Read Online The Only Way by Jamie Sullivan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jamie Sullivan
Tags: Fantasy, FF romance
Ads: Link
could break it if she so much as wriggled. She held still, her head ringing from the last blow.
"Better luck next time," Leo told her as she limped out of the arena.
*~*~*
Hart went down on her face, the slippery surface of the mat smacking loudly against her cheek. She closed her eyes, willing her vision to stop spinning as the fighter landed heavily on top of her, a knee in the center of her back to pin her while the count rang out. There was blood in her eyelashes, tinting everything red.
"Fifteen minutes," Leo nodded approvingly when she crawled out of the ring on all fours. Hart barely made it to the edge before she retched, her dinner coming up hot in her throat.
*~*~*
She should have seen it coming. But Hart was a bit too busy being knocked to her knees to pay attention to her opponent's feet until one was catching her on the side of the head.
Her vision swam and went dark.
When Hart blinked open her eyes again, it took her a moment to realize the cacophony of sound wasn't just in her head, which was ringing like she had never experienced before. A deep ache blossomed behind her left eye. She blinked again, and Leo came into her line of vision. She couldn't make out his words; she watched the motion of his lips in a daze.
She grasped his hand and let him pull her to her feet. The second she was upright, she stumbled again, the room spinning around her. The audience blurred into a mass of color and sound, and her stomach heaved.
"Come on, let's get you out of here."
Her opponent still stood in the center of the ring, his arms raised triumphantly, basking in the cheers from the crowd. So, she couldn't have been out for that long, she assured herself.
At the side of the ring, Leo was suddenly gone and someone else was keeping her upright. It took a moment before Hart realized it was Ruby, ducking a shoulder under Hart's arm and tucking an arm around her waist. She guided Hart into the changing room and deposited her on a bench. Without the noise of the arena, Hart's head felt clearer, but little black spots still swum in her vision.
Hart blinked, realizing Ruby was lifting her feet, trying to put her shoes on for her.
"I'm fine. I can do it." The shake in her voice didn't make her words sound as convincing as she'd hoped.
"You've got a concussion, dumbass," Ruby snorted. "Even tying shoelaces is beyond you right now. Just sit still and try not to puke."
Hart didn't feel particularly nauseated until Ruby dragged her to her feet again. Then she tried desperately to take the other girl's words to heart.
"Come on."
"Where?" Hart asked dumbly.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "I'm taking you home. If you can't tie your shoes, then you certainly can't get back to the Gutter on your own."
"You don't have to …"
"Actually, I do. Dad gave explicit instructions. So stop complaining and start walking." Ruby's tone was harsh, but her hands were gentle as she steadied Hart against her, leading her out into the night.
The walk was slow, Hart's steps hesitant as she was struck by dizzy spells. Hart directed Ruby, but the girl was really the one leading the way, shouldering more than her fair share of Hart's weight.
"I'm sorry about this," Hart felt compelled to say as they stepped through the gate into the Gutter.
"Don't be stupid," Ruby snapped, the rough tone that Hart was starting to realize stood in for some kind of weird affection in the girl's book. Or, at least, it wasn't the same tone she took with the men at the gym who ogled her ass and made snide comments. "What did you think we were going to do? Just leave you in the streets?"
"Well, thanks anyway," Hart shrugged.
After a second Ruby said quietly, "you're welcome."
Hart grinned, knowing the darkness of the Gutter would hide it.
Ruby didn't comment on the Gutter as they wound their way further and further into the shantytown, but Hart couldn't help but wonder how it looked to her after growing up in the Alley.
Luckily they were at her door before shame
"Better luck next time," Leo told her as she limped out of the arena.
*~*~*
Hart went down on her face, the slippery surface of the mat smacking loudly against her cheek. She closed her eyes, willing her vision to stop spinning as the fighter landed heavily on top of her, a knee in the center of her back to pin her while the count rang out. There was blood in her eyelashes, tinting everything red.
"Fifteen minutes," Leo nodded approvingly when she crawled out of the ring on all fours. Hart barely made it to the edge before she retched, her dinner coming up hot in her throat.
*~*~*
She should have seen it coming. But Hart was a bit too busy being knocked to her knees to pay attention to her opponent's feet until one was catching her on the side of the head.
Her vision swam and went dark.
When Hart blinked open her eyes again, it took her a moment to realize the cacophony of sound wasn't just in her head, which was ringing like she had never experienced before. A deep ache blossomed behind her left eye. She blinked again, and Leo came into her line of vision. She couldn't make out his words; she watched the motion of his lips in a daze.
She grasped his hand and let him pull her to her feet. The second she was upright, she stumbled again, the room spinning around her. The audience blurred into a mass of color and sound, and her stomach heaved.
"Come on, let's get you out of here."
Her opponent still stood in the center of the ring, his arms raised triumphantly, basking in the cheers from the crowd. So, she couldn't have been out for that long, she assured herself.
At the side of the ring, Leo was suddenly gone and someone else was keeping her upright. It took a moment before Hart realized it was Ruby, ducking a shoulder under Hart's arm and tucking an arm around her waist. She guided Hart into the changing room and deposited her on a bench. Without the noise of the arena, Hart's head felt clearer, but little black spots still swum in her vision.
Hart blinked, realizing Ruby was lifting her feet, trying to put her shoes on for her.
"I'm fine. I can do it." The shake in her voice didn't make her words sound as convincing as she'd hoped.
"You've got a concussion, dumbass," Ruby snorted. "Even tying shoelaces is beyond you right now. Just sit still and try not to puke."
Hart didn't feel particularly nauseated until Ruby dragged her to her feet again. Then she tried desperately to take the other girl's words to heart.
"Come on."
"Where?" Hart asked dumbly.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "I'm taking you home. If you can't tie your shoes, then you certainly can't get back to the Gutter on your own."
"You don't have to …"
"Actually, I do. Dad gave explicit instructions. So stop complaining and start walking." Ruby's tone was harsh, but her hands were gentle as she steadied Hart against her, leading her out into the night.
The walk was slow, Hart's steps hesitant as she was struck by dizzy spells. Hart directed Ruby, but the girl was really the one leading the way, shouldering more than her fair share of Hart's weight.
"I'm sorry about this," Hart felt compelled to say as they stepped through the gate into the Gutter.
"Don't be stupid," Ruby snapped, the rough tone that Hart was starting to realize stood in for some kind of weird affection in the girl's book. Or, at least, it wasn't the same tone she took with the men at the gym who ogled her ass and made snide comments. "What did you think we were going to do? Just leave you in the streets?"
"Well, thanks anyway," Hart shrugged.
After a second Ruby said quietly, "you're welcome."
Hart grinned, knowing the darkness of the Gutter would hide it.
Ruby didn't comment on the Gutter as they wound their way further and further into the shantytown, but Hart couldn't help but wonder how it looked to her after growing up in the Alley.
Luckily they were at her door before shame
Similar Books
