Into the ring

15- Reunion

I dedicate this chapter to my best friend, Kat, who's celebrating her birthday. You're the best friend I could ever have and I love you a lot even though I'm a bitch sometimes. Happy Birthday.
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Two weeks.

It's been two weeks since my last fight with Ryder.

Two weeks since he had discovered my identity.

Two weeks since we started giving each other the silent treatment.

I had tried getting him to spare me a glance for the first few days, but his grey orbs simply refused to look my way. I had stopped trying.

When we met at the Underground, we just ignored and avoided each other as much as possible. Never fighting each other. None of us had even challenged the other, as if on a mutual agreement.

But, by the look on his face everytime he saw his name in the second slot of the club's ranking board, confrontation would be edging closer and closer. He was on the verge of breaking.

That night, I had earned about $3500 on fighting a few of the new shrimps. I was about to leave when I saw Ryder, Jace, Cameron and Parker standing infront of a man and a girl,  engrossed in a heated argument.

The man was about as old as Ryder, but I had never seen him at school. He probably wasn't from this area. But, however, Ryder seemed to know him. A crowd had encircled the small group and I etched closer, curiousity getting the better of me.

"Too afraid to take the challenge, Ryder?" The guy asked, a smirk on his face. Ryder looked angry.

"Says the guy who has to make a girl fight for him because he's too scared to get his ass beaten in the ring. " he scoffed humourlessly.

"Grey, refusing would have to be counted as a forfeit. Think well before turning him down, " said Jace.

"What if I don't know a girl who would fight, huh? " asked Ryder, his face contorted with fury.

Suddenly, the crowd stepped back as they looked at me, and Ryder, Cameron, Jace, the man and the woman faced me.

"I'll fight her. " I announced as loud as I could. The guy took in my petite frame and burst out laughing.

"Sweetheart, you have a death wish, " he said shaking his head with disbelief. The exact same words that Ryder told me the first time we fought.

"Try me, " I replied sassily, a smirk curving my lips.

"Stay out of this,  Evans, " came Ryder's voice. I was fed up with him. 

I stepped forward and stopped right infront of him.

"You want your second place taken,  Grey? " I asked him,  my voice just above a whisper so that he would be the only one to hear me.  I was pushing it far. Really, really far.

"You think I need you on this,  Katharynna?  Because if you do,  you're so wrong. "

"If you could drop your damn ego for one second,  you'd actually see that you do. " No.  It wasn't me.  It was Cameron,  his voice just as low as ours.

Ryder looked torn,  so I just rolled my eyes and I faced the woman.

"You need an invitation to get in the ring,  or what? " I snickered at her. Her brown eyes widened. Her face was plastered with make up. I sure hoped,  for her sake, that it was waterproof,  or else... well,  she'd be the one to clean the mess off her face afterwards.

Her fake platinum blond hair swayed as she stepped up.   I was about to follow her when a hand grabbed my forearm,  halting me.

"I know that I'm not in a position to say that,  Katharynna.  But try not to screw this one up. " Ryder said,  his normally stoic face displaying nervousity

"Do I ever screw up,  Ryder? " I asked him,  freeing my arm,  my eyebrows raised.

Taking his lack of response as a no,  I climbed in the ring,  the crowd cheering for me to kick her ass up there.  I smirked as I pulled on my gloves.

The fight was about to begin...