"You can try to outrun your demons. You can fill it with this," I motioned all around, "but they eventually catch up to you. They always do. Trust me, I should know."
Our time was up, and if I stayed in that gym any longer, I wasn't sure I wouldn't continue to open up my wounds for her to pour salt in. There was a level of torture I enjoyed, felt was justified even, and then there was just plain torture. At this point, being in her presence any longer than necessary was Hell. I wanted to deny my interest in her, but I was only fooling myself.
Giving in to that temptation would be catastrophic in ways I wasn't prepared to deal with. I'd given in to them in the past, and I was still trying to find my way out from the rubble. No, it was better that my sad eyed kitten stayed far, far, away from me.
Grabbing my stuff, I hastily made my way out. I needed to be far from the gym and her. My bike was parked in an alley behind Windy City, which ended up being my biggest regret of the day. Two burly goons stepped out from the shadows before I reached it, effectively blocking my exit and bike.
Halting my footsteps, I sighed, knowing this would inevitably catch up with me, but always hoping I would be lucky enough to miss it. Chuckling at myself, because who was I kidding… not being lucky was what got me into this mess in the first place.
"Fellas, I'm all booked tonight, but I can see if I can squeeze you in tomorrow. Let me just go back to the gym, and we can..."
"Not so fast, Crash," a voice sneered behind me, freezing me in my spot. A hand clamped down onto my shoulder and the small window I had at escaping fled. Hanging my head, I accepted the pain about to be bestowed upon me. He walked around to the front of me, a sinister look on his face. Darren.
"I thought we had an agreement, and yet, here you are, winning fights. You owe me money, Crash, lots of money."
"And I told you that I'd get you the money, but I don't cheat."
"Interesting, considering why you're in this predicament, isn't it, boys?"
The two goons laughed down the alley, my blood running cold at the sound. I was outnumbered and outgunned. Would I even be able to walk away from this?
A push from behind had me falling to my knees, catching me off guard as the gravel dug into my skin. I was still in my workout clothes, so the pavement cut my knee with the force. The punches that followed came in a whirlwind from all directions, impossible to track as the blows rained down on me.
I blacked out after a while, going to the place in my mind I'd learned many years ago in foster care, the place where I could be safe. When the punches stopped, it was hard to breathe as I dragged in the air. Every part of my body ached as I tried to catalog my injuries and stay present. One last kick to my ribs had me groaning as it felt like the boot left an indent in my side.
"This is your last warning, Crash. Delgados don't play. You might want to miss the fight tomorrow."
Spit landed on my face, followed by the sound of boots retreating. When silence descended around me, I relaxed as much as possible. Blackness crept in and out, and I had no idea how long I laid on that hard ground. Stretching, I groaned as I tried to reach the bag I'd dropped. It took a few tries, but finally, I reached the strap and pulled it toward me slowly.
Panting, I laid on the ground for a few more minutes as I regained my strength and courage to go through the pain again. The cold that seeped into my skin spurred me to move, and I was finally able to pull out my phone. Dialing the one number I knew by heart, I waited to see if the last nail in my coffin would fall.
"Hello? Wells, is that you?" His familiar voice rang out, and I wanted to ignore the comfort it brought.
"Yeah, it's… me. I… need… help."
"Where are you?" he questioned, the panic evident in his voice.
"Gym."
"I'm on my way."
"Thank… you… Mon… roe."
"You don't need to thank me, Wells. You know our creed. Anytime, anywhere—"
"—I'll… be there."
"Yeah."
"I just… wasn't sure. After… last time," I panted, each word harder as I laid there.
"You're my best friend, Wells. That supersedes anything. If you'd taken my call in the past six months, you'd know that." I could hear noise in the background as I assumed he was gathering his things to leave. "I'm just glad you did call. I have Levi, so let me see if my neighbor can come and watch him while I leave. It's after ten, and he's asleep."
"I'm sorry," emotion thick in my words, "I didn't… know who… else to call."
"No apologies. Enough, okay? I'll be there soon. Just hang in there."
"Thanks, Roe."