by Claire Adams
I nodded, suddenly understanding Artie’s concerns. Tyler was a dirty fighter, Artie was right, but what he didn’t know was that I was expecting it. I knew all about Tyler. And though it had been a few years since I’d last fought him, I knew what to expect from him. I knew what to watch out for.
“I’ve got this, Artie. I promise,” I said as I put on my boxing gloves.
“I just want to make sure your head is in this and that you stay focused on Tyler only. Don’t let anything else distract you. You gotta go into it with a clear head. We don’t need you getting injured or KO’d during this final fight.”
“That’s not going to happen, Artie. I’ve got this, I promise I do,” I said and turned to go do some punches at the punching bag. I really did appreciate Artie and all he was doing for me, but it was hard sometimes. When he got like this, it made me feel like he didn’t trust me or my moves. I needed him to have some faith in me. I needed him to believe in me.
I threw some punches at the punching bag for an hour before I took a five-minute break.
“Your stance was great,” Artie said.
“Thanks,” I said and took a drink from my water bottle. “I’m gonna get in the ring. Anyone around up to sparring?” I asked.
“I’ll go check,” Artie said and walked away.
I checked my phone to see if Anna texted or called. I trusted her with Margie, but things could happen at any moment, and I’d hate to miss an emergency. There was nothing. I double checked to make sure my phone was set on loud.
A few minutes later, Joe walked over to me.
“Hey man, long time no see,” he said and held out his hand.
I gave him a high five, and we bumped fists. It was something we always did when we saw each other.
“Yeah, I know. I’ve been so busy trying to get through all this Markie bullshit.”
“Yeah. How’s that going? Just one more fight, right?” he asked
“Yeah, man. It’s on Friday. I’m trying to get as much training as possible done. It’s gonna be a tough one,” I said.
“Artie said you need a sparring partner. I’ll do it,” he said.
“Thanks, man, I appreciate it.”
“No problem,” he said, and we walked over to where the sparring protective gear was.
We got ready, and in five minutes, we were both in the ring together.
“Don’t go easy on me,” I said to Joe.
“Oh, I won’t,” he said.
We touched gloves, and Artie said, “Go.”
We bounced around. I kept an eye on him. He went for a left hook, but I ducked before his hand even came close to me, and I was able to come at him with a right hook in one smooth motion. He was taken aback.
“I see why you’re where you are,” he said with a laugh. “You’ve gotten a lot quicker.”
“Thanks,” I said and went for a left hook. I missed him by an inch.
“Maybe not fast enough,” he said.
“Oh really?” I asked and went faster than he could keep up with. I got him from behind and took him to the ground using the rear naked choke, and he tapped out.
“Damn, man,” Joe said after I helped him get up. “That was good.”
“I know,” I said. “Wanna take back what you said about me not being fast enough, now?”
Artie gave me a look, and I knew he was telling me to watch my cockiness. I couldn’t help it when I made Joe tap out. He had always been a better fighter than me, so the fact that I had been evading him and had also been able to make him tap out was huge for me.
“I’m up against Tyler this Friday,” I told Joe as we took a water break.
“Really? I haven’t seen him in a long time.”
“Me either. He fights dirty,” I said and used my towel to wipe the sweat from my forehead and neck.
“I’ve heard that, but you’ve got this. I know you, Justin. You don’t give up easily.”
“Thanks, man,” I said.
We got back into the ring and started sparring again. He took me down, and I knew it was because I had let myself get too cocky. I was glad it happened then because I knew what could hold me back on Friday. I needed to get a handle on it before then.
I needed to know what my weak points were. This was the final fight. Winning this would mean my freedom from Markie and everything else. I was going to make it out of this without any complications. I just needed to stay focused
“Keep your focus, Justin,” Artie said when I got back up.
I focused on Joe, and as he came at me, I moved the side, and he almost fell face first onto the mat.
“There you go. Joe, make sure you know where you’re aiming.”
We nodded at Artie to let him know that we heard and understood him. Then we turned our attention back to the ring. I looked at him and anticipated his next moves. He was going to go for an uppercut or left hook. So, I made sure to get three uppercuts in first.
He stumbled back and then looked back at me and went for my legs. He picked me up and took me to the ground, but before he could do anything, I got him into an armbar, and a few seconds later he tapped out again.
Artie clapped. “Yes, Justin. That’s it. You were taken down, but you didn’t hesitate on the ground. You went right for what you thought you should. I’m proud of you.”
“Thanks. That means a lot, Artie,” I said. It did feel good to have him say that to me. I felt more confident and less cocky.
“I know you can do well, Justin. I’ve seen you put a lot of focus in lately, and it’s made a world of a difference. I know you get irritated with me, but it’s my job to tell you what to do. I want to make sure you win your fights.”
“I know, Artie. I’m sorry I get irritated. This is just stressful.”
“That’s why you won’t do this again. Right?” he said with a smile.
I nodded. After a small break, I got back in the ring for a few more rounds with Joe. I was surprised at how easy it was for me to keep taking him out. He got a few good hits in, but not enough to make me back down or tap out.
After another hour of going back and forth, Joe had to take off. I told him we’d catch up after my final fight and maybe get a beer together.
“You’ll have to tell me all about the new girl,” he said.
“Yeah, I will,” I said with pride. I wasn’t one to get weird with my friends about having a girl in my life. I was always honest and respectful.
I stayed late into the night. I checked on Margie a couple times to make sure everything was going okay. She was having a blast with Anna like I knew she would. Anna was a great woman. She was so good with Margie, and I was so thankful to have her in my life.
Around ten o’clock that night, Anna walked into the gym.
“Hey, beautiful,” I said.
“Hi, handsome. I hope it’s okay I stopped by?” she said as I removed my boxing gloves.
“Of course, it is,” I said and pulled her in for a kiss. I liked that she didn’t freak out about me being dirty and sweaty from my training.
“Margie’s asleep. My parents are with her. So, don’t worry about that. I just couldn’t stand to be away from you any longer.”
“I wasn’t worried about it. I figured she was with them. I trust them, and I trust you.” I said. She gave me another kiss. “I don’t like to be away from you, either.”
Anna smiled at me.
“I’m going to go get changed really quick,” I said.
“Okay,” she said and sat down on a chair to wait for me.
I went into the locker room and changed into the clothes I brought with me. I did this quickly because I didn’t want to keep her waiting. When I was finished, I walked back over to Anna.
“All done?” she asked.
“Yeah, I am. I can follow you to your house to get Margie?” I didn’t want to leave my car outside since Markie hung out close by. I wasn’t sure what he was capable of, and I wanted to watch my back.
“Sounds good,” she said, and I followe
d her out to her car.
I pulled her to me and gave her a long kiss. “I’ll see you at your house,” I said when we pulled apart.
“Okay,” she said and got into her car.
I followed her to her house, and when we got there, she stopped before we made it to the door. She turned to face me with a serious expression.
“I want you to know that no matter what happens, I’m going to be here for you,” she said.
“Win or lose?” I asked.
“Win or lose. I want to be with you,” she said. It felt so good to hear her say that. I was nervous since my last fight ended with us arguing.
“That sounds like the perfect deal to me,” I said.
We kissed again, and I could feel the spark between us. The passion and the lust flowed between us so easily that I wanted her right there. Instead, we pulled apart, as hard as it was, and walked inside together.
Inside, Margie was sound asleep in Anna’s spare bedroom. I picked her up gently and carried her out to my car. I was amazed that I could move her like that without waking her.
“Thank you so much,” I whispered to her parents who were getting into their car.
“You’re welcome, Justin. Let us watch her for you during your next fight,” Millie said.
“Absolutely,” I promised.
Anna gave her parents each a hug, and they left.
“Thanks for watching her today. It means a lot,” I said.
“You’re welcome. You don’t have to keep thanking me. Or my parents. We love Margie and will do it anytime,” she said.
“But I do. I don’t know how to repay you guys for everything,” I said.
“You don’t have to,” she said.
I gave her one more kiss and told her goodnight. Then I drove Margie and I home. I carried her to her bed, and she still didn’t wake up.
“Good night, princess. I love you,” I said and kissed her gently on her forehead. She moved a little, but she didn’t wake. I watched my daughter sleep for a full five minutes before I finally made my way to my own bed.
Chapter 28
Anna
It was Justin’s final fight. I couldn’t believe it was finally here. My nerves were all over the place, worse than any other time before. This was, of course, the most important fight of them all. I didn’t want to think about what might happen if he lost, but it was hard not to. I couldn’t shut my brain off.
I drug Ally out with me again so I could have someone to help me get through it in one piece. I figured at this point she might actually enjoy the fights. She always seemed to have some random guy’s number every time we left.
My parents were watching Margie again. She had been happy to hear that this was going to be her dad’s last fight.
“Yay!” she had screamed loudly. “You’re gonna win it, Daddy. I just know it.”
“Thanks, baby girl,” he said to her and then he put her back down on the ground.
“And if you get hurt, Anna and I will take care of you,” she said proudly.
Justin looked at both of us. “That’s very nice of you both, but I won’t get hurt.”
I wanted to tell him not to get too cocky, but decided to keep the comment to myself, and instead, I said, “Please be careful tonight.”
“I always am,” he said with a wink.
He gave us both hugs goodbye and then left.
It had been three hours since I saw him. I hadn’t even texted him because I wanted to make sure he stayed focused on the fight.
Ally and I found our seats, and when we sat down, I turned to her. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom.”
“Okay. I’ll save your seat until someone better comes along,” she said with a laugh. I ignored her and maneuvered my way through the crowd.
I walked back down the stands and followed the signs for the bathroom. When I went in, I went into a stall and sat down. I didn’t have to go; I was just trying to stop myself from having a panic attack.
I left the stall after taking a few deep breaths and calming myself down. I would have splashed water on my face if I hadn’t been wearing makeup. So instead, I washed my hands at the sink for a few minutes. The motion was calming, and soon I dried my hands and left the bathroom.
As I was making my way to the stands, I heard a man say, “Well, hello, gorgeous.”
I turned to see who it was. The guy looking at me was a lot older than me. Maybe fifty. He was over-weight, almost balding, and wearing a gold chain around his neck. Just looking at him gave me a bad feeling.
“Yes, I did mean you,” he said and took a step toward me.
I really didn’t like the way he was looking at me. Just his eyes on me made me shiver uncomfortably.
“I have a boyfriend,” I mumbled and moved past him.
As I put more distance between us, I swear I heard him say, “I know.”
I tried to ignore the creepy feeling I had and made my way back to my seat.
I got back just in time, because not thirty seconds later, the announcer called out Tyler’s name, and a bigger portion of the crowd than normal cheered. I wasn’t sure what that meant.
Then the announcer yelled Justin’s name and Ally, and I stood up with the crowd and cheered.
“WOOOO!! JUSTIN!” I yelled.
I watched as Justin walked down the hallway, entered the cage, and then he looked out at the crowd to find me. To my surprise, he left the ring and climbed through the stands to where I was.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said and gave me a kiss.
I was stunned. “Hi.” I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.
“I couldn’t fight without saying this,” he paused. “Anna, I love you. I’ve loved you since I started going to your studio, and my feelings have only grown stronger. I love you.”
Tears formed in the corners of my eyes. My heart was racing. He finally told me he loved me and I was almost too stunned to speak.
“I love you, too,” I said after a few more seconds.
He kissed me again, and I swear the crowd went crazier than it had when he first walked out.
I watched him go back into the octagon and tried to wrap my head around what just happened. I was so confused about how he felt about me, and now he told me he loved me. I was ecstatic and still in disbelief. This whole thing started out as a show for my parents, and now we were in love.
Ally leaned into me. “You need Justin in your life. I’ve always told you that,” she said with a wink.
I laughed. “Yeah, okay.”
“I’m serious though; you two are so perfect for each other. I could tell when we came to that first fight,” she said.
That night seemed like so long ago. I had such a huge crush on Justin, and then I thought I had lost him the following week only to get him back in my life in the best way possible, and now, he had just told me he loved me.
I wished it would have been enough to calm my nerves, but it was hard to relax. I was on pins and needles. This was the final fight. Tonight would decide his fate, and I hoped on everything that he would win so he could move on with his life. So, we could move on with our life together.
I watched Justin bounce around the ring with his opponent. The guy had a cocky look on his face, and I hoped that would be a good thing. I hoped he would let it get the best of him. Let him get amped up and think he was the shit only to have Justin take him out.
“How’s his shoulder?” Ally asked me.
“It’s alright. I massaged it on Saturday night and told him what to do to take care of it. He told me last night that it felt better. I just hope he wasn’t saying that to make me feel better,” I said.
“Yikes. I don’t think he would fight if it was that bad though. Do you?”
She was right. Justin wouldn’t fight with an injured shoulder. It would be too much to go up against. He would be starting out weak. There was no way he could win if he was still hurt.
“No, I don’t think he would either.”
I looked at Jus
tin in the ring, just as Tyler hit him in the face. I cringed and covered my eyes. I couldn’t look. I didn’t want to watch him lose, but I really didn’t want to watch him get hurt again.
“Fuck. Is he okay?” I asked Ally.
“Yes, look,” Ally said and pulled my hands from my face.
I looked at the ring just as Justin hit Tyler in his ribs.
Tyler hit Justin in the face again, and I covered my eyes for the second time.
“I can’t look, Ally. I just can’t watch that. Tell me when something good happens.”
“Justin got the guy. GO JUSTIN!” she yelled.
I moved my hands one more time and watched Justin hit him again.
“YEAH! JUSTIN! GET HIM!” I called out.
Then Tyler got Justin in the face twice, and I cringed. I hated watching this. My anxiety was high, and I couldn’t seem to calm myself down.
The bell rang for their break, and I took a deep breath. I could finally breathe a little bit.
“You have to chill out and just be strong for him,” Ally said.
“It’s hard. I don’t like watching him get hurt,” I said.
“It’s the last fight. If Justin can do it, so can you,” she said. “Tyler’s pretty hot,” she added, and I ignored her. I didn’t want to hear about her attraction to the guy beating up my boyfriend.
I watched as Artie talked to him about something. Justin nodded his head. Then he looked at me in the crowd.
I blew him a kiss. I wanted him to know I was there to support him despite me covering my eyes a lot. I was just glad he couldn’t see it. He blew me a kiss back.
The bell dinged, and they met in the middle again, touched gloves, and Justin hit him right away.
“Damn, Justin,” Ally said.
“He’s gonna win. I just know it,” I said, thinking back to how Margie said the same thing earlier. He was a good fighter, a great fighter; there was no doubt about it.
Tyler hit him, and he almost fell to the ground.
“Justin!” I yelled.
Ally grabbed my arm. “Stop freaking out. He’s okay. Don’t freak out until you know he’s down or actually hurt. He can handle a few hits to the face.”
Ally had a point. He had been doing this for a while, and I needed to trust that he was okay, even if it didn’t look that way to me.
