Chapter 42: Chapter 41. You’re Not Channing Tatum

CLAIRE

“No,” I sighed, for what felt like the hundredth time this hour.

I walked over to Blake, gently nudged his knee wider apart, then took his clenched fists in my hands. I positioned one to shield his face and the other to guard his stomach.

“Now,” I stepped back, scrutinizing his stance. “Give it another shot.” I instructed.

Blake’s hands tensed up and I could see his body go on high alert. Swiftly, he swung his left fist at the punching bag, instinctively shifting to the other side.

His right leg shot out, striking the bottom of the bag as he moved to the left.

Next, he crouched low, pretending to tackle the base of the bag, which would be a person’s legs. Then, he paused.

I grinned and clapped my hands. “Well done. Took a few tries, but you nailed it.” I teased. Blake rolled his eyes, but he was grinning too.

He stood up, wrapped his sweaty arms around my waist and spun me around. I let out a surprised yelp as he twirled me faster. Gently, he set me down and pressed his lips to mine in a sweet kiss.

I chuckled as he pulled back, his face lit up with a huge grin. “You’re an incredible teacher! You could be a pro boxing coach.” He beamed.

I raised an eyebrow. “Would you really want other guys seeing me all sweaty in just a sports bra and boxing shorts?” I challenged.

His eyes darkened instantly and his grip on my waist tightened. “Right. I don’t want any other man seeing you like that. You’re mine,” he declared possessively.

I laughed softly at his possessiveness. I’d grown used to his jealous and possessive behavior around me. He was still cocky and arrogant, but those were just a few of the things I loved about him.

“Feeling possessive?” I teased, looking at him with amusement.

Blake just shrugged nonchalantly. “You know you love it,” he retorted with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. “You can be so full of yourself,” I laughed, playfully hitting his arm.

It was now April second. I had three months to figure out what I wanted to do about my relationship with Blake and my boxing career. I loved boxing and couldn’t imagine life without it.

It was my passion, my escape, my identity. But I’d grown so attached to Blake over the past three months we’d been dating. I didn’t know where we’d be in the next three or four months.

Would we still be together? Would he leave? Would we break up because it just wasn’t working? Or worse, would I have to end things with him because of the danger I was putting him in?

I couldn’t bear the thought of him getting hurt. Not because of me. I couldn’t handle being hurt again. After everything. My parents, Ashley, Logan, James. I’d been hurt more than most people experience in a lifetime!

“Claire,” Blake’s voice, laced with concern, pulled me out of my thoughts. I met his gaze and blinked, coming back to reality.

“I’ve been calling your name for the past two minutes. Are you okay?” he asked, his grey eyes filled with worry.

I forced a smile and shook my head. “I’m fine. Just lost in thought.” I told him, trying to sound convincing.

He nodded, though his eyes showed he wasn’t entirely convinced. “Alright then. So, how’s your mom doing?” he asked casually, his arms still wrapped around me in a comforting embrace.

I nodded, resting my head on his sweaty chest.

“She’s doing much better. I made sure to get rid of all the beer and cigarettes earlier.

“I keep an eye on the bank account to make sure she doesn’t buy alcohol or cigarettes without me knowing. So far so good. How’s Anya? Does she miss me?” I asked, a hint of cockiness in my voice.

Ever since I bought Anya her Christmas presents, she’s adored me. She loves playing with me and trying on dresses as we dance to music in her room. She’s a typical nine-year-old girl.

She loves pink and dressing up. She’s absolutely adorable and knows just how to get her way with everyone with just a simple smile. Her birthday is next month: May fifteenth.

We’re all planning a surprise party for her. Her dad, Daniel, will take her to her favorite park, arcade, and then out for ice cream.

That should give us enough time to set up the party. I plan to spoil the little Princess, too.

Blake snorted and rolled his eyes. “Honestly, I’m starting to think she loves you more than me. And that’s saying something because I’m her favorite brother,” he declared.

I laughed, shaking my head at his childishness. “You’re her only brother.” I reminded him.

He glared at me. “Well, thanks for the ego boost.” His voice dripped with sarcasm. I just shrugged, smirking.

“Just telling it like it is, babe.” I replied, matching his arrogance.

His eyes narrowed at me. “Babe.” He smirked at my choice of nickname for him.

I nodded, not the least bit intimidated. “Yup,” I confirmed, popping the P. “You heard right: Babe. What, you don’t like it?” I asked, feigning hurt.

He shook his head, playing along. “No, not really. Got a better one?” He asked.

I pretended to think for a moment, then shook my head. “Nope. Babe it is, babe.” I confirmed with a grin.

He narrowed his eyes at me again. “How about Sex God?” he suggested.

I shook my head. “Nope. You’re not Channing Tatum. Only he can be classified as a Sex God. You, are no Sex God. You are my Babe.”

I nodded, trying to keep a straight face, holding back laughter at his darkened expression.

Blake stepped closer, our chests pressing together, as he leaned in, his lips tantalizingly close to mine. “Is that so?” he questioned, his voice turning husky.

I swallowed, but nodded, refusing to back down and give him the upper hand.

“Yeah, you’re right. You can’t compete with Channing Tatum. Maybe Ian Somerhalder could, but those two are in a league of their own.”

I was just being honest with him. It was the truth.

When it came to looks, those two were unbeatable. But in the realm of being my boyfriend, knowing all my quirks and secrets, Blake was unmatched.

And Blake shouldn’t worry. I’ll never meet those two, so he had nothing to fear.

Suddenly, his grip on my waist tightened and before I knew it, I was slung over Blake’s shoulder. A surprised yelp escaped my lips as I instinctively clung to his back.

My breath hitched, but quickly returned to normal as I realized what was happening.

Blake had hoisted me over his shoulder and was strolling out of the private gym room.

He walked casually, and I tried to bury my face in his back to avoid the curious stares from the other gym-goers. I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment as Blake carried me out to his car.

“Blake,” I whispered sharply. “What on earth are you doing?” I asked as he opened the back door and gently laid me down.

I looked up at his lust-filled eyes and couldn’t help but chuckle. He closed the door and immediately climbed on top of me, careful not to crush me with his weight.

“What does it look like? I’m about to remind my girlfriend who she belongs to. You should know by now that I don’t like to share.”

He grinned, leaning down to claim my lips in a passionate kiss. I moaned at the intensity of his kiss. His hands traced lightly over my bare skin, sending shivers down my spine.

His tongue teased my bottom lip and I opened up for him. His tongue wasted no time in exploring my mouth. For some reason, Blake always tasted slightly minty with a hint of coffee.

It might sound like a strange combination, but it left me craving more. My hands roamed over the contours of his abs and he shivered under my touch.

With one hand, Blake captured both of mine and held them above my head. I almost groaned out loud when he pulled back to look at me with hungry eyes.

“You look incredibly sexy like this, to me.” He growled, leaning back slightly.

I smirked confidently. “You look incredibly sexy this way as well,” I replied, admiring his toned torso and chiseled jaw.

The way his grey eyes darkened at my gaze and how his tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip. I could tell he was struggling to maintain control. I knew he wanted more of me. His eyes said it all.

“And what do I look like?” he asked, his voice growing huskier and deeper.

I grinned, biting my lip seductively.

“Like a dominant. Sure, a lot of girls like a guy to be gentle. But that’s not always the case. Honestly, every girl loves it when a guy takes control. It just makes it all the sexier.” I grinned at him.

He let out a raspy breath. “Jesus, when did you turn into a little vixen?” he asked.

I simply shrugged. “Every girl has their inner freak. You just happen to bring that out in me.” I smirked, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

Soon we were lost in another heated make-out session. When we finally pulled back, I checked the time.

I groaned when my phone started to ring. Still catching my breath, I sat up and motioned for Blake to be quiet as I answered the call.

“Nancy,” I greeted.

“Claire, it’s almost seven p.m. You need to get here, now. The fights are about to start and you have about five of them,” Nancy explained hurriedly, before hanging up.

“Damn,” I muttered when I saw that it was already forty-eight minutes past six. “I need to get to the fights now. Let’s go.” I told Blake, climbing out of the back seat and into the passenger seat as he took the driver’s seat.

“Right, sorry. Lost track of time.” He coughed, still trying to catch his breath. I chuckled. Seems we both lost track of time.

“It’s okay. I’m already dressed and I have my bag in the back. So, I’m good. Let’s just go.”

I told him quickly, adjusting my dark purple sports bra. My black shorts covered the tops of my thighs and I wore my purple converse.

Blake and I had been at the gym since two p.m. He wanted me to teach him more moves so I agreed. We just lost track of time after five p.m.

As soon as we arrived, I gave him a quick kiss before rushing out and practically running to the fights. I still had three minutes left, so I was good.

“Claire, Jesus, where were you? You start in two minutes!” Nancy hissed, glaring at me.

I shrugged. “Sorry. I was practicing with Blake. We lost track of time,” I explained.

She rolled her eyes. “Right, Blake. Whatever, just get out there.” She dismissed, turning me around to face the crowd.

As I stepped into the small ring, I tuned out the announcer and sized up my opponent. My blue hood was up, hiding my face. The only thing the guy could see were my bright hazel eyes.

The guy had a unique tattoo on his side and was wearing blue shorts. His dark brown hair was cut short and his blue eyes glared at me. He had a nice toned chest and his hands were already clenched at his sides.

He looked... prepared. He didn’t seem scared, or even surprised that I was a girl.

He looked like he was ready for whatever I was going to throw at him. For the first time in a long time, I felt a flicker of fear in the pit of my stomach.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bell. He wasted no time and tackled me to the ground. The weight of his body knocked the wind out of me.

My eyes widened as I saw his fist coming toward my face. Adrenaline surged through my veins and I quickly turned my head, blocking his punch.

My legs kicked out and I threw him off of me. I got to my feet quickly and dove to the side as he charged at me again.

My heart was pounding wildly as I turned to face him again. He was already on his feet, his eyes filled with hatred as he stalked towards me.

Once he was close enough, I lunged at him and landed a punch on his right cheekbone, quickly ducking under his legs.

The sound of my fist connecting with his jaw echoed through the room. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his head snapping to the side. I seized the moment, leaping onto his back and bringing him down to the ground. I pinned his legs with mine to prevent him from kicking me off.

I flipped him over, straddling him, and locked eyes with him. I saw a flicker of fear in his gaze, a sign that his plan wasn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped.

I pinned his hands above his head, my eyebrows raised in a silent challenge. He was young, probably in his early twenties, but his skills suggested he’d been training for a while.

“Who are you?” I demanded, my grip on his wrists tightening.

He shook his head, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“You’re in for a surprise, Sweetheart. Girls like you shouldn’t be messing with boxing or stuff like this. You never know who you’re up against, or what they can do,” he said.

In a swift move, he broke free from my hold, flipping our positions so he was now on top. He pinned my hands above my head, smirking down at me.

“I have to admit, you’re pretty good for a teenager,” he said, leaning in to whisper in my ear. “We’ll be seeing each other again soon, Claire Walker.”

And just like that, he was gone.

I sat up, looking around in confusion. He’d vanished.

“White Wolf wins by default,” the announcer declared, and the crowd erupted in cheers. But I was still dazed, staring at the spot where he’d disappeared. I had a feeling Logan and James were somehow involved.

***

By nine o’clock, the fights were over. I’d won them all, left with only a minor bruise on my stomach and a split lip.

The pain was starting to set in from a solid punch I’d taken in the second match. I felt arms wrap around me and I relaxed, recognizing Blake’s touch. I turned to kiss him.

“You okay?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied, still rattled by the encounter with the guy from the first match.

Blake nodded. “Need a ride home?” he asked as I picked up my bag.

I shook my head. “No, I think I’ll walk. I need some time alone, okay?”

“Alright. Text me when you get home,” he said, giving me a quick kiss before stepping back.

I smiled. “Will do. Goodnight, babe.” I laughed as he rolled his eyes.

“Night.” He waved, heading back to his car.

As I walked down the dark alley, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease. The guy’s words kept echoing in my head. “We’ll be seeing each other again soon, Claire Walker.”

The thought sent chills down my spine. I just wanted to be left alone, to enjoy the happiness I had with Blake, Nancy, and Molly. I wanted to laugh with my mom and have late-night conversations.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t hear the heavy footsteps behind me. I didn’t notice the tension in the air, or the ragged breathing. I didn’t realize someone was following me until a cloth was pressed over my mouth.

My eyes widened as I inhaled the sweet, sickly scent of chloroform. I struggled against the arms that wrapped around my waist, but the drug was too strong. As I slipped into unconsciousness, I heard a familiar voice whisper, “I told you we’d be seeing each other again soon, ~Sweetheart~.”