Page 106 of Only You
He didn’t. He just kept staring at the ring, even when she moved her hand to her side. She searched for an explanation, but none would save him from the betrayal of her decision. At the end of the day, there was no excuse. She had made the choice that everyone saw coming except for him.
Suddenly, laughter spilled out of him, hollow and painful. Tentatively, she stepped towards him but was unable to do anything except watch as he broke. He gripped his midsection as if he’d heard the funniest joke, as if his hands were all that kept him together. She bit the inside of her cheek as a stubborn tear escaped.
What had she done?
She flinched when his laughter died out and his eyes met hers. They practically flashed, and anxiety flooded through her. He cupped her face, his eyes holding hers, and she shrunk beneath his gaze as he held her there. His lips were soft as he kissed the tear away. ‘We never talked about us. Not one single moment,’ he murmured against her cheek, his lips dragging up to her ear. ‘Why talk about it now?’
She felt his hands tremble, his breath ghosting her lips, eyes full of sorrow. Despite her attempts to look away, he forced her chin up so she would have to face his pain. Another tear fell; he didn’t bother to take that one. ‘Get out,’ he rasped.
‘Demir…’ She reached out to touch him as his hands slid from her face. He didn’t step away, and they stood, chest to chest, as her hand hovered between them.
Jaw clenched, she forced her hand to return to her side. She tore her gaze from his to grab her coat and gloves before she left, the door slamming shut so loudly behind her, she jumped. She waited to hear something – a crash, a scream – but there was nothing, adding to the finality of his words.
Hands covering her mouth, she stepped back until her back hit the other side of the hallway, sinking to the floor and sobbing into her hands as devastation hit her full force, weighing down her heart.
‘I’m sorry,’ she murmured. ‘I’m so sorry.’
Distance would make the heart grow fonder if there was any fondness left to be had. Otherwise, all distance did was leave space to remember everything that had gone wrong.
Demir guessed he should have expected the latter.
‘Hey, can you focus?’ Jack snapped his fingers in front of Demir’s face, which the boxer smacked away. ‘Don’t be pissed at me. I told you not to practise yesterday. You know better,’ he growled in annoyance. ‘You better pay attention in the fucking ring.’
‘I always do,’ he answered nonchalantly.
Jack huffed before leaving the room.Finally.Demir stretched in an attempt to keep himself loose as he paced the back room. He was ready for the night to be over.
Stepping into the ring, he felt ready enough. His opponent, Victor ‘Fury’ Stone, was a heavy hitter but lacked control, so, with a little patience, Demir quickly overtook him with a few well-placed hooks and jabs to the side. The referee started the ten-second count, and Demir knew it was over by the time the referee hit eight. He didn’t bother looking at the other boxer, already thinking of how long it would take to get home.
However, the thing about fighting was that every second counted. The tide could turn at any moment.
He was reminded of that when he looked towards the edge of the ring. Not because of Jack watching him with dollar signs in his eyes; he was used to that. It was the look of horror in Selene’s eyes. Her mouth was forming his name as he looked over his shoulder to see what was scaring her.
The fist came out of nowhere, and it felt like his jaw was being knocked into his brain.
He stumbled back as the fighter launched his whole body on him, putting his hands up and falling as his head spun until everything went black.
‘Demir!’
Selene was launching herself into the ring before she could think better of it, the referee finally able to pull Victor off Demir. She crouched next Demir’s side, pulling out his mouth guard and using a nearby towel to soak up the blood pouring out his mouth. His pulse was strong beneath her touch, and she scanned his body for any other wounds, but beyond the cuts on his face, there didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary.
Except he wasn’t moving.
‘Here.’ Jack held out her medical bag. She snatched it from him, practically tearing it open to grab hold of her penlight. Demir groaned, his eyes fluttering open for a moment.
‘Demir, can you hear me?’ She forced his eyes open, shining the light from one side and then the other. His reactions were delayed, but his eyes eventually found the light, his pupils constricting.
Behind her, the crowd was a cacophony, people running about while Jack looked like he was on the verge of a fistfight with the other coach. Demir blinked, his eyes focusing, and he reached up as if to grab the rope. Selene took his hand, squeezing it.
‘Hold on,’ she told him. ‘Hold on for me.’
He squeezed her hand tightly, not letting his eyes close again.
With Jack’s help, she managed to carry him out of the club and to the car. They took Demir back to their apartment, where Jack called up John, the guy who had patched him up before she came along. In the meantime, she stuck to Demir’s side, keeping him awake. While she could diagnose him, she didn’t have any supplies to treat him beyond a bleeding wound. Usually, she was against hospitals, especially since the closest one that would admit him was miles away. This time, she kept a close eye on the car keys, ready to drive.
John came quickly, entering with a small duffle bag over his shoulder filled with any medicine he might need. He reminded her of a gruff uncle that had seen too much. Just as Selene expected, he didn’t say much of anything, just shooing her out of the away and getting to work. She hovered nearby, watching the doctor closely. Demir had told her that he was sloppy, and she was not taking any chances.
‘Mind getting us some water,’ John asked with a pointed look.
