by Claire Adams
I nodded and clenched my teeth together.
I watched as Justin fell to the ground, and I covered my eyes again.
“Seriously, Anna?”
“Yes. Just tell me when to look.” It made me sick to watch him get hit so much. I just wanted this whole thing to be over. This was the most intense night of my life. I was sure Justin was feeling the same, but from where I sat, I couldn’t really read his facial expressions.
I heard some hits, some cheers, and some boos, and then the bell rang. I peeked through my hands, nervous about what I might see. Justin was taking a drink of water, he had blood on his face, and my stomach turned. But he didn’t look too hurt. I decided to take that as a good sign.
Justin talked with Artie and then looked out into the crowd. At first, I thought he was looking at me, but then I noticed it was someone or something else behind me. I turned around, and a few rows back was the same guy I ran into outside of the bathrooms. My stomach turned.
“Must be Markie,” I said without thinking.
“Who?” Ally asked.
“Um, just some guy Justin knows. He thinks Justin’s going to lose tonight.”
“Why would he think that?”
Markie smiled at me, but it wasn’t a normal smile. It was a creepy one that sent chills down my spine, and that was all the interaction I needed with him to know he was not someone I wanted to associate with.
I turned back around, my stomach now in my throat. “Because he’s a jerk.”
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 29
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.
He hit me in the ribs a couple times, and then I got a few good face hits in.
The bell rang for the second round.
“Justin, use your submission holds. The only way you will win is if you make him submit. You gotta be quick. Rear naked choke. You’ve got this, Justin,” Artie said.
I took a sip from my water bottle, and as I went to look in the crowd at Anna, I noticed Markie was sitting a few rows behind her. If he had been at my previous fights, he didn’t make himself known. He never approached me, but there was no mistaking him and his sly grin. He was enjoying this. All I had to do was lose this fight, and I’d owe him twenty thousand dollars.
I couldn’t let him win, not a snake like him.
I watched him smile at Anna, and it made my stomach turn. I didn’t like him looking at her. She turned back around and stood up.
“You can do it, Justin! I love you!” she yelled from the crowd.
It made me feel good to know she was there and she was cheering me on. She believed in me and supported me, and I was going to win this. I smiled at her. She knew I needed that right then, and I was glad to have her there.
The bell dinged, and I got back into the center with Tyler. We bounced around for a minute and just as he was about to hit me with an uppercut, I grabbed his arm and flipped him to the ground, but he got out of the hold. I hadn’t been able to get a good grip on him when I flipped him over.
He got me with a left hook.
I knew there was no way I could get him in that hold and hold him down. He was too strong, too fast, and too unpredictable for a move like that. I didn’t wait for anything; I wasn’t going to try and anticipate his moves anymore. I was just going to go for it as hard and as fast as I could.
I took a few deep breaths, and I felt the world slow down around me. Everything was moving in slow motion as I went for my first straight jab at his face. And then another. And then another. Tyler was stumbling a little, but he could have regained his composure if I took too long to make a decision.
I went for two left hooks and an uppercut without stopping or thinking, and to my surprise, he stumbled back farther, losing his footing, and then he fell to the ground.
When he didn’t move for a couple seconds, the ref ran over. “KO’ed!” he yelled to the crowd who then burst into loud cheers.
“JUSTIN! JUSTIN! JUSTIN! JUSTIN!” They screamed my name over and over again.
I couldn’t believe it. I just won my final fight. I was in the clear. I put my fist in the air, and the crowd screamed more.
I looked over at Arti
e, who was crying and cheering at the same time.
I went outside of the cage just as Anna was coming over to me. I picked her up and spun her around. I gave her a huge kiss.
“I knew you could do it!” she said. Her voice was full of excitement and relief.
“It’s all because of you,” I said and kissed her once more.
“Are you okay?” she said with concern. She was examining my face; I was probably more beat up than usual.
“Yes, baby. I’m okay,” I said.
The crowd was coming over to us, surrounding us and asking for signatures. Then I saw Markie make his way through the crowd.
I braced myself for our final showdown.
“Justin,” he said, with the same intimidating tone he always used.
I wondered what excuse he was going to make for me winning all four of my fights.
“Markie,” I said, standing my ground. Just because I won didn’t mean I was going to bow down to him.
“I guess you won,” he said. His voice was still unkind, and I knew he would never show me respect. No matter what I did.
“I guess so. And that was my fourth fight,” I said.
“That it was.” He put a hand out for me to shake. I was hesitant but ultimately decided to shake his hand. “You did good, kid. You’re all clear. I’ll get the money to you in 24 hours.”
It felt good to have him say that. As strange as the whole thing was, he had helped me learn some things about myself.
“Thank you,” I said.
He smiled at Anna with that same sickening look, and it took everything in me not to pound his face in. I knew that would only lead to worse consequences.
Then he turned and walked away, and even though everything was said and done, I still didn’t like the guy. I hoped I would never have to see him again.
“So that’s Markie?” Anna asked.
“Yeah, I noticed how he looked at you,” I said and pulled her into me. Even though we were standing in a crowded room, when I held her like this, it felt like it was just the two of us.
“That wasn’t the first time,” she said. I could tell she was trying not to cringe, but it was all over her face.
“I know, I was talking about during the fight.”
She had a funny look on her face.
“What?”
“When I went to the bathroom before the fight started, he hit on me,” she said.
I turned to go after him. That was crossing the line, and I just couldn’t let him get away with it. Anna held me back.
“Justin, don’t. You won. Everything is over now. You don’t have to deal with him anymore once you get your money.”
She had a point, and I picked her up once more. She wrapped her legs around me, and I kissed her long and hard.
“I love you, Anna,” I said.
“I love you, too, Justin,” she said.
“Say it one more time; I love hearing you say it.”
“I love you. I love you. I love you,” she said.
I put her back down just as Artie came over to us. He gave me a hug with tears brimming in his eyes.
“You did great, Justin. I knew you could do it. Now you need to do what we discussed. End this once and for all. Don’t look back.”
“I won’t. Thank you for believing in me, Artie,” I said.
“You’re welcome, Justin. I hope to still see you around,” he said.
“You will,” I said and made my way back to the changing room with Anna by my side.
I changed, and she waited patiently for me. We slipped out of a back door with Artie; the crowds were just too crazy that night.
“I’ll put the word out tomorrow,” Artie said. “That this was your last fight.”
“Sounds good,” I said.
Anna had given Ally her car keys so she could ride home with me. We said our goodbyes to Artie, and as we reached my car, Tyler came up to me.
“Hey. That was a good fight man. You’ve worked hard. You deserve that win.” He was holding his hand out. We hadn’t really had a chance to shake hands after the fight.
I put my hand in his and shook it. “Thanks, man. You were my toughest one yet.”
“Rumor has it that was the last one?” he asked
“Yeah, I’ve straightened out my priorities, man,” I said.
“If you ever want to come out of retirement, I’d be up for a rematch,” he said.
“How would I stay on top if I did that?”
We laughed and said goodbye, and he left.
“Are you ready?” Anna asked me.
“For what?”
“For a new beginning, a new chapter of your life,” she asked.
“More than anything,” I said, and we drove toward her house.
When we got to her house, Ally was already there. They had a few beers waiting for us, and we had a celebratory drink together.
“To Justin!” Anna said.
“To Justin!” everyone said at once.
After a quick drink, her parents and Ally left. It was just me and Anna.
“Do you want me to help bring Margie to your car?”
“How about we leave her where she is, and I’ll just spend the night?” I asked.
Her eyes lit up. “That’ll work, too.”
Finally, everything felt right. I had the girl of my dreams, whom I was madly in love with and who loved me and my daughter. I was going to be able to pay my off debts and start fresh with her and Margie. I was more than ready for the next chapter of my life.
Epilogue
Justin
“You know, it was a year ago today that I kicked your ass,” I said to Tyler. I was trying to provoke him. I knew what I was getting myself into. I wanted to get him fired up.
He cocked his head to one side, “Careful what you say, Justin,” he said.
“Or what?” I said, testing him.
“Or you’re going to regret it.” he said, with a smirk on his face.
Tyler hit me. He was tougher and faster now. It was almost hard for me to keep up with him. I went to block his next hit, and in an instant, he had me on the mat in a rear naked choke. I tapped the mat next to him.
We both got up off the mat and made our way out of the ring. I nodded and smiled at Tyler. I was proud of the progress he’d made in the last year.
“Great work, man; I told you if you can get someone to submit you’ll have every fight in the bag,” I said to him as we took a break.
“You were right. They are easy to use. Too bad you don’t fight anymore,” he said.
“Being a coach is a lot more fitting for me,” I said with a laugh. “And watch the cockiness. It’s gonna get you in trouble.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, man,” he said.
I removed my protective sparring gear and let Tyler know he was good for the day before heading into my office to get some of the more mundane tasks done. I sat down to fill out some paperwork when I noticed Artie passing by.
“Hey, Artie, what do you think about Tyler’s new moves?” I called out to him.
“They’re great. You’re turning him into a beast. Now that he knows all the big submission holds, no one is gonna stand a chance against him. You were a great fighter, but you’re an even better coach, Justin,” he said.
“That’s because I’ve had the best mentor in the game,” I said.
“Flattery won’t get you another raise,” Artie laughed. “Make sure Tyler gets his cocky attitude under control.”
“I’m trying,” I said.
I had been working as a coach alongside Artie for the last nine months. Fighting was always a big part of my life, and even though I didn’t want to do it anymore, I still found that I wanted to be around it, and Tyler had signed up as my first client.
“Do you mind if I dip out of here early today? I’m picking Margie up early from school for the surprise.”
“Is that today?” he asked.
“Yeah. She’s pretty excited.”
“Yeah, go ahead
. It’s an important day for both of you,” he said.
“Thanks, Artie,” I said.
Artie went back to what he had been doing, and I finished filing away some papers on a possible new client. He was tough and fast but had a lot of trouble focusing. He reminded me of myself, and I wanted to coach him for just that reason. There was more paperwork and less action being a coach, but my life was a lot less stressful. I had more time to spend with Margie, which was what I’d always wanted.
I still had two more hours before I could leave to get Margie and they were ticking by so slowly. After I filed the paperwork, I went into the open gym and helped a few people out with their forms. I noticed a lot more women had signed up to train at the gym since I became a coach. It was a little amusing to me.
They always wanted my help, but I tried to avoid the ones that directly asked for my help because they weren’t there to actually learn or train. Their form seemed to get sloppier as time went on. It was clear to me they were only there to see me, and I didn’t have the time for that sort of thing.
I grabbed my phone and car keys out of desk drawer and headed for the door.
“Hey man!” Joe called from inside the ring where he was sparring with another person. “Good luck today!”
“Thanks. I could use it,” I said with a small laugh.
I left before anyone else could talk to me. I had promised Margie I would pick her up thirty minutes early from school today for a surprise we had planned.
As I walked to my car, I noticed that the sky seemed a little bluer than usual and the birds seemed to sing a little louder. I figured maybe it was just my excitement for what was to come.
I got in my car and drove to the other side of town to Margie’s school. It was crazy to think she was already finished with kindergarten. She had taken a test at the beginning of the year to see if she was ready for it, and she passed with flying colors. I couldn’t be prouder of her.
She had no trouble in kindergarten and was going to be starting first grade in the fall. It was a little bit hard to take in when I thought about it. She was growing up so fast.