Page 129 of Green Flag
The fight started smoothly. Luca wasn’t too eager, but Tyler always was.
Luca had told me one night what his strategy was; too far away to let him kick out and land him on his ass, but not too far to get a hit in. Always on the move. Luca would not be taken to the floor. If he were, he would lose.
There was no doubt Tyler knew his weakness and was ready to exploit it.
It was going to be okay.
The first round went by quickly, a few jabs in each. But this was just a warm up for Luca. Nothing more.
The second round was not.
Luca got Tyler square in the nose, bouncing from one foot to the other.
And his perfect form took me right back to that day in the gym when I’d told him I didn’t want to squat because it would look like I was going to the toilet. The loud crowd swallowed my laughter, but Arabella stared at me as if I was mad.
Luca Mendes was my favourite person. It wasn’t hard to admit.
Actually, it was a relief.
Maybe giving him a blow job — and risking our friendship — hadn’t been my finest moment.
Even if it gave me an absolute thrill.
As the bell dinged to announce the third round, something shifted. Tyler shouted across the ring and Luca didn’t get into his perfect form, he stormed across the floor right to Tyler and went to give him a thunderous punch when Tyler kicked out, blocking Luca’s hit in the same movement.
I was unable to tear my eyes from him as he wobbled back, lip curled in angry pain. His eyes flickered to the crowd before narrowing in again on his opponent.
Whatever Tyler had said riled him. His movements stiffened, his punches had more power, his breaths were shallow.
His face was starting to swell on the left side, just as a glint of sweat appeared on his arm and dripped from his hairline.
It would be easy to fall in love with Luca Mendes, I decided there and then. I didn’t know if there was one thing about him that was unlovable.
Even the random boners made me howl with laughter. I was normally so much lighter in his presence. But, at that moment, my heartbeat was in my throat.
The punch came out of nowhere. A brutal right hook right into Luca’s side. He jerked back with the impact, his head and legs almost following behind him. His knees buckled and I was on the edge of my seat, hands to my mouth, ready to scream at him to not back down.
He couldn’t.
No.
He was stumbling. His feet were tripping over themselves as he tried to stand and there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes before he managed to collect himself.
But it was too late.
Tyler followed him into the corner like a predator.
My Luca was no one’s prey.
Because, despite everything, he was mine.
I was clutching my seat as Tyler stood looming over my boyfriend, and I could see that Luca was actually hurting now, just as Tyler slammed his fist into Luca’s jaw. He swayed and my heart was beating no, no, no. Come on, Luca. Come on.
Time stopped. I was in the moment of that punch, the aftermath of Luca’s shocked and angry face, my thoughts rioting as his must have been.
I wanted to run to him and pull him out before he got seriously hurt.
But, above all, I wanted him to redeem himself. To be proud of himself.
