“WOOOO!! JUSTIN!” I yelled.
I watched as Justin walked down the hallway, entered the cage, and then he looked out at the crowd to find me. To my surprise, he left the ring and climbed through the stands to where I was.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said and gave me a kiss.
I was stunned. “Hi.” I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.
“I couldn’t fight without saying this,” he paused. “Anna, I love you. I’ve loved you since I started going to your studio, and my feelings have only grown stronger. I love you.”
Tears formed in the corners of my eyes. My heart was racing. He finally told me he loved me and I was almost too stunned to speak.
“I love you, too,” I said after a few more seconds.
He kissed me again, and I swear the crowd went crazier than it had when he first walked out.
I watched him go back into the octagon and tried to wrap my head around what just happened. I was so confused about how he felt about me, and now he told me he loved me. I was ecstatic and still in disbelief. This whole thing started out as a show for my parents, and now we were in love.
Ally leaned into me. “You need Justin in your life. I’ve always told you that,” she said with a wink.
I laughed. “Yeah, okay.”
“I’m serious though; you two are so perfect for each other. I could tell when we came to that first fight,” she said.
That night seemed like so long ago. I had such a huge crush on Justin, and then I thought I had lost him the following week only to get him back in my life in the best way possible, and now, he had just told me he loved me.
I wished it would have been enough to calm my nerves, but it was hard to relax. I was on pins and needles. This was the final fight. Tonight would decide his fate, and I hoped on everything that he would win so he could move on with his life. So, we could move on with our life together.
I watched Justin bounce around the ring with his opponent. The guy had a cocky look on his face, and I hoped that would be a good thing. I hoped he would let it get the best of him. Let him get amped up and think he was the shit only to have Justin take him out.
“How’s his shoulder?” Ally asked me.
“It’s alright. I massaged it on Saturday night and told him what to do to take care of it. He told me last night that it felt better. I just hope he wasn’t saying that to make me feel better,” I said.
“Yikes. I don’t think he would fight if it was that bad though. Do you?”
She was right. Justin wouldn’t fight with an injured shoulder. It would be too much to go up against. He would be starting out weak. There was no way he could win if he was still hurt.
“No, I don’t think he would either.”
I looked at Justin in the ring, just as Tyler hit him in the face. I cringed and covered my eyes. I couldn’t look. I didn’t want to watch him lose, but I really didn’t want to watch him get hurt again.
“Fuck. Is he okay?” I asked Ally.
“Yes, look,” Ally said and pulled my hands from my face.
I looked at the ring just as Justin hit Tyler in his ribs.
Tyler hit Justin in the face again, and I covered my eyes for the second time.
“I can’t look, Ally. I just can’t watch that. Tell me when something good happens.”
“Justin got the guy. GO JUSTIN!” she yelled.
I moved my hands one more time and watched Justin hit him again.
“YEAH! JUSTIN! GET HIM!” I called out.
Then Tyler got Justin in the face twice, and I cringed. I hated watching this. My anxiety was high, and I couldn’t seem to calm myself down.