His nod matched hers before he was on his feet. I was shocked when he held his hand out for me.
I looked at him, then at Jordyn, who had a smirk on her face. She walked out of the now open door and I accepted his hand. We walked out of the backroom hand in hand, then entered an extremely crowded room. There were flashes and cameras everywhere and I was nervous.Why was I nervous? I wasn’t the one fighting.
He ushered me up the four stairs to the side of the stage where Remy, Jordyn, and Journee were already standing. When we got there, what I saw made my heart drop and a chill raced down my spine. On a massive backdrop, bold red letters read:
INDIRI JONES VS. NATHANIAL “KNOCKOUT” COLLINS
My movement halted and I stood there motionless. Had I read this wrong? The noise around me dulled and I blinked several times, hoping my eyes were playing tricks on me, but they weren’t.
On another sign was the actual image of each fighter in their fighting stance with only the VS between them. Clear as day, there was Knockout.I could have passed out right here.
Indiri stepped in front of me, his presence felt heavier than the panic in my body.This shit couldn’t be possible. How?
My eyes jumped between the stoned expression on his face back to the sign. The words hadn’t changed. Indiri was fighting Nathanial…Knockout.
“What’s wrong? Why do you look like you see a ghost?” Indiri’s voice quieted the panicked thoughts traveling through my mind.
“You’re fighting Knockout?” His name was dry on my lips.
He nodded, concern clouding his irises. “Why?”
“That’s my ex.”
Concern left and something else clouded his expression. His jaw tightened and his eyebrows bunched together. Indiri was pissed. He was about to say something but was interrupted before he could.
“Indi, they’re waiting on you,” Remy said from behind.
He didn’t turn to address Remy but instead ducked his head and pecked my lips.
Then he moved toward the stage without another word.
The entire conference I was on pins and needles, my chest tight and palms itching as I asked myself how in the hell I had missed this. Indiri was his same calm and collected self, sitting back in the chair, only leaning forward to answer direct questions he deemed important enough to respond to. On the other hand, Nathanial was his same obnoxious, childish self. Between childish snorts and fake sneezes where he interrupted Indiri, he trash talked from the beginning of the conference to the final words. He didn’t see me, but I saw him. I saw all of him, including the timid nigga who was actually petrified of the man he shared a stage with.
When the press conference was over, Indiri stood near me again. He still had yet to speak, but he damn sure grabbed my hand.
In the midst of accepting his hand and turning to leave the same way we’d come in, I locked eyes with Nathanial. Then I physically saw when his eyes traveled to where Indiri and I were connected. I wanted to fucking die in that moment, but I had to be a big girl. I had to assure the man I was building somethingwith that I hadn’t known he was fighting my ex.Because honestly I didn’t.
When we made it back to the room, Indiri was silent. He stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows peering out of them while I sat on the couch peering at him.
“Say something, Indiri.”
“What do you want me to say?” he asked, still not facing me.
“Anything, say something.” I felt like I was begging.Shit, maybe I was.
“Did you not think it was important for me to know your ex was also a fighter?” He finally turned and looked at me. His eyes held irritation.
“I didn’t think about it. I don’t know much about any of it, so I always assumed you and he weren’t on the same level. I don’t know anything about the sport, who the main players are or anyt?—”
“Either way, Selah! You should have fucking told me.” He raised his voice. “Damn.”
I stood, my own frustration simmering. “Maybe I should have, but what does who he is and how we were connected do for you? What does it matter, Indiri?”
He huffed. “It fucking matters, Selah.”
“Yeah? How?”
“Because now it looks like I’m fighting over pussy and I ain’t never done that shit in my fucking life.”
