By Chance (Accidentally In Luck #1)

29. One Slightly Interrupted Promise - E

*E*

I waited behind the door, ready for my name to be called.

I peered through the crack and found the one face that mattered.

Pip was standing with Elle and Dagg, looking around in wonder at everything that was happening as Bo was being announced. I smiled. Seeing her light up at this hidden part of my world made me revalue it. Suddenly, I didn't see it as such a negative and dangerous thing. I could see it as a bright world with just a bit of pain.

I knew I was supposed to be focused on the fight looming in front of me, but as I watched Pip I couldn't help wondering about her brother. Admittedly, she'd handled the situation pretty well after the initial shock had worn off, but no one can just up and forget something like a brother coming back from the dead.

I made a deal with myself. After I win against Bo and walk straight up to Pip and kiss her, I was going to ask her about Daniel. Asking her to be my girlfriend could wait even though I really didn't want it to.

The doors before me were pulled open and I was led out, being assaulted by screaming on every side. I clamored into the ring, ready to fight, win, and get back to my Pip.

One nice thing about fighting underground is that most of the formalities are foregone, there weren't really any weigh-ins or pre-match checks that were done in front of the public eye, they were all done behind-the-scenes to save on time. This really meant that we went straight from warming up to the ring to be introduced and fight.

Standing on my side of the octagonal-shaped ring, I shed my robe and heard a wolf-whistle from beside of the ring. I looked over to see Pip, my Pip, blushing profusely but still grinning up at me, completely unashamed that she'd just catcalled me. I threw my head back laughing and jogged to the center of the ring like the ref had motioned for us to do.

I bumped a gloved hand with Bo, who was looking at me with both confusion and anger. Lucky me, I knew why both were written on his face. Anger obviously from earlier this evening and confusion because he had no idea why I was still laughing.

We backed into our sides and, at the signal, the match began.

It was my habit, my trademark if you will, to not make the first move in any match I'm in and I stuck with that today. Ferman launched himself at me immediately and I just backed away, dodging.

I noticed that this guy's reach was nothing on mine. I had a couple inches on him with my legs and arms, which could serve me very well in the end. If I could reach him easier than he could reach me, he had to get in close which would only mean my hits would have some extra power behind them.

After a few minutes my assumption at Punch Drunk was proven. This guy was fast and has some serious stamina. He was also bouncy, like a lot of the fighters were. He was always moving, shifting, and feinting, sometimes jumping just a little.

I didn't fight like that. As I didn't grow up in the fighting world with some incredible mentor or coach or, hell, even an older brother that fought, I just sort of created my own way of fighting. My movements in the octagon were calm, ridiculously calm according to Jay. I didn't jump around, I didn't bounce. I walked. When I went to hit, it was a sudden explosive movement that was hard to predict or expect. That was my advantage.

Well, that and today, my reach.

Today I needed calm and unexpected power behind every carefully placed punch and kick.

'Play to your strengths.' That's what mine and Jay's first ever, broken-record coach had told us over and over again.

So for once, I listened to him.