by Nicole Bella
‘Good. Now, let’s go to war!’ The Referee yelled, taking a step back. And with that the fight had begun.
This wasn’t going to be like any other fight that Jackson had taken part in. Usually he would locate an advantage long before the fight had even begun and try and press that. Whether the fighter was weak on his left side, or poor at breaking grapples; he would know about it long in advance and try and press this. But this fight was like none other.
Sure, The Bull had weaknesses, all fighters did. But these were harder to exploit when the fighter weighed twelve more kilograms than you and stood a good foot taller. Any chance that Jackson may have had was abolished before he even stepped into the ring. All he could do was pray for a miracle as he ducked and dodged, trying to stay alive…if he even wanted to.
No more than a second had passed into the first round when he spotted Vanessa again, in her ringside seat, now sitting next to none other than her boyfriend Adrian. Jackson had always detested that guy, right from when they first met. Really his repulsive manner was all that he remembered from Vanessa’s initial interview. And once Jackson and Vanessa had started sleeping with each other he had become somewhat of an after-thought, not someone who had registered any worry at all. He never dreamed that Vanessa would still be with that guy.
But now, seeing him there, jumping up and down, screaming with enthusiasm for Jackson’s demise; spittle flying from his mouth as his face turned red from the excitement and want for blood. It was all too much to bear.
Just like that, Jackson ‘The Last Call’ McCall, gave up.
He didn’t care that he was literally staring death in the face. He didn’t care that his reputation was on the line, or that this would be his last fight, regardless of the outcome. All he cared about was the fact that Vanessa had chosen to stick with Adrian over him. Nothing could hurt more than that.
The fight lasted less than a minute.
The moment Jackson saw Vanessa and Adrian, he stopped trying and The Bull took full advantage. A right hook straight to Jackson’s jaw sent him to the ground. This was followed by a grapple around the waist as he was flung backward like rag doll, landing hard on his back. But it wasn’t over yet. The Bull then launched himself on Jackson, taking his arm and pinning it between his legs, applying pressure on the elbow as he attempted to snap it.
This was the point where the fighter would usually tap out. And if not it was the moment where the trainer would step in, halting the brutality. As it were, none of these things happened. Jackson took the pain like a morphine drip; as if it were the only thing that could separate him from the pain. And indeed it did. To a degree.
The loud ‘snap’ of his arm, was followed by the shocked gasps of the crowd as Jackson refused to stop, climbing slowly to his feet. His one good arm still planted by his side as he looked The Bull square in the face. The Bull’s confusion by the moment only lasted for a second as he then stepped back on his left foot, swung his body back and whipped his right foot around like a helicopter; his right heel connecting with Jackson’ jaw in the most spectacular manner.
That’s the last thing that Jackson remembered.
EPILOGUE
When Jackson did come too, it took him several moments to realize where he was. The sun was the first thing he noticed, streaming through the open window, illuminating the room while basking it in its warm glow. This must be what heaven is like, he thought to himself. Next it was the bed that he lay in; a single bed, plain sheets, so clearly not his own house. And finally he noticed her, Vanessa, sitting in a single chair, by his side, looking like she hadn’t slept in days.
She didn’t say anything when he came too; choosing instead to watch him, let him come to terms with the moment. And when he did notice her, he chose not to speak either. Instead he used the moment to drink her in as if seeing her for the first time. It was her eyes that he noticed first; they were red and swollen, as if she had been crying for days. It was then her smile, pure joy at seeing him wake up. Next it was her hair and the way it swept down by her side, so thick and luscious, framing her perfect face like a painting commissioned just for him and him alone. And finally her lips. So full and luscious; begging to be touched, to be kissed.
The seconds felt like hours until he couldn’t stand the silence any longer. All he wanted was to hear her voice, to hear her tell him that everything was going to be OK.
‘How did I do?’ He asked finally, not knowing what else to say.
‘You got your ass kicked.’
‘So I didn’t win?’
‘No,’ she answered, trying to contain her smile. ‘You didn’t win.’
‘That’s funny.’
‘Why is that funny?’
‘Well you say I didn’t win…but from where I’m sitting…well this might be my biggest victory yet.’
‘How do you mean?’ Vanessa asked, not catching on.
‘Well I lost the fight, true. But it was enough to get you here. Isn’t that victory enough?’
There are over two hundred thousand words in the English language. None of these are sufficient in describing just how happy Vanessa was in that moment. So rather than spoil it with words that wouldn’t do her justice, she did the only thing she could think to do; she threw herself at Jackson, embracing him in a hug that screamed the words she couldn’t possibly say. The embrace said everything that she had wanted to voice since she quit, and everything that she had wanted to say before she quit. But most importantly, it said everything that she could and ever would say. If they never spoke another word to one another that would have been OK, for the hug that encompassed the two in that little hospital room spoke volumes.
And as Jackson hugged her back, he heard her silent words and returned them in equal portion. He too knew that no more needed to be said. All he could do was look forward to the future and wonder what it had in store for him. If he won or lost it didn’t matter, because he would have Vanessa by his side. Life after fighting; that was to be his next great match.
THE END
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Wrong Love
Chapter one
Natalie Kensington, a slim woman in her mid-twenties, was selecting a sandwich from those offered in the canteen, and then made her way over to where her friend. Leslie was sitting. Natalie wore her sleek black hair in a long ponytail and walked with purpose. Her tight knee-length skirt and lilac blouse displayed her professional demeanor, although it didn't prevent the men in the canteen from leering at her as she passed by. Not wanting to show her irritation, Natalie gritted her teeth and increased her pace to where Leslie was sitting. The two women were two sides of the same coin and had become fast friends during their time working at the office. Leslie was bubbly and blonde, always ready with a flirtatious comment or a wink of an eye, and she didn't see anything wrong with enjoying the company of the opposite sex. Upon noticing the looks Natalie was receiving, Leslie raised her eyebrows suggestively.
“You could have a good time there,” she said, scooping a spoonful of her yogurt and placing it in her mouth. Natalie rolled her eyes and sighed as she took a seat beside her friend.
“Really, those neanderthals? I can think of a hundred things I'd rather be doing with my time,” she scoffed.
“I'm just saying by my count it's been a while since you've put yourself out there. I worry about you, you know, it's not healthy to spend the best years of your life alone. You should be out there, meeting people, enjoying life.”
“I enjoy life very much thank you,” Natalie said pointedly. Although she considered Leslie to be one of her closest friends the woman still annoyed her. Everything had to be one long party and Leslie was never able to take no for an answer. “Besides, you only want me to get with someone so you have something to gossip about.”
“Well, you have to admit that it's
slim pickings around here. A girl has to get her kicks somewhere,” Leslie with no apologies. Natalie allowed herself a wry smile. Leslie was one of the most honest people she had ever met, and while this brazenness was off-putting to some, Natalie found it refreshing. There had been too much dishonesty in her life and she would always be grateful that Leslie was there to say exactly what was on her mind. When they had first met Natalie had been fragile and vulnerable, and for all Leslie's faults, she had helped Natalie move on, and for that Natalie would be forever grateful.
“I thought you were getting plenty of kicks yourself. What happened to that yoga instructor?” Natalie asked. Leslie threw her spoon in the empty yogurt pot and slumped back in her chair.
“He said he had to go back to Hawaii. Things are drying up, to be honest. I've pretty much worked my way through the local crowd. Have you tried online dating yet? It's not the best but if you just want some quick fun it's worth a try.”
Natalie chewed her sandwich, wondering if she should admit the truth to Leslie. She had in fact created a profile on a popular dating website but she knew that if she revealed the truth to Leslie she would have to show her everything, but since they had long ago sworn there were to be no secrets between them, she admitted that she had set up a profile, although she had not yet arranged any dates or used it all that much. Upon hearing this Leslie squealed with delight and clapped her hands, capturing the attention of the people sitting near them. At once Leslie demanded to see the profile. With a heavy sigh, Natalie handed over her cell phone, for she knew she to protest against Leslie when she was in this type of mood was futile. Leslie took the phone and leaned forward eagerly as she scrolled through the profile Natalie had made. While she did this, Natalie sat awkwardly in her seat, trying not to blush.
“Are these really the best pictures you could have come up with?” Leslie said, shaking her head. “And you really didn't have to admit that you're interested in history?”
“Isn't that the point? To tell people about my interests so that we know if it's worth talking to each other?”
“Sure,” Leslie said sarcastically, rolling her eyes in an overt manner. Her demeanor changed however as she expressed excitement about a feature she had just found. It was called the 'True Match Test' and proclaimed to reveal the best matches in the local area. “Have you seen this yet?” Leslie asked. Natalie shook her head and thrust out her hand, demanding her phone back, but Leslie was not going to surrender it so easily. She opened the test and scrolled down to see some of the men that had been matched with Natalie. “You could do a lot worse!” she exclaimed before Natalie finally wrested the phone away from her grasp and gave her a withering glance. She was about to put the phone away when Leslie urged her to just take a look, and out of idle curiosity Natalie complied. However, when she saw the image of the man at the top of the list her heart lurched and the color drained from her mouth. With trembling fingers she clicked on the profile to make sure that it was him, and once it was confirmed she almost dropped the phone from shock.
“What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost?” Leslie said. Natalie brushed her off but her mind was reeling. She excused herself and went to the washroom, where she splashed some cold water on her face. The man she had been matched with was Matthew Williams, the best friend of her ex, Adam Reynolds, the man who had broken her heart. For so long she had deluded herself into thinking that she was over it, that she had left it all in the past, but now that she was reminded of all the pain and heartache she wanted the ground to swallow her up. Looking in the mirror, she wondered who she saw in the reflection.
When she had been younger people had praised her and said that she was something special and that later on in life she would grow up to have everything that she ever wanted. She was one of the popular girls in school and life had been so easy for her. She was smart too, and her grades reflected that. Yet the one thing she couldn't grasp was sadness. Reading poetry in English Lit was a challenge as she couldn't understand how people felt that way. To her, life was charmed. Her parents were happy and content with well-paying jobs that meant Natalie never had to worry about food being put on the table. She had a circle of close friends, and for the longest time, she had had Adam. Everything seemed to be on course for a normal, regular life if such a thing existed. It seemed as though there was a certain flow to life; after school came college, and then a career, all the while you were cultivating a relationship that bloomed into a marriage and kids soon followed, and that was that. Life seemed to be mapped out for Natalie and she was perfectly content with that. She had an image of her wedding day, and already had names picked out for the kids, and then it had all fallen apart.
On that day her world had been shattered but as she looked back she should have seen it coming. It was still like being hit by a juggernaut though and it cast a shadow over everything she believed in, including herself. No longer was she the happy, chipper girl with a ready smile for everyone, instead she finally understood the poetry that had previously been beyond her comprehension, and sadness became her friend. Endless tears flowed from her beautiful eyes and it was as though she were an angel who had forgotten to fly. In time she became numb to the pain but she had never truly moved on. She had given her heart and soul, her everything to Adam, and in one fell swoop, it had irrevocably changed her.
Even Leslie didn't know. To try and force herself to move on, Natalie had decided to bury the pain deep within her, pushing it all the way down in the hope that eventually it would just go away, that one day it would disappear without her even realizing. But instead, it festered and simmered like a dark, evil concoction bubbling in a cauldron, always threatening to overflow and spill. She thought by not talking about it, she could pretend that it hadn't happened, that it was just some illusion from a hazy nightmare that didn't mean a thing when instead it meant everything.
And the stupid thing was that it wasn't even Adam she had seen, just his best friend. While she and Adam were together she had been close with Matthew and had even considered him one of her best friends as well. She would covertly plan Adam's surprise parties with him, and ask his advice whenever she wanted to get a good gift for her boyfriend, and she was always there if he ever needed help with dating, although he never seemed to date much, which she found strange because he was a good guy, at least that's what she thought. After she and Adam broke up everything had changed, including the people of her life. Her entire social circle was shaken up. The people she had met through Adam, including Matthew, were silent to her, and strangers once again. Her friends, the ones she thought she could count on through anything, became quiet as well and she realized that they were not suited to be friends in times of emotional turbulence, preferring to only be around when the sun was shining and there were mimosas by the side of the pool. Natalie had had to harden her heart to make it through that time, and she had become more discerning when it came to people who she trusted to call a friend. The past had fallen away, and the memories of high school went with it. Funnily enough, shortly after the break up she had run into a few of her friends and they acted sympathetically but she could tell in their eyes that to them she was now one of the pathetic ones, someone who would only cast a gloom over their manufactured lifestyles.
So she attempted to move forward on her own.
Natalie concentrated on her career and managed to rise in the ranks where she was now one of the team leaders in the marketing department of a successful business. She had her own apartment in a prime location of the city, and the view she enjoyed of the bay was an envy of everyone who saw it. She had enough money left over after paying her bills to treat herself to the odd designer dress, and yet there were times when it all seemed so hollow, for she would turn over in the dead of night and reach across the bed only to find the cold sheets beside her, or she would be watching a film and laugh, wishing that somebody else was sharing the moment with her, or she would cook a delicious meal, enough for two, but have to store the leftovers in the fridge for
another day, and eat it by herself. She could be content on her own. She could live on her own. She could survive on her own. But she wanted to be in love again, wanted to feel that ultimate bliss that came with being intimate with another person, with sharing every secret and shame, with falling asleep to the rhythm of their breathing, with lighting up as you saw them enter the room.
But that was another life, and she wasn't sure she was even capable of feeling that again, not after what had happened with Adam, after he had broken her trust so completely. Even her few forays into the dating world had been met with disaster as she could only think about Adam, and how these men were not like him. She remembered the way she had instantly fallen for Adam; it had been her first day of college and she'd gotten lost. Adam helped her find her way. He had been so handsome, with his short black hair, quarterback physique, and million dollar smile. She was his instantly but had been too nervous to say anything of the sort. After he pointed her in the right direction they parted, and she thought it was over, that she would never see him again, but then he called her back and asked her out, and from then on they had been inseparable.
