I’m sitting in the corner of the ring, the bright arena lights practically blinding me. As Lou tries to give me a final pep talk, all I can do is stare at Evgeny Korobov, practically snarling across from me.

“Are we sure he’s in the right weight class? They checked his L-Bs, right, man?” I say to Lou after removing my mouth guard.

“Just focus on the moves we practiced and forget about that big lunk!” Lou yells over the roar of the crowd, which is way bigger than I expected it to be.

I am about to fight Evgeny Korobov, holy shit.

The last three weeks have been insane as Lou and I have been training for this fight. I’ve barely seen Hazel, as she’s been spending most of her time with Jake and Bree while I go home at night to Ringo. Kylie seems to have been avoiding me, unless it’s about work, and I’ve felt her absence in my life in a way I didn’t expect. Only talking to Business Kylie has been unexpectedly detrimental to my mental health, but I’ve forced myself to focus on at least surviving this fight with my dignity intact.

But that isn’t to say my time at the gym has been easy. In fact, most of the guys made the last three weeks a living hell. Miller started telling everyone how badly he beat me down, and despite my first pro win, that was all anyone could talk about. It went from gentle ribbing to straight up aggression, and my guess was that Miller was building on the story with details that didn’t sync up to reality. The only one who wasn’t targeting me was Manny, but he was the kind of guy who would apologize when he bumped into a wall.

Lou promised after this fight we’d start looking for a new gym, a better gym, and for the first time since I began down this path, I’m actually thinking it’s a good idea. I’m afraid I lost focus with the bullshit that went on over the last few weeks, and if I’m going to keep fighting big-name guys like…

“Where are you, kid? They’re about to announce the fight!”

Lou snaps me back to reality, and I jump to my feet to try and psych myself up. I also try not to look at the side of the ring, where Kylie is sitting with a row of reporters. She is practically a lighthouse in a sea of strange faces, and if I focus too much on her, I may never come back. It doesn’t help that she looks nervous, and that’s an emotion Kylie never betrays in public.

Instead, I keep my eyes on the floor of ring, and try to tune out the ref as he announces us in the center.

“In this corner, weighing in at 160 pounds, World Title Champ 2015 and general jaw-smasher, from Kiev, Ukraine, Evgeny Korobov!”

Thanks a lot, buddy, I think as I scowl at the ground.

“And in this corner, also weighing in at 160 pounds, undefeated in his pro career with zero losses and one win, from right here in Chicago, Adam ‘Atom Bomb’ Burnham!”

Could have done without the backhanded compliment, asshole.

I walk out into the center of the ring, and everything that happens from that point on is a complete blur. I see Korobov come at me, and his first swing is fierce, full of so much power that he stumbles forward a little. He’s sloppy, out of real practice. The kind of practice that comes from feeling the pure adrenaline of the ring. I’m able to duck him in a second and slide out of his way. I can tell by the look on his face that he’s pissed that he missed though, and he’s already rearing up to come at me again.

In fact, at the rate he’s expending energy, I may only have to keep avoiding him. If I can just…

Smash.

His left makes contact with my cheek instead of his right. I was so focused on his right hand, that I forgot to keep an eye on the other, and he nailed me. I can hear Lou yelling at me, “Watch your four, kid! Watch your four!”

Lou is using the hands on a clock to keep me paying attention to where Korobov’s left hand is, but I need to go back to ducking him while my vision clears. I dive left, and right, and Korobov tilts a little on his heel, barely staying upright as he lunges at me again. It feels like we’ve been sparring without resolution forever, when the ref calls “ROUND ONE!” and we both go back to our corners.

Lou starts poking at my cheek, and the pain is electric. I think Korobov broke my cheekbone.

“I think Korobov broke your cheekbone,” Lou says as he snaps an ice pack and presses it to my face.

Thanks for the tip, I think bitterly as I wince at Lou’s touch.

“You just have to keep him moving. Get some hits in where you can, but he’s not as in shape as you, kid. You can wear him down,” he whisper-shouts at me. I nod, and guzzle down water from my bottle. Seconds later, I’m back in the ring, and doing everything I can to exhaust Korobov and avoid his violent throws. We each get a few cursory connections made, but by round four, I can see that Korobov is done. I hold it together for one more round, and then, when we charge back out, I attack.

Right.

Right.

Left.

Duck.

Left.

The last left is the final blow and Korobov crumbles like a rag doll. The ref dodges over to him and begins the count, but I don’t hear. The combination of my heart beating in my ears and the stunned murmurs of the crowd blocks everything out. I hear nothing, until suddenly, “TEN” echoes through my ears. The confused murmurs turn to rapturous applause, and it clicks.

I won.

Holy shit, I won.

* * *

“You were incredible, Adam. Seriously. I’m already getting calls and e-mails from reporters who want to talk to you about this fight. I mean, come on. You beat Evgeny Korobov! I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes right back into retirement!”

I’ve never seen Kylie this excited about anything. She is flitting around her apartment, sipping from a glass of wine and chattering happily. Lou, Kylie, and I came back to her apartment after the fight to talk about our next steps, and how we could best utilize the momentum I’d built. But about twenty minutes after we got there, Lou yawned and announced he was too tired to, “party with the young people,” so he went home.

Now Kylie and I are alone in her brand-new, fancy high-rise apartment in Old Town. Jake and the kids are spending the night with Hazel at our place, so there is no rush for me to go home, and all I can think about is how amazing the view from her bedroom must be…

Stop it, Adam. Not again!

I see Kylie wave at me, and gesture that she’s gotten a call, so she steps out on the balcony and opens the door with a shiver. Once I’m sure she’s distracted, I start wandering around, checking out her place. It’s not huge, but everything is new and shiny, nothing like my huge converted warehouse space. Her bedroom doesn’t have a door, but that means I can see the window that overlooks Old Town, and I was right. The view is beautiful.

I sneak over to a row of photos Kylie has on her side table and… Is that Lyric Gerard? Wow… She knows people way more famous than I’ll ever be.

“Hey, come see this!” Kylie yells from the balcony, startling me from my snooping. I walk out to the balcony, and it’s snowing again.

“It’s been a while since it snowed this early this often here.”

Kylie holds out her hand, and catches the melting snowflakes in her palm. She looks like an angel, and I feel all my resolve to keep my distance disappearing in an instant. I don’t know if it’s the thrill of winning, or how beautiful Kylie looks in the moonlight, but I am suddenly overcome with feelings I haven’t experienced since I lost Mandy. I feel myself drawn to her, and I take a step closer until my phone starts to buzz in my pocket.

Shit, I think as I pull it out of my pants. I see it’s Jake and I groan.

“I’ll go inside and give you some privacy,” Kylie says with a smile. I begrudgingly answer.

“What is it, man?”

“Hey! I saw you won the fight! Congrats! You out celebrating?” he asks, and I can hear the teasing in his voice.

“Yeah, a real party. What’s up, dude?”

“Listen, I just wanted to check and make sure that the cat gets water from the sink and not the filter pitcher.”

My jaw drops. “This is why you’re calling me? Seriously? I don’t care! Give him water from baby bottles for all I care! I have to go.”

I hang up and turn my phone on silent, then I turn around and look back into the apartment to see Kylie sitting on the couch, flipping through the various sports channels. On each one, I see my face splashed all over the screen, headlines exclaiming my victory and inevitable rise to stardom. Kylie looks less than enthusiastic about the news than I would expect. I can see nervousness in her eyes. I brush the snow off my shoulders and shake it off my hair, then walk back inside.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as I lean against the cool glass of the closed door.

“Your star is rising, buddy, a lot faster than I anticipated. I’m just a little nervous about handling you going forward,” Kylie replies candidly. “I can do it, obviously. But you’re going to be huge. We both know it. And I’m a little worried we’re moving outside of our comfort zone, you know?”

I feel a tinge of anger rise inside of me. “That’s ridiculous, Kylie,” I reply firmly. “You’ve gotten me this far, and I know without a doubt that you can handle this. You can handle this and so much more. I wouldn’t do this with anyone else but you. I couldn’t have made it this far without you. And besides, I need you.”

“You don’t need me,” Kylie says with a laugh. “All of the ass you’re kicking is entirely on you. And Lou, of course,” she adds with a sly smile.

“Yes, I do. I need you more than you will ever know.”

My feelings for her wash over me as I see her expression almost instantaneously change, the nervousness melting from her face.

I walk over to the couch and sit next to her, putting my arm around her shoulder, scooting her close to me. She sets her head on my shoulder and yawns, and we sit together for a few moments, watching the local news coverage of everything else going on in the city. I actually wonder if she’s starting to doze off for a second, but then the sports coverage begins anew, and my battered face is all over the screen again. Kylie sits back and reaches for the notebook on her side table and begins to jot down furious notes. She looks so stressed… so tense.

I have to do something to relax her. Something to take her mind off work and bring her back to the present, where I am lost in my feelings for her.

My hand, which has been resting on her thigh, begins to drift up toward the edge of her skirt, sliding softly under the flowing fabrics. Kylie looks over at me, and I can see the insecurities floating through her mind, the same insecurities that have been plaguing my mind since the first time we were together.

God, I wish she knew how lucky and peaceful I feel just being in her presence. I can’t be without her. Not now, especially when I need her the most.

I lean over and kiss her neck softly, sprinkling the occasional nibble on her ear lobe.

“Mmm, that feels nice,” Kylie whispers as she closes her eyes.

As I distract her with my kisses, my hand continues to make its way up her skirt, finding her soft cotton panties. I run one finger down her slit, feeling her heat to my touch. Kylie’s breath begins to quicken as I lazily trace the outline of her through her underwear, drawing figure-eights just around her clit. Kylie turns to kiss me deeply, her longing hardly contained as I continue to tease her. She turns her body toward me, her gorgeous breasts aching to press against my chest as I calmly play, taking my time tantalizing her.

I run my hand from one thigh to the other before sliding my hand under her panties, pushing first one, and then two fingers into her slick opening. Her legs widen in response, and I can see her chest beginning to heave with desire. My cock instantly hardens as I discover how quickly she’s become wet and ready for me, begging me to enter her.

Not tonight, I remind myself. This is only about Kylie tonight.

My fingers slowly stroking inside of her, I slide off the couch, kneeling down on the ground in front of her.

“What are you doing?” Kylie leans forward to ask me. I kiss her, and silently push her back. She complies, her eyes closing as my fingers become more enthusiastic with their strokes. Her fingers dig into her thighs as her release builds, her hips bucking slightly with each movement.

With my free hand, I grab her panties and pull them down to her ankles, and she kicks them off to the corner of the room. Hooking my arms around the back of her knees, I slide her toward me, her slick sex eagerly moving toward my face.

I can’t wait any longer to taste her. My tongue meets her clit, and Kylie cries out in delight with this new sensation. I slowly circle her, running my lips run up and down her opening, feeling her twitch and twist with each touch. In response, her hips are pushing toward me, begging me to keep going. Kylie is whimpering, alternately grasping at my hair and the sheets, as my tongue flicks and nips at her. Her ecstasy is unbelievably sexy, and I am intoxicated by her taste. I begin to speed up, softly flicking her, drawing out her climax. Kylie is writhing almost uncontrollably, pressing my head down toward her to keep going.

“Oh, my God!” Kylie screams out as her back arches into the air, riding the waves of her deep orgasm. I back away, using my thumb to help her finish as she writhes in delight.

I give her a few minutes of space to gather herself and return to reality. Kylie sits up, looking at me in wonder

“What was that for?” she asks.

“I cannot do this without you. I need you to be a part of this journey. Please, please believe me.”

Kylie walks over to the corner where her panties have ended up, bends over, and starts to slip them back over her long, beautiful legs. She looks out the window at the snow falling down along the city skyline, lost in thought over the possibilities of what could come next.

Finally, she turns around.

“Okay. Let’s do this.”