update to his followers. But what would he even say? At home today instead of killing at the gym due to…what? A broken heart.
“Argh,” Jasper knocked his phone to the floor with a swipe of his hand. He was better than this. He didn’t want Kait. He’d been the one to push her aside. His career, it was always about his career. Ever since he’d turned sixteen, he’d lived with a single minded purpose: to fight as much as he could and to always win. Each time he won in the ring, he inched further away from the troubled boy he had once been. It was an ongoing journey, one which he couldn’t prematurely stop because he’d met someone.
Flashes of burn fired up his leg bringing tears to his eyes. Jasper reached forward and massaged the area around his knee, but it didn’t help. He’d need to see a physical therapist before he could even think about starting up training again. His last fight had been much more brutal than he’d anticipated. His opponent was rested and hungry for victory. Jasper on the other hand was strung out and just trying to remain standing. But somehow he’d managed to dig deep and eventually flaw his opponent. The crowd had gone wild, clamouring to their feet cheering and chanting his name. Usually Jasper could lose himself in the sound of his own triumph, but this time the applause sounded hollow as it echoed in his ears.
Kait was right. He was pushing himself too hard. Was he so terrified that if he removed his foot off the gas that he’d just slip back in to his old ways? Hadn’t he already moved on from all of that? He didn’t need fighting to remain stable, did he? Had his passion somehow become a crutch he was terrified to cast aside?
Panting, Jasper pushed himself off the sofa and hopped over to retrieve his phone. Sweat glistened on his temple as he hastily grabbed it and began calling his agent, Carl.
After three rings, Carl picked up.
“Hey man,” Jasper was breathing heavily. “Can you send that physical therapist we use over to my place?”
“Is everything alright?” There was tension in Carl’s voice which suggested he was displeased.
“Yeah, yeah,” Jasper insisted, doing his best to breathe more slowly as he lowered himself back on to his dark leather sofa.
“I’m just mad sore after that fight the other night.”
“You’ve had ample time to recover. I heard you weren’t in the gym today.”
Jasper squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his head against his heaving chest.
“Yeah, Carl, I’m sorry about that. I just needed a few days to recuperate.”
“Well, while you’re holed up in your apartment watching back to back episodes o f Breaking Bad, your future opponents are in the gym, lifting weights, and doing reps. Getting strong. Do you want to be beaten, Jasper? Is that why you took a day off?”
Jasper was already shaking his head, his gaze lifting sadly to the television screen where his favourite show was currently paused.
“I’m the champion, Carl, you know that. Champions don’t get beaten.”
“Then you need to get yourself down the gym and push through whatever pain you’re in. No pain no gain, remember?”
Jasper stood up, and his knee immediately burned in protest, struggling to support his weight.
“Shit,” Jasper gasped. “I’m not sure I can make it today, Carl. My knee is really busted up from where that guy clocked me with his kick.”
“You’ve got to push through it.” Carl’s voice was stern.
Jasper sunk to the sofa in defeat.
“Okay, okay. But can you at least give me a lift there? I don’t think I’ll be able to drive or jog in.”
“Sure,” Carl’s tone was brightening now. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes, champ. I’ll even spot you for a while if you like?”
“Yeah,” Jasper ran a hand over his head which was slick with sweat. “Yeah, that’d be great, thanks Carl.”
He ended the call and stared
“Argh,” Jasper knocked his phone to the floor with a swipe of his hand. He was better than this. He didn’t want Kait. He’d been the one to push her aside. His career, it was always about his career. Ever since he’d turned sixteen, he’d lived with a single minded purpose: to fight as much as he could and to always win. Each time he won in the ring, he inched further away from the troubled boy he had once been. It was an ongoing journey, one which he couldn’t prematurely stop because he’d met someone.
Flashes of burn fired up his leg bringing tears to his eyes. Jasper reached forward and massaged the area around his knee, but it didn’t help. He’d need to see a physical therapist before he could even think about starting up training again. His last fight had been much more brutal than he’d anticipated. His opponent was rested and hungry for victory. Jasper on the other hand was strung out and just trying to remain standing. But somehow he’d managed to dig deep and eventually flaw his opponent. The crowd had gone wild, clamouring to their feet cheering and chanting his name. Usually Jasper could lose himself in the sound of his own triumph, but this time the applause sounded hollow as it echoed in his ears.
Kait was right. He was pushing himself too hard. Was he so terrified that if he removed his foot off the gas that he’d just slip back in to his old ways? Hadn’t he already moved on from all of that? He didn’t need fighting to remain stable, did he? Had his passion somehow become a crutch he was terrified to cast aside?
Panting, Jasper pushed himself off the sofa and hopped over to retrieve his phone. Sweat glistened on his temple as he hastily grabbed it and began calling his agent, Carl.
After three rings, Carl picked up.
“Hey man,” Jasper was breathing heavily. “Can you send that physical therapist we use over to my place?”
“Is everything alright?” There was tension in Carl’s voice which suggested he was displeased.
“Yeah, yeah,” Jasper insisted, doing his best to breathe more slowly as he lowered himself back on to his dark leather sofa.
“I’m just mad sore after that fight the other night.”
“You’ve had ample time to recover. I heard you weren’t in the gym today.”
Jasper squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his head against his heaving chest.
“Yeah, Carl, I’m sorry about that. I just needed a few days to recuperate.”
“Well, while you’re holed up in your apartment watching back to back episodes o f Breaking Bad, your future opponents are in the gym, lifting weights, and doing reps. Getting strong. Do you want to be beaten, Jasper? Is that why you took a day off?”
Jasper was already shaking his head, his gaze lifting sadly to the television screen where his favourite show was currently paused.
“I’m the champion, Carl, you know that. Champions don’t get beaten.”
“Then you need to get yourself down the gym and push through whatever pain you’re in. No pain no gain, remember?”
Jasper stood up, and his knee immediately burned in protest, struggling to support his weight.
“Shit,” Jasper gasped. “I’m not sure I can make it today, Carl. My knee is really busted up from where that guy clocked me with his kick.”
“You’ve got to push through it.” Carl’s voice was stern.
Jasper sunk to the sofa in defeat.
“Okay, okay. But can you at least give me a lift there? I don’t think I’ll be able to drive or jog in.”
“Sure,” Carl’s tone was brightening now. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes, champ. I’ll even spot you for a while if you like?”
“Yeah,” Jasper ran a hand over his head which was slick with sweat. “Yeah, that’d be great, thanks Carl.”
He ended the call and stared
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