Page 27 of Undefeated

“Babe, you’re in shock. We’ll get an ambulance. And I need the address. Where is he?” he said softly as he pushed my hair over my ears.

“Ambulanthe,” I muttered, then took a deep breath.

“No!” I screamed.

He jumped back.

Frantically, I waved my hands in front of me and pointed to my mouth.

“Babe, I can see. Your lips. And I see the tooth babe. We’ll get this prick, don’t worry. We got this. It will never happen again,” he assured me.

“Where’s my fucking phone, Dekk?” the shirtless man screamed.

Please don’t come over here.

“Fuck, I’m brain dead. Mine’s in my pocket. Here,” Shane said as he pulled his phone from his pocket and held it beside his waist. His hands were shaking.

I reached out and slapped the phone from his hand, knocking it to the ground.

“Babe, we need to get you an ambulance, you’re in shock,” he said as he bent down to pick up the phone.

I kicked it across the concrete patio before he touched it.

“Thirt. Tattooth,” I screamed as I pointed to the shirtless man.

He scrunched his brow and looked confused. He turned and looked at the shirtless man, who was walking our direction.

“Dude, I can’t find it, where’s yours?” he asked as he put his hand on Shane’s shoulder.

I peed a little.

I crossed my legs, and pointed to my crotch.

Shane’s mouth slowly formed a smile. He shook his head.

“Ripp, go put on a shirt,” Shane said as he smiled at me.

I nodded over and over, and then I remembered.

I reached over and tapped his shoulder once.

“Dude, it’s a hundred and five degrees. I ain’t putting on a shirt,” he said.

Shane took off his hoodie and handed it over his shoulder to the other man. He maintained eye contact with me the entire time, smiling.

He’s proud of me for remembering to tap him once.

“Don’t ask, Ripp. For me, put it on, please,” Shane said softly.

“Alright, Dekk. Damn, my bad,” he said as he pulled the hoodie over his shoulders.

He stood with the hoodie unzipped. It barely covered half of him. His chest and stomach were exposed. His stomach muscles rippled. Hints of tattoos on his chest were exposed.

I pointed to the other man and shook my head. I motioned with my hands as if I were zipping the hoodie. Shane slowly turned and looked at the other man.

“Zip it up, Ripp. Damn,” he said.

“It’s too fucking small,” he complained.