Page 50 of Off Balance

I've lost count of how many rounds into the match we are already, but both fighters seem to be getting tired. Every timeDom takes a hit, I wince and force myself not to cover my face. It's bad enough that I've been holding back tears the entire fight. I'm really trying not to be a big baby about this.

Ever since Dwayne told me about how their father died, I've struggled with the idea of Dom getting in the ring. Even the mental images I conjured don't match up to the stress that is watching the fighters trade blows. Training is different, because no one is aiming shots at his face. I've put everything I have into helping him in the gym, but it's not going to be enough if he gets knocked out. No matter how much Dwayne believes the ballet training has helped Dom's footwork and balance, nothing will be able to help him if he gets hit hard enough.

I gasp loudly, my hands coming up to my mouth, when the other fighter, Hugo something, brings his fist around and clocks Dom right in the temple. I'm on my feet, several tears tracking down my cheeks. Dom blocks the hit well enough, but my reaction seems to have gotten his attention. we make eye contact just before Huge Hugo comes in for a shot at him. Dom's reflexes help him duck the worst of the shot, but it still glances off the side of his face. By the time the referee blows the whistle, Dom's eye is already swelling, and there's a cut over his eyebrow.

Not sure if I'm even allowed, I take Dwayne's spot behind the ropes while Dom takes a seat in the corner. Dwayne dabs and dresses the admittedly tiny wound while I balance on the edge of the ring, squatting down to get eye level with Dom.

"I'm sorry," I whisper hoarsely. "I didn't mean to distract you."

Dwayne shoots me a look, then turns back to Dom. "What’s going on?"

"Nothing," Dom says, but doesn't look away from me.

"Hugo isn't like Ray, Dom. He doesn't give a fuck who you are. There's no hero-worship that's going to keep him from putting you down on the mat. And you better believe Bo is going to aim to do exactly that. Put that newfound gracefulness to work, make him dance for it, and then knock him the fuck out so we can go home before Cameron has a heart attack."

I let out a watery laugh and nod. "Please?" I beg Dom quietly, so only he and Dwayne can hear me. "I'm ready to go home."

CHAPTER 14

DOM

The bell rings again, and I leave Dwayne's confused expression and Cameron's tearful eyes behind me. My vision is a little blurry, but I focus in on my opponent. He's a huge, hairy fucker with a crooked nose and a taunting laugh. He knows I'm struggling, and he knows I'm distracted.

I keep my feet planted and force Hugo to come to me, feigning more exhaustion than I actually feel. The moment he steps into my space, I sidestep him and dance around the back of him. As soon as he turns to find me again, leaving his guard open, I take the hit with my left hand. He's not prepared for it, and it lands.

Even over the sounds of the crowd and my loudly thudding heartbeat, I can hear the sickening crunch of his nose. His head snaps back, and he staggers several steps. As soon as his head drops back down, drops of blood rain down on his chest, dripping to his feet. He spits through his mouth guard, spraying it all over the mat, and lurches forward. The movement is slow and sloppy, and I'm surprised the ref hasn't called it yet. I fend off his wild punches and get him in the gut, not wanting to dole out more hits to his face if I don't have to. Hugo bends forward to guard his gut, and I spin to the side. He loses his balance andfalls to the mat. He pushes himself to his feet, but the ref calls the match before he can right himself.

I leave the ring while Hugo is still loudly chewing out the ref. It was a fair fight, and he gave me a run for my money. Enough that I'm worrying how much more of a challenge Bo Hoyt is going to pose.

Dwayne is waiting for me when I climb down from the ring, holding out a towel and ready to take my mouth guard. Cam is standing just behind him, wide eyes red and splotchy from his tears. I give him the closest thing to a wink I can manage with my swollen eye, and we head to the back. Pre-approved press and a few fans are waiting just outside the locker rooms. I ignore any questions regarding my personal life and field a few questions about my readiness to fight Bo in just a few short weeks. I keep it light and positive, and when it's getting to be too much, Dwayne is there to move us along.

After I've showered, I walk out to find Cam waiting in the locker room alone.

"Dwayne went to pull the car around back and see what he can do about any straggling reporters," he explains.

I nod and look away from Cam, pretending I don't notice the way his eyes trace down my naked chest. I've been working hard these past couple of weeks to act normally around him, but it's near impossible. I may or may not have resorted to doing things to get his attention on purpose. Like never wearing a shirt and flexing the muscles that have emerged from the shrinking layer of fat I've built up over the last decade or picking him up whenever I find any semblance of a reason to. Because playful teasing never hurt anyone, right?

Keeping my back to the rest of the room, because I'm not trying to tease Cam by taking his eye out, I let my towel drop to the ground. Not daring to peek over my shoulder to see Cam's reaction to my bare ass, I pull on a pair of sweatpants and a tank. When I turn back around, though, Cam isn't even looking at me. He's studying his nails and chewing his lip, looking worried.

I walk over to him and pull his hand away, looking down at his gnarled fingers. One of them is bleeding around the edges. I have the overwhelming urge to put it in my mouth to soothe away the pain, but he doesn't seem like he's in a playful mood and I don't want to go too far.

"Are you okay?"

"Not really." His eyes look darker, more gold than green, behind a sheen of tears. His gaze sticks on my still-swelling eye, and I nod understandingly.

"This is nothing," I assure him. "It'll look better in the morning."

"At least there's going to be a morning," I hear him mutter under his breath.

I don't get to ask him about it, though, because Dwayne calls and hurries us to get in the car while the coast is clear.

Dwayne drops me off on their way home.Despite my physical exhaustion, I stay up late into the night, hoping I might hear music come from the studio. I suppose it's too much to hope that he'd come to me.

Does he know how much his words lit a fire under me tonight? If only he meant that he wanted to go home with me.

Dwayne: Meet me in my office before you head out for your run.

The moment I get his text, I drop everything and run downstairs. Dwayne isn't usually here this early, so it must be important. Which means he either got another fight set up for me last minute, or he heard back about the surveillance footage from Solace. It’s been days, and I’ve been on pins and needles.

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