The Daddy Box Set

The look on Justin’s face told me he felt the same way I did.

I cupped my hands over my mouth and stood up, “You can do it, Justin! I love you!” I yelled as loud as I could.

He smiled at me and then the bell dinged. I sat back down.

“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Ally asked.

“I can yell supportive things all day. I can also watch him hit his opponent. It’s when he gets hit that it bothers me,” I said.

She rolled her eyes at me and then looked back at the cage.

“Come on, Justin!” she yelled.

We watched Justin and Tyler bounce around the cage and suddenly, Justin flipped Tyler onto the ground. I thought for sure he was going to have him and win this thing, but that’s when Tyler got up. I closed my eyes. I couldn’t watch anymore.

I heard the repetitive sounds of a fist hitting something, and I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes.

“Holy shit,” Ally said from beside me, and I couldn’t tell if it was a good “holy shit” or a bad one.

“What? I don’t wanna look,” I said.

“Oh my god,” she said with no explanation.

I opened my eyes and people were now standing in front of me. I could barely make out the ref on the ground of the cage right before he yelled, “KO’ed!”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Justin

I got back into the ring after I told Anna I loved her. I was so nervous that she wasn’t going to say it back, but she did, and I couldn’t have been happier. It was the boost I needed to get me through that last fight. Things felt different now. They felt good. I felt more confident than ever.

I knew that had been the perfect time to confess my feelings for her, to tell her I loved her. She needed to hear it, and I needed to know she loved me back.

Tyler and I bounced around the ring some, and before I knew it, he got me in the face. I was totally caught off guard. He was quick and hit hard. The crowd gasped, which didn’t help my focus at all. I regained my composure just as he got a left hook in.

I took a few steps back before he could get me again. I shook my head and took a deep breath. I had to calm down. I couldn’t let the pain over take me.

“Keep your focus!” I heard Artie yell.

I took a deep breath and thought about how Anna had just told me she loved me too.

He went in for another hit, and I blocked it. Tyler went for a jab, and I blocked that too. I focused on his facial expressions. I watched him lock his eyes on my jaw, and I hit him in the ribs first. He went to hit me in the face, and I blocked it.

We went back and forth the rest of the round, and I was relieved when I heard the bell. I had taken far too many hits.

“He’s a tough fighter, Justin, but he doesn’t know a lot of submissive holds like you do. Use those to your advantage.” Artie said.

I nodded my head and took a drink from my water bottle. I glanced out into the crowd and watched Anna blow me a kiss.

I blew her one back, and the bell dinged for the start of the second round. I was going to get him. I was going to win this fight. No matter what it took. No matter how many hits I had to suffer through.

“Keep focused, Justin,” Artie said.

I got back in the middle of the cage, Tyler and I touched gloves and started the round. I didn’t waste any time before going in went for a right hook. I caught him off guard, luckily. He turned his head back to look at me, and I hit him again. He didn’t hesitate and hit me in the face. A good quick jab. I stumbled back a bit but regained my control before I actually hit the ground. I couldn’t fall; he would have the upper hand and be able to take me out if I did.

I moved to the left before he could get me, turned around, and then BAM. He got me in the face. I stumbled backward and fell to the ground. I quickly moved onto my stomach and then my feet. He was almost on top of me by the time I got up. I turned to evade him, swung, missed.