Perfect Ruin

14. Underestimated

I don't know why but Braydon's view on cheating really unsettled me. And what is even more unsettling is that for a split second there, I actually doubted her when she said she would never betray me. I shouldn't feel that way, ever.

She's my best friend. She's been my best friend since freshman year of high school.

I try not to think too much about it. Perhaps the whole thing with Jax is making me second guess everything. I'm still shaken by the secrets that he keeps and I think that's making me doubt everybody else too. I keep telling myself that as the days roll by and when I'm sometimes in too deep in my thoughts.

Besides, between training, apartment hunting and spending time with Jax, there's little time for me to ponder over anything else these days. I've been kept really busy, particularly by Jax.

Lately, he's been stressed out about the whole underground tournament, which is quite odd to say the least because he's never been stressed about winning during the whole time I've known him. There's simply no reason for him to be worried at all—he's the best of the best and he knows it. He's won the championship twice now and his arrogance always gets the better of him so he's always certain that nobody can ever take that away from him.

But Julian has been putting a lot of pressure on him to change his tactics, which means Jax has to come up with new offense techniques that might either give him an advantage during the fights or cost him his championship. It's a risky thing to do—something that Jax is hell bent on not doing.

"You need to listen to me, boy," Julian smacks his towel on the bench out of frustration. "You need to break the routine—you're getting predictable—"

"If I change it, I'll lose. You know that. There isn't enough time for me to come up with another offense and defense front. I let them hit once, and then I pound the shit out of them. That's how it's always been and that's how it'll always be," Jax sneers back, taking off his wraps and throwing them on the ground.

"This is no longer an amateur competition anymore, Jax. I've seen what this season's fighters can do. There's a newbie—some are afraid of him and claim he should be a guy to watch out for—Kayden Williams—"

He scoffs, walking over towards the punching bags where I'm currently finishing up at. "No newbie is going to get the better of me. Right, princess?" He slides is arms around me from my back and press a light kiss on my bare shoulder.

"Of course," I say, turning my head and angling it so that his lips can meet with mine quickly. "You're the best. You're deadbeat."

"That I am." He winks at me and releases me. He turns around so he can face Julian, who's looking at him with a scowl. "I know what I'm doing, Jules. Just trust me."

"Your stupidity is going to get you killed, I just know it," Julian mutters as he disappears off to the locker rooms.

"You okay?" I ask, wiping my forehead with a hand towel.

"Fuck, he just gets on my nerves sometimes." Jax shakes his head. He folds his arms across his chest and leans against one of the punching bags. "I don't know how I tolerated him for this long."

"He's a good trainer."

"But I'm a better fighter."

"Maybe you should listen to him? He does give some great advice."

"Not this time." He shakes his head. "I feel it in my bones. His way is going to make me lose. And I'd rather die than to give over the championship to another fucker who doesn't deserve it."