He was focused.
His eyes were in tunnel vision mode, dark and heavy.
Hungry for the match taking place in less than hours. Over the last few days, he and I had talked about everything. Indiri loved boxing, but hated everything that came with it. He loved the fight, but everything else drained him. Tonight, he’d get the chance to do the part he loved and I loved that for him.
“Girl, you look like you’re over here falling in love all over again.” Jordyn’s voice made me look from him briefly to take her in.
I laughed. “Is that even possible? I’m obsessed with this man.”
She joined in my laughter. “Of course you are. Are you ready for this?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
She laughed, throwing her arm around my shoulder. “Don’t worry. Your boy is a beast and you know that. Plus, he made a promise that bitch boy wouldn’t land shit.”
I was confused, about to ask what she meant, but there was a knock at the door of the locker room, then a woman stuck her head into the room. She said something to Remy who immediately called Indiri.
Indiri stopped sparring almost immediately, his attention on Remy, who nodded. The way nerves hit my body was like I was the one about to step in the damn ring. Indiri and Remy locked eyes and Remy nodded.
It was time.
Shortly after that moment, Jordyn had my hand and we were walking behind him into the overly lit and extremely crowded arena. In the background, Jeezy’s “Seen It All” played and I smiled. using my free hand to play with the I pendant on my necklace. We’d chosen this song seven days ago after he told me this shit would be a piece of cake and he wanted a big fat one as soon as this was over.
When you been where I been
Make it hard to fail
’Cause I’m the realest nigga in this
Jordyn and I found our seats in the front row, directly behind where he was due to enter the ring. My heart palpitated in mychest as we stood there watching him do quick steps to keep moving.
The announcer announced him, briefly running over his stats. Before he went into the ring, he turned toward me. I was caught off guard when he kissed me before handing me his chain. He gave me a final onceover then nodded at Jordyn and turned around. He was in the ring a few seconds later and the music changed.
I didn’t know what the hell was playing but it was a mumble rapper then the lights began flickering. Out walked Nathanial and of course this egotistical maniac was wearing a damn mask and beating his chest. He was performing like always.
My eyes left him, immediately landing on the man who held my whole soul in his hands and didn’t even know it. He wasn’t paying attention to Nathanial's spectacle. He was talking to Joe.
Jordyn leaned over and whispered in my ear, “It’s so loud in here. Are you good?”
I smiled. She was very attentive and paid a lot of attention to everything. “I’m okay.”
“Okay. Just let me know.”
Somewhere during our exchange, Nathanial made it into the ring and the announcer began running down his stats.
The moment felt stretched into several thirty second intervals between the fight, like it was lasting forever and the speaker was continuously talking. I momentarily tuned him out and took in the entire arena, mentally overwhelmed. There were so many people here to see this.
Shortly after everyone else took their seats, so did Jordyn and me. I never sat front row for Nathanial nor was I ever in the real fold of his life besides working at the gym a few times. With Indiri, I was in the thick of it, immersed in his world because I wanted to be. While I was with Nathanial, I never allowed myself to be immersed. I kept my distance because something inme never felt like I belonged. Even though part of me had been willfully ignorant about how incompatible Nathanial and I were, some part of me was aware.
The sound of a bell ringing interrupted my reflection. Immediately my attention was locked on Indiri. The fight had begun and no part of me was nervous because he’d trained for this, and for him, this was the fun part.
I studied his feet, remembering what Unc told him.
Stay light, never plant.
Don’t get comfortable.
Keep the motion.
