Saving Boston (Rewritten)

You Were The Only Thing Worth Fighting For

There wasn't a question about why I followed them inside the gym, even if I knew she didn't want me around. I would go wherever Bo went, though. My back leaned against the chair as she tightened the strap of a new pair of gloves around her wrists. I wasn't sure what I loved more, the black color she chose to wear or the pink ones she used to have when we trained together. Either way, I couldn't keep my eyes off her as she threw punches at the pads on John's hands.

The broken vessels in her eye hadn't healed. Everything was still fresh. It made me wonder why John allowed her to be in the ring. If something happened, I would try to refrain myself. I think I could adequately breathe as long as I remembered she wanted this. The feeling coursing through my veins made it difficult to stare at her swollen cheek without wanting to interrogate her.

As much as she hated my staring, I continued to do it. People tend to stare at things they think are cute, and she happened to be pretty fucking cute. So, I would continue staring because I could lose my eyesight anyday. And while she stands in the ring, staring at the man in front of her as her head falls back with laughter, I am memorizing every part of her face as if that day would come tomorrow.

The bouncing of her body stopped as she clutched her stomach, expressing her happiness as John continued to say something that made her laugh. The curly-haired girl looked genuinely happy until you noticed the discoloration under her eyes. Her skin had started to lose its glow, and with every strike she made, I noticed she had grown weaker.

My arms crossed over one another, resting on my torso as my legs started to bounce. Just like when Warren came back around, there were significant changes I caught on to that she didn't want me to see. Out of everybody, she knew I would be the one to call her out. I cared about her, so I asked too many questions and continued asking until I got answers. Whoever hurt her made fear strike her body in a way it never had before.

It made my knuckles ache. The feeling coursing through my body made me worry about what I would do, even if I tried telling myself not to do something stupid. The chair scraped the ground as I stood up. I couldn't help the sound that made them halt their actions, but I couldn't sit there and stare at her without driving myself crazy.

I shoved through the bathroom door, running my fingers through my hair as I tried to breathe deeply. I splashed cold water over my face as I leaned over the sink. I couldn't scare her away, no matter how upset I was with what happened. She was already tip-toeing around me, and it made me wonder if she had heard about what happened with the man at the bar. And now I have to worry if she is scared of me because I don't want to live in a world where the girl I want to protect is wanted to be protected from me.

When my breathing calmed, I walked out to see Bo barely standing straight. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion as I watched her arms falter. John must have seen her drooping eyes as he instructed her to pay attention. He kept pushing her to hit him, and now I am starting to ask if he was going blind.

"John, can I talk to you?"

He turned to me, motioning between him and Bo. "I am busy. Can it wait?"

"Now," I snapped.

Before he stepped out of the ring, I could hear him mumble to Bo that I still had anger issues. It didn't upset me, but hearing her laughter made everything better. I could hear John's footsteps behind me as I walked toward his office, and the second we stepped inside, I couldn't stop myself from snapping at him.

"She is fucking tired!"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Did you ask me to come in here just for that?"

I sucked in a deep breath, raking my fingers through my hair. "She is clearly exhausted! Can you not fucking see that?"