Page 61 of Chasing You

“Yeah I got that, that doesn’t mean he’s still not getting the shit beaten out of him!”

“In boxing’s standards, he’s really not getting that much shit beaten out of him, only a little amount of shit.”

I cough a laugh. In all of the interactions I’ve had with Leo, he’s cracked me up every time. Even now, as I feel the split on my brow sting at the quick change of my facial expression.

“He’s a mess, look at him,” Isla gestures to me.

“Ouch, sis.”

She winces. “Sorry, but it’s true. Don’t you think you should bow out soon? A winning streak always has an endpoint. Please leave my future children with an uncle.”

Both Leo and I eye her. Her choice of words is interesting.

She holds her hands up. “Oh my god, I’m not pregnant, I’m just saying!”

“Isla,” Leo puts his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

She just frowns at him and it makes me smile again. I appreciate my sister’s worry, and she’s right, all winning streaks come to an end. But I don’t feel ready to give up the fight, not just yet.

Isla blows out a frustrated sigh before turning to face me. “Be careful.” She points what she thinks is an intimidating finger at me.

“Love you,” I just say with a smile. I watch as she turns away, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

Leo just shakes his head with a smile, and the look we share makes a feeling surge in my chest. One I don’t recognize. One that makes me feel like I’m part of something, like I share something with this group of people.

“Alright then, huddle up,” Leo says like he’s talking to an entire basketball team, not just me.

He gives me another gulp of water, followed by a clap on the shoulder. “Now, your sister is sitting over there, scared. No doubt,Caio is doing a flimsy job at calming her down. I don’t think he’s a big fan of blood.” When I look over to where they’re sitting in the crowd, Caio does look slightly squeamish, but beside him, May gives me a wave, looking like she’s completely in her element. I shouldn’t be surprised. “So you need to show her you know how to fight, okay?”

“I do know how to fight, Leo.”

“Iknow that, andyouknow that, but…” He forgets whatever he was saying as his gaze is fixed on something over my shoulder. The crowd's faces have the same vacant look, and it forces me to turn around. When I do, I wish I had bowed out like Isla suggested, because standing on the other side of the ring is Boulder.

chapter twenty-six

MARINA

PRESENT

My motorbike rollsto a stop in front of my parent’s house. Every time I come here, a wave of nostalgia hits me like a violent storm. I don’t think I’ll ever stop feeling like that.

This is the place where I had my very first birthday, lost my first tooth, had my first time, and my first breakup. It’s the place where I fell in love with puzzles, and where I learned to ride a bike. This house will always be home, no matter where I live.

I push open the front door without knocking, my boots clonking on the brick floor as I step into the house, dragging Pa’s attention away from where he’s seated comfortably on the leather couch, the football on the TV.

“Ah! Bambina!” He catapults off the couch as best he can at his ripe age of sixty-two. “Ti stavo aspettando!”

“Perché?”I ask, unsure why my dad was waiting for me.

“I need your help,” he mutters as he walks over to the table. I follow him and a smile breaks out on my face when I see the puzzle scattered over the surface.

“This piece,” he says, holding up a puzzle piece that I pluckfrom his grasp. “Is making me want to rip what little hair I have left out of my head.”

I just chuckle, searching for where it may go. Pa has always been like this. It will be easier to place this piece later on, when more of the puzzle is completed, but once he gets fixated on a certain piece, he can’t let it go.

“Ciao, baby,”I hear my ma from in the kitchen.

“Ciao, Mama,”I send back as I slot the piece into place.

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