24 : defending everything

—Kayo

I can count on one hand how many time I've had fun since coming to America, and most of those times involved Everleigh. It wasn't like I would ever admit that out loud, but she always knew just how to peel back the walls I spent years putting up. There was something warm about her eyes she squinted with every laugh, or maybe it was her big smile that was contagious. Somehow, I found myself laughing as she went for a punch that I managed to duck. She put so much power into her swing that she managed to fall into me, knocking me down on the floor with her on top of me.

She was laughing harder than ever. There were tears collecting in her eyes.

"I really am bad at this, aren't I?" she asked me after her laughter began to die down. Her smile was still prominent on her face and just as I said, it was the most contagious thing I'd ever witnessed. Even I began to smile at the sight of it.

"Bad? No. Amateur? Definitely," I answered.

She used her gloved fist to tap my chest like a warning. "At least I'm not bad," she said. "This is actually kind of fun. I'd like to do this more."

"We can. Anytime you'd like to," I said. There was a moment she glimpsed into my eyes. It only took a moment and single curl to escape from her ponytail for me to push it out the way. A moment for the intensity of every emotion I felt around her to become so strong. I could only focus on her full two-toned lips that just appetizing the closer they grew to my own. I placed my palm on her cheek, pulling her closer toward me just as Charlie came back.

"Am I interruptin' sum'n'?" Charlie asked with a knowing smile on his face. I didn't care if Charlie was watching or the president of the United States, I was going to kiss her, but it seemed as though she had other plans because she quickly got off of me.

"Not at all. Sorry, Charlie," Everleigh said, returning his smile. I rolled my eyes and stood up, glaring at Charlie. He caught my glare and his smile only grew.

"Friends my ass," I heard him mutter underneath his breath. If I heard him, I was certainly positive Everleigh heard him, but she probably just pretended not to hear him, doing what I did almost every day.

I stood up to join Charlie for training. Even though we got to fool around with Everleigh joining us, it was time to get back to business. Charlie already had pads on his hands, ready for our training.

"Everleigh, you can use what you wanna. My gym is your gym. Kayo, here, is about to begin his trainin'. We don't wan'cha getting hurt," Charlie told her, taking the words right from my mouth. I side-eyed Everleigh to see her smile grow as she nodded her head at Charlie. She carefully got out of the ring and made her way down to the floor.

I had to take my attention away from her to focus on Charlie.

"Shadowboxin'... 20 minutes!" Charlie told me. He looked down at his watch to start his timer just as I raised my right fist to throw a quick jab in the air. I quickly threw a second jab followed by a left hook. I was doing different fast paced combinations from upper hooks to dodging my imaginary opponents swings.

"Defense, Sasha, defense. Move those feet. Ain't nobody gon' let you stand there after throwing a hook like that," I could hear Charlie say. I was moving my damn feet.

I learned not to argue with Charlie, so instead, I did what he asked, exaggerating my steps more so he could see them with his senile ass. I threw a jab and pulled back from my opponents punch just finishing with a power cross.

With each swing, I found myself grunting as time went on. Shadow boxing didn't seem like a lot, but it got my heart rate up and sweat could be seen on the top of my forehead by the time the timer went off. I took a deep breath and lowered my hands, looking at Charlie to see what was next.

He made his way up to me with his padded hands up, and I already knew what was next... sparring. My favorite.

"Let's go, big man," Charlie encouraged. Even though the music was pretty loud, I could still make out his taunting words.

"No legs, all arms today," he told me. I swung at his pads, blocking some of the jabs he threw back or completely dodging them.

"Stop!" he exclaimed. I rolled my eyes and lowered my fist back down to my sides.

"Again... move your feet. We gotta go all the way back to basics?" Charlie asked me with annoyance as clear as day on his face. I was sure that just as easy as it was to detect annoyance on his face, he was able to see it on mine as well.

"Let's go," he ordered.

I was moving my feet everytime I was dodging shots or moving from them. He managed to shut up for the rest of sparring which I was thankful for.

We ended off on a hook when his timer went off.

"Okay, off to the heavy punchin' bag... 8 rounds. You outta really focus on speed. Last match you was slow but strong. You should be glad that guy wasn't too good with his defense, but when you fight someone like Kyle... he will be. I want those punches to be just as strong but even faster. If I could spot em comin', you doin' it wrong," Charlie told me. As much as I wanted him to be wrong, I knew he was right.

I wasn't as fast as I used to be. When I first started fighting, I was know for my speed. Although, I was more lean then. After putting on so much muscle, and investing so much time into getting stronger, I lost the speed.

However, at the mention of Kyle's name, I wanted to growl like a damn dog.

"I will beat him," I insisted stubbornly.

"Not with how you fightin' now, you ain't. Kyle been fightin' since you was nothin' but a child and he ain't never lost. He got the speed, the strength, the muscle, the height. He got everythin'. Not saying' you can't beat him, but you gotta bring 110%. We gotta get you better with faster defense, faster offense, make you stronger, and more ready than him," Charlie advised. I could recall watching Kyle fight when I was kid. He was good then, and he's only gotten better.

"Did Siciliano tell you what was on the line if I lose?" I asked him with a quirked brow. Charlie was close to Siciliano. He's one of Siciliano's most trusted trainers for all his fighters. I wasn't sure if it was the Italian bond they shared or what, but they hung out every sunday, smoking cigars or playing golf. They told eachother everything having to do with us—Siciliano's prized possessions—his fighters.

"He did," Charlie said as though he was ashamed. I noticed the look he cast Everleigh as she was working out her abs before turning back to me. "I'm sorry 'bout that, but it's only more of a reason why you ain't gon' lose. Not on my watch. You gon' win. You just gotta wanna win."

I looked at Everleigh just as she looked at me. We weren't close now, but when we were kids she helped me, she protected me. She did more for me than anyone ever had in my entire life. The only way I could repay her is by winning.

"I'm not losing," I said, turning back to Charlie. "8 rounds, heavy bag, a lot of speed?" I clarified.

Charlie nodded his head off to the punching bag area and I hurried out of the ring. If I had to get faster to make sure Everleigh wouldn't end up as someone's trophy, I would. If I had to die protecting her, I would. No one could have her, not while I was alive. She was too precious to my history, and forcibly my future.

I went to our heaviest bag and began throwing punches, trying to get rid of them as fast I could. All I could imagine was Kyle as I slammed my fist into the bag time and time again. All of my energy was draining from my body as my anger provided fuel I never had before. I imagined him with her. I imagined the way he looked at her that one day. I imagined all the fights he had—all the fights he won. I could really begin to feel the burn when I imagined the way I would beat him.

I will win.

—

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I have sooooo many exams to prepare for next week then I'll be on christmas break so I can update more, hopefully. It's been so difficult to write lately. I'm not sure if it's because of school or if it's because I'm falling out of love with it or what. Maybe I just have a lot of pressure idk. I'm trying my best.

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