a fist into Jagger’s face, sending him flying back into the rubber railings.
Jagger bounces back, landing a solid punch to Tiger’s stomach. Tiger doubles over and Jagger takes the opportunity to upper cut his face, sending him stumbling backwards. Tiger spits blood out of his mouth and bounces back, driving a fist into the side of Jagger’s face. Before I can see the reaction, Jagger drives a left hook into Tiger’s jaw. Tiger’s head spins to the side and spit and blood fly through the air to land on people standing close enough to get hit.
Jagger turns to his side and drops a power punch onto Tiger’s right cheek. Tiger’s knees buckle and his back bends as he falls onto the floor. Blood pours from his nose and mouth. He’s out cold. Mick roars his victory and jumps into the ring to count it down. Tiger isn’t getting back up, so everyone cheers and roars over Jagger’s win. Mick takes Jagger’s hand and holds it up high, and everyone roars louder.
That’s when Jagger’s eyes fall on me. His eyes widen, and I actually look around, wondering if he’s seen someone else. Maybe he’s staring at Danny. When I look again, his eyes are on mine. Oh shit. Does he know it’s me? How? I don’t understand. Suddenly I see Sharleen and my heart turns to stone. She rushes out and wraps her arms around Jagger, he hesitates a moment and then seems to shake his head a little. He wraps an arm around her and presses his lips to hers and I want to die.
I look away, feel ing my skin prickle. I thought I could handle this, I thought it would be ok but there he is kissing her like I never existed. How could he? How could he just forget me like that? Is that all I meant to him? Danny grips my arm and pulls me close, not caring about my trembling lip. He wants his money, nothing more, nothing less and he’ll not stop until he gets it. He leads me through the crowd to a small door.
“You have five minutes. Jagger will go out back to get ready for the next fight. He always gets ready alone, the blonde will stay out with Mick, she always does.”
Danny peers over the crowd and when he sees Jagger disappear, he shoves me through the door. I stumble into a dimly lit room. I can’t see much, there’s a few lockers and a silver bench in the middle of the room. A man is sitting on the bench, his head hung. I know that man, I know him as well as I know myself. It’s Jagger.
“Why the fuck are you here?”
He knows. He recognized me.
“How did you know it was me?”
He looks up and turns, staring directly into my eyes.
“Do you think I’d ever forget those eyes? I told you not to come back, so why did you? I told you what I’d do.”
“And I didn’t believe you.”
He stands suddenly, and before I know it a gun is being pointed at my head. I stare in shock. He’s panting, anger flashes in his gaze and it scares me. He wouldn’t hurt me, would he?
“Jagger…”
“Get the fuck outta here, I don’t want you. I don’t love you. I wish you would get that through your head!”
Ouch. I put up my wall, straighten my shoulders and walk forward. His eyes widen and he flinches, but he doesn’t lower the gun. When I’m standing with it pressed firmly to my forehead, I stop.
“Do it, you want to fucking shoot me? Do it. I have lived through hell, you would be doing me a favor.”
“Willow,” he rasps, “j ust leave. We’re done.”
“We are, yes, and I wish it were that simple. It’s not simple anymore though. It hasn’t been simple for months. I wish I could just walk away Jagger, I wish I could have just packed up and moved on. Maybe if it was just me, I could have.”
“What are you talking about?”
I meet his eyes and with a hard heart, I reach into my top and pull out a photo. I slam it against his chest. He lowers the gun and his fingers brush mine as he takes the photo from my hand. Shivers run through me, but I shove them away. He unfolds the paper and stares, god, he just stares. I see nothing
Jagger bounces back, landing a solid punch to Tiger’s stomach. Tiger doubles over and Jagger takes the opportunity to upper cut his face, sending him stumbling backwards. Tiger spits blood out of his mouth and bounces back, driving a fist into the side of Jagger’s face. Before I can see the reaction, Jagger drives a left hook into Tiger’s jaw. Tiger’s head spins to the side and spit and blood fly through the air to land on people standing close enough to get hit.
Jagger turns to his side and drops a power punch onto Tiger’s right cheek. Tiger’s knees buckle and his back bends as he falls onto the floor. Blood pours from his nose and mouth. He’s out cold. Mick roars his victory and jumps into the ring to count it down. Tiger isn’t getting back up, so everyone cheers and roars over Jagger’s win. Mick takes Jagger’s hand and holds it up high, and everyone roars louder.
That’s when Jagger’s eyes fall on me. His eyes widen, and I actually look around, wondering if he’s seen someone else. Maybe he’s staring at Danny. When I look again, his eyes are on mine. Oh shit. Does he know it’s me? How? I don’t understand. Suddenly I see Sharleen and my heart turns to stone. She rushes out and wraps her arms around Jagger, he hesitates a moment and then seems to shake his head a little. He wraps an arm around her and presses his lips to hers and I want to die.
I look away, feel ing my skin prickle. I thought I could handle this, I thought it would be ok but there he is kissing her like I never existed. How could he? How could he just forget me like that? Is that all I meant to him? Danny grips my arm and pulls me close, not caring about my trembling lip. He wants his money, nothing more, nothing less and he’ll not stop until he gets it. He leads me through the crowd to a small door.
“You have five minutes. Jagger will go out back to get ready for the next fight. He always gets ready alone, the blonde will stay out with Mick, she always does.”
Danny peers over the crowd and when he sees Jagger disappear, he shoves me through the door. I stumble into a dimly lit room. I can’t see much, there’s a few lockers and a silver bench in the middle of the room. A man is sitting on the bench, his head hung. I know that man, I know him as well as I know myself. It’s Jagger.
“Why the fuck are you here?”
He knows. He recognized me.
“How did you know it was me?”
He looks up and turns, staring directly into my eyes.
“Do you think I’d ever forget those eyes? I told you not to come back, so why did you? I told you what I’d do.”
“And I didn’t believe you.”
He stands suddenly, and before I know it a gun is being pointed at my head. I stare in shock. He’s panting, anger flashes in his gaze and it scares me. He wouldn’t hurt me, would he?
“Jagger…”
“Get the fuck outta here, I don’t want you. I don’t love you. I wish you would get that through your head!”
Ouch. I put up my wall, straighten my shoulders and walk forward. His eyes widen and he flinches, but he doesn’t lower the gun. When I’m standing with it pressed firmly to my forehead, I stop.
“Do it, you want to fucking shoot me? Do it. I have lived through hell, you would be doing me a favor.”
“Willow,” he rasps, “j ust leave. We’re done.”
“We are, yes, and I wish it were that simple. It’s not simple anymore though. It hasn’t been simple for months. I wish I could just walk away Jagger, I wish I could have just packed up and moved on. Maybe if it was just me, I could have.”
“What are you talking about?”
I meet his eyes and with a hard heart, I reach into my top and pull out a photo. I slam it against his chest. He lowers the gun and his fingers brush mine as he takes the photo from my hand. Shivers run through me, but I shove them away. He unfolds the paper and stares, god, he just stares. I see nothing
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