Winner With Wounds

A/N: I am not very knowledgeable about boxing, but I tried my best to make it easier for readers to understand, please bear with me if I have made mistakes about the sport, no offense towards it.

[Amelia's pov]

I continued hitting the punching bag with all my strengths, as I trained for the match in the evening. 

"Come on, Amelia, the doc is here. Stop tiring yourself now, you have been practicing since morning." Romeo said, making me stop in my track. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves down and wiped my sweat dripping down my face. 

"I don't need a doc? Let me train myself, I have to make a place for myself in tonight's match." I said and was about to continue punching the bag, when he teared open the belt of my boxing gloves. I glared at him, but he gave me his own dangerous glare, making me sigh in defeat.

"Let's go." I said, and he smiled in relief, making me shake my head in anger. The doctor did some physiotherapy exercises, trying to check if any of my joints, muscles or bone is paining or not. He prescribed me some exercises and vegetable juices for daily diet. 

"See? I told you! I am totally fine, there was no need of that doctor!" I said and huffed.

"We should always be careful, right? I have trained you after so long, I wanted to check if you're perfectly in good condition or not." I glared at him in response.

"And may I ask what that punk is doing here for?" I said, pointing at a man standing in the lobby of the gym entrance. 

"Well... it was me, I told him the address." Romeo said, looking anywhere but not at me. I glared daggers at him, I wish I could drill a hole in his brain. 

"Never ever repeat this again, or else I might make you my boxing opponent next time." I said and walked out towards 'him'.

"Why the hell are you here?" I said as I faced him.

"Do.not.go." He said in a stern voice.

"I.WILL.GO. Mind your business, get lost." I said in a very, very rude manner because I was fed up by now.

 "It is my business. I won't go unless and until you agree not to go there anymore." He said and brought his face dangerously close to mine.

"God dammit! Why don't you understand!?" I screamed, making all members in the gym look back at us. I got conscious of my voice and decided to talk calmly and solve this matter once and for all.

"I understand Amelia! But don't you know how dangerous underground boxing matches are!? You could even die, and they don't give guarantee over your life! Think about your family! What you are doing is immaturity!" Derek exclaimed loudly. He's right. I know everything. But I won't give up on my hard work.

"Alright." I sighed in defeat. 

"What? What 'alright'?" He asked me.

"I won't go." I said and turned around to go back to gym to collect my stuff. 

"I'm going at 'house'." This is my code word, Romeo understood I won't give up.

"Bye." I said to Derek, pushing past him. 

But for strange reasons, I saw relief in his eyes. Why does he care so much? Does he have some kind of huge crush on me or what!? Ewwww. Not possible. Me and him, nah, hell NAH. 

~In the evening~

I tied my shoes, ring robe, wraps, and gloves. I made myself calm and tried explaining myself all my perfect moves.

And here I am facing my opponent. I looked at her, how aggressively she was facing me, I inserted my mouthguards right before the bell ring of the match about to begin. She aggressively charged towards me for a punch, but I dodged it, if I had dodged a second late, I would have got a critical blow. I started dodging all her punches, getting all 'boos' from the crowd, which made me smirk slightly. 

She hit my left abdomen roughly, which hurt like hell. But I endured it, that's when I noticed she had started to sweat, I took this opportunity and started punching the sh*t out of her. I blew her right cheek pretty harshly, following a punch in the middle of the stomach and then her chin, making her jump a little and falling on her knees. I was trying to tire her out, she gave her all in the start, but now it's my turn baby. 

I launched myself giving her a last punch on the left cheek making her right cheek bang on the boxing ring floor with a huge bang and there she is, sleeping like a beauty while I stood with my hand raised in air like a queen. I was showing my fist to the whole cheering crowd while the referee was taking my opponent out with other help, that's when I saw Derek in the crowd, staring straight at me, not even blinking. 

I turned my face away, waiting for my next opponent for the second round. But soon my eyes were about to bulge out as I saw a huge, bulky MAN entering in just his fight trunks and gloves. He had this huge muscles and build up body. I gasped in shock, but the crowd cheered for that man!

I looked at the referee in confusion, but he just smirked and shrugged. Oof they want me dead or what!

Soon the match started, and I had no choice but to fight this hulk-bulk load of sh*t. I forgot to inform Gianna to prepare for my funeral, silly me.

That man, that bulky dinosaur, is smart! He is only giving me amateur punches, I knew he had tricks up his sleeve. If he is bulkier than I am, superfast! I have one advantage. He smirked as he stuck on of his leg in between my legs making me stumble a little, giving him an opportunity to give me a huge blow in my stomach making my mouthguard burst out of my mouth with blood, but he was not ready to stop, even when the referee was stopping him, he gave me two more punches in same right cheek twice!

I staggered towards my corner, it was a small break, Romeo looked at me with guilt, fear and sympathy while handing me a water bottle and towel. I wiped the blood from my mouth and took some water to rinse my mouth before spitting it out in a small bucket. I huffed and puffed trying to think of ways to make him lose this match. 

"Target his right thigh and left shoulder." Romeo whispered ever so lightly. I looked at him in shock and raised my eyebrow in confusion. Romeo pointed towards Derek in the crowd, who was still looking only at me. I looked at him and nodded, in response he looked away. 

The fight started again, but before I could make any move he came rushing towards me and punched me in my nose making me fall limp on the floor, the crowd went silent whereas the bulky man was roaring in achievement while roaming all around the ring. I breathed and let out a sigh, I saw Derek looking at me in worry from the crowd, he came running towards the ring and banged the cage of the ring while screaming my name. I felt my eyes slowly drooping in sleep. I wanted to win... I wanted to fight...

"2... 3...4..." The referee continued counting, Amelia laid still on the ground.

"AMELIA!!! WAKE UP!!! FIGHT BACK LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO!!" I heard Derek screaming his lungs out, making me chuckle ever so lightly. I gathered my strength and moved my body again.

"7...8!!" The referee stopped counting as he saw Amelia waking up. Amelia stood up, the man was still living in his glory, when he heard the referee stop counting, he was about to look back, that's when Amelia came rushing at him from the back holding his neck and punching his face. The man twisted himself to face her and ate another punch at his portion between the chest and left shoulder, making him stagger in pain, Amelia hit his right thigh using her leg kick. 

"Ahhh!!" The man screamed in pain, he must have some old injuries in these places. I gave him a last punch on his face before he staggered and banged the floor thrice in defeat. I raised my hand in the air once again and the referee announced me as the winner. 

I went out of the ring and changed my clothes in the break room. When I went out I saw Romeo and went to him and I was happily having a chat with him about my moves and the unfair opponent when I noticed 'him' coming and standing near us with a stoic face, with hands folded on his chest. 

"T-thanks for the tip." I said and smiled at him, but he remained silent.

"U-um, what are you d-doing here?" I stuttered in nervousness, as I knew what I did was wrong. He still remained silent. 

"Thanks a lot for cheering for me too!" I grinned awkwardly and winked at him, trying to walk away to collect my trophy and prize.

 He held my hand and said, "I warned you!" 

"But I don't want your warnings..." I said in a low, guilty voice. 

"You said you don't want my money?" Derek said making me confused for a second.

"Yes so what?" I asked him.

"The one who bet this 100,000 dollars was none other than me." He said, making me shocked. 

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" I asked him, and he rubbed his hair in frustration.

"Because we are not supposed to tell you everything about our business, are we?" Derek said, glaring at me. He took the trophy and money from the boxing club manager and handed it to me, or pushing them in my arms forcefully before exiting the building in anger and huffing.

I rushed behind him and ran towards him, 

"Stop! I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, making him stop on his tracks near his car. 

"Amelia, I would never do anything bad to you, why don't you trust me? I just want to see you smile, actually not me, it's this silly heart which wants to see you smile in happiness. What would this poor heart do if something happens to you? I don't know how will I be able to convince my heart then." He said making me emotional.

"I... know you don't have any ill intentions, it's just my crazy cravings towards this sport, makes me go mad." I said, and I looked at the ground in guilt.

"But... from now onwards I won't ever fight, this was the last, I swear." I raised three fingers in a promise, making him chuckle a little.

"Hmm, alright." He acted as if it doesn't matter to him. 

 Yeah, I have told him to mind his business a lot of time, but now why do I feel I was wrong? He was already minding his business. Me. I was his business all the time, I couldn't figure out his attention towards me. But today, when he screamed my name and urged me to continue fighting, I had this sudden change of heart, as if I am looking at him in a different light today. Why does he look so handsome suddenly?

Oof! I have gone mad because of fatigue.

"I'm going back, consult a doctor after taking rest. And oh yes! Congratulations for the win, Miss Winner with wounds." He taunted, and sat in his car, banging behind the door and driving away in a flash. I sighed in guilt and looked at his car speeding away from me.

Romeo called me out from the parking to take me away from there.