The Girl With The Gloves

Please Don't Lie

I am stunned. I take a step back.

"What?" It is a whisper and I can feel my eyes starting to burn again.

Milo stares at me with sad eyes.

I want to scream at him and ask him why he would do such a thing but it would be pointless because I already know the answer. The thought of Charlie, his little sister, in danger makes my stomach churn.

But still, I can't help the sickening anxiety that comes with the thought of fighting alone. Training alone.

Being alone.

I take a step back.

"Allie," Milo says and I am already shaking my head, trying to swallow so that I can speak without bursting into tears.

I want to run, but I can't leave him, even if he left me.

"No," I shake my head furiously, "it's fine, Milo, because if it was Mickey I'd do the same damn thing." I stare at him, and my gaze does not waver.

He can tell that I am telling the truth. He looks down at his cup.

"I'm sorry, you know."

I nod. "Yeah, of course I know. But it's fine, just promise me one thing."

He looks up at me with wide eyes and I quickly wipe away a tear that streams down my cheek.

"Promise me that our relationship will never change, okay? 'Cause I still need you," I swallow again, "you're still my big brother."

Milo looks like he is about to cry but he doesn't look away from me. "I promise."

"Good," I say. My voice cracks and I am running out of the room and out of the stupid hospital before I break down.

I face the wall of the hospital and for a second I just stand there until sobs break from me and I am punching the wall over and over.

I am cursing more than a sailor and even earn a few stares from an elderly couple on the bench beside me. My knuckles are aching.

I turn and run to my motorcycle before hopping on and speeding out of the parking lot and down the street.

Boxing is stupid anyway.

~

"Are you sure you're okay?"

I nod, and take a sip from the hot cocoa that Adrian, Mickey, and Lily made.

Ryan has left and now it is just the three of us. I've stopped crying and even though Adrian had noticed that something was off he didn't ask, thankfully.

"So how's your friend doing, Allie?" It is Adrian who asks the question and just like that I feel a rock settle in my stomach and I push my mug of deliciousness away.

I wave him off. "Oh, he's fine, I guess it was just a false alarm."

Adrian looks at me oddly, and I push away the guilt that tries to consume me. "But-"

"How was your guys' day today?" I direct the question at Lily and Mickey. They immediately go off on how their day was the best ever, and I give Adrian a warning look as I try to focus on the children's story.

I laugh as they stumble over each other's words in their excitement and a bit of the weight on my shoulders lifts. As Mickey tells me more about his absolute favorite teacher I think about telling Adrian what really happened.

It would be so dangerous, not only putting me in danger but also Adrian and potentially Lily. Besides the fact that we practically just met. I mean, Ryan has lived beside me forever and not even he knows about my fighting situation.