Chapter 6
Six
Jaclyn
Present
I feel like everything in my body lights up when our eyes connect.
Time just stops for a moment as my mind replays every touch and every memory that contains Hayden Night.
It’s been five years and Hayden Night still has the same effect on me as he did five years ago. My body still feels incredibly weak for him.
A bell rings in the arena breaking the moment and Hayden gets a punch to the face by Robert.
“And the first punch of the round goes to Robert! That’s a first cause usually Night is on top of his game by handing out the first punch.”
“Right, Gerald. It’s a surprise to see Hayden not land the first punch,” the announcers discuss as Robert and Hayden start going at it again.
Hayden is going HAM on him, punching, not giving Robert a second to breathe. Right now, the beast is in place just like how it usually is whenever Hayden’s in the ring.
“Wow, he’s really good,” Diego comments as he records the fight on his camera.
“Yea,” I mumble, still staring at Hayden in awe because he’s still got it when it comes to fighting.
His passion and strength for fighting is still there.
I know Hayden’s good. I don’t need anyone to tell me. Fighting is where Hayden thrives. Fighting gives him that escape he needs, he told me. He sees fighting as a release for everything he’s feeling inside that he can’t get out.
All the punches and hits he throws are for everything he has been through. All the pain and misery he talked to me about. That's what's being put in the punches that he throws.
Hayden throws one last punch at Robert making him land on the floor with a thud. The ref counts to ten and Robert’s still on the floor.
I divert my eyes away from Robert who is on the floor, surrounded by his team. My eyes go to Hayden who is staring straight at me with a dark look in his eyes. I can tell from sitting down here while he has a crowd of people cheering his name.
One of the announcers walks towards Hayden and he raises his fist to the air. “You're the winner, Hayden Night!” the announcer yells as the crowd cheers for Hayden.
Hayden pays no mind to anyone except me as he stares down at me with those menacing eyes.
Freddie turns his head and his eyes connect with mine. Freddie nods in acknowledgment and I just smile softly at him. If possible, that seemed to make Hayden madder.
Eventually they have to pull Hayden away from the ring and to his dressing room where they hold interviews.
“Come on, let’s go,” Diego says as he grabs his stuff.
“Sports Calling?” a security rep comes up to us and asks.
“Yea, I heard we are first?” Diego asks.
“Correct. Can I just see some badges?” the rep asks, making Diego and I show him our badges with our names.
“Cool, you guys can follow me this way,” he says before walking towards the hallway that Hayden came out of. We follow him down the hall and my hands seem to get even more sweaty than before. I take deep breaths, remembering Patience’s words while wiping the sweat on my dress. “Over here. Good luck.”
Diego smiles at him and opens the door that says “Hayden Night” in red letters.
“Hayden, interview one,” one of his team members says as we walk inside the room.
Hayden is sitting on the couch, looking down at his hands while Freddie stands next to him and whispers something in his ear. Hayden looks up and we connect eyes once again.
“Hayden, this is Jaclyn King from Sports Calling Media. We spoke to Jules about setting up an interview for them, remember?” his manager, I’m assuming, says to Hayden.
I look at Freddie and he just smiles at me before patting Hayden’s back and moving away from him.
“We’ll be quick,” I say as I walk closer to Hayden.
Hayden stands, towering over me. “It’s fine, take your time,” he mumbles, still not taking his eyes off me.
My skin feels like it’s on fire just from the dark and lusting look he’s giving me right now.
God those eyes.
Those eyes just make me weak, even after all these years. I look at his eyebrow where I see the eyebrow piercing. That eyebrow piercing always did things to me.
Blood is dripping from the piercing and his cheek where Robert punched him. He's also sweaty, everywhere. Sweat dripping down from his biceps and chest, rolling down.
God, even though he looks like a mess he is still as beautiful as ever. God knew exactly what he was doing when he made Hayden.
Feeling his body heat right next to mine after five years feels like something I desperately need. It’s like my body wants to go inside of him and stay with him forever. I all of a sudden want his arms around me where I can feel safe and protected from everything in the world.
Or at least for a little while until someone ruins it like five years ago.
A team member gives Hayden a mic. “Ready?” I ask before licking my lips. Hayden looks down at my lips, licking his own before meeting my eyes. He tilts his head slightly and I blush and look away from him before he can see how much he affects me. “Go,” I tell Diego.
“Rolling,” he says before counting down with his fingers.
“Jaclyn King here with Sports Calling Media,” I say with a smile. “Tonight, I’m here with Hayden Night, Heavyweight Boxing Champion.” I look at Hayden and he is just smirking down at me with amusement in his eyes. “Tonight was a big match for you. Robert Chua was once an undefeated Heavyweight Boxing Champion. How did you feel when first going into the ring?”
“My fans and family know I’m never nervous about fights. I’m confident and I think that’s why I’m where I am today. Confidence gets you places.”
Oh yes it does.
“Is there anything you do to prepare for a fight? Some routine or ritual that you do the night or day before?”
“Well cardio is a big one for me. I also try to build up my testosterone for fights.”
“And how do you do that?” I ask, tilting my head up to look at him.
A smile cracks on his face.
He looks at the camera before looking down at me with a wide smirk on his face. “Eating healthy, working out regularly and training. No sex either, which is unfortunate.”
Oh I bet it is, considering how he’s probably having sex with every women in the fucking state.
“You took a strong hit to your face in the second round, was there any particular reason for that?” I ask, probably with a little attitude.
Hayden’s smirk softens. “Let’s just say I didn’t expect to see someone in the crowd. I got distracted, it happens to the best of us.”
I blush and bite the inside of my cheek.
How dare he make me feel this way in front of a camera? It’s like he knows the effect he still has on me and I hate that he knows.
I bite the inside of my cheek and want to glare at him so badly, but when the whole world is probably watching me interview him, it isn’t the brightest idea.
“Is there anyone you want to thank tonight for your win?”
Hayden looks behind him. “I’d like to thank my team for always being there and being great. I’d like to thank my trainer and long time family friend, Freddie.” Freddie smiles at Hayden and then Hayden turns his head and looks at me. “And then I’d like to thank someone else in the crowd that helped me in ways they couldn’t imagine throughout this fight,” he says as my heart feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest.
“And what are you going to do tonight to celebrate the win?”
“Hopefully have a good dinner and rest,” he says but it sounds like he is trying to insinuate something, but then again, it could just be my overthinking.
I force my thoughts away and look at the camera. “Well there you have it, viewers, Hayden Night, the Heavyweight Boxing Champion.” I say before relaxing as Diego puts the camera down. “We can go now. Thank you guys,” I say, as Diego packs the camera. I start walking away, trying to hurry out of the room but I feel a hand, warm and familiar, catch mine. I turn around and see Hayden’s hand holding mine. It’s been five years since I was last touched by Hayden Night and this time around his touch feels more powerful, like a simple touch from Hayden can just break down my walls like it’s slowly starting to do. “Yes?”
“Get out of here with that yes bullshit. I want to talk,” Hayden says and he pulls me closer to him, his hand still holding onto mine.
I see Freddie move from behind Hayden. He raises an eyebrow and I just shake my head and look at Hayden.
“I can’t. But it was nice seeing you, Hayden. You look really good,” I say before looking at his arms that I want to just lick.
“Yea, I can say the same about you,” Hayden says, as he looks up and down my body.
Yeah my breasts got bigger from Junior but I’m a fucking stick now from how much I starve myself.
Can he see the insecurities radiating off of me?
He always knew whenever I felt uncomfortable in my own skin.
Now I realize this is the first time I’ve thought about Junior since the fight, which is unlike me because he’s on my mind twenty-four seven.
And Hayden has no fucking clue.
“Hayden-”
“Please, it’s been five years. I want to talk to you.”
I lick my bottom lip making Hayden look at it before meeting my eyes. “About what?”
Hayden gives me a knowing look and raises his eyebrow that’s pierced. “You know what.” A memory of me in that dark room with the black hooded man comes to mind and I shiver. Hayden furrows his eyebrows. “What was that?”
“What?” I raise an eyebrow at him and take my hand out of his.
“That shiver right there?” He tilts his head while looking at me intensely.
“It was nothing. Like I said, it was nice seeing you Hayden, but I have to go.” I turn around again but he grabs my hand. I take it out immediately, forcing the tears away that all of a sudden want to fall. “Please, Hayden.”
“So after five fucking years, we finally see each other again and you pretend nothing ever happened? Bullshit. Remember the last thing I said to you?” he says, walking up closer to me. I just glare up at him, holding my ground. My heart wants him, craves him, but I know that I shouldn’t. My mind is telling me to leave, go back to the peaceful life with Junior and never let another man touch me again. “Please, I’m literally begging you.”
I shake my head and back away from him. “I can't, I'm sorry.” I turn around and go to Diego who is waiting near the door.
I force myself not to look at Hayden one last time before I leave through the door following Diego out.