It was a miracle she had even been able to catch a flight to Vegas last minute. The prices had been through the roof. And damn near every flight had been booked...except for one. It was a late one. But, she was here so that was all that mattered. She didn't even care that she had nowhere to stay. Every hotel in town had been booked. And on top of that, she didn't even have a ticket for the fight.
This was a stupid idea. And she knew it. To travel all the way across the country with no back up plan was completely irrational.
But she didn't care.
She needed to see Cameron and make things right. All she needed was a miracle.
*
Cameron stumbled when the punch struck his face. Before he could strike back, a sudden hit to the nose hindered his steps and he planted the ropes with force. Chavez swung at him. Each punch thrashing him senseless. Cameron lifted his arms with attempts to shield himself.
The bell rang. End of round 11.
Cameron sat at the corner, gasping for breaths. Sweat drenched his skin, as his muscles ached with pain. His vision blurring, he squinted with a groan, forcing himself to see through his swollen eyelid. As his assistant, Bug, fed him water and dried the blood off his face, the 'cutman', Eddie, who aided his injuries after each round, iced his swollen eye. He growled in pain as Eddie pressed the steel iron against his wounded eye, smoothing out the swelling as best he could.
"The hell are you doing out there?!?" his trainer, Leo, got in his face. "You got this cat out there making you look like a chump!"
Cameron gasped out breaths.
"Stop actin' like you don't know this son of a bitch's moves! You know him, you beat him! C'mon!" Leo tapped his chin, glaring at him. "You with me?"
He nodded. "I'm witchu."
"Naw, you're not. That killer I know, ain't there. I don't see it."
"I'm witchu," He assured him.
"Well, act like it damnit! If not, you gon' make this muthafucka take that belt! Is that what you want? Huh?"
He quickly shook his head.
"Then let's go. Get ya head in the game!" He clapped his hands. "C'mon!"
The bell rang. Last round.
Cam stood up and walked to the center, as Chavez did the same. Cam paced around the ring with his hands up, glaring at his opponent.
He threw a jab, but Chavez blocked the hit. He threw another, only to miss.
He growled with frustration. All night, he had missing hits. He didn't understand why he couldn't get him. He had studied all of his moves. He fucking beat him!
The hell was going on?
Chavez flashed a devious smile. "That's all you got, puta?"
Cam threw another punch, but Chavez blocked it then danced around.
“C’mon!” Chavez pounded his gloves. "Hit me, you bitch!"
In rage, Cam swung at him but Chavez ducked each time. Roars erupted from the crowd. Chavez struck with a left hook to the nose, catching him off guard. He punched his eye and Cam stumbled back in dire pain. Chavez kept going. He swung and swung. Cam wrapped his arms around him to stop his momentum. The ref demanded them to break it up. He gasped out in heavy breaths. His energy giving out.
"What happened, ese?" Chavez taunted in his ear. "The prison turned you into a lil' bitch?"
With a growl, Cam grabbed him into a headlock. The referee broke them up and they stepped away from each other. Cam glared at him through his blurred vision. Swallowing the metallic taste of blood. He couldn't give up. No matter how much his body ached. No matter how much he yearned to give out. He had to keep going.
He had to beat this mutherfucker.
He tried to keep focus, but Reese flashed in his mind. He shook his head, forcing her away. But the memory of her haunted him. The crushing pain rendering him weak.
A sudden punch to the jaw sent him straight to the floor.
The crowd roared louder.
The referee counted.
"1...2...3..."
Cameron's vision blurred. The world around him spinning.
"C'mon, Cam! Get up!"
"Get the fuck up, man!"
The faint voices echoed the air. But his muscles ached with unbearable pain. His energy gone. His heart screamed for him to stand up. He couldn't give up. Not like this.
He forced himself up.
"That's it, get up!" they yelled.
"4...5...6...7..."
His muscles trembled as struggled to stand up. His knees wobbling. He collapsed to the floor.
"8...9...10... K.O.!"
The bell rang.
Fight over.
Chapter 43
"Finally!" Reese voiced when the cab arrived at MGM Hotel and Casino. The longest hour of her damn life. She glanced at her phone for the time. She hoped to god she didn't miss it.
She paid the driver, then ran to the entrance. When she entered the lobby, she met the crowd of cheering fans. She shuffled her way through, huffing with annoyance as they bumped her with each step.
She searched around the spacious place guarded with an abundance of security, unsure of where to go. She approached one of the security guards nearby, asking for the location of the fight and he directed her to the arena.
When she arrived at the lobby of the arena, crowded with spectators and more security guarding the place like a militant army, she made her way through the metal detector, as they searched through her things.
The process only lessened her patience. She was wasting time.
"Do you have a ticket, ma'am?" the ticket taker requested, as she approached the steel barricade by the entrance.
Reese cleared her throat. "No, but here's the thing...I actually know Cameron Lewis."
The scrawny, blonde haired young man gave her a deadpanned stare.
"I really do. I'm his girlfriend."
"Right. Like every other woman in here."
"I am! Look, I'll even show you a picture." She pulled out her phone and searched for a picture online. Much to her luck, she found a photo of them posing together on the red carpet. She showed him the screen. "See?"
His blue eyes drifted from the picture to her. His face as stoic as a piece of stone.
"I still need a ticket."
She groaned, frustrated. Damnit!
Reese called Yasmine, hoping to god she would pick up.
The sudden noises blared through the line.
"Hello?!?" Yasmine hollered.
"Yasmine! Listen, I'm here at the arena and I'm trying to—"
"What?!?"
"I said I'm here at the area and I'm trying to get inside. Can you—"
"Wait, I can't hear you! It's too loud in here. Text me!"
The line went dead.
"Ugh!"
Reese quickly shot her a text, informing her where she was and that she needed to get inside.
Yas:
3/28/16, 12:20am
Wait you're here?!?
Reese:
3/28/16, 12:20am
Yes! I'm locked out. Can you come and get me?
Yas:
3/28/16, 12:21am
Girl I would but I'm literally stuck. And plus the fights over anyway. Cam lost =(
Her heart dropped.
He lost?
Her phone buzzed when another text arrived.
Yas:
3/28/16, 12:35am
Wait give me a second. Let me see what I could do. Which entrance are u?
Now defeated, Reese replied.
She couldn't believe he lost.
Chapter 44
Cam entered the dressing room, surrounded by his crew. The atmosphere a much dimmer one in comparison to before, with everyone now in a despondent mood due to the loss. Except for himself.
Instead, he was enraged. He couldn't believe he had lost. Especially the way he did. A total K.O. He had allowed Chavez to humiliate him, leaving him with two swollen eyes, a bruised nose and sore ribs. Never in any fight throughout his entire career had he been so brutally injured and on top of that, knocked out. And for it all to end like this
, was shameful. He would never forgive himself for it.
Soon, he would have to get up on stage for the post press conference to speak in front of the world, and he was in no mood to do so. If it was up to him, he would avoid all media. He didn't feel like being seen. He didn't even want to be around anyone right now.
"It's alright, man. You win some you lose some." Deshawn patted his back. "You'll get 'em next time."
"Yeah, you still the champ, bruh!" Bryson cheered on as his team clapped in support.
It only aggravated him. He knew it was all bullshit. No matter what they said, they really wanted that victory. And he knew it. This wasn't what they had prepared for these last 8 months. They didn't come this far and work this hard, only to lose. That's not what his team stood for.
"Just cut the bullshit, alright? Why don't ya'll admit that I fucked up?" He snapped.
The place fell silent.
"All of ya'll, out. I need a minute."
Everyone cleared out, except for Slick.
"Aye, you gonna be alright?"
Cam nodded. "Yeah.”
"Alright, I'll be outside. Remember, the press conference is in hour. See you in a bit." Slick gave him daps, before he left the dressing room.
Relieved to be alone, Cam stripped his clothes and hopped into the shower. He grunted in pain at the touch of hot water pelleting his bruised skin. He leaned his head on the tiled wall as the blood streamed down the drain, wishing he could wash the memories of tonight away just the same.
*
"Girl, you sure you wanna do this?" Yasmine asked.
"Yes, I need to see him."
It was now the end of the night and Reese was still on the hunt for Cameron. He had just wrapped up his press conference and plenty other interviews and was now on his way to the hotel. Although she couldn't get into the arena, she was still able to track his whereabouts, thanks to Yasmine, whom had been by her side informing her on all the details. And now, they were in the backseat of the cab as they cruised around the brightly lit Vegas strip.
She was exhausted. With her muscles aching from all the running she had done, not to mention the long flight it took to get here, she was ready to pass out. But she fought the urge. She was going to find Cameron, even if it killed her.
"You know this is crazy as hell, right?"
And she didn't care.
"Can't believe you're going through all this trouble. And my dumb ass is riding along with you," Yasmine complained.
"Cause, you're my ride or die."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
She couldn't be more thankful for Yasmine. Instead of traveling on some luxurious, private bus with Cameron like she should've been doing, she was here by her side in the backseat of some musty, old taxi. She really did love her friend.
With a tired sigh, Reese rested her head on her shoulder. "I need a place to sleep tonight."
"You didn't book a room?"
"Nope."
"Fine."
"Thanks." A yawn left her lips.
When they arrived in front of the hotel, Reese sat up and looked out the window as they sat in traffic amongst the hounds of vehicles veering into whichever parking spot available.
"Do you know if he arrived yet?" Reese asked her.
"No."
"Can you text him and see?"
"I already did...5 minutes ago."
"I know, but he might already be there now."
Yasmine gave her a deadpanned look.
"Please? I just need to know."
Huffing out a sigh, Yasmine pulled out a phone. "You get on my nerves."
"Thanks, love you."
A large bus pulled up ahead, easing against the curb and she averted her attention. She took notice to the bold picture of Cameron plastered on the bus, and she piped up.
She slapped Yasmine's arm. "Wait, that's him!"
"Ow, bitch!"
Like bees to honey, paparazzi surrounded the bus, waiting for his entrance. A crowd of men stepped out and they snapped pictures. His hefty security blocked off the hounding paparazzi as they walked toward the front entrance of the building. She searched for any sight of Cameron amongst the group, but the angle they were in made it damn near impossible.
"Move in closer," she urged the driver, as they sat in traffic.
"He can't, Reese."
"What do you mean he can't?"
"There's traffic."
"So? All he has to do is move around all these cars. Or beep the horn or something. I just don't understand why we're just sitting here!"
Yasmine gripped her arms. "Reese!"
She paused. "What?"
"Stop!"
Reese caught her breath.
"Just calm down. You're over reacting right now."
Annoyed, she pulled away.
"Fuck this." She opened the door.
"Reese!"
She hopped out of the car and raced through the maze of traffic. Her legs strode quicker than her mind could process. She didn't care that she looked like a damn maniac. All she cared about was seeing Cameron. That was it.
She busted through the doors of the hotel, and into the main lobby to find the group of men walking ahead.
"Cameron!"
Their heads turned. And in that moment, their eyes met. Her heart swelled at his presence, only to dampen at the sight of his battered face.
His frown deepened as she approached him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked in a stiff tone.
"I really need to talk to you."
He glared at her with pure disgust, as though she were nothing to him, and it shrunk her spirit so deep, she could barely stand it. With a scoff, he turned around.
"I'm sorry!"
He stopped in his tracks. The onlookers watched the scenario, some recording with phones. But she didn't care about any of that.
Cameron faced her and she stepped closer.
"I'm so sorry...for everything. I never meant to hurt you. I didn't mean any of the things I said. None of it. I never wanted us to break up, at all. But he forced me to!" She pointed to Slick who stood alongside of him. Their heads spun to him, as he froze.
"He threatened me if I didn't!"
"I don't know what she's talking about," Slick coolly brushed his suit.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about!"
"Cam, this bitch is lying. Let's just go. We don't got time for this."
"Oh I'm lying? So, that wasn't you who showed up at my house the other night, put a gun to my head and threatened me to leave him? Huh, you piece of shit?" She roared, ready to attack the measly bastard.
Cameron's face plastered with shock.
"Is it true?" he asked him.
"Hell no, it ain't true. You really gonna believe this bitch, Cam? Over me?" He chuckled, amused.
"It is true! And you could do whatever you want with the tape, I don't give a fuck!" She glared at him.
Right now, she had nothing to lose.
She turned to Cameron, who stood there in confusion. Trying to assess the puzzling scenario before him. She stepped closer to him.
"I love you."
He froze. Her heart tightened as emotions spiraled within.
"All this time, I've been just running...running from what I truly feel for you. And you were right, it's time I face my fear and do what my heart feels. And that's loving you," she whispered, her eyes welling with tears.
He stood there without a word. His conflicted orbs drilling hers. He was battling himself. Fighting to trust her or not. But he needed to. He needed to trust that she meant every word she spoke. She loved him with every fiber of her being. There was no denying it anymore.
"Go to hell," he spewed with venom.
Her heart shattered to pieces. Hurt, she stared at him, lost for words.
Glaring at her, he stepped back.
"Let's go," he said to his men.
They turned away and left, leaving her broken with despair.
Chapter 45
"Yo, that shit was crazy b." Bryson laughed as they entered the presidential suite.
"I know, man. But my boy kept it G, though. See, that's the Cam I know. We don't luh dese hoesss," Deshawn joked, extending his hand to Cameron who dismissed him, bypassing him without a word.
"Oh, word? You just gonna do me like that, man?"
After what had occurred, his mood had been in disarray. Just seeing Reese again brought up so many pent up emotions he didn't expect to feel. Shock, rage, hurt. She had the nerve to show up after what she had done. What made her think he would forgive her? Then for her to profess her so called, "love" for him...he didn't even have the words. Bitch thought she was slick. He wasn't stupid. It had all been a ploy to win him back. She was just so full of fucking games and at this point, he was sick of it.
But then a very small part of him...just wasn't so sure. He had never seen her act the way she did just now. The yearning look in her eyes, the desperation in her tone, the fervency in her words, made it all the more convincing. This was Reese. The same woman who could barely open up about herself, on their first date. It was unlike her to just announce her feelings in front of everyone, risking the shame and embarrassment, just for the sake of it. She cared too much about what people thought.
Her words lingered in his mind, echoing his brain like bats in a dark cave. He glanced over at Slick, whom had been awfully quiet since the scenario. As his crew joked amongst themselves, Slick retrieved a bottle of Jack Daniels from the bar.
"Aye, ya'll step out for a minute," Cam told them.
They grew quiet.
"What?" Bryson snickered.
"Ya'll heard me. Out."
Mumbling to themselves, they cleared the room and shut the door. Slick remained by the bar, taking a sip of his drink.
"Aye, you want?" He offered, raising the bottle.
Cameron shook his head, walking to the bar.
"You sure? Some good shit." He poured some more into his glass.
"So, is it true?" He got to the point.
"Is what true?"
"You know what I'm talkin' about. The whole shit with Reese."
Slick placed the glass down. "Yeah it is."
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