she's mine.

73

My stomach lurched at the sight of all the people in the back hallways of the Pepsi Center. My eyes were wide, and a I couldn't hold down the squeal bubbling from my lips. I let out a small squeak as I squeezed Eli's hand. He chuckled and raised a brow, questioning what caused such a squeal. We were walking through one of the wide hallways with fighters and media all passing by us heading to and from locker rooms or conference halls.

"Jonny has never let me actually come to one of his fights before," I began to explain as I turned to look around. I loved it. I loved being in the environment that had become my brother's whole world. I honestly even loved all the fighters. They were here fighting for something they believed in, whether that was themselves, their famil, or whatever else, they were fought to be where they are.

"I used to have to watch them on Youtube at home the day after, and he didn't even like that," I went on. "He is only letting me come and be apart of it today because if he wins tomorrow then he gets a chance to fight on a Saturday," I knew very well that I sounded like a fan girl right now, but I did not care the slightest. I was so unbelievable proud of my brother. He was young compared to all of these fights, yet he fought with just as much heart or more. He was doing it for my mom and I and I would never be able to thank him enough.

Eli's mouth curved into a half smirk as he watched me geek out. I pointed out all the older fighters, or managers that my brother I had spent years questioning my brothers about. I had spent every summer in the gym watching my brother, questioning him and his team, and even doing my own research.

"And you know what that means?" I spun in front of Eli to face him head on. He opened his mouth to speak, but I answered my own question before he could. "Not only will he be making the big bucks and we can get mom out of here, but hopefully he will then be so rich and famous," I lowered my voice and leaned in. "That those men who got to my dad will never be able to touch him," I grinned at the thought. You couldn't do munch to those rich and famous without media and repercussion. Imagine someone hunting down Connor Mcgregor or even Ryan Reynolds. They were untouchable.. Or at least that's what we hoped.

Eli looked at me with something in his eyes that was unreadable before pulling me to him and wrapping an arm around my shoulder to continue walking.

"For someone who is extremely against me fighting," he hummed as we walked. "It seems to make you very happy."

"I mean, it does," I looked up at him. His sharp jaw and perfectly sloped nose were something I could stare at for hours. "I just don't want to see you hurt.. Wouldn't it make you sad to see me constantly hurting?" I asked which causing his head to snap to me and his eyes wide. I wasn't expecting that much of a reaction, but glad to see it. *mental applause at being able to notorious Eli Jones to have a reaction in public* "Doesn't it make you sad to see me cry?" I looked up at him expectancy, but felt my brows furrow as I watch yet another unreadable expression cross his features. Before I could question it though, a voice pulled us from the wild gaze we held each other in.

"Rai Rai, you know your brother will kill you when he sees you strutting around in that little thing," I turned to see Danny eyeing us with a look as if he held a secret and a smirk that made me want to roll my eyes. He was in all black the same as Eli, but his long and lean statue gave him a friendlier feel compared to Eli's thick and sturdy frame. He was shorter than Eli, but not by much. He had a constant smile and blue eyes that never made me question why Jonny called him the heart breaker of the team. His light brown hair flowed back in a way that always seemed to always remind me of the Chris Pine in my mother's chick-flicks. He had scruff on his face, but instead of making him look homeless the way it would anyone else, it made him look older and mysterious. I couldn't help but smile at one of the many brotherly figures that always found me here.