Then, a sound cut through the static. “Val, you’ve got this. You are in control.” It was Kaden calling out from the apron.
His words were like a slap of cold water bringing me back into my present control. He reminded me I hadchosento be here. The power was still mine.
The panic evaporated in a single instant. My mind snapped clear. No longer was I trapped, I was fighting with a choiceanda plan. Instead of attempting to claw, I found my space andexecuted defense, dropping my weight and leveraging pressure on her forearm. I twisted and slipped my head free in one pure,cleantechnique.
I was back on top. I looked down at Mia. My head hammered as I felt the raw surge of empowerment. The trauma attempted to choke me once more, only this time I was able to choke back. I finished the round raining down strikes, pure dominance on this round asserting itself.
When the bell rang and the ref separated us, I rose, breathless, exhausted, yet completely whole. I looked over at Kaden, who just nodded as he waited for his chance to enter for our last break between rounds before it was over and a winner was announced.
The fifth round felt like a formality. I stayed outside, defending and coasting through it. Mia was clearly wiped, her punches were no longer landing their spots. I probably could have gone for the knockout but for whatever reason, I danced around this final round until the bell rang.
Once it was over, Mia rushed over and held me in a tight embrace, laughing and congratulating me. “Girl, I didn’t know what to expect, but you were amazing tonight. Congratulations.”
“I haven’t won yet,” I retorted, and Mia shot me a look telling me to just shut up and embrace the moment.
The moment the referee grabbed our hands became a blur. “By unanimous decision of four rounds to one…” He raised my arm high above my head, and the adrenaline hit me. A cheer of pure, unadulterated victory tore out of my lungs. Mia congratulated me again and then rushed out of the octagon so my team could have a moment of celebration.
My eyes met Kaden. He pulled me tightly into a sweaty embrace. When he finally separated from me, he gently secured the collar back around my neck, and I felt whole once more. “You did it. I told you, you could.”
I was ecstatic and couldn’t believe it.I had done it.With the support of Kaden, Summer, Arlo, and everyone at the gym, I had done it.
The night wasn’t over yet. Kaden kissed me and headed back to get ready for his own fight. Suddenly, a heaviness fell over me. If anything happened to him, how would I be able to forgive myself? I was quickly reminded of the last time he was in the octagon and how it nearly ended his career.
“Everything’s going to be okay.” Summer was suddenly next to me, wrapping her arm around me. “You’ve just gotta have faith.”
Thirty Six
Kaden
Finally, it was my time. My first official fight since my injury. All of my energy was focused on beating the man who had previously taken advantage of Val in her vulnerable state. My hands were already taped, gloves secure, and the only sound I could hear over the impatient eruptions of the arena was the rhythmic thud of my heart.
Val’s victory was amazing and so deserved. I was beyond proud of her for pushing through in her moment of weakness when Mia had her in a rear naked choke. Val dismantled her fear, brick by painful brick, and walked out of the octagon a champion. Now, it was time for me to handle the ultimate piece: fulfill my promise to take on Mark. A demonstration of good versus evil.
Arlo stood beside me, his coaching energy subdued, yet laser focused. “Look at me, Kaden. This isn’t about him. We’ve watched his previous fights. You’re faster, stronger, and you fight cleaner. Stay structured. Don’t go for the ego knockout. Stick to the jab and takedown. Understand?”
“Understood, coach,” I replied, my voice a low rumble. I knew Arlo had his concerns about me losing my cool. He had every right to be. What he didn’t know was I had made a silent promise to myself that I wouldn’t let him take me out of my element and completely embarrass myself or Val.
The lights dropped and the announcer’s voice came over the loudspeaker introducing Mark with a manufactured hype. Then the focus shifted to us. “And now, fighting out of the blue corner, making his debut after being out of the octagon for eleven years: Kaden, ‘The Devastator’ McDonahue.” My name was drawn out, and I felt a surge of adrenaline. I was ready.
The lights flashed and the music hit, the rhythmic sounds of Little Girl Gone by Chinchilla echoed throughout the arena. The beat was defiant, the lyrics cutting, and it was a loud declaration that Val’s toxic past was over and her new strength was here. I strode out, letting the energy of the crowd hit me like a physical wave. As soon as the ref cleared me, I rushed into the octagon and hyped up the crowd even more.
Mark was already in place, glaring, trying to use his cheap aggression to intimidate me. When I stepped onto the mat, I went straight to my place, meeting his eyes for one blank and dismissive second. Then I turned my back to him and dictating the pace of the room.
The referee announced the rules, and then offered for us to touch gloves. I stuck my hand in the center, but Mark neglected to follow suit.I should have known. Showing his lack of sportsmanship straight out of the gate.
The bell rang for round one.
Mark came at me faster than I had anticipated, relying on his crude power and heavy hooks. I met his aggression with the structure Arlo and I had planned. My jab was a piston. It was fast, sharp, and I found myself constantly snapping his head back. Mark’s attempt at closing the distance was expected. Hewas aiming for the clinch against the chain-link fence around the mat.
When he finally pinned me against the wire, I could feel the heat of his sweat and desperation in his grip immediately. We grappled for about thirty seconds, two walls of muscle grinding against each other. I felt his breath hot on my ear and his smell of stale adrenaline and poor training danced around us. I used my superior conditioning to shift my hips, leveraged his poor balance, and executed a clean hip throw.
We landed hard against each other. I secured side control instantly.
The cheers of the crowd were a distant ring, and it felt as if they knew exactly why I was doing this fight. For the next minute, I controlled the fight on the ground, keeping him pinned and using short calculated elbow strikes to keep him honest. I wanted to drain his energy, physically and mentally, I wanted him to understand every advantage he had was a lie.
Then, the first round was over. I knew I had won it decisively based on ground control.
In the corner, Arlo was concise. “Good. That’s how you do it. He’s tiring quickly. Look for his liver and don’t get drawn into a slugfest.”