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“I need you to drive me to my house so I can pick up my gym bag and then to Silver Falls. I…I still feel too dizzy to drive.”
He shakes his head. “When I said save yourself, I didn’t mean by being outright stupid. If you can’t drive, you shouldn’t be fighting.”
“I’m fighting. Period.”
He licks his lips and tilts his head to the side. “Look, I’ve never seen any of your fights and don’t know the exact level you’re on, but if you get hurt—”
“I won’t,” I say firmly. “They don’t call me unbeatable for no reason.”
“A lot happened to you, little bee. It’s okay to forfeit.”
I almost choke on my own breath. “Forfeit? Do you know what I’d be forfeiting? My agent. My chance to leave the North Shore. My dreams. No. I am fighting with your help or not. So make up your mind. Want me to toughen up, or want me to be rescued? I’ve already missed pre-fight training, so I need you now or never.”
He presses his lips together, clearly unhappy I’m using his own logic against him. His jaw tightens and the disagreement is apparent on his face, but then he finally nods. “Alright, get in the car.”
I push the doors to the Silver Falls gym without much strength. I was sick again during the drive, right after I forced myself to eat a banana for energy.
I can hear the crowd in the main area and run through the hallways to make it to the locker room. Caden is right behind me. I turn to him just before going into the changing room.
“Don’t come in.” I shake my head. “Dickie doesn’t want anyone in there.”
“Little bee,” he huffs. “I think you’re making a big mistake.”
“I don’t care what you think right now.” I take a bite of an energy bar and force myself to swallow it before hydrating some more.
“Okay.” He nods, taking a second to calm himself. “Here, I got you these.”
My eyes widen as he gives me a wrapped box. “It’s a present for your fight.”
Holding on to the energy bar with my teeth, time stops as I unwrap the box. My mouth falls open, shock turning my muscles weak. The bar falls to the floor in front of me.
“Caden,” I whisper in disbelief. “These gloves are almost a hundred dollars. That’s too much. I can’t accept them.”
He smiles softly. “Don’t make me force you to accept a present.”
“But…how?”
He shrugs and runs a hand through his hair. “I have a bit of money saved. I wanted to do something nice for you.”
I gulp. “Thank you. I…wow. Thank you.”
“I’ll be in the crowd,” he says.
I grab his arm before he can leave and go on my toes to give him a peck on the lips. “Come see me after the fight.”
I hurry into the locker room.
“Billie!” Dickie rages as soon as he sees me. Taylor is with him. “I’ve been calling you all morning.”
“I don’t have my phone.”
Taylor walks to me slowly, his hand in his suit pockets. His brows furrow as he observes the state I’m in. I feel sick and icky, sweat coating my entire body. Probably from the drugs that are still in my system.
“Are you hungover?” Taylor asks.
“No. I’m not. How late am I?”
“Too late for any warm-up,” Dickie tells me sternly. “Get your hands wrapped right this second.”
