killer instinct - || h.s. ||

08

"Where'd you go?" She asks and I shake my head.

"Got stuck." I lie and she hums. I set my bag down and Lou stares at me, seeing the cigarette in between his lips as he sucks in the smoke. I can barely smell my favorite coping mechanism even though he's right in front of me.

"You're sure you're okay?" He asks again and I breathe out a laugh as I nod, tugging my sweatpants down to leave me in my leggings because I'm colder than I normally am. Throwing them into my bag, I slip my arms out of the sleeves and pull my hoodie off to stuff into my bag. I let my body sit down at the edge of the cage whilst I take the time to tape up my knuckles tightly.

Reaching into my bag, I pull out tissues to blow my nose before anything else – my skin so dry that it practically burns around my nose.

Resuming taping up my knuckles amid all these people dancing and waiting for the fight to start, my dazed attention gets too pulled into the simplicity of the task.

I glance up at my friends as I bite the tape to tear off the piece, smoothing down the sides on my knuckles. Lou crouches down while I start my other knuckle and I look over at him as Jules rummages through my bag for something.

"You can forfeit, Rory–" he starts, seeing his eyes on me as he breathes out smoke and I shake my head.

"I need the money, I'll be fine," I mutter, not entirely wrong there either. He shakes his head at me as he huffs at my persistence.

I hear the cheers grow and I groan when the bright fluorescents flicker on to illuminate the daunting cage, the music changing instantly. I look over my shoulder, across the mat to see Bella step out like usual in the center of the brightly lit ring.

A hand takes mine and Lou lifts me up to my feet. I shake it out, not that it worked, as I stretch out my aching muscles. My friends having more concern on their faces tonight than normal.

I breathe out a laugh at both of them and Jules snaps open the cap of a Gatorade bottle, bringing it to my lips and I smile at her even more. Taking the bottle from her, I glance through the metal fence at Bella and she waves for me to send her a light one back. I swallow the sweet liquid, buzzing with electrolytes down my sore throat.

"Alright!" Bella screams and my heart starts to pick up from the cheers and screams here. "Tonight we have ... Williams," Bella yells and I see this guy step out. My eyes take in his tall, muscular build with not a single tattoo on his body. Just standing there in a pair of black shorts, Bella looks over at me as I sip down the Gatorade into my system.

"Versus Angel!" she yells out with a smile on her face. I hear the screams, not enough though because men crawling in here still don't think I'm good enough in the ring.

I twist the cap back on and Jules takes it from me, giving me the ritual hug and kissing my cheek. I breathe out a laugh as I wipe my lips with the back of my taped-up hand. Lou pats my arm before I sniffle and I shake out my hands vigorously to try and shock my system awake and my efforts are useless.

A cold sweat is already covering my body as I fix up my hair and I prepare myself to put my body through the literal ringer, pushing through the pain.

I deserve this in some ways and I can take it.

I walk through the doorway, knowing there's no backing out now.

I make my way across the hard mats with my bare feet. I get closer as my eyes rake down his body as he stands there with his arms crossed and a serious expression on his face. I sniffle again, glancing up at his blue eyes and dark hair as he stares back and I just smile sweetly at him. Seeing the confusion grow on his face and only makes me laugh a little.