The match's day

Jay's POV:

Today is the day the match I've been waiting for, and honestly, I feel like throwing up from how nervous I am. I trained, I did everything I could, but still, it feels like it's not enough. Anyway, I have to trust myself because there's no way I'm losing today, not when Sissel is coming to watch me. That's enough reason to win for her, for me.

Jacob stayed a bit longer the other night, but he didn't talk about whatever was bothering him, so I'm still clueless. But weirdly enough, he and Aidan clicked pretty well, and that's honestly a relief because if those two didn't get along, it would've been a nightmare for me. Anyway, now here I am sitting, half-listening to the coach, half-stressing about the fight.

"Your girlfriend is here," the coach blurted out of nowhere, pulling me out of my thoughts. I swear my soul left my body for a second the hell is he saying? My what is here?

I turned to him, my face already heating up, "She's not my girlfriend, coach. She's… just a friend." Thank God my voice didn't crack or stutter, or else I'd be stuck being the joke of the month. But of course, the old man just smirked and hummed, clearly not buying it.

I grabbed my phone and texted Aidan fast, telling him Sissel is here and that he better stick to her like glue because the guys around here? Yeah, no way I'm letting her deal with any of them alone. She's small, too soft for this environment. While waiting for his reply, Jacob called to let me know he was already there, and for once, I was glad.

I told him to find Aidan and sit with him. The two exchanged numbers, which made things easier who would've thought they'd get along that fast?

I took a deep breath, walking toward the ring. My opponent was already there, looking ready, but so am I. To hype myself up, I did what I usually do I pictured his face as my father's, and believe me, it worked like magic. It made me want to break every inch of him.

Sissel's POV:

I arrived a few minutes before the match started. My hands were cold, my heart racing, but I still managed to text Aidan, asking him where he was. His reply came fast, telling me he saw me and was on his way. I looked up, searching for him, and that's when I saw someone else walking next to him.

The second our eyes met, my whole world stopped. I couldn't breathe. It was him it was Jacob.

I froze, he froze, and Aidan, poor guy, stood there, totally confused. He glanced between us, not understanding the silent war that just broke out.

"You guys know each other?" Aidan asked, looking between me and Jacob. Neither of us said a word. We just stared me holding back tears, and Jacob... he looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Yeah… that's my little sister." Jacob's voice cracked through the silence, and it took everything in me not to break down right there. God, it's been so long since I heard him call me that.

Flashback — The Day Jacob Left:

"You fucking idiot! So that's what you've been doing? Hiding money from your father, huh?! I'm going to kill you, you useless piece of shit!" My dad's voice echoed through the house, shaking every inch of me.

I was curled up on my bed, crying, praying, begging whatever god was out there to protect Jacob. But what could I do? I was just a scared little girl, listening to the sound of my brother getting beaten again.

"It's for my college, Dad! I gave you everything else, please!" Jacob's voice broke, desperate and trembling. It was the first time I heard him beg like that. He never begged.

Jacob was the good kid, the smart one, the hard worker. No one knew what was happening behind closed doors because he smiled so damn well. He carried it all alone, letting the world believe he was okay. And I admired him for that when I was younger… but growing up, I realized it wasn't something to admire it was something to grieve. We were only 4 years apart yet I felt like it was a 10 years age gap.

My father hated him, maybe because he looked too much like our mom the woman Dad couldn't stand. And every day, that hatred turned into bruises, into blood, into a never-ending nightmare for Jacob. The man who was supposed to protect him, love him, became the monster he had to fear the most. And I… I just cried. Powerless. Helpless.

And then one night… he left. And I never saw him again. Until now.