You too. XX.
I put my phone down and got ready for bed. I hoped the kisses weren’t too forward. I checked my phone, and there was no response. I figured he was probably just asleep. And it didn’t take long before I was able to fall asleep too.
Chapter Eleven
Justin
It was Friday night, my first high-pressure fight. To say I was nervous was an understatement. My whole life was riding on this fight and the next three. It was no longer just about my reputation as a fighter. This was about whether I was going to lose everything I ever loved or not. Just thinking about Markie gave me chills, and I tried to ignore them. He was a scary guy, and I wished I wouldn’t have gotten involved with him. The stress was starting to get to me.
On the other hand, I knew I had no other choice. I had been drowning in the debt for four years. I needed that money to pay off the bills. I lost it all, but I wasn’t going to lose anymore. Not with how much was on the line this time. I just had to win four fights. I could do it.
“You need to calm down and get your head in the game, Justin,” Artie said from beside me. He was looking at me, and I knew he wasn’t happy. Not after my last fight. It would take a win for him to have faith in my fighting ability again.
Shit. I was hoping that it wasn’t that noticeable. “I know. You’re right. Because if I don’t, I’m going to be screwed.”
Artie gave me a weird look. “What do you mean?”
I knew I needed to come clean with Artie. He had been there for me a lot, and I was doing a disservice to him by hiding it. I looked at him and hesitated. Telling Artie wouldn’t be easy.
“I made a new bet with Markie,” I said, avoiding Artie’s gaze. I didn’t want to deal with the judgment I knew I would find there.
“Dammit, Justin,” Artie said.
I was taken aback for a second as Artie never cussed. He was a straight-laced kind of guy that thought foul language just made people sound dumb. So, the fact that he was cussing now told me I was in some deep shit with him.
“I know, I messed up. I know. You don’t need to remind me like I’m a child,” I said. It was too late for him to be scolding me now. The deal was done, and the only thing left to do was to make sure I won my next four fights.
“What’s the bet this time?” he asked.
I was hesitant. “If I win my next four fights, then I walk away without owing him anything.”
“And if you don’t?” he sounded impatient.
“Then I owe him double,” I gave a small shrug like it was no big deal, but we both knew how huge this was.
“For fuck’s sake, Justin.” He cussed again, and I tried my hardest to ignore it. I needed to get my head in the game and stay focused. I couldn’t let him get to me. If I did, then I would lose for sure. He was saying some more things under his breath, but I ignored him. I knew he was pissed. He hated Markie, and for a good reason.
We were standing in the back as the first fight came to an end. I watched the crowd get rowdy for the winner. They weren’t nearly as loud as they got for me, but it could be different this time. I had let my fans down during that last fight, and it made me question whether or not I would still have any fans. My mind wandered to Anna. I couldn’t see much of the crowd from where I was, so I had no idea if she was there or not. I hoped she was.
I heard my name called by the announcer and made my way down the little hallway. People were screaming just as hard, if not harder than before. I was glad to know I still had fans after my beatdown last time. They were some true, die-hard fans. It made me feel good. It was an ego boost, one I really needed. But I just hoped that one fan was in the crowd tonight. One very important fan.
I stepped into the cage and went to my side with Artie where we talked strategy. Artie was saying something about jiu-jitsu. I knew I should be listening, but I wasn’t paying too much attention to what he was saying. I was distracted; I wanted to see if she was there. I searched the crowd closely, scanning each face.
Then I found her, and our eyes met. Anna. Anna was there. I wasn’t sure if she was going to make it since she was terrified of these things, but the look in her eyes when I told her I had needed her here… She knew I really meant it, and she wasn’t going to let me down. Deep down, I knew she would show up.
Her smile calmed my nerves almost instantly, and I tuned Artie back in.
“You’re smaller than he is. That gives you an advantage. All you need to do is be faster, Justin. Be faster and then you’ve got this one in the bag.” He gave me a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t let the crowd distract you. Just remember to focus on being fast. You have this, Justin.”
I looked across the cage at my opponent. He was much larger than me. Both in height and muscle mass, but I had learned in my years of fighting that size didn’t necessarily make him the better fighter.
The bell rang, and it was on. My nerves calmed some when I caught Anna’s eye, but I was still pretty anxious. I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know much about my opponent. All I knew was that I had to win this fight. I had to.
He went for a left hook. I ducked and got him in the ribs. He backed up some. I did the same. He went to lunge at me, and I ducked, again making him almost fall over. Artie had been right; all I had to do was be faster than him. I was doing great and holding up strong on my end when the end of the first round came. I was ahead and was starting to think how easy this was.
I was feeling good about myself. Maybe a little too good. I knew I should keep my cockiness in check, but I figured I could have this in the bag if I just kept evading him and making my move before he ever did.
The second round started, and automatically the guy picked me and flung me to the floor. I hadn’t had a chance to get away from him this time. The crowd gasped, and I got up right away, before he could put me in any sort of hold. I was glad I was quick to get up because I could have been KO’d. I could not believe how quickly this had turned around.