“He shouldn’t be fighting,” Kait concluded to herself with a shake of her head. “It’s too soon; he’s too worn out.”
Anger began to replace any concern she had for Jasper. Another bell chimed as the next round started. Jasper slowly stood up whilst his opponent in blue sprung to his feet as though filled with boundless energy.
“Come on, Jasper,” Kait willed him as around her the crowd chanted for him. Despite his previous wins, he was the underdog in this battle. His broad, strong shoulders sagged with exhaustion. Why was he doing this to himself? Why had he chosen to fight two nights in a row?
His opponent came at him and landed a punch squarely on Jasper’s jaw. His head snapped back, and Kait’s hand flew to her mouth. It was torture to watch him being beaten up like this. She couldn’t take much more. When Jasper straightened, a dark look glinted in his eyes. He pushed back his shoulders and then launched himself at the man in blue. He punched in quick succession, each one landing on its target. Then he stepped back and kicked with the precision of a ballerina, and his heel connected with his opponent’s chest. The man wearing blue staggered back, winded. He fell against the mat. The punches to his head had dazed him, and he seemed unable to get up. The referee dropped to his side and began to count as Jasper impatiently waited, bouncing on the spot as though he was now full of energy rather than verging on the point of exhausted.
The man in blue didn’t get up. The final bell rang, and Jasper’s arm was raised as the champion. The crowd went nuts. People were on their feet, fists pumping the air. They screamed Jasper’s name and clapped their hands until they were sore. Kait felt herself swept up in the euphoria. She too got to her feet and clapped madly for the victory. The sound was deafening, drumming in her ears. But as she clapped, she thought of Jasper’s invitation to come back stage. She hurried off towards the toilets, wanting to give herself a brief once over before coming face to face with him.
Chapter 11
Kait pushed against the crowd as people eagerly left the venue. She headed back in to the arena where a burly security guard swiftly ceased her progress.
“Where do you think you’re going?” He asked sternly as he folded his bulging arms across his ample chest.
“I…um…” Kait could feel her cheeks starting to burn. “I’m a friend of Jasper’s; he invited me backstage.”
“Name?”
“Oh…Kaitlyn Stewart.”
To her surprise, the guard gave a curt nod and then gestured for her to continue on her way towards the back of the venue which led to the changing rooms and the backstage area.
Away from the crowds, the backstage area was still a hive of activity. Agents and trainers darted about with their phones glued to their ears. No one paid Kait any attention. They must assume that the fact that she was there was enough to warrant that she belonged. Nervously, she wandered down a stark corridor, glancing at the doors as she moved. Finally she found the one with Jasper’s name stuck on it. Inhaling nervously, she knocked on the door.
“Come in.” She recognised the voice speaking through the door instantly. It was him. What was he going to say to her? Would he be mad that she was there? Lifting her chin and throwing back her shoulders, Kait opened the door and walked in.
Jasper’s dressing room was small and dimly lit. He sat on a grey sofa with an ice pack held to his left knee. The room smelt of sweat and coffee. He was alone.
“Jasper, hey,” Kait nervously walked in, feeling more like a girlish fan than a previous conquest. “Congratulations on your win!”
Jasper rolled his eyes and then winced. “I nearly knocked my knee out doing it,” he admitted with a grumble.
Kait wanted to be polite; she wanted to tell him she hoped his knee was okay, but she could feel her rage bubbling within her.
“How can you be so reckless?” She blurted angrily. Jasper’s eyes widened, and he blinked at her, startled. “You…you save me from those…those thugs! You get stabbed! And then you fight two nights in a row! And it’s not just your standard throw a few punches fighting, your sport is brutal, Jasper! You looked exhausted out there! What are you playing at?”
Her words landed heavily in the space between them. Kait blushed, realising that she had of course over stepped the mark. She clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent herself from saying anything more. She’d already done enough damage.
“I don’t remember consulting you on how I should live my life,” Jasper told her coldly.