Xander

When I got to Janae's about forty-five minutes ago, she explained to me the situation way clearer than Valdez did. She told me that she had only had sex with Max and me in the last two months because she's been way too busy with school and work. She is a law student, so there's no surprise there. She reminded me that we didn't use protection but said that she and Max did. So, basically, I'm fucking screwed and I'm going to be a baby daddy. My pops would be proud of me I just know it.

I told her that I could take her to get some tests and that I'd pay for them if she wanted. She accepted the offer so now I'm standing outside the communal bathroom on her floor, waiting for her to take the tests. She told me she brought three different kinds. I've never had this shit happen to me so I'm as nervous as anyone in this fucking situation would be.

I look towards Maddy's room, hoping she doesn't step out. Hoping anyone doesn't come out actually. I'm not about to explain a thing. It's been about ten minutes waiting out here and if I'm right, it doesn't take that fucking long. I swear my heart is about to burst out of my fucking chest right now. I lift my t-shirt to wipe the sweat off my forehead. I'm sweating already and I haven't even stepped foot in the gym.

A while back, I asked my trainer to set me up in a small boxing match. It's been a while since I've been in an actual fight and lately, I've been feeling the need to punch something more than a punching bag. He told me he could do that and he called the other day telling me who my opponent was going to be. His name is Nayte Johnson. I know who he is because he goes to the gym and I've seen him train a couple of times. He's actually a boxer, unlike me. He's a bit bigger than I am too, but I'm not scared.

I can keep a clean fight if he's willing to do it too.

The door to the bathroom opens, catching my attention. Janae's eyes are reddened and puffy already. Ah, hell. There goes my fucking life. My face and heart both drop. She wipes her nose with the long sleeve flannel she wears. "What?" I say, my voice is softer than usual. I don't want to scare her right now, she's probably as terrified as me. She hands me the three tests. I don't look down at them, preparing myself mentally for what's to come.

I look at the first one. Two lines mean pregnant, one line means not pregnant. Her test has one line. I furrow my brows, looking at another brand of test. This one has the same directions, one line again. The next one has the clear  'Not pregnant' words on it. I can't contain the fucking smile on my face but it quickly fades when I realize Janae is in front of me. Crying. "Wait, why are you crying?" I say. She shakes her head, "I thought I was pregnant and I got excited because a doctor told me it was going to be hard for me to get pregnant one day." Well shit, now I feel like a complete dick.

Black streaks run down her cheeks from her mascara. I hand her back the tests and she takes them, shoving them into her large pocket. "Fuck, I'm sorry, Janae. I didn't know that," I say sincerely. I want kids — in the fucking future— so I'd be upset if I wasn't able to have them at all. I hug her on instinct and she hugs me back, crying onto my white shirt. Fuck, I don't even really care right now. I rub her back for a while and then Maddy's door opens.

She steps out, eyes immediately landing on me. Shit. I try to pull away but Janae holds on tight. Maddy doesn't keep eye contact with me for long before closing her door and leaving the hall. The one person that I didn't want to see tonight. Janae pulls away finally, wiping her face. "I'm kind of relieved though," she says through sniffles. I smile, "Yeah?" She nods. "I don't think you'd be a suitable father for my kid." Well, damn, I didn't expect that response. I frown and furrow my brows.

"Well you're like the biggest fuckboy I know and you'd probably be an absentee father, I deserve more than that," she adds. My mouth gapes a bit in surprise. I didn't want to be your child's father anyway, I almost say. Nevertheless, if the world wasn't on my side tonight and it would have gone a different way, I actually would've been a great fucking father. I would step up to the plate just like my dad did when he had me. I pick my duffel bag up from the floor and sling it over my shoulder. "Nice," I say, giving her a fake smile.

"Well, have a good night," I tell her. I'm not about to be rude to her just because she was to me. She doesn't say anything and I quickly leave the building. The stress from that whole situation is not as relieved as I thought it would be after the negative tests. I think boxing will do the trick.

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Once I got to Hendrick's gym, my trainer, Kevin, officially introduced me to the opponent who I'll be fighting in a couple of months, Nayte. I went into the introduction chill but Nayte? He looked like he wanted to fight me already. It's like he actually has something against me. Regardless of his bad energy, I tried being cool with him. I want to fight him, yes, but not because I have something against him. Boxing matches are supposed to be fun right? If I wanted to fight somebody I didn't like, I'd do it for real and not in a boxing match. He's been in more fights than I have so I'm sure he knows how to keep it clean.

It's been almost two hours since then and he's still here, just like I am. I've been trying to focus on getting a good training session in but I can't focus when I feel his constant gaze on me. I should ask Kevin to tell me when he's not here that way I don't keep running into him. I tend to keep to myself here so I don't have many friends here besides Kevin and another guy named Luke but he's not here tonight.

Nayte stands at the other end of the gym with two other guys—seeing them all around the gym for some time now, I know they're his friends. They all talk, constantly looking over at me. Kevin left about thirty minutes ago, so I've been punching the bag to relieve that stress from earlier. I'm too fucking distracted by the shit-talking going on about me. My temper is short when the situation is people talking shit about me in front of my face. I've been flagged a couple of times in football for talking shit to the other team's players. I won't start anything unless they do though, so I'd say it's not my fault. Coach is always yelling at me about it though.

I slide off my gloves and shove them into my duffel bag which I pick up and head to the locker rooms. The gym is nice and includes showers with a specific membership, one I have. I drop my duffel bag onto the floor and pull out a towel and some soap. I lock my locker with my things in it and step into the shower, turning on the cold water. I take a quick shower, no longer than ten minutes. I slip into my clean clothes, luckily no one else has come into the locker rooms.

Once I'm on my way out, I notice Nayte and his friends are gone. Fucking finally. I say a short goodbye to Mike, the receptionist. The air is only a bit warmer now at the beginning of March but I'm not even slightly cold wearing some sweats and a t-shirt. My usual get-up for before and after the gym. I walk only a couple of feet down to my parked car when I feel someone pull my wrist hard. I feel the thing almost pop out of my socket and my duffel bag flings off my other arm. I fall onto the ground, hard on my ass, my tailbone immediately throbbing. I close my eyes momentarily from the pain but open them quickly.

Nayte and his two little shits tower over me. "What the fuck!" I yell, grabbing my sore wrist. I know I'm in the alley right next to the gym as I've passed by it multiple times whenever there's no parking. My car is parked right in front of here right now. "Cancel the fucking fight," the curly-haired guy says. I try to stand up, not wanting them to be speaking down on me, but Nayte kicks me in the gut. I start to cough from the impact. What the fuck is their problem?

"You're wasting my goddamn time, fighting some rookie. It's not something I want," Nayte finally speaks for himself. I can barely focus on what he's saying since I'm in fucking pain. "Take that up with someone else man. I didn't pick you, you know that." It was actually his trainer who took the idea of him fighting me. Kevin was going to put me in a match with someone with less experience but Nayte's trainer offered him up. I think he knows Nayte can probably kick my ass easily and if he wins, it's more money to him. I have no idea why he's being such a little bitch about it.

The other friend, with blonde hair, kicks me again. This time it's directed right at my ribs. I cough aggressively again, holding onto my side. They might fucking kill me and I don't think I'd fucking mind. "Say you want out then, motherfucker," Nayte says through clenched teeth. I'm hacking up a lung, trying to catch my breath at the same time. "No," is all I can manage to get out. The three of them all look at each other and then they all start punching and kicking me at the same time.

The last thing I see and feel is Nayte's fist—without a glove— connecting with my jaw.

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My eyes take longer to open, one completely swollen shut. As soon as I gain consciousness, pain shoots up my ribs. I wince, wrapping my arm around myself. "Fuck," I groan. I press my back against the brick wall and try to pick myself up. I stop counting how many times I try to until I finally give up. I pant heavily and lay my head against the brick wall.

Why the fuck did I have to wake up?