American Sweethearts

64

Sorry for the late upload, guys! I don't really have an excuse 😅 I've just been writing essays all day and then my laptop died 😂 but it's here now! We're so close to the end, but I've been thinking about maybe adding a few chapters if I have time. How would you guys feel about that, if it means waiting longer for the last few chapters? Let me know!

Enjoy the chapter!

Lots of love, xxxx

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The whole room is full of people. Some are searching for their seats, others are waiting in line for snacks, but most are standing around, chatting with their friends. They're making so much noise, I can barely hear my own thoughts.

"It's so busy," I comment, eyeing the crowd around us.

"This is nothing," Owen responds. "It's only about half the numbers we usually draw."

We just arrived at the venue of Tyler's boxing match. I had assumed it would just be at the gym, but I was wrong. We're at a bigger, garage-style warehouse, similar to the gym, and around the corner from it, but instead of being full of exercise equipment, it's full of chairs. The tribunes are surrounding a white boxing ring in the center of the room, allowing everyone to view the match.

Tyler was not happy when I asked to come. He said it would be too dangerous without him by my side, and I'm not surprised. The crowd mostly consists of huge, muscular men. Some are even bigger than Tyler and Owen combined. They must be on steroids.

Tyler didn't come around to the idea until I promised to stick with Owen the entire time. He told me to stay close to his 'crew', who I am yet to meet, but I assume consists of his coach and maybe a manager or something. I'm not too sure, but I'll have to learn. For now, I'm just glued to Owens side.

"Do you want a snack?" he asks. "Or a drink? They won't have any milkshakes, but I can get you something else."

"No, thanks," I shake my head. "I don't need anything. I'm just a bit... confused."

"It's weird, isn't it?" he chuckles.

It is, but I'm not even sure what's so weird about it. It's just an environment I'm not used to being in. There are barely any women in the room, and those that are, are much older than me.

I wish Tyler was here, but he's in the change rooms, getting ready for the fight. I'm not even sure how long the match is meant to take. I can't imagine it being more than five minutes, but then again, I don't know anything about boxing, or sport in general.

Owen leads me through the room. I dodge the groups of people in the crowd, avoiding their curious stares. I look completely out of place here. Most people are in dark clothes, wearing anything from suits to activewear. Meanwhile, I'm in a baby blue tea dress, with my hair curled to perfection.

Every few steps, Owen stops to greet a new person. These matches must always draw a similar crowd. I recognize a few faces from when Steph and I took our self-defense class, but no one really stands out. Eventually, we stop at a corner of the ring, where a guy with dreadlocks is digging through a tub of Gatorade on the floor. It's the same guy I met at the gym that night Tyler fought with his father.

"What's up, man?" he nods at Owen. "Good to see you again."

"You too, bro," Owen responds. "You remember Sarah, right?"

"Tyler's girl," he glances at me.

"Hi," I smile. "I'm sorry, I forgot your name."

"Devon," he tells me.