Page 47 of I Was Always Yours (RCA: Royal Crown Academy)

That’s the confidence boost I need and I give him a small smile as I rub the ladybug on my wrist one last time for good luck.

Since I got the tattoo, I’ve caught myself absentmindedly rubbing it whenever I need a bit of extra courage. I like to think Astor is looking down at me, cheering me on, and lending his quiet support.

“Shall we go?” I say, nodding towards the ring.

He coughs again and nods, peeling his eyes away from my body. “This way.”

I follow after him to the edge of the rink where he shows me the different cards for each round. I grab the first one and look at the ref, who motions for me to step up into the ring.

My heart feels like it’s going to jump out of my throat, but I follow him anyway, holding on to the sign for dear life. I hop onto the side of the ring, duck under the ropes and stand.

All of a sudden, the noise of the crowd and the heat of the lamps hit me. I can barely see out into the crowd because of the back light and the overall effect makes me feel like I’m under a microscope.

This is the most intimidating thing I’ve ever done and I’m about to take a step back towards the rope when I hear a voice call out over the sounds of the crowd.

“You’re the hottest thing I’ve ever seen!” I turn towards its direction and see Nera with her hands cupped around her mouth, screaming the house down.

Thayer’s next to her, phone out and turned on me. “I think I’m having a bi awakening moment because of you. That outfit is such a serve.”

I can’t help but loosen up at that, a happy smile pulling at the corners of my lips.

My eye catches on one of the fighters as he enters the ring. He’s fucking huge, there’s no other way to say it. He’s over six feet, with large, rippling muscles along his shoulders and down his back, and his nose and swollen eyes make it clear that this is far from his first fight. He’s incredibly intimidating, and I don’t envy his opponent.

I look in the other direction towards where the second fighter ducks beneath the ropes and enters the ring. Before he straightens fully, my stomach drops like a lead balloon when I realize who he is.

I don’t know why it never crossed my mind that Phoenix might be here to fight, not watch. It should have been obvious because it sure as fuck is now as I stand facing him in front of hundreds of people.

He hasn’t noticed me yet. He’s jumping in place to warm up his legs, his head bowed slightly as he listens to what his friend whispers in his ear. His eyes finally flicker to me and then away before recognition hits and he freezes.

Ever so slowly, his gaze drags back over to look at me.

“Oh, shit,” I hear Nera say, or maybe it’s just my own voice in my head because I realize I’m chanting it to myself on repeat.

He rakes his eyes down my body, inspecting every inch of my curves. They follow the line of my neck and down my chest, darkening when they catch on the outline of my piercing through the white crop top.

They continue down my hips, over the obscenely small shorts and glare at the long expanse of my legs.

He tears me apart with his gaze, his nostrils flaring as he takes in long stretches of exposed skin and the very little that’s left to the imagination under the few parts that are covered.

Good thing I’m facing him, so he can’t see that half of my ass is hanging out.Based on his facial expression, he wouldn’t like that one bit.

Although…screw him.

Less than thirty minutes ago, he was getting his throat sucked by someone else and who knows what they did after I left.

Instead of pushing away the disgust and anger I feel thinking about him with her, I embrace it.It’s the fuel I need to taunt him and make him regret the way he treated me.

I look him in the eye as I grab the zipper of my shirt. His gaze drops to my hand and his jaw lines with so much tension, it looks like one of the muscles in his cheek might snap.

His nostrils flare and his eyes turn downright murderous as I bring the zipper down slowly. I pull it past the point of what is a socially acceptable amount of boobage to display publicly and only stop when they almost spill out of my top.

Grabbing the sign again, I bring it up above my head, arching my chest and keeping my arms tight around my face to push my breasts up as much as possible.

Holding onto my newfound confidence with both hands, I twirl slowly.

I move one leg, arch my back and roll my hips. I move the other and repeat as I turn the sign around the room.

I don’t look at Phoenix but I feel his dark glare burning into my back and, specifically, my ass. The air feels charged with violence that wasn’t there minutes ago, and I know he’s furious.

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