Open Wounds (Harbour Bay #2)(18)
“Don’t cry to me, Kel, if you break a nail.”
“So long as you don’t cry to me if you break something else.”
They faced off, the sounds of the men surrounding them dying off as she centred herself. As far as she was concerned, they were alone.
Kellie parted her stance, making it wider as she moved at an angle to improve her chances of staying on her feet. Amelia mimicked her action, having spent time in the ring and out of one herself. She knew how to fight—fairly and unfairly—and knew all the dirty tricks to use against her opponent should it come down to that. Which it usually did when she was up against a street criminal.
Amelia waited, her vision narrowed, her mind moving into survival mode. She was no longer fighting a game with an old friend; she was fighting a threat. She patiently waited for Kellie to make the first move, hoping to manoeuvre her into doing what she wanted. She didn’t have to wait long.
Kellie’s first hit was direct and hard, even blocking her attack and pushing her back a few steps. Amelia took a deep breath before going on the attack, sparring with her across the ring, back and forth. Each jab and punch was a direct hit, designed to hurt and demobilise. This was not a friendly match; the competitors fought for a championship, and they both treated it as such.
Hit, block, hit, block. Left, right, left, right. Each hit jarred her to the bone. They were both breathing heavily, their clothes damp with perspiration, clinging to their bodies. Amelia didn’t hear the encouraging shouts and cheers coming from outside the ring; she was completely absorbed with anticipating the next hit.
Kellie went low, then high, trying to knock her off balance, but she remained steady on her feet. Years of dealing with persistent crooks gave her an advantage. She could outlast and outwait her, knowing sooner or later she would make a mistake or get sloppy and that would be Amelia’s time to strike.
She had to admit, Kellie was good; she hadn’t been lying when she said she’d been practicing. Her moves were professional, quick, simple and effective. The force behind each blow was staggering and Amelia could feel her body burning, this being one of the best workouts she’d had in a while. The anger simmering just below the surface came alight, fuelling her body when she should’ve been exhausted.
She blocked another of Kellie’s blows, moving to the side simultaneously as she pushed her arm wide, landing an unguarded gloved fist into her stomach. Her body instantly bowed down as she tried to protect itself, and Amelia took the opportunity to go at her again as she immediately righted herself. She landed an indirect blow as Kellie moved at the last second, the punch hitting her in the arm rather than the chest, spinning her around.
Amelia took the advantage and jumped on her back, hooking her arm around Kellie’s neck and adding pressure. She didn’t have time to adjust to the new position as Kellie recovered, flipping Amelia easily over her shoulder and onto the mat beneath their feet.
“You hit like a girl, Donovan,” she taunted as she drew closer. She heard the gasps coming from the crowd. No one dared tell Amelia Donovan she was a girl at anything. “You’re being soft on me. Stop protecting me Mia. I can take whatever you’ve got.”
“Are you kidding, Kel? You’re barely standing.”
Kellie jabbed at her forcefully then ducked, barely missing her return fist. She went down into a squat then pushed up from her feet, her head ramming into Amelia’s unprotected stomach, knocking her off her feet and onto her back. Kellie’s head jerked left and right as she dodged the fists flying at her head, struggling to pin Amelia’s arms. She straddled her using her knees to push her arms down into the mat.
“Okay, who has Jello?” a male voice added to the chortle of excited viewers.
Amelia turned her head slightly and saw that everyone in the gym had stopped to watch. It could’ve been the fight of the year, the way they were treating it.
“Hey, keep that shit up and we’ll go a round after. Have some respect, O’Malley,” Nick told the over-enthusiastic officer. From the look O’Malley gave him, he understood completely that Nick wasn’t joking.
“Is that all you’ve got? You’re going to let me win?” Kellie asked as she pushed at her, shoving her into the mat. “Where’s all that anger and fury now?”
“You’re pushing me.”
“I always had to. I know you may never forgive me. Hell I’m not even sure I forgive myself. But know I’ve never blamed you. Never wished it was you. Walking away was the hardest decision of my life.”
Amelia jerked away from Kellie, her emotions raw. She knew Kellie was painting herself as a target and taking on her anger, urging her to put the past behind her.
Could she? Her closest friend turned her back on her, during a time she’d needed her the most. She’d been sixteen and her best friend had been hurt. She’d had no idea how to help her through it.
“You did nothing wrong. It was too much. I was in a dark place. The darkest,” Kellie explained, her eyes imploring her to listen, to understand. “I wanted to reach out but I was afraid you’d tip me over the edge. I almost ended it, downed my mother’s pills and booze. I didn’t want to drag you into that. I called Ed and he got me the help I needed. I asked him not to tell you because I didn’t want you to think less of me.”
Ed had been the detective on her case. A man she respected. Her mentor. It hurt to know he'd kept Kellie’s secret from her. Guilt consumed her. She had been there the entire time, through each of the police interviews, had watched as Kellie became more withdrawn. By the end, she’d become a shadow of her former self. Her friend had been so desolate to the point of taking her own life and she’d not known. Not one inkling. Of all the reasons she’d thought over the years for Kellie’s sudden departure, she’d never once considered it had been her actions that drove her away.