy.”

  “You can call it whatever you want, young man, or convince yourself of anything to make yourself feel better. But she was intoxicated in the middle of the night on a desolate New York City subway, alone, with you and no one else. So it’s hard to not put the blame in your lap.”

  “Why don’t you stop trying to pit the blame because nothing’s ever going to bring Zoë back.” My hands are shaking being forced to go back to that night. It was horrible the way her body rocked uncontrollably, the blood, the noises…everything. Then counting her final three breaths and I’m back there. Ivy wraps one of her hands around mine, pulling me back to reality and it calms me. “Do you ever try and understand who your daughter was?”

  “I know who she was goddammit,” Brenda screams through a sob. “Stay away from Ivy, Krane, I mean it.”

  “I’m sorry…but I can’t.”

  “One eighty-one and a half,” Logan says and I hop off the scale.

  “So you never have to cut weight?” Ivy asks me.

  “Nope, not usually.” I adjust the waist of my shorts and take a drink of water.

  “Oh, he has before and you better watch out ’cause it’s scary,” Logan warns.

  “What’s that mean?” I ask offended.

  “Uhh, that you act crazy, all agitated and moody, like a bitch.”

  I laugh remembering a time when I did cut weight. “That was when you made me take a welterweight fight when I’m a middleweight.”

  “No,” he shakes his head laughing, “I didn’t make you do anything. You wanted to fight that douche, remember?”

  “Same difference, you encouraged me and then let me agree to it, before I knew the ramifications.”

  “Whatever, you kicked his ass.”

  Logan puts on the sparring gloves and I hop up, punching every time he raises a hand to me. My heart is pumping strong. Even though this is the shortest notice I’ve ever taken a serious fight on, I cannot wait to get into the ring. As I stand toe to toe with Logan, repeatedly hitting again and again, Ivy’s eyes are on me. I can’t help but look at her, and Logan hits me over the back of the head. “What the fuck, man?” I yell, dropping my arms.

  “You got distracted, by whatever this is.” He points between the two of us. “It can’t interfere with your mind tonight.”

  “It won’t, punk.” I nod, grabbing a towel and wipe the sweat off of my face. There is a light knock on the door and Logan answers it. His wife, Victoria, and Ethan enter. The girls met at Logan’s birthday and seemed to thankfully connect. I mean, she hugs Ivy before me. “What am I chopped liver?” I tease her.

  She smiles and hugs me. “No way, how are you feeling?”

  “Really good.”

  Ethan and I fist bump. “You ready?” he asks.

  “Hell yeah.”

  “Good, it’s fucking nuts out there,” Ethan says.

  I’ve never been one to get nervous, the hype and adrenaline of a crazy crowd just set up an intense fight, which pumps me up. But this is Ronnie’s hometown so that makes me a bit uneasy. There’s another knock on the door and Ethan opens it, “Hensley, you’re up in five.” I take my last drink of water and put on a thin white walkout hoody. Logan was right when he said that he came with everything. He had a complete fight kit with sponsors and everything on the clothes.

  Ivy stands, putting her hands in her back pockets. The look in her eyes is a little off.

  “You okay?” I ask, seeing that she’s clearly nervous. Stepping to her, I place my hands on her hips waiting for a reaction. “Don’t stress, baby.”

  The room quiets from my words, but I don’t care. She looks down at the ground and shakes her head. “Hey.” I lift her chin bringing her eyes to meet mine. “I mean it, Ivy, I need you cheering me on. You hear me?”

  She nods and I pull her against my body. Leaning down I kiss her hard, after being deprived of her lips for far too long. The room silences, our affection catching everyone off guard. I can imagine all of their eyes on us. As she pulls away, her expression has changed, the nerves from earlier have vanished. There is a knock on the door and Ethan opens it. “You guys are up,” a short stocky guy says.

  “Tell me you got this,” Ivy requests.

  “You know I do, baby.” I take her hand in mine and we all head out into the hallway. The noise of the crowd as we round the short corner ignites a fire inside me. I might be first out, but this is my fucking night. The crowd is roaring and as I emerge, the room erupts in the low r
umbles of booing. I’ve always been a fan favorite, so this reaction is not what I’m used to. But this is Ronnie’s hometown and the crowd is making that known. Ivy squeezes my hand and then the girls veer off to their seats while Logan, Ethan, and I continue on. “Remember to keep your hands up and use your kicks,” Logan says as the ref checks my hands and arms before giving me the green light to enter the cage.

  I hug them both before bolting up the stairs and take my side in the octagon. The song changes in preparation for Ronnie’s arrival. With my back to the entrance, I listen to Logan and Ethan as they stand over the cage. The crowd chants Ronnie’s name – waiting.

  “You got this, Krane!” Ethan shouts.

  I nod, hearing his words and turn around looking for Ivy. This will be the last time that I can look at her until this is over. She and Victoria are seated surrounded by the guys from the gym. I feel safe knowing that they will keep an eye out for her. We connect eyes and I give her a wink as the MC announces Ronnie’s entrance. Everyone goes wild and then my eyes are glued on his as his are to mine. He runs to the cage, restless to get inside, moving and weaving as the ref checks him, then in two swift steps he’s up the stairs. But I hold my ground, not giving in to his aggression. I know the rules for a fight of this caliber. I cannot lunge at him or get crazy like I can get away with in the underground world. Instead, I watch him, studying everything about him, focusing on the way that his hands move as he air boxes and how he plants his feet.

  He’s a striker, so I know that I have to take this to the ground. The ref calls us to the center and states the rules, then asks, “Are you ready?” I nod once and he asks Ronnie the same. When he agrees, round one begins. I hone in on Logan’s voice, like I always have, his words my key to a victory. But before I can react to anything he’s telling me, a kick flies over my head. I duck, barely missing it, and attack back. We battle standing up, each of us sizing the other up, landing a few bombs here and there.

  I get in a good right hook, but he retaliates landing a left. Both of us stay composed, neither struggling for air, and I settle in for a long one.