The Fighter

Chapter 12

|Andy|

I traced the outline of Simon's shoulder blade while he slept. It was close to midnight, and I was awake again. I'd fallen asleep before him and now I'd woken back up.
He shifted some and I was scared I'd woken him up, but the light snore proved otherwise. He was so peaceful when he slept. A lot different from the Simon I was used to most of the time.
I sighed and tried to get a good look out the window. Overcast, as usual. The streetlights were casting a dismal glow across the pavements. Such a cheerful setting, wasn't it?

"Why are you still awake?"

"Not still awake. I woke back up."

"Whatever it is, you should be sleeping."

"I could say the same to you." Simon rolled over so that he was facing me and pulled me into his chest. There was something calming about laying like that. Maybe I felt safe when he held on to me, maybe it was because I could hear his heartbeat. And Lord knows mine had sped up.
My head was tucked under his chin with his face buried in my hair. I really questioned how pleasant that was for him, but it didn't really seem like the time to argue. We were going to have to road trip when we finally got up. There was a fight in a pub basement just outside the city...the other side of the city.

The sun had magically appeared and was very bright in my eyes. Simon was no longer in bed, probably part of the reason I was cold. I pushed the covers away and went looking for him. He was sat at the island in the kitchen, phone in hand.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Hi." I managed to hoist myself onto his lap without making him move, although now I was between him and his phone. He set his phone down and turned his full attention to me.

"I'm still saying, you're so tiny and it's adorable."

"Well we can't all be over six foot."

"I very much like you being the height you are."

"You're not the one who can't ever reach the top shelf."

An hour later, we were ready. This was a very big fight. As in the stupid thing even had a dress code. Which I wasn't thrilled about. Simon was enjoying it, because he didn't have to follow it.
I was in a form-fitting burgundy dress with see through lace sleeves. I'd drawn the line at heels. There was no way. I was wearing Vans. I'd have killed myself in heels. I was nowhere near coordinated enough to wear them.
I'd also curled my hair, which seemed to intrigue Simon to no end. He was constantly messing with the ends of it, no matter how many times I chided him about the fact he was supposed to be focusing on driving.

"Fine, I'll put my hand right here." He wrapped it around my thigh. Horny little arse. He kept it there the rest of the drive, and I was quite on edge the entire time. This boy was starting to get to me.

I was three hours until the fight and the main floor was already packed. Simon was insistent I stay in the dressing room this time. There were too many people that he didn't trust. Spoiled rich boys, he claimed.

The fight didn't last long when it finally happened, but Simon looked quite pissed when he showed back up. His lip was split and he looked like he was probably going to have a bruise on his left cheek. He angrily slammed the door behind him, before throwing a chair across the room.

I scrambled to the side, pressing myself against the wall, hoping to avoid the line of fire. He launched a few more things across the room, his breathing finally beginning to slow down. I was personally terrified but he didn't really seem to notice, or he didn't care.
He put his hands down on the table in front of the mirror. He let his head hang for a moment before looking into the mirror.

"Andy." It was like a shock to him, that I was there. He looked at the destruction he'd cast upon the room, then back at me. I flinched ever so slightly when he reached out to hold me, and pure rage crossed his face.

"I'm not going to hit you, Andy. I'd never hit you." He was trying to stay calm. Trying not to go into another fit of violence. His fists were clenched at his side and his lips were twitching.

"I know." I gently put my arms around his waist and pressed my face into his chest, squeezing my eyes shut. I was ready for all of this to be over. The fighting, the violence, the fear of what they were going to do to us. I was ready to be done.