Chapter 47
Forty-Seven
Jaclyn
My heart is pounding as I slow down my pace. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears.
I rest my hands on the sides of the treadmills, trying to calm my breathing down. I look at the monitor and see I ran more than a mile.
I’m getting better, slowly but surely.
I used to only run less than a mile but since I started working out more, I’ve been getting better at increasing my stamina. I take a gulp of my water and get off the treadmill. I walk towards the ring that’s in the middle of the gym.
Hayden is in the ring with his long time friend and trainer, Freddie.
Freddie is a very tall and very muscular guy. He has the body of a retired fighter and the attitude of a grandpa. He is super loving and very kind. When I met him he joked around with Hayden wondering why me out of all people was dating him. Hayden just laughed it off and punched his shoulder.
Hayden told me that Freddie is the guy who found him on the street and took him to his gym before calling Carter to see what he could do with him. I see Freddie as Hayden’s guardian angel of some sort. He saved him in a way and I can’t be more grateful to meet him.
Freddie is in Arizona because Hayden wants to make sure he is ready for the fight with Eric. Eric is the only person Hayden has never defeated. Freddie is a good trainer from what Hayden told me and he is the only person that Hayden trusts with his fighting career.
“Boy, you have another trainer I don’t know about? What was with that punch?” Freddie asks before throwing a punch to Hayden in the stomach. Hayden grunts before walking towards Freddie and giving a nice punch to Freddie’s face. I wince and watch as Freddie comes out and starts punching Hayden multiple times in Hayden’s stomach. “Come on, Hayden. A punch to the stomach shouldn’t hurt. You’ve taken so many of them.” Hayden grunts before pushing Freddie away from him against the cage and starts going at Freddie’s face. Freddie has a good defense up and is throwing punches to Hayden’s ribs whenever he can. Hayden doesn’t let that stop him though. He still is punching Freddie like there is no tomorrow. Finally, Freddie calls for break and Hayden backs away from him, resting his hands on his hips and breathing heavily through his nose. “You got better since last year, that’s for sure,” Freddie says before taking a sip of his water.
“Think I’ll win?” Hayden asks, taking a drink of his water too.
“Don’t get cocky, boy. If you do, it will get to your head and you’ll lose. All you can do is focus and try your best to beat that son of a bitch’s ass.” Freddie pats Hayden on the shoulder. “I’m going to go to the bathroom and call Maria. Once I’m back I wanna show you one more thing and we’ll call it a night.”
Hayden nods his head and Freddie walks out of the ring and heads towards the bathroom.
I look at Hayden and he is already looking at me. He motions for me to come inside the ring which I do while blushing because I love it when he tells me to go to him for some reason. It’s things as simple as him telling me to come to him that will make me feel so tingly inside and make me want to blush.
Hayden’s wrapped hands hold onto my hips and pull me closer to his hot body that is dripping with sweat. He looks godly right now, his muscles bulging with sweat dripping down his stomach and chest.
“What time are we leaving?” I ask Hayden, wanting to go home already and get in bed .
I’m tired. My whole body is achy and I want to relax.
“Soon. Not more than thirty minutes. Freddie wants to show me a quick move and then we can head out.” Hayden leans down and I feel his nose trail down my neck before his lips touch the spot where my neck and shoulder meet. I shiver against him and can’t help but smile. “How many miles did you run today?” he says, kissing a spot on my neck.
“A little over one,” I breathe out.
Ever since we had sex a few nights ago, Hayden has not stopped trying to touch me everywhere. We have sex every night and it leaves me sore and achy the next day. Hayden is relentless and never takes a break.
He says that it’s because he’s a fighter and fighters have a lot of stamina.
“I can run like five or six miles.”
I lean away from him and my eyes widen. “What?”
That’s not possible.
He raises an eyebrow at me in question. “What?”
“How? I can barely get to two miles.”
He shrugs. “I run a lot. I have to, to keep in shape.”
I shake my head lightly, still not believing he can run that much. “I could never.”
Hayden smirks down at me and then he goes back to pressing his lips on my neck. “You’re so cute.”
“Did you just call me cute?” I ask, wanting to laugh but his lips on me feel like heaven .
“Mhm,” he mumbles before pressing his lips to my neck again. “You’re cute.” He moves down my neck. “Pretty.” He breathes me in and I feel him suck my skin in his mouth. “Stubborn.” I moan and hold him closer to me. “Smart, strong.” I feel a sting on my neck and goosebumps break out on my skin from his touch. “And most of all, beautiful.”
He bites my neck softly making me whimper and stretch my neck to give him more access. When he blows on my neck and leans away from me I open my eyes and look at him. His eyes are on my neck though, possessiveness filled in them. Making me assume he just did something.
I get out of the ring and walk towards the mirror. My eyes go to the hickey on my neck and I see an angry, small red mark staring back at me.
I look at Hayden who is smirking down at me, still standing in the ring. “Really?”
“What?” he asks, in an innocent tone.
“People are going to see.”
He shrugs like it’s not a big deal. “Let them, you’re mine.”
I am about to argue back with him but I hear Freddie’s hurried footsteps walking out of the bathroom. “I hope y'all didn’t have sex. I don’t feel like babysitting kids again,” Freddie says, making me blush and instantly cover my neck .
Hayden laughs and starts putting his gloves on. I got to sit on one of the chairs in front of the ring to watch them. Freddie gets inside the ring and stands in front of Hayden as he puts his gloves on.
“What’d you want to show me?” Hayden asks, getting in his fighting position, ready whenever Freddie is to start going at each other.
“I’ll show you. Be patient. For now we’ll spar,” Freddie answers and he gets into position once his gloves are on.
Right when Freddie gives the signal to start he lets Hayden get one punch in before Freddie thrusts his fists towards Hayden’s throat. Hayden starts choking while I wince while watching him.
Freddie laughs at Hayden as Hayden just continues coughing. I bite my lip so I don’t laugh with Freddie because it's just funny how Freddy is laughing at Hayden instead of helping him out.
“The fuck was that for?” Hayden chokes out.
“That is a strategy you can use.”
“That’s cheating, I don’t like being a dirty fighter.”
“Eric cheats all the time. Plus this is an underground fighting ring. Anything goes as long as you don’t cause them trouble,” Freddie explains. "I've seen this kid, Eric, fight a few times on video. He has the same techniques as you. You’re fast and so is he but you have more muscle on you which gives him an advantage. The smaller they are the faster they are. Your punches are way stronger than his so a punch to the throat will throw him off guard and kind of give you a head start.”
“I’ll pummel him to the ground before he gets a chance to touch me.”
Freddie shakes his head lightly and looks at me with a teasing smile. “This boy doesn’t listen to anything I say. Way too egotistical and in his head.”
Hayden shakes his head and punches Freddie lightly.