Max ♕
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Leaving Alyssa this morning felt like torture. If I had my way, I'd spend the day in bed with her, watching her questionable shows and holding her close. But I can't. Until tonight, all I can do is keep busy.

I spend the day driving all over LA for my delivery shift, my hands operating on muscle memory while my thoughts drift to tomorrow, 'cause for all my attempts to keep busy, I can't stop thinking about Alyssa's fight tomorrow.

Obviously, I have one hundred percent faith in her. But the protective instinct in me recoils at the thought of her fighting and, after everything she's faced this week, getting hurt. Unable to stop myself, I message her at lunch, making sure Marnie and her crew of demons aren't giving her hell. She tells me she's fine and asks if I can spar with her one last time before her fight. Grinning, I message back: as long as you go easy on me.

No promises. ;)

Something about the winky face immediately makes me think of last night. My heart flips, and I swear, for the next five seconds, all I can think about is how goddamn incredible it felt to be inside her again. Another message comes through, this time from Hayden: Auden's here instead of in school, and he's not listening to me. Come and talk some sense into this kid?

Shit.

As soon as I wrap up the last delivery, I stop at home to change again and head to the gym. My eyes scan the empty gym, finding Hayden and Auden sparring in the ring, neither looking particularly bothered about his truancy. Walking up to the pair, I fold my arms and look directly at Auden. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

Auden, not bothering to look at me, swings for Hayden again, missing. "School's a waste of time."

Hayden glances at me, raising an eyebrow as if to say I told you so. I lean against the ropes, staring hard at Auden. "You think you'll get a job if you don't finish high school?"

He ignores me, swinging for Hayden again, who neatly sidesteps and hits his helmet with a quick one-two. Auden stumbles, righting himself before circling Hayden. "I don't need to finish high school to be a boxer."

I run a hand down my jaw, sharing another look with Hayden. Auden isn't the first kid to come in here and think he'll be the next big thing, and far be it from me to take away his dreams, but dreams are nothing without something steady to ground you. Usually, it's your parents or your family telling you to stay in school or preparing you for the future, but Auden doesn't have any of that.

"Hey," I say to Hayden, slipping through the ropes. "Pass me your gloves."

Hayden frowns. "But your shoulder–"

"I'll be fine," I say because we're talking about Auden. While I admire his spirit, I could take this kid out in my sleep. Hayden removes his gloves with a sigh and hands them to me. He doesn't speak, but his eyes say it all: Go easy on him.

When I'm ready, I square up to Auden, watching his eyes follow me suspiciously. He's not as relaxed as he was with Hayden 'cause he knows I won't hesitate to drop him on his ass. "So, what," I say, "your plan is to become a boxer? You'll have to pay for your membership here when you turn eighteen. How are you going to pay without money? Where are you going to get money without a job?"

"I'll manage," he replies, throwing a jab past my right shoulder. I raise an eyebrow, silently questioning his effort, and he follows up with another miss to my left.

"If you're aiming for pro boxing, you'll need better skills and equipment. And that's going to cost."

"Coach will help me out," he mutters, dodging my left hook. "Hayden will, too. They're not assholes like you."

"They won't," I say, sidestepping him. "Not if you don't stay in school. I'll make sure of it."

"Is this the good-cop, bad-cop routine?" he asks. "Did Hayden call you down here to beat some sense into me?"

"Nope, he called me to talk some sense into you." I wink and tap his helmet again, knocking him back. "The beatdown is just a perk."

He lunges at me with a growl, landing a jab to my chest. Ignoring that he's out of bounds, I retaliate with a swift punch to his jaw. He goes down almost instantly, falling to his hands and knees as he squeezes his eyes shut, working through the pain.

"You're nowhere near ready to be a boxer," I say, ripping off my gloves, "so if you plan to quit school and box your way to riches, you're wasting your time."

He sits back on his knees, finally opening his eyes to look at me, and when he does, it's not with anger but defeat. "Tell me what I'm supposed to do then," he says quietly, "because right now, I don't have a whole lot of options."

"You stay in school," I say, offering him my hand, "and if you keep up your grades and stay out of trouble, I'll train you myself."

He hesitates, looking at my extended hand. After a pause, he sheds his glove and takes it. I lift him up, watching his chest rise and fall in steady beats. He runs a hand down his jaw, thinking about it. "Alright."

I keep my face neutral, but I've never felt more relieved. "Good, then get your ass to school."

He breathes out slowly, glancing at Hayden, then back to me, nodding. Sliding through the ropes, he gathers his gear and walks across the gym.

"Your methods are a little questionable, but you've got the spirit," Hayden says once he leaves. "Guess this means you're ready to be a coach."

"Yeah," I say, staring at the door Auden just left through. Something about the word 'coach' feels better than 'boxer' ever did. "I guess it does."

Hayden glances over now, flashing a knowing smirk. I nudge him with my good shoulder, then grab the gloves and store them in the box. He heads to a heavy bag to practice while I clean up the gym, thinking about what this means for the future. I know becoming a coach won't be easy. There are courses, costs, training. But I realize now that helping kids like Auden feels right – maybe it always has.

When I'm done, I move to one of the treadmills and start a light jog. With my torn rotator cuff, I'm limited in my workout, so I stick to light exercises to keep the joints moving. I've jogged for what must be nearly an hour when the door swings open, and Alyssa walks in. She spots Hayden first and moves toward him, saying something I can't hear. Even in her workout gear – a simple black t-shirt and leggings – the sight of her makes my heart pound like crazy. I watch the pair go back and forth, pretty sure he's giving her a pep talk for tomorrow since he'll be the one in her corner.

Finally, she spots me and grins. I grin back, watching as she heads to the equipment, pulling on gloves. Once geared up, we climb through the ropes, where she gives me the cutest damn smile. "Loser has to make dinner tonight, so I hope you've honed your cooking skills, O'Connor."

My eyebrow raises at her confidence. "Deal, but remember you promised to go easy on me, Goldilocks."

"Is that just your way of saving face if you lose?" she teases.

"Kinda." The sound of gloves connecting fills the gym as we circle one another. I take the first jab, aiming for her side, but she deftly moves out of the way, showing off her improved footwork. We both sport grins; me because I'm so damn proud, and her because she's adamant she'll win.

Her eyes sparkle mischievously as she comes in with a one-two combo, her punches swift and precise. I block the first, but the second lands cleanly, causing me to step back, feigning shock. "You're quicker," I concede with a playful huff.

It's true. I still remember our early sparring sessions as if they were yesterday. Now, as she ducks under my straight left and delivers a quick right hook to my ribs, it's clear how far she's come. I keep going, mainly working on footwork or timing, wanting to avoid overexerting her before tomorrow, but I'm the one getting tired.

In true Maddie style, she's taught Alyssa to bank on her speed, not just strength. Alyssa's tactic is to tire me out, moving so nimbly that chasing her takes more effort than trading punches. It's a clever tactic, and I can see the confidence building in her with each weave and dodge.

"Is that sweat I see above your brow, O'Connor?"

"It's glisten," I say, swooping forward. Every time I think I have her, she surprises me, moving out of my reach or delivering a counterpunch that I didn't see coming. And even though we're throwing punches, hers landing more than mine, my smile never fades, not once.

I could spar with this girl for the rest of my life.

Though maybe not for the rest of tonight. When I feel my energy waning, I let her land a combo and playfully fall to the mat. My chest flutters as I rip off my gloves, taking a moment to steady my breathing. Above me, Alyssa's laughter fills the room, her eyes twinkling with mischief. She sheds her helmet, slides over me, and kisses my forehead.

"I guess this it," she says, and for a moment, I think she's talking about us. "One more sleep, and then I'm doing this for real."

I can hear in her voice that she's nervous, even if, in typical Alyssa fashion, she's trying to hide it. "If this is how you fight tomorrow," I say, reaching up to tuck her hair back, "you have nothing to worry about."

I mean it.

She gazes down at me, kissing me softly, and murmurs, "Thank you. I really needed to hear that."

I graze her cheek, about to snake an arm around her waist when what sounds like Hayden calls, "Jesus, get a room!"

Like he can talk. I've walked in to find him and Maddie half-naked more times than I'd like to remember. Sitting up, I shoot him a glare before helping Alyssa to her feet. She draws me in by the waist, tuning out the teasing shouts from the others to bat her lashes at me. "Wanna get a room?"

I grin and take her hand in mine, with no intention of ever letting go. "Hell, yes."

A/N

Comment a heart if you're ready for the next chapter! ❤️

Do you think Alyssa will win or lose the fight??