Page 1 of Rematch
Chapter 1
Audrey
I don’t recognize my first love anymore.
If it weren’t for his name on the pamphlet, I wouldn’t have assumed it was him. Not with the tattoos covering his arms and his curls cut short and his eyes consumed by the fire he always held, but controlled. Now, it coursed through him like a wildfire.
I almost worried for his opponent, pinned underneath him, as Max’s gloved fist pounded into his face over and over and over again. In the octagon, usually Max was more disciplined. He knew when to stop.
But, watching him now, with that scowl on his lips and blind rage in his eyes, I wasn’t so sure he would. If it weren’t for the crowded stadium and being so far away, I would’ve raced down there, grabbed him, and begged him to stop. Like I’ve done so many times years before.
Thankfully, the referee did it for me.
He grabbed Max’s arm and signaled to him that his opponent was done - knocked clean out.
The intervention was all Max needed to snap out of whatever trance he’d fallen in. In a split second, all of the fire diminished and triumph replaced it. He smiled around his mouth guard as he got off of his opponent and raised his fists in victory.
The crowd erupted in louder cheers and screams for him. Handmade signs with his name bounced between the ecstatic packs. A group beside us chanted his name. “Guerra! Guerra! Guerra!”
Experiencing such a phenomenon almost made me smile. Memories of the times we’d sit around our bedrooms and imagine moments like this. Him standing tall and victorious after a tough match and fans going wild. “I’m going to dedicate every win to you,” he’d told me once.
Grinning, his eyes scanned over the crowd, soaking in the exhilaration. They stopped on me, and the world froze.
The cheers silenced, and the crowds faded away. For a moment, it was just me and him - so close, yet so far from each other. As it had been for years now.
I didn’t know how to react to a break in a silence that’s lasted this long. Should I wave? Should I smile? Should I get up and run, one part hoping he wouldn’t notice and the other wishing he’d come after me?
Before I could make up my mind, he brought his bloody gloves up to his lips, pressed a soft kiss on it, and held it out to me in silent dedication.
Chapter 2
Max
Audrey’s back, I thought. It went on like an endless loop in my head.Audrey’s back. Audrey’s back.
God, I haven’t seen her since…
The weight of the memory sank down on me, and I quickly shook it off. I couldn’t let it slow me down. Not right now. Not when I needed to get to her before she disappeared again.
As soon as my match officially ended, I raced to my dressing room, ignoring every congratulations and pat on the back from my team.
They’ll be around later. I wasn’t sure Audrey would be. And I damn sure didn’t want to talk to her all sweaty.
I rushed into the adjoining bathroom and rinsed off my face and torso. My opponent wasn’t able to do much damage in our match, but he’d gotten me a few times in my jaw and my ribs. In the mirror, I could already see the cut he left starting to swell and the bruises gaining more color. If I wasn’t looking directly at them, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed they were there. I’ve been numb to the pain for a long time now; not even a broken bone phased me.
Once my face was clean, I gave my underarms a quick wash and sprayed on some cologne I kept in my bag. I ran my hands through my curls, trying to tidy them up.
Audrey has seen my hair in much worse conditions, but I wanted to impress her. It’s been so long and I…shit, I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to do. We hadn’t spoken in years. There was so much I wanted -needed- to say. I just didn’t know how.
I doubted we’d be ready for that conversation tonight, but at the very least, I needed to see her.
“Aye, Max,” Wesley, one of the men in my “entourage” called as he walked into the room. He appeared in the bathroom doorway with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth and his hands eagerly counting a wad of money in his hands. “We’ve made out with almost ten grand, and I’m not even done collecting debts yet.”
Rolling my eyes, I pulled a tee shirt over my head. “Don’t go announcing that shit,” I scolded. “My dad won’t think twice about putting a bullet in your head if we come up short because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut.”
“Man, chill out. There’s nobody else in here.”
“I don’t care. Shut your trap before I shut it for you.” I snatched my hoodie out of my bag and yanked it on.
