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I never asked to become his experimental toy.
I just wanted to leave, I just wanted to be free.
Really, I just wanted to be happy.
Happiness is Jamie. It’s in the way she wraps her leg around my waist when she sleeps. It’s the sound of her moans and her giggles. It’s how she opens up to me when she’s about to fall asleep, a simple truth here and there.
Happiness is the small things she likes. Chocolate ice-cream, the scent of rain on the hot asphalt, listening to my heart beating, tracing letters on my back for me to guess.
Happiness is laughing at her for the way she writes her W’s. It’s inhaling her lavender and citrus body spray. It’s watching reality TV despite hating it. It’s observing her when she buries herself in homework because she won’t let anyone take her place at UPenn. It’s the way she subtly rolls her eyes and winks at me when I wait for her to finish work at the café and there’s an annoying customer.
It’s a dream-like state to be with Jamie. An unattainable fantasy. Fiction written for the books and films and series on Netflix.
Not for me.
I’m by the ‘ref’ without realizing, facing my opponent like I’m ready for this. I don’t remember walking to the middle of the cage. He checks my wraps and then my opponent’s to make sure we’re not hiding anything.
I’m back in my fight state. Chopped, blackout moments wishing I was somewhere else and somehow trying to survive at the same time.
“No weapons allowed. Except for that, no rules. Winner is the last one standing.”
I look at the floor while the crowd chants ‘fight to death’ on repeat. Before I jumped into the cage, I still had hope I would win. I’m a great fighter, even better since L.A. I thought, it’ll change me forever but at least I’ll still be alive.
Not a fucking chance now. I’m going to die tonight. Some sort of self-sacrifice I know I’ll never regret.
I look up into the green eyes staring daggers at me. Jamie is so fucking tiny, I never expected Aaron Williams to be so big. After months of looking for him to try and reunite him with the love of my life, I’m still in shock to see him face to face.
They look so alike. His hair is the same chocolate color, his skin tanned like hers. That mix of southeast Asian and white. And the eyes…fuck they’re exactly the same. A green that glints with golden thoughts. And his are lethal. He clearly knows who I am.
But the big difference is that, while shorter than me, he is still tall and big. He’s not the skinny teenager that is smiling in the pictures in Jamie’s living room. No, this guy has a square jaw held so tight it’s like he’s imagining crushing me between his teeth. The tattoo of the six phases of the moon is exactly where it’s supposed to be on his neck, just like the picture Bianco has shown us.
It’s him, it’s really him.
The bell rings, announcing the beginning of the fight. It’s not going to be a fight with rounds and water breaks. Underground fighting is one bell to announce the start, and one to announce the end. Tonight, the second will announce death.
Before we both start taking our distances, he smiles carnally at me.
“I tried to keep her away from you,” he growls. “But since neither of you will take the fucking hint, I guess killing you will do.”
He throws the first punch and I take it like a fucking rookie, too shocked by his words to do anything.
Shit, that hurts.
Adrenaline kicks in and I don’t feel the second one. I take a few steps back, shake my head and take back my defensive stance, dancing on my feet so I can bide my time.
“What do you mean you tried to keep her away?”
He’s surprised I’m talking back. I guess he thought I’d just accept my fate. He shouldn’t have piqued my interest then.
“How?” I repeat.
“The fucking notes I left her on repeat. Didn’t they clearly state to stay the fuck away from you? You think I want my little sister involved with the Bianco family?”
He goes for my head again, but I block his attack. I throw a punch to his ribs to keep him back slightly.
“That was you?” I reply in shock. “The bullshit threatening notes left in her stuff were from you?”
He goes for me again and I take a step to the side. My fury is rising and my beast roaring. He’s got to be fucking kidding me.
