Page 102 of The Catalyst

I wasn’t trying to make him jealous. He was acting like a jealous ex, coming after the guy I’m now sleeping with. There’s a small part of me that is disappointed by the lack of response. At least Nigel was pissed off and ready to fight Martin over me. Oliver was justthere.

What did I really expect though? Oliver doesn’t care about me. He made that clear the day I left Grove Hill. I have no hopes of that changing, ever.

I’m okay. I have Martin. I don’t need Oliver.

Martin puts his arm around me and pulls me into his chest.

“Are you okay?” he asks and I slowly nod.

“Yeah.” No, I’m not. It was a mistake for Martin to bring me here. All seeing Oliver does is hurt. I don’t think even he predicted Oliver showing up though. He hasn’t been present for any of the other fights. Why would he be here for this one?

CHAPTER 40

BETH

Martin walks into the ring, leaving me by myself, and my fingers twitch from the anxiety coursing through my veins. Nigel approaches in time with his opponent as I try to keep my cool. Like Oliver said, Martin will be fine.

He can take him.

I’ve seen Nigel take down Martin with ease so many times that it’s hard to have that faith in Martin.

Since Nigel first told me about him getting into the ring, I’ve been worried about him everytime he steps inside, but that worry has transferred from him to Martin and been magnified.

Please, be okay.

The ref doesn’t even have the chance to say the rules before Nigel lunges for Martin, but Martin is faster, dodging out of Nigel’s path.

The ref gives up and gets out of the ring as Nigel goes for Martin again. Martin dodges him another time.

“Are you that much of a pussy?” Nigel snarls in anger.

“Nope. Not all, but I rather like hers though.”

Stop taunting him!

I know this is a part of the game. He has to keep the match going for so long for the entertainment of the match, but I really wish Martin would just end the fight already and it’s barely begun.

“I’m going to kill you,” Nigel warns, looking ten times as pissed off as he did a minute ago.

“I’m sure you can find a better reason to do it than hooking up with your ex. You didn’t mind when it was Casey, but you mind when it’s Beth? She dumped you. Did you forget that?”

Nigel charges again and tries to hit Martin, but Martin ducks out of the way and punches Nigel in the stomach hard. The wind is knocked out of him and he wheezes as Martin backs away, giving him breathing room.

“She doesn’t belong to you. She doesn’t belong to anyone. Not to me. Not to Oliver. Your wholeshe’s my propertybullshit is the reason you lost her in the first place. You hurt her. Not just once but every fucking day you treated her like garbage. Can you really blame her for running away from you and straight to me? I’m just surprised she didn’t do it sooner.” Martin calmly shakes out his hand before he continues, “No matter what you do, how hard you fight, she’s not leaving with you tonight. No, no, no. She’ll be leaving withmeand I’ll be the one sleeping next toher. Do you know why? Because compared to what you have done to her, I’m herfuckingPrince Charming.”

I mean…he’s not wrong.

Martin has treated me with nothing but understanding, care, respect, and affection with no ulterior motives involved. The only ways he has wanted to get back at Nigel has been directly about how Nigel hurt me.

Nothing more.

Nothing less either.

Nigel’s rage intensifies and he goes for Martin again, but this time, Martin doesn’t hold back. He hits him again, again, and again. He hits him so hard and so many times I can’t keep track of their locations.

Nigel tries to hit him back but other than one Martin receives in the gut which he seems to not even notice, he can’t get him.

And, the entire crowd gasps as Nigel falls to the ground, receiving his first ever defeat in front of all of his adoring fans. Everyone watches him fall like a bag of bricks, crashing to the floor.

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