“It makes you horny?” She began to laugh uncontrollably.
I rolled over and pinned her to the bed. “It’s more than that,” I said, clearing my throat. “It focuses the chaos. My desire for control, the drive making me push myself to the breaking point at the gym, the need for constant order at work. All of it finally has a purpose.”
“Everything is just so real. I never want it to stop.” Val smiled, toying with her collar, tracing over the chain. ”Last night it all clicked. I’m not just dating Kaden the fighter, I belong to the Kaden who keeps me safe from the world and safe from myself.”
Her words settled heavily. I closed my eyes for a moment savoring the deep, mutual understanding we had for each other. This was the true intimacy I had longed for. I held her for a few more minutes, soaking in the quiet aftermath, before the more disciplined voice began to take over. As much as I wanted to stay in bed all day, there was a world outside my bedroom beckoning for me to join it.
I leaned in and kissed Val deeply and tenderly. “I have to get ready to go, my love.” I got out of bed, her expression was soft and yet full of pride. “I’ve gotta start training if I’m going to kick Mark’s ass in our fight.”
“Has he responded?” she asked excitedly.
I glanced down at my phone to see if there were any text messages to indicate a yes or no answer. “Not yet, but I need to be ready.”
Val sat up. “I’ll get ready to go back to my place.”
Shaking my head, I responded, “No, you should stay.” I smiled. “I’ll send you food, you can just stay in bed all day watching Gilmore Girls or whatever it is you girls are watching on repeat these days.” I winked at her.
“Are you sure?” She snuggled back in and I could tell it wasn’t going to take much more convincing.
I blew her a kiss and got ready for a long day of work and training. “I’ll see you when I get home.”
???
Today the echoes of my fist meeting the bags sounded different. They were crisper, with more purpose than they had before.
Sure, I had been training with Arlo for weeks leading up to challenging Mark, but now it was a reality. It had been far too long since I had trained for anything aside from making sure I didn’t lose the knowledge I had and to help my clients prepare for their own fights.
Soon after I started warming up, Arlo came rushing over with a shit eaten grin plastered across his face. “Look at this.” He pulled up his social media feed.
Sure enough, Mark had responded by sending out a post for all to see: “It’s time I take a new title. Don’t worry, Val, I’ll make sure Kaden retires once and for all.”.
His written words made my blood boil. How dare he call out Val’s name? Apparently Arlo could tell I was getting heated. “Hey man, it’s okay, he’s just spouting off trying to instigate a reaction from you.”
I slammed my fist into the bag. “I know man, and don’t worry, I won’t stoop to his level.” Even though I wanted to threaten to tear him limb to limb.
Arlo agreed. “Just focus on the training and let the trash take itself out.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, we both couldn’t stop laughing. “What? A middle school burn?”
“Hey,” he held his hands up in defeat, “I’m just serving up sides for his main course.”
Did I understand what Arlo was going on about? No. Thankfully, his fighting and training skills were much better than his comebacks. Suddenly, an idea sparked. “What if we donate the money raised to a charity for domestic violence survivors?”
Arlo pondered for a minute before responding. “What a great idea. I’ll make the necessary arrangements and get all the information to the advertisers. Now, get back to work.”
Thirty Three
Kaden
Time passed by quickly.
Val and I continued building our relationship while I also spent hours a day helping her train for her rematch against Mia. The night before the fight felt like we were standing in the eye of a hurricane. Everything going on around us was chaos. The media was buzzing, the betting odds were going up and down.
The weight of the rematch against Mia was weighing heavily on Val’s shoulders. I did everything I could to ensure this strange hotel room in a city far away from home remained her safe space. If I was being honest, I also needed this space to clear my mind, while preparing for my own fight
I watched Val pacing back and forth from the bedroom door. She was full of nervous energy, going over all of her training in a mental rehearsal. I watched the floor as she practiced her footwork and was intrigued at her fight against the invisible person she had created in her mind. Her punching was slow and precise. Her focus was beautiful, yet utterly fragile. Even after all this time, she still looked like the scared woman from Arizona who was running on pure adrenaline.
Walking up to her, I refrained from breaking her concentration. Instead, I let my presence settle and allowed her to come to me when she was to a point where she could break free. Soon she stopped and slumped into my arms. “Is everything okay, my love? Are you feeling worried about tomorrow?”