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I open my mouth to ask what for, but I don’t bother Seth’s decisions don’t usually come with understandable reasons
"I’ll be back" I shout to Dad and Selena
She moves into my seat to keep hiuides uards that I didn’t even notice when I walked in
"She’s with Seth" Darryl says, flashing his ‘backstage’ pass The guards part like the red sea to let us through He pulls o
"Seth is having a little bit of trouble" Darryl’s voice bounces off the walls of the ay It’s a lot quieter in here "I don’t knohether you know, but he suffers fro and he works through it that way, but lately he seems to prefer another uessed that one I ets a little worked up, but it usually doesn’t last long Not like the one that I had when Blade first cheated on me It was horrible I couldn’t breathe andeverywhere and worst of all, it felt like it wasn’t going to end and I was going to die
The way Darryl looks at uess so"
My pulse is beating in my ears as we pass lots of smaller closed off doors Names in permanent marker are written on pieces of paper and stuck to the centre of the wood Sonne Jacobs Russell Smith Donskov Pine Kennedy and then Marc
The handle to Seth’s door fits nicely into the palm of Darryl’s hand as he turns it The door opens and I step in My gaze falls onto the ads for protein shakes and other supplements on the back wall They had nainon the bench, topless and hard His thigh e out of the slits in his black shorts My throat dries immediately and there’s no moisture in my mouth I can s to fix it There’s no lack of moisture ‘down there’, however Twowhite hair tied in a ponytail at the base of his neck and he’s wrapping Seth’s hands The gauze envelops the palers The otherSeth’s eyes are hidden by his long lashes His chestto calm himself His eyelids flick open and his dark, chocolate eyes rake s to step closer The two men assess the wrap and in low, hushed words they decide it’s sufficient The white haired man packs up his little toolbox, wishes Seth luck and they stroll froers and clenches them into fists in front of hih for everyone to hear
As they leave, my eyes remain on Seth and they have since I stepped into the rooe frame slides off the table and he shakes his arms and rolls his head to each side I try not to stare--or drool--at the muscles between his shoulders and his neck
"Darryl said you need me" My voice is quiet and uncertain This whole situation has definitely putit’s just not ue wrap around the words make the hair on the back of my neck stand up It’s intimate it’s so intimate and it makes me want to close my eyes As he steps closer s have di harder He looks intense and intiled down to me There are no deep lines or noticeable frustration on his features, but his breathing is uneven
"I wasn’t sure if you were going to coether in a nervous fiddle "I said I’d come so here I a to the ‘mild’ anxiety Stiffness overco I e to nod Seth closes his eyes and takes e, calloused ones He wraps the His skin is warslows What are we doing? What is this exactly? He lowers his head and opens his eyes They searchhimself the same questions I know I should step away now, but I’ainst him It’s like as soon as he looks at me, or touches ely, I want to be ‘If you get hurt, it’s on you Not h ether and I step back just as the door opens Reluctantly, Seth drags his gaze away from me
"Time to warm up, pal" Darryl inforain
"I should go" I turn away fro his eyes on the back of my head
"Are you ready?" He calls to me and I can hear his usual confident tone return
I face him "For what?"
Seth’s lips jerk at the corners before curving into a full blown sely intione--replaced by his cocky demeanor "For the ride of a lifetime"
I scoff at him and open the door
"Good luck" I call overone hand to shieldI hear fists slaasp as wind is forced fros The salty sulfs er I can sit here This is the third fight I’ve sat through Selena disappeared froo in pursuit of a snack cart--God kno she can eat right now My sto to throw up the ham and cheese toasty I had for dinner Adrenaline--as well as fear--tears through my veins every tioes berserk, begging for randstand shakes beneath h ers The referee with the full black outfit, thrusts the winner’s hand in the air
"The winner of this bout, ladies and gentlemen, Donnnn Russeeeeelllllll!"
As the crowd screa He’s out cold His left eye is swollen shut and blood pours fro knocked out the disappointment is clear on his face His eyes flutter open and he uneasily pulls himself to rest on his knees and thecotton ball on a stick is pressed against the brow to stee squeezesnextwhat if he ends up the one on the floor? The thought alone is enough to send h the roof This is bad Next toon his toes My plastic chair vibrates as he stomps his feet
"Seth’s up next" He beaive him feels fake I wish I can be as excited as Dad but I’ive an interview His bald head suits his strong, angular face and there’s a shadow of stubble along his chiseled jaw line He wipes the back of his hand across the light sheen of sweat that glistens on his forehead The thick, black lines of his dragon tattoo wrap around his bulging bicep and they contract as he jabs his fists through the air in celebration He annoyshis appearance and the way he holds himself, I’ll assume he’s cocky and proud, but it’s only to hters have a sad story that coht I pull it off and look at Selena who sits in the seat next tointo her e and onto her white dress She gapes at me wide eyed, like it was et this out"