Chapter 38
Jamie
My heart lodges in my throat as Miles's fist rockets toward Ethan's face.
Everything slows down. The roar of the crowd fades to white noise. My world narrows to that single punch.
It could be a knockout blow. If it lands, the fight’s over. More than that. Ethan could be seriously hurt.
Terror seizes my chest.
This can’t happen. Not now that I know I’m in love with him.
The realization happened when I was on the ground after being shot. Thankfully, the bullet missed my chest and caught my arm, but the pain was intense, and there was so much blood, I was scared I might bleed out.
All I could think of in that moment was how much of a coward I’d been. I’d been proving my own strength and bravery by fighting strangers, but the real test was being brave enough to let Ethan love me. That test, I failed miserably.
But I’m not going to fail again.
I love him.
And I might be about to watch him get knocked out cold.
"No!" The word tears from my throat.
But Ethan moves exactly the way we practiced. His duck is fluid, his weight shifting smoothly as he slips under the punch. Miles's fist whistles through empty air. Before he can recover, Ethan drives upward with a perfect counter uppercut, his entire body coiling into the shot.
The punch lands flush on Miles's jaw. His head snaps back, eyes going glassy. For a split second, he stays upright. Then his knees buckle, and he crumples to the canvas.
The referee starts counting. "One! Two!”
The bell rings.
Relief floods through me.
Ethan's okay. More than okay. He might have just won.
"Three! Four!"
The crowd is deafening. Everyone's on their feet, the energy electric. Photographers crowd the ring, cameras flashing. Miles stirs, trying to push himself up, but his arms are rubber.
"Five! Six!"
Uncle Vito is shouting with excitement, but I can barely hear him over the noise. Ethan stands in the neutral corner, chest heaving, watching his opponent struggle to rise. Even battered and exhausted, he's magnificent.
"Seven! Eight!"
Miles gets to his knees, but he's swaying. His eyes are unfocused, his legs unsteady.
"Nine!"
He tries to stand and fails.
"Ten! It's over!"
The crowd explodes. The referee grabs Ethan's wrist, raising his arm in victory. Sweat and blood gleam on his skin under the harsh lights, but his smile is blinding.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer's voice booms. “The winner by knockout is Ethan Kane!"
The cheers are deafening. People surge toward the ring. His eyes lock onto mine, intense and certain, and my heart swells.
Before I can think too hard about it, I'm climbing the ring steps and ducking through the ropes, trying not to wince. They loaded me up with painkillers in the hospital, but the damn wound still hurts.
He steps over to meet me.
The crowd cheers and cameras flash as I ram my lips against his. My arm throbs like hell pressing against him, and his sweat is salty in my mouth, but I don’t care. I’m so damn proud of him. So damn relieved and happy. My heart feels too big to fit in my chest.
What were we arguing about? I can’t even remember. Nothing matters now. He’s safe, and I’m alive, and all I want is to be alone with him so I can kiss him all over and tell him how amazing he is.
“I love you,” he says when I pull back to catch my breath.
“You won!” I tell him, laughing. “You were incredible! You kicked his ass!”
Someone wolf-whistles, and Ethan grimaces at the sound. “Want to get out of here?”
“You read my mind.”
He holds the ropes apart, helping me out of the ring, disregarding the cheering crowd like only Ethan can. It’s like he doesn’t even see them. Like I’m the only one who exists for him.
The thought sends even more warmth into my chest.
“Great fight, son!” Uncle Vito pounds his back.
He nods at my uncle. “Thanks.” Then he turns back to me. “What the hell happened to your arm? Are you okay?”
“Come on,” I say, grabbing his arm with my good hand and steering him toward the locker room. “Let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll tell you everything when we get home.”
Home.
The word comes easily. Naturally. Now I know exactly where home is, and it’s the only place I want to be.