Relentless

15- Justin

        I shouldn't have been surprised that Monroe put the two of them together to fight, but when he called their names I found myself stunned. "Well that's just great," Lacey muttered next to me. "Now I can't cheer them on."

            A smile spread across my face before I could stop it, an effect she just automatically has on me, "You can still cheer them on, Babe, there ain't no harm in it."

            "You don't understand, Justin, that's like choosing one friend over the other. Next thing you know it will lead to us fighting all the time and now it will be worse since we still live together and one of them will say something hurtful just because they're angry but not really mean it and then I'll get mad which will make them even madder and then we'll all just blow up on each other and end up not being friends and being miserable for the rest of lives with regrets still hanging over our heads but neither one of us having the guts to talk about it again and-,"

            "Lacey," I cut off her rant placing my hands on her shoulders, "Breathe." She did and glanced up at me with a sheepish smile. My own breath caught when I met her honey gaze, "You have a wild imagination sometimes."

            "I bet those types of situations happen more often than you think," she countered.

            "So they might, but that's not going to happen with the three of you. They both know you love them and understand the current situation, you should know better."

            She pouted, "I know, but I'll still feel guilty."

            I chuckled, quickly pecking her cheek slipping my hand into hers, not revealing how I was secretly rooting for Saige. "Root for both of them and be there for the one who loses, but congratulate the one who wins, now come on." I tugged her down the stairs from the loft, weaving our way through the crowds of people to get to the front. I spotted Ky and went to stand next to him, "This should be a good fight, huh?"

            He nodded, keeping his eyes in front of him as Saige and Phoenix climbed into the ring, "I'm conflicted."

            "Aren't we all?" Lacey chimed in. "Phoenix has been working hard for years to get a spot in The Trial, but at the same time Saige has come so far in the last few months." She huffed, "Why do they have to fight each other? It would be so much easier to fight other people."

            "That's the point," we looked at Ky, but he didn't elaborate.

            Both girls seemed to have mixed emotions about the ordeal, Monroe kept a neutral expression but I'm sure he was hoping Phoenix would win. I found my eyes darting around the gym in search of a couple friends missing from our group. Richard stood directly behind Phoenix's corner, Captain Jensen beside him making small talk. Commander Grayson was perched in his usual spot on the loft right above the ring where he can't miss a thing. My eyebrows furrowed when I didn't find Jackson among the crowd, I didn't peg him to miss Saige's fight. Saige and Phoenix walked to the center having finished strapping their gloves on. Phoenix stood tall now wearing only a blue sports bra and shorts, Saige opted to keep a fitted black shirt on I noticed, paired with red leggings.

            "Alright ladies, this will be a good clean fight." Monroe told them. "You have three, five minute rounds to either successfully knock out or pin your opponent. Now touch gloves in agreement and we will start." He took a few steps back to get out of their way.

            Saige's eyes darted around nervously, springing back to Phoenix when she spoke, "Listen, I don't really want to do this."

            Saige turned and smiled slightly at something behind her, I followed her gaze to see Jackson give her an encouraging wink from her corner. She faced her opponent, "Phoenix." A smirk, not a smile or a grin that I was accustomed to seeing from her, an actual smirk spread across her lips as she held out her gloved fist, "Don't hold back."