thought I was a distraction, now you want me front and center at the biggest match of his career?” Adriana shakes her head. It doesn’t make any sense. She absently wonders if all men are so confusing or if it’s just guys involved in MMA.
“I was wrong. I don’t say that very often. You are a distraction, but of the good sort. You distract his demons; The Adriana Effect.” West smiles at her kindly.
“He said that?” Adriana clasps her hands together to stop them from trembling.
“Well, I sure as hell didn’t make it up!” West chuckles at his own joke, but he sobers up almost instantly. “I’ll leave you to think about it, Adriana. Tickets for you and your friend will be at the ring if you want them. I hope you make the right decision.” He pats her on the shoulder as he walks past her.
Adriana tries to put some order into her thoughts, but there’s too much to process. “West!” She closes the distance between them, her expression intense. “What’s the right decision?”
West gives her a sympathetic look. “You care about him, don’t you? I think that should give you your answer.” With that, he’s gone, taking the steps two at a time, rushing back to his star fighter.
He needs you . That was what West had told her. But could she do about it?
GRAYSON
“You had no right to do that, West!” Grayson paces around the dressing room, breathing deeply, trying to get his rage under control.
“You didn’t exactly give me much of a choice. You’re a mess. How the hell do you think you’re going to go out there and fight when you’re like this?” West gestures around the room where chairs have been broken and tables have been flipped, as Grayson tried to work out his sense of guilt over Adriana.
“Did you ever stop to think there might be a reason I didn’t want her around?” Grayson can’t even bring himself to say her name. Just thinking it is hard enough.
“Whatever reason you might have, you’ve done a pretty good job of keeping it to yourself. There’s no prize for being the biggest martyr, Grayson.” West levels his protégé with an unimpressed stare.
Grayson reacts on instinct, squaring up to his coach, pulling himself up to his full height and width and towering over the older man. “What did you say to me?” His voice is deathly calm, but his hands are shaking with anger. That West, of all people, could accuse him of playing the martyr is unbelievable to him. It is as if a switch had been flipped inside of him.
“You heard me. What are you going to do, Grayson? Punch me?” West cocks his eyebrow, almost goading Gray into a fight.
“Alright there, guys.” Tommy’s body is suddenly in-between them, his hands pushing them gently apart. “I think tensions are running a little high.” He looks worriedly between the two men. This is the first time he’s ever had to diffuse a situation between them, and it’s clear that it’s unnerved him.
Grayson shrugs off Tommy’s hand, taking a few steps back and rubbing his wrapped hands over his face as if to erase what just happened. He can’t believe that he just squared up to West, a man whom he respects more than any other. He really must not be thinking straight.
“You hear that noise, Grayson?” West gestures outside where there’s an unmistakable roar of the crowd. “They’re all here for you. They’re here to watch you become what they know you can be. Don’t disappoint them.” He doesn’t wait for an answer as he storms out of the door, slamming it behind him.
Grayson shakes his arms out, trying to get rid of some of the nervous tension still tingling from his argument with West.
“He was just trying to help you know, G?” Tommy’s voice is quiet, like he’s apprehensive about reminding Grayson that he’s still in the room.
“I know.” Grayson’s voice cracks, as he tries to get his emotions in check.
“You wanna
“I was wrong. I don’t say that very often. You are a distraction, but of the good sort. You distract his demons; The Adriana Effect.” West smiles at her kindly.
“He said that?” Adriana clasps her hands together to stop them from trembling.
“Well, I sure as hell didn’t make it up!” West chuckles at his own joke, but he sobers up almost instantly. “I’ll leave you to think about it, Adriana. Tickets for you and your friend will be at the ring if you want them. I hope you make the right decision.” He pats her on the shoulder as he walks past her.
Adriana tries to put some order into her thoughts, but there’s too much to process. “West!” She closes the distance between them, her expression intense. “What’s the right decision?”
West gives her a sympathetic look. “You care about him, don’t you? I think that should give you your answer.” With that, he’s gone, taking the steps two at a time, rushing back to his star fighter.
He needs you . That was what West had told her. But could she do about it?
GRAYSON
“You had no right to do that, West!” Grayson paces around the dressing room, breathing deeply, trying to get his rage under control.
“You didn’t exactly give me much of a choice. You’re a mess. How the hell do you think you’re going to go out there and fight when you’re like this?” West gestures around the room where chairs have been broken and tables have been flipped, as Grayson tried to work out his sense of guilt over Adriana.
“Did you ever stop to think there might be a reason I didn’t want her around?” Grayson can’t even bring himself to say her name. Just thinking it is hard enough.
“Whatever reason you might have, you’ve done a pretty good job of keeping it to yourself. There’s no prize for being the biggest martyr, Grayson.” West levels his protégé with an unimpressed stare.
Grayson reacts on instinct, squaring up to his coach, pulling himself up to his full height and width and towering over the older man. “What did you say to me?” His voice is deathly calm, but his hands are shaking with anger. That West, of all people, could accuse him of playing the martyr is unbelievable to him. It is as if a switch had been flipped inside of him.
“You heard me. What are you going to do, Grayson? Punch me?” West cocks his eyebrow, almost goading Gray into a fight.
“Alright there, guys.” Tommy’s body is suddenly in-between them, his hands pushing them gently apart. “I think tensions are running a little high.” He looks worriedly between the two men. This is the first time he’s ever had to diffuse a situation between them, and it’s clear that it’s unnerved him.
Grayson shrugs off Tommy’s hand, taking a few steps back and rubbing his wrapped hands over his face as if to erase what just happened. He can’t believe that he just squared up to West, a man whom he respects more than any other. He really must not be thinking straight.
“You hear that noise, Grayson?” West gestures outside where there’s an unmistakable roar of the crowd. “They’re all here for you. They’re here to watch you become what they know you can be. Don’t disappoint them.” He doesn’t wait for an answer as he storms out of the door, slamming it behind him.
Grayson shakes his arms out, trying to get rid of some of the nervous tension still tingling from his argument with West.
“He was just trying to help you know, G?” Tommy’s voice is quiet, like he’s apprehensive about reminding Grayson that he’s still in the room.
“I know.” Grayson’s voice cracks, as he tries to get his emotions in check.
“You wanna
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