Chapter 11
Eleven
Val
The ref called our fight, dubbing Mia the winner all because I choked. I was pissed.
I wanted to demand a rematch at the next open mat.
I wanted to drive down to the jail and curse at James who created this mess and command him to stay the hell out of my head.
I want to interrogate Mark and ask him where the training for the moves he was calling out at me came from and why didn’t I learn them before the match?
I was hyped up on adrenaline as Summer rushed over to me after I walked off the mat.
“Girl, are you good?” I wasn’t and she knew it, but I still lied through my teeth, not wanting to give her any reason to worry.
Of course, she didn’t buy it. I’m pretty sure she could smell a lie a mile away, which is why I avoided her in the first place back when James had…
My thoughts were interrupted as Mark waltzed over.
Great, the last person I want to talk to right now. I might as well have said the quiet part out loud because I was sure the look on my face told him everything he needed to know. Mark smirked, and I immediately wanted to swipe the look from his face.
“I know you probably don’t feel like it, but you did great.
” I could feel his hand graze across my ass.
At first I thought it might have been an accident, but then he rested his hand on my lower back, and I instantly felt gross.
I looked over at Summer and noticed her look down before she shot me a puzzled look.
She knew I had been questioning things when it came to him.
The quiet remarks, the semi-flirtatious moments, and now this.
.. I moved over, away from him and he shook his head and looked down.
“Oh. Shit. I’m sorry.” Part of me wanted to believe he was being genuine, but my red flag alarms were going off.
Summer broke the awkward interaction. “I’m going to get her out of here.”
Mark glanced over at me and then back at Summer. “Yeah, probably a good idea. I’ll see you at training, Val.”
“See ya,” I replied as Summer all but dragged me out of there, unsure if I was going to keep the next training session or start looking for another gym altogether.
???
Summer bit into a cheeseburger. “I’m telling you, something isn’t right with him.” Her words were muddled as she spoke with a mouthful of food.
I poured my large cheese bites out into the basket so they could cool off. “I know, but I’m not even sure there are other options of gyms around here who train fighting skills.”
“I think you’d be surprised.” She slurped on her drink and let out a loud belch.
My lips pursed together, unamused at how this interaction was going. “What, did you reincarnate into a cave person right before my eyes?”
Summer seemed confused. “What do you mean?”
I couldn’t believe how clueless she was. “Talking with your mouth full, belching, that’s not like you.” Summer paused what she was doing, pulled her napkin up to her mouth and looked at me. Had I been out of line to call her out?
“I’m sorry, it’s just… I have a date tonight.” Her cheeks flushed a shade of red.
My mind went to mush and I had to fight to find the words to say. I knew Summer had been dating someone off and on and their schedules never seemed to match up…but tonight? Of all the nights to have a date, she chose the night of my debut fight? “I see.”
Summer sat in silence for a moment longer, probably waiting to see if I had anything else to say.
There was nothing there. I desperately wanted to feel excited for her, but I couldn’t help but feel a sense of abandonment on such an important night.
Especially after the experience I had just had. Why couldn’t she cancel the date?
Finally, Summer cleared her throat, bringing me out of whatever pit of jealousy I was starting to fall into. “Hey, if you need me to bail, I can.” The look in her eyes told me otherwise.
I shook my head. “It’s okay, but this guy better be the one.” I made sure to use air quotes as I said my peace.
Shrugging her shoulders, Summer stood up grasping her drink one last time to slurp the rest of her soda from the very bottom.
“We’ll see.” There was a glow about her I hadn’t noticed before.
“Call me tomorrow!” she emphasized quickly right before taking off, leaving me in the booth with my untouched meal, unsure if I was even hungry anymore.
The blare of the sports bar's televisions became my new company.
One screen, directly across from me, seemed to be airing open mat footage from various gyms across the country.
A knot of nervousness tightened in my stomach; I hoped none of my own footage would appear.
Even so, I was quickly engrossed, admiring the fighters and their diverse skill levels.
Suddenly, one match caught my eye: Alex, a fighter based in Colorado.
He appeared brilliantly trained across multiple fighting styles, with his coach effortlessly guiding him through every aspect of the bout.
Now this was an art-form.
A few minutes later my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out and saw Summer had already sent me a couple selfies of herself and the mystery man she had been seeing.
He wasn’t what I had pictured her being with, but as long as she was happy, nothing else mattered.
Underneath the photo she had written a message.
Summer: Sending a photo as compensation for something I neglected to tell you. I’m pretty sure I overheard Mark betting on your fight… and he was betting against you.
At first I thought I had read her message wrong, so I proceeded to read it over again.
Once, twice, three times. Each time my understanding became clearer: Mark had bet on me to lose.
I was furious. That was the icing on the cake after all of the other stuff going on and I was determined to fire him from all aspects of my life.
I glanced up at the TV. My eyes on the fighter from Colorado.
Down to Summer's message.
Back to the TV.
Maybe it’s time for a change of scenery.