Mind Over Matter: Round 2 | Scomiche

Chapter 13

    "I can ask him why." Mitch held his palms out, eyebrows pinching in confusion. He remembered Scott mentioned that money was involved. "This is getting into legal territory if Scott was being honest about money being involved."

     "In that case get a lawyer to deal with things, but you don't need to go picking fights for him. Protecting him from backlash is one thing, but poking at something you can't change is another." Nel was shaking her head, voice steady.

     Mitch huffed down in his seat. She was right. He wanted to pick a fight with him, but that wouldn't do any good. "Fine. I don't even know who I should call for this press thing. And maybe I can call the arena and get them to keep media and paparazzi to a minimum."

     Mike pulled out his phone. "Well, let's start googling. See who we can get you in touch with."

     Mitch sat up. He was thankful he had trustworthy people to figure this out with besides Scott. More stress right in front of a fight was the absolute last thing he needed.

***

     Scott could feel everyone looking at him where ever they went. From the moment they stepped into the small convention center his skin was crawling with nerves. He felt like he was trapped in his suit and tie. And his belt was too tight. And he couldn't for the life of him, stop touching his hair. He knew it was a bad habit but it gave him something to do with his hands instead of watching them shake or fidget with his anxiety and more importantly, craving.

     He could see now that his cravings came with high pressure or anxiety-provoking situations, making him feel out of control. Stress probably made his brain crave those good chemicals to make him feel better. So he expected this a little as soon as he found out it was released. And it didn't hit him as hard as it did last time. Instead, this was a steady build of need crawling under his skin and trudging through him in a violent way, making him feel achy.

     He felt like his bones were hurting.

     It started when he laid down to go to sleep. Instead of being able to, he laid there worrying. And with what little sleep he had, he woke up feeling worse. And working out felt okay, but all it did was give him more time to process the fact that his whole life was really aired out there right now.

     Everything about his addiction. It felt so exposing.

      It was. And that's the only way he could describe the whole night feeling like so far. He felt exposed. Like every set of eyes looking at him knew his every secret. That every person could just look at him and see the addiction ingrained in his body posture and facial expression.

     And he felt stripped of his title, Champion. Not that he hadn't won or didn't think he deserved them, but more along the lines that he didn't feel like the champion people had seen him as before. He was always seen as this good guy who put the work in and worked hard and got to where he was by being dedicated to the sport. But now people knew that he had a huge flaw. That the hero they thought they knew actually had major problems.

     All of this made him more than nervous for press.

     He was going to follow Mitch's dad's advice. If he didn't want to talk about Mitch or anything, he wouldn't. But that wouldn't change the fact that they were going to ask. That people were going to want answers and explanations and even if he didn't answer one, they would still keep pouring in.

     Scott tucked two fingers behind the top button in his button up to try and make more space there to breathe.

     They were walking down the hallway towards the press room. Mitch's hand was held tightly to his and he was almost a step in front of him, leading him towards the room.