Nico and I come to an unspoken agreement. Every evening, we do a series of drills to build my stamina before sparring in the ring, determined to put in some hours before the fight next month. It's only afterward, when we're breathing hard, and the tension is thick, that he allows himself to kiss me.

It never lasts long, just enough to make me wish he'd break his control, but he doesn't. Some part of him is holding back, reluctant to let go; part of me is too.

Still, between training with him and Coach, it's hard not to notice my progress. Not just in the ring, but in life: my grades are better, my anger is under control, and Dad says I can finally move in with him next week. Aside from the uncertain future of the gym, things are damn near perfect.

I spend Saturday morning at Daisy's house snapping pictures of me. With four weeks to go, Coach says it's time to announce my fight, making everything more real. My mother thinks I should do it with a selfie, so here we are, my face slathered in makeup and my hair in plaits while I pose in Daisy's garage.

She shows me the pictures, and I'll admit, I look good but don't look like me. Maybe it's silly, but the ring is the one place my mother's critiques can't reach me. I don't need to be pretty or perfect to win – I need to be strong, and that's what I love about fighting. To spend all this energy trying to look different feels counterintuitive.

"Please tell me they're fine," Daisy pleads.

I don't blame her; we've been at this for over an hour, but even though I'm still unhappy, I say, "They're perfect. Thanks, D."

Her face falls as she studies me closely. "You think I don't know when my best friend is lying? Your eye gets all twitchy like you're on crack."

I bite my lip, hating that she's put this effort just for me to dislike them. "It's not your photography skills," I say to make her feel better. "It's just that when I look at those pictures, I don't feel like me."

I wait for her to be irritated, the way my mother would be if I'd wasted her time, but sometimes I forget that not everyone reacts like my mother does.

"Okay, I have an idea," Daisy says, and we spend the next ten minutes wiping off my makeup until I'm fresh-faced again.

She has me stand in front of the garage wall, my gloved hands high as I look into the distance. "Now, think of the fight," she says. "Imagine the moment you step into that ring and face Katarina. Think about what's on the line: the gym, Coach, those kids. Winning your fight is the only thing that will save them."

I do as she says, my stomach suddenly swirling with heat. Sometimes in all the training, I forget that this fight is for the gym – not just the gym, but everyone in it: Auden, Coach, Hayden, Maddie.

Me.

"There," Daisy says, smiling. "That's our money shot."

I look up to see she's staring at the screen with the biggest smile. Peering over her shoulder, I glance at the picture, preparing to be horrified, but I'm not. This is the picture I'd envisioned in my head: strong and fierce and determined.

I look like me.

"Thank you," I say, throwing my arms around her. "I don't know what I did in a past life to deserve a friend like you, but I'm glad."

Daisy laughs and hugs me back. "I don't know either."

We spend the next hour or so watching Desperate Housewives, her new Disney + obsession, but I can barely keep my eyes open. I've got training later, but we've been going so hard these past few days that it feels like I'm running on empty. Still, I know it's working when I look in the mirror. My muscles are leaner, and my body is lithe. In a few more weeks, I won't just feel ready.

I will be.

***

When it's time for the gym, I take an excited Cody along and watch as Wiley and the others greet him with a fist bump. Cody flashes the widest grin as he fistbumps them back, looking proud of himself.

He'd had so much fun watching me train that we made it a weekly occurrence, much to my mother's irritation. Still, I'd made him promise that if he came to the gym, he couldn't get into any more trouble at school; he agreed.

Auden looks over from where he's pounding on a heavy bag and grins. "Hey, little man," he says to Cody with a fistbump, "you here to spar with me?"

I bark out no at the same time Cody says, "Hell yeah!" He looks up at me, eyes wide with hope. "Can I, Cassie? Please?"

I shoot Auden what I hope is an unbecoming look before smiling at Cody. "Just for a minute."

He grins and throws his arms around me, hugging me in a way he hasn't in a long time. I hug him back, resting a hand on his head like I did when he was little.

When he runs to grab some gloves, I grab Auden's arm and pull him toward me. "If you so much as lay a finger on him, I will knock you on your ass. Understood?"

Auden meets my threat with a wink. "I like when you talk dirty to me."

I roll my eyes and let him go, watching him approach Cody. He takes a moment to show Cody how to tape his hands before slipping on his gloves.

Despite the cute moment, my heart sinks. For the most part, Auden comes across as this confident guy you sometimes want to punch, but as he stands in front of Cody, demonstrating the perfect stance, I'm reminded he's just a kid too.

I lift a few weights for the next ten minutes while closely monitoring Cody. As predicted, Auden barely touches him but lets Cody get a few shots in, causing his face to light up. I smile a little, but it falls when I realize this – all of this – could soon end.

As if to torture myself, I put down the weights and pull out my phone to scroll through Instagram. The GymCon account has over six thousand followers, and while people are engaging with the posts I upload, it has yet to make much difference. The newbies who've joined are mostly underage, so we're no better off than before. My only hope is that the announcement of the fight will cause a huge spark of interest, one I can use to our advantage.

"You," Coach says, pointing at me. "Jump in the ring. You're sparring Auden."

I scan the gym for Cody, who stands on the ring's sidelines with his face against the ropes, waiting in anticipation. With a smile, I follow Coach to the ring, feeling the familiar rush of excitement and anticipation as I lace up my gloves, taking a moment to adjust the fit and grip. Auden follows after me, slipping into an easy stance. We exchange a nod – and a wink from Auden – before Coach blows the whistle.

We circle each other, both looking for openings to land a hit. I throw a combination of punches, but Auden blocks them and responds with a flurry of his own. It's a technique on my part: Nico says I go too hard, too fast, so I'm trying to slow things down.

We dance around the ring, trading blows and trying to outmaneuver each other. I feel the sweat start to bead on my forehead as I work to keep up the pace; I'm not the only one who's improved.

Despite the intensity of the fight, there's a sense of camaraderie between us. We're not trying to hurt each other, just pushing ourselves to be better, and that's what I like about fighting with Auden; it feels like I'm home.

Auden slips past me and lands a quick jab that grazes my cheekbone. "Hate to mess up your face," he says, returning to his stance with a grin.

My eyebrow arches. I easily dodge Auden's next few hits, using my light footwork to my advantage. Focus on your strengths, Nico's voice whispers. Tire them out. It's a technique that might not work with Katarina, but I know Auden well enough to know that his strength is not his speed but his power; I intend to use it to my advantage.

I dance around him, light on my toes. When Nico said my stamina was okay but not my control, I hadn't understood what he meant, but I think I do now. I don't tire quickly, and I'm fast on my feet, but sometimes my anger works against me. There's a balance to be found between anger and control, and I'm finally finding it.

Auden attempts several low blows, but all of them miss. I swoop in as he's tiring, feining a right hook before switching to a combo, catching him on the jaw. "Hate to mess up yours."

He stumbles back, slightly dazed and shining with sweat, and that's when I go in. I punch him hard, keeping my hands low to stay on the offensive, blocking Auden's flurry of hits.

"Keep your hands up!" Coach shouts gruffly, but I don't follow through. I keep landing my jabs, waiting for the moment Coach blows his whistle, and he does.

The second the sound pierces the air, I help a fallen Auden to his feet. He looks down at me, eyes flashing as if something has clicked into place before they darken considerably.

I turn back to Coach, feeling the rush of adrenaline still coursing through my veins. "How'd I do?"

The lines on his forehead deepen. From the look in his eye, he's somewhere between annoyed and impressed. "Well, I think it's safe to say you've been keeping up with your training during your ban."

My smile grows as I step forward, leaning against the ropes. "Watching the others train while I was banned helped a lot. Plus, I've been practicing at home." I can't tell him Nico is why I've made so much progress, but secretly, I wish I could.

"Mm," Coach says, but now his mouth has twisted further, and I can see he's displeased about something. "When did you start dropping your hands like that? You want to give yourself brain damage?"

I fold my arms, which is kind of hard to do with these gloves. "What does it matter if I won?"

Coach leans forward, resting his arms on the ropes to frown at me. "It matters," he says, his gaze deepening. "My job is to keep my boxers safe. Don't do it again."

My throat thickens like it always does when Coach is a little hard on me. I step back, forcing a smile as I give a quick nod. "Whatever you say, Captain."

He breaks his tough exterior to smile. Opening his mouth, it looks as though he's about to speak before he shakes his head. "You kids are going to be the death of me," he says and walks off.

I turn around as Auden looks over, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Are you okay?"

He doesn't answer. Instead, he steps closer, staring at me like he's got something on me. "You know what I find interesting?"

I rip off my gloves, no longer in the mood for training, not least because I'm exhausted. "Enlighten me."

He walks right past me, stopping a little past my shoulder. "You fight just like Nico."

I feel my chest tighten as he dips through the ropes and walks toward Wiley. The pair exchange words, and when Auden looks over, my heart stops.

He knows.

A/N

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