I choose me.

Part 24: Fight Night

Here she sat, alone in her dark dressing room up in Sacramento, waiting to fight. Susan had tried to move her schedule around, but couldn't get away, Tyree had wanted to come but, he had his own work. Jay had even tried to come but he was in a wedding with his wife. Andrew was stuck in meetings and Mulli wouldn't travel across the country alone. Loud music was pulsing through her headphones, her nerves were on fire. The blue PureSide shorts and sports bra were new and felt nice against her skin, her favorite mouthguard was in her hand. She had stretched and warmed up and then an official came in, "Are you ready?"

She nodded, turned up the volume and walked out, the crowd went wild, she followed the feet in front of her until they got to the stairs that led up to the cage. An assistant took her coat and headphones. She looked over as her opponent made her way to the ring, her eyes scanned the crowd and her heart froze for a microsecond, she thought she'd seen Benny, but when she looked again he was gone. Abby Mitchell stepped in, she was a tree of a woman, tall and thick. Use it, use it, use it. She repeated in her head, Olivia harnessed her fights with Benny, her last loss, her depression, and she got mad, blood was rushing through her veins, her pulse deafening her.

Abby Mitchell dropped in four minutes, when the bell rang Olivia had to be pulled off, stuck in some kind of predatory trance. Her arm was raised, the trophy was given ands did a quick hand shake with her opponent. Olivia could feel her cheek pulsing, Abby had gotten a few good hits on her. The crowd was yelling it's congratulations and she smiled and waved and could have sworn she saw Ronan, but again lost sight of him or was just seeing things. The quiet of her dressing room was a gift after the roaring crowd, she sat down and shifted, the kidney punch at the end of round one was coming back, she rang Mulligan, "I won."

"I saw! Murphy said they streamed it online, so we watched on his computer."

"Oh cool." Olivia closed her eyes.

"You were a beast kid, you did good, you're on your way back."

"Susan is great." Her body was still too hot so she sank onto the cool linoleum floor.

"She was a pain in the ass just like you, well I'll let you go celebrate your win."

"Celebrating with a flight back down to San Diego." She said with a snort.

"Bye kid."

"Bye Mulli."

Olivia stood to change her clothes, but heard a shuffle and voices outside the door, she opened it and stepped back a few feet, Benny, Ronan and Mark stood there, Mark looked like he'd rather be anywhere else, but Ronan looked happy to cause her disruption, his eyes were wide.

Benny barged in and slammed the door behind him. He looked so sad and angry, his goatee was longer and his face had a few days stubble on it, his eyes were bloodshot. He stood, staring at her.

"What are you doing here?" Olivia wasn't sure whether to be surprised or scared, her heart was beating like a hummingbird, she took another step back as he took one forward.

"I don't know—to see you fight, to rip my heart open a little more." He dropped onto the couch and put his head in his hands, and she began to crumble, her hands trembled, guilt was drowning her, she went to her knees in front of him, the kidney pain long forgotten.

"You should have stayed in Boston, what good will this do?"

"I can't be there, I can't function since you left. When you were there, at least you were there—it was something, now you're gone—" Silent tears dripped from the worried eyes she'd looked into for so long, Olivia reached out a shaking hand and wiped them off his cheek. "You left me, you said you'd never leave me."