Broken and Powerful

Chapter 23

JEDA POV

After breakfast, I went back up to my room to brush out the mess I called hair and put on some workout clothes. I found a sports bra and some black shorts along with some good running shoes.

I was going to leave when I noticed the black garbage bag on the floor that Richard brought from Jerad's house. I guess I should go through it while I have time.

Walking over to it, I sat on the floor and opened the bag, dumping the contents out in front of me.

It was mostly clothes. Some silky pajamas that still had the tags on them, random shirts and jeans.

Digging further into the pile I felt something hard under all the clothes. Pulling it out, a knock filled the room from Stefano's room.

"Come in," I say without looking up. The door swung open and my head shot up. Stefano walked in, changed into workout clothes.

"What are you looking at?" He asks walking over to me and sitting on the bed to my right.

"It's a picture that Richard brought from Jerad's house. I don't know where he found it because I haven't seen this in a long time," I say looking back at it in memory. "It's from the first fight I won."

The picture was of me, coated in sweat with a bloody lip, with my arm raised by the referee. In my other hand I was holding up the belt I won, my mouth open in a scream showing off my mouthguard.

My coach was in the back, his face red from cheering. The frame was cracked with a little bit of dried blood across it.

"You look so happy," He says and I nod my head.

"I was. It was my first fight in the MMA and I had won against a skilled opponent," I say with a smile on my face.

"Why's it broken?" He asks as I hand him the frame.

"Jerad broke it after the thing with Allison. I landed on it after he threw me down and my hand-cut on the glass," I say looking down at the clothes. I see him set the frame down on the bed, looking down at me.

"Half of this stuff I have never worn," I say with a laugh as I started shoving it back into the bag.

"Well, you have plenty of time to wear it now," he says standing up.

"Nah, I think I'm going to toss it or donate it," I close the bag and stand up. "I don't want any memories of what happened with Jerad."

Stefano gave me a warm smile while grabbing the bag from my hands.

"I'll see to it that it is donated," He says and gives me a peck on the cheek. My eyes go wide and my face heats up from the simple kiss. "Now, how about we get downstairs and get the day started?"

"Sound great," I flash him a small smile then follow him out of the room and downstairs. I see him hand the garbage bag to one of the men at the front door and mutter something in Italian before following me into the training room.

The room was full of people with the music loud enough to shake the walls. I paused at the door, my eyes roaming over the room while Stefano caught up to me.

"What are you waiting for?" His deep voice asks next to my ear. I shrug then walk further into the room to where the squat rack was. He doesn't follow but I feel his eyes following me as I walk away.

Getting to the empty rack, I place a ten pound on either side and position myself under the bar as my hands open and close around the cold metal.

Stepping away from the rack, I slowly squat down and watch my position in the mirror on the wall for correct alignment before going back up. I do this ten more times before adding more weight and starting over.