If the Story Aligns

Chapter 19-Upsetting Consequences

Rhea Griffin

My ears are ringing, my head is pounding, and I can't fucking feel my leg.

"Darling, get off your pretty ass and fight back. You can do this." I hear Asher's voice yell. I attempt to crack a smile. Emphasis on the 'attempt.' He really thinks cheering for me is going to fucking help?

Champion is taking every chance he can right now to fit me, my arms are up, covering the majority of the hits. He pauses for a second, probably getting tired and I use my good leg to push him back. He unexpected this and stumbles almost falling over. Damn, I was hoping he'd fall over. I stand up, and push my attack while he's still tired.

At this point we're both fucking exhausted, but he has the upper hand since he fucking stabbed me. He attempts to throw a right hook and I have an idea. I grab his hand and twist his wrist backwards. He loudly winces and tries to throw another punch but it seems my idea did the trick, his right hand is now much weaker, and his left side is his bad side. I throw three punches in a row alternating hands and finish with an uppercut. His head falls backwards as he grimaces.

"You fucking pathetic little bitch!" He growls at me, I'm getting in his head it's making him mad a woman is able to fight him for this long. Using his aggression he charges towards me with no thought in his head. Stupid idea, dumbass. Before he reaches me I step to the side, literally the easiest possible situation just presented itself because anger was taking up all that's in his tiny little brain.

He rams into the ring ropes and hunches over the side, I come up behind him and sweep his legs out from under him so he falls on the ground. Before he can stand up I pin him down the best I can being 70 pounds lighter than him. My pain and anger cloud my mind and I put them into punch after punch directed at his face.

"Please, stop." I hear a mumble coming from him. I know he knows the rules, that's not how he taps out, he either has to say "tap," double tap the floor or pass out if he thinks I'm going to stop.

I resume the attacking, his face is now bruised and bloodied, probably how mine looks too, but I won't let this motherfucker beat me.

I look back down at Champion and realize he's going to have to change his name. Knocked out. Maybe Asher's cheering did help.

I struggle standing up, but I walk to the edge of the ring and stand on the ring ropes facing my friends and the majority of the crowd, I throw up my hands and yell. "LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE A NEW CHAMPION!"

The crowd erupts in cheers, even if the majority of these people betted against me or are upset I'm a woman, they saw me take down their Champion. They can't argue with that.

"YOU HEARD HER FOLKS! 'STORM' WHO TURNS OUT TO BE A FUCKING WOMAN IS THE NEW WINNER." The announcer yells.

I step off the ropes and get out of the ring smiling, I'm in so much pain but I just fucking won. I'm met face to face with Asher, Cooper, River, and Roman.

"How'd you all meet?" I ask avoiding a different discussion. Before I can get an answer everything around me fades into darkness.

. . .

"Cooper, fucking help her!"

"I'm trying my best man, she got fucking stabbed and I'm not exactly a doctor."

I try to open my eyes and I'm temporarily blinded by the light.

"Asher, look she's waking up." One of the twins says.

"Fuck, Darling? Rhea? Are you okay? Can you hear me?" Asher questions.

"Just give me a second and shut the fuck up." I groan, "What happened? Last I remember is that I won the fight.

"You passed out." Copper shrugs.

"Is that why my body is aching right now?"

"Girl, what the fuck? How are you so calm? You were just fucking stabbed." Roman questions.

"Wouldn't be the first time." I whisper. "Shit, Cooper I didn't get my money. How long have I been out?" They all look at each other and don't respond. "Cooper!?" I try again.

"I got your money, don't worry. They were hesitant about giving it to me but I proved that we are friends and you would get it. Umm, and for how long you've been out, uh, it's been 22 hours."

"I've been out for almost a whole day? That doesn't seem right, it was just my leg."

"That's why we've been freaking out." Asher says frustrated.

"Probably just the exhaustion." Cooper adds.

I take in my surroundings and I see an unfamiliar house. "Where are we?"

"River and Romans," Asher says, "their parents are never home."

"I need to go." I say trying to stand up, which did not work well resulting in me collapsing into Asher's arms.

"Fuck, Rhea. Just stay here, you don't need to go anywhere, you don't always need to leave, are you fucking kidding me?" Asher asks bringing me back to the bed. I start to protest when Cooper jumps in.

"He's right Rhe, just relax for once you're not in any danger here." I groan but don't argue with them.

"Will you give me a second with her?" Asher asks Cooper and the twins.

"Yeah, we will go get her food. Call us if you need anything" River says, Cooper looks at me waiting for a nod of approval on whether he should leave me alone with Asher and I half shrug.

Once they leave the room I beat Asher to a question and ask, "How'd you find the ring?"

"Saw your bike driving home from a game a few weeks ago."

"You've known for weeks but haven't said anything?" I was shocked.

"No, Rhea! You don't get to do that. You've been hiding everything from me!" His voice starts raising, "Is anything you've told me actually real? I don't know what to believe. It's like your whole life is just hiding, don't you get fucking tired of that?! God." He's right, I just don't want to terms with it.

"No, Asher, you listen to me. I have made it explicitly clear that I don't want you to get close to me. I've pushed you away multiple fucking times exactly because of this reason. I have told you I would just hurt you! You don't listen to me! You keep coming back, keep trying to convince me to give you a chance and I keep telling you no. Yet you're here now getting mad at me for something I am not required to tell you." He looks like he's on the edge of breaking down, and in all honesty I'm close to it too.

"Why do you keep letting me back in then?! You say you don't like me, you push me away then you come back and fucking kiss me! Then the cycle just fucking repeats itself. It's getting pretty fucking tiring, Rhea." I mean he's not wrong there.

"I'm not a good person Ash, I can't let you get close to me. No one who gets close to me turns up okay, and you're way to good of a person to be ruined by me." I say tears now streaming down my face.

He walks over to me leans down and grabs my face, "How many time do I have to fucking tell you this Rhea? You can't make fucking decisions for me. I choose who I want to be with and I  fucking want to be with you." He practically yells and turns around and walks away from me.

I stand up, with much discomfort by the way and walk over to him. "Asher." He doesn't turn around, "Ash."

"Why the fuck are you up Rhea? You're fucking hurt!" Before he can continue I press my lips against his.

. . .