AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 6
Cash
Iwas in excruciating pain.
My right knee hurt like no one’s business. I couldn’t move an inch without feeling like I was being stabbed straight through the kneecap.
Most days I could pop an Aspirin and brute force my way around, but now I could barely make it five steps without wanting to cry.I wasn’t being dramatic, either. It really was that bad.
The guys knew my knee bothered me, but they didn’t know exactly to what extent. I fully intended on keeping that secret as well. Especially from Red.
I liked to play the fool, but I wasn’t an idiot. He was like a brother to me. Sometimes I was convinced I knew him better than he knew himself, which was why I knew he was stressed as hell, and why wouldn’t he be? We were so close to making our UFC debuts, and with our coach going AWOL, we couldn’t afford any more setbacks.
My knee included.
I left for the gym early to get a head start on stretching. It was first thing in the morning, so I had the whole place to myself. A part of me liked being the only one here. Without the sound of other people working the bags or doing cardio warmups, the air was still and quiet.
It made it easier to close my eyes and imagine myself in the octagon, visualizing every move before I ever made them. Thinking of the flash of cameras, the ear-splitting roar of the crowd, the sound of my heart and breath working in tandem was exhilarating. Vegas was going to change everything.
Red and I were finally going to get our shot at the title. And if we didn’t make it…
Nothing scared me more than falling into obscurity. After all the hard work we’d put in, failure wasn’t an option.
“Do you usually work out in the dark?” A soft, sweet voice reached my ears, jarring me. Julia stepped forward with a grin, flicking on the light switches next to her on the wall.
“How long have you been standing there? I didn’t realize you were part ninja.”
“It’s a job requirement,” she joked. “How else am I supposed to sneak up on the unsuspecting to land the latest scoop?”
I grinned at her. “You’re giving me some real Lois Lane vibes.”
“In a good way, I hope.”
“Oh, yeah. I used to have ahugecrush on her in the comics.”
The smile that stretched across her lips lit up her whole face. “Good sir, are you flirting with me?”
“Depends. Is it working?”
Julia didn’t answer, but the way she cast her eyes bashfully to the ground told me everything I needed to know.
“Are you okay?” I asked her. “You left awful quick after the, uh…”
“Wet t-shirt contest?” she provided.
I smirked. “I think it’s safe to say you won by default. I was half-tempted to jump into the water feature out front to give you a little competition.”
“I think you would have won by a mile.”
“Good madam, are you flirting withme?”
The way she giggled as she nibbled on her bottom lip drove me wild. It should have been illegal to walk around with a smile like hers, which was, frankly, enough to strike me dead.
“Will you show me the types of equipment you use?” she asked. “What does the great Cash Mitchell, future UFC champion, use to prepare for his fights?”
I offered her my elbow. “Allow me to give you the grand tour.”
She laughed as she slipped her arm through mine, falling in step with me as I guided her to the weight rack.
