His Ghetto Flower

Promises

*Not Edited* 

Short but sweet chapter, but I hope you like it! 

The boxing gym was only a couple of streets away from where Renee had grabbed me. His actions played over and over again in my head while the tears threatened to escape. I aggressively rubbed my eyes to keep the tears at bay, but there were just so many reason's why I wanted to cry. Cry for letting Renee see my weak side, like always. Cry because I knew Renee was never going to leave me alone. Cry because I would eventually have to give up Yuca. Cry because my mom was stupid enough to fall for another man that was only there to use her.

I ran until I had seen the gym and slowed down to catch my breath. I bent over with my hands on my knee's concentrating on slow, deep breaths.

"Hey." I heard someone scream at me. "What are you doing here?"

I lifted up my head to see that it was Rick calling from the doorway of the gym.

"I need to train." I mumbled as loud as I could. I still hadn't been able to catch my breath. I lowered my head down in defeat. The feeling of wanting to hit something started to build up in me.

I heard footsteps getting closer and stopped right next to me.

"I thought you would have taken the day off of training because of what happened yesterday."

"I'm fine." I stood up, to show Rick that I was okay, even though I was beating myself up inside.

He looked at me and shook his head. "Go home." He began to walk away. "You're not working out today."

"You don't understand Rick." I said in disbelief. "I need to train!" I walked after him with a strong desperation. I can't go home.

That stopped him dead in his tracks and turned towards me. His face was starting to turn red. And I thought to myself, Oh boy. Here we go.

"And why don't I understand?" He asked. Walking the rest of the short distance between us. "How do you expect me to understand when you don't tell me anything!"

"Because it's none of your business." I said. "I pay you to train me. Not protect me."

"If you don't want me to protect you then let me help you." He pleaded. "Boxing can get you far in the ring facing another boxer, but it's not going to get you far battling the fight you face outside the ring."

"That's because I'm not good enough yet." I screamed at him. "If I was a better fighter, he wouldn't be able to hurt me." I slammed my mouth shut, shocked at the words that slipped out.

When Rick didn't question me on who I was referring to, I shook my head in surprise and walked to the picnic table that was on the side of the building. The same table I sat at when Yuca asked me on a date.

"How did you know?" I turned to Rick when he sat next to me. All this time I thought I was doing a good job at hiding things.

"I've known you since you were a little girl, Isabel." He sighed. "You think I wouldn't notice when you started to change?"

"Is that why you wanted me to learn to Box?"

"Yeah. The one time I asked you what was going on, you didn't come by the gym for two weeks, but I kept tabs on you through your mom and friends."

"Stalker." I pushed him with my shoulder.

"You left me no choice to stalk you. How else was I going to know if you were okay or not?"

"I know."

"I don't know much about what happened or what's going on and you don't have to tell me, but I know that you were getting to the point that you didn't care about your own self anymore."

I looked away from him, not really wanting to face the truth.

"I know about all the drinking, partying and the failed hookups."

"Failed hookups?" I asked. How would he know about that?

"Guys gossip just as much as girls, in case you didn't know."

"Oh God." I groaned, dropping my face into the palm of my hands trying to hide from my embarrassment.

"Don't get embarrassed." He laughed. "I'm proud of the black eye you gave Saul when he asked you to go to the closet to help him with the boner you gave him."

"Shut up!" I punched him on the arm playfully. Doesn't anyone still believe in don't kiss and tell?

"Hey!" He was still laughing at me. "You think I like hearing these stories? Lord, you are like my daughter!" He shook his head and made a face of disgust.

"Stupid boys." I mumbled. Who else was I going to blame?

"It would be nice if you could stop your tease fest so I don't have to hear about anything anymore."

I immediately thought about Yuca. Would he go and tell everyone that we hooked up?

"I am. I have decided that I don't want to be like my mom." An epiphany that I discovered last night.

"Good. A reputation like that is something you don't want to have."

I never intended for my reputation to be slutty but Rick was right before. I started to not care about myself and tried to find any way to escape from life. To escape him. I tried everything I could to get Renee to lose interest in me and nothing seemed to work. It only angered him more and probably made him want me more. If I would have slept with all those guys then maybe Renee would have gotten over his obsession with me But for some reason I could never bring myself to stoop that low. I was banking on that one day I would be able to beat the shit out of Renee myself. However, today showed that I was no where near as strong as I thought I was. .

"Don't let him turn you into something you are not."

I looked at Rick as he smiled at me. Rick has never given up on me. He secretly kept a watchful eye on me even though he knew I would have told him not to. He might not know the whole story, but he was able to put two and two together and I didn't want him to worry about me anymore.

"I won't." I said as a promise.

"I miss the girl you used to be." His smile turned sad. "Thatbullshit act that you try to play about needing to be able to protect yourself one minute, but then looses herself to booze or a guy the next is going to make me go to jail one day."

"How am I going to make you go to jail?"

"Because one day you are going to get yourself into trouble and I will be there to help you. Even when you don't want me to."

My eyes started to tear up again, but for a totally different reason this time. Rick was like a father to me so as much as I try to get him not to care about me, I know it will never work. But I love him for that.

"Well lets get inside if you want to train today." He said, as he stood up. Making this a very touchy moment seem as though it never existed. Typical Rick. Never likes to deal with the emotions.

"Is it okay if I miss today?" Funny how just a couple minutes ago I so badly wanted to Box and now I was asking for a day off. Bipolar much?

"That's fine." He smiled in approval. "What are you going to go do?"

I stood up to face him.

"I'm going to go spend time with someone who reminds me of the girl I used to be."

"It's that kid that came by here yesterday, huh?" He groaned. "Please Isabel, I don't want to hear no more stories about how much of a tease or blue ball giver you are. My poor ears can't handle anymore." He looked at me in horror, "They might start bleeding if I hear another sexual rumor about you!"

I laughed at his overly dramatic facial expression and pulled out my phone from my pocket looking for the map that Yuca sent me earlier.

"You won't Rick." I started to walk and waved goodbye to him. "I promise."