Babydoll (Steel Rebels MC #1) [Completed]

TWENTYSIX - Plan of action

Isabella

All through Wednesday Isabella was hardly able to focus on anything her professors and lecturers said in class. It was probably good that she had only a short day, that way she didn't miss too much. She was too caught up in her own head to realize that Alisa and her friends hadn't bothered her or Chazz, who was with her again, at all. She also didn't notice that people especially her pediatrics professor, whom she tended to have rather lengthy conversation about the study content and assignments, was giving her worried side glances. It was atypical for her to be so sidetracked.

A larger than life worry over Knux fighting the next day kept her thoughts in an iron grip and she couldn't break out of it. Her ears were rushing and her heart racing like she had just ran a marathon. Her hands were clammy and her stomach pulled into knots. Chazz suggested a few times that they should go back to the club house earlier but Isabella refused. Sitting alone in Knux's room would make things even worse.

After her classes ended in the early afternoon, the prospect took her to Knux's shop and Isabella found herself finally relaxing a bit, when she spotted Knux who was in discussion with a customer. He gave her a small smile and nodded towards his office, telling her that she could go there. Feeling unwilling to face more people, she did exactly that and curled up on Knux's office chair waiting for him to find time to take a small break.

Twenty minutes later the door to the office opened and Knux came in. He exhaled sadly when he saw her.

"Oh, precious," he said in a low voice and took the few steps from the door to where she was still balled up on the chair. 

Like usually he lifted her up and sat down with her on his lap. He pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then he tucked her face into the crook of his neck, where she liked to hide. Taking a deep, shaky breath Isabella inhaled his scent. It was warm and musky and she could make out faint traces of the deodorant that he used. With her ear pressed against his upper chest she could hear his heart beat. It was steady and strong and slowly the anxiousness that had ruled over her mind and body started to fade and she melted into him. A small sigh escaped from her lips.

"Rough day?" He asked quietly.

She nodded. She didn't feel like talking but luckily with Knux she didn't need to. He seemed to understand her without explanation. So they just sat like that for a while.

The rest of the afternoon went a bit better. After Isabella had calmed down enough to function more or less normally, she had helped a bit around the shop. She still didn't feel like talking or interacting much but luckily Knux had some tasks for her that didn't require socializing. Some off-season items needed to be fitted with a new price and thus for a few hours she stuck new tags on winter clothing, ice picks and snowshoes. It went like that until Knux finished for the day and they could head home.

***

Back at the club house Revive was already waiting for Isabella to go over some basics for the following evening. Knux left her with the paramedic after giving her a quick kiss. He wanted to get in a final round of training before the cup.

As soon as Knux had left the room Isabella felt her anxiety return again but she tried to ignore it and focus on Revive's explanations and instructions. She would need them. He was a very hands-on and easy going guy and had a lot of stories to share about what kinds of injuries some of the fighters had sustained in the ring. Some of the anecdotes made Isabella grimace at the gruesome sight that it must have been, while others made her wonder why anyone would put themselves in such danger at all.