CHPTER TWENTY-FIVE –
MEGAN POINT OF VIEW
Present
“Well, that’s my cue,” I said to Chris with a lopsided grin as Jane stuck her head in the doorway.
“You coming or what? We have much to do today!” she barked leaving me behind.
I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. “Yes, mother. Give me a sec.” Turning back to Chris, I clapped him on the shoulder. “Stay out of trouble while I’m gone, writer boy. I expect you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for our next session.”
A faint blush crept up his neck, but he met my gaze steadily. “I’ll do my best to contain my wild ways until you return,” he deadpanned.
I chuckled low in my throat. “That’s what I like to hear.” With wink, I walked away following a muttering Jane.
“Ah! Finally, there you are!” A voice made me stopped!
“I looked all over for you,” she added with smile.
“Miss Williams! It’s an honor.” She leapt to her feet, practically vibrating with excited energy. “I’m Lilly Carson, your new assistant.”
My eyebrows hiked upwards as I took in her petite but wiry frame and the sparkle of youthful enthusiasm dancing in her hazel eyes.
She couldn’t have been much older than a college senior, a stark contrast to the jadedness that usually struck people after being around the boxing world for any extended period.
“Well, hey there, Lilly Carson,” I drawled, deliberately letting my gravel-toned voice drip with playful sarcasm. “I didn’t realize I was getting a new babysitter to keep me in line.”
I punctuated the quip with an exaggerated wink, hiding my amusement as her cheeks flushed ever so slightly at the gentle ribbing. Jane, predictably, scoffed loudly beside me.
“That’s one way to put it,” she grumbled, fixing the younger woman with one of her patented assessing glares. “We’ll see if this one last more than a week before she breaks.”
To her credit, Lilly didn’t so much as blink, holding my former coach’s stare with surprising poise. Interesting… maybe she had a bit more grit than that bright-eyed innocent outlook suggested.
“I can assure you both that coddling is the furthest thing from my intentions,” she replied, showing no outward sign of shrinking from Jane’s unrelenting intensity.
“My role is simply to keep this entire media circus running smoothly and ensure Miss Williams’ time and energy is optimized.”
Her tone was confident, diplomatic but with just a hint of that youthful fire flickering beneath the polished veneer.
I found myself unexpectedly intrigued and leaned in slightly as if to get a better read on her.
“Is that so? Well in that case, maybe you’ll be sticking around for a while after all…”
I closed the distance between us in a few long strides, letting my gaze roam openly over her slight frame.
Up close, I could make out the faint dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose and the determination burning in her hazel eyes.
“In fact, you look vaguely familiar. Weren’t you one of the promo assistants at the weigh-in fiasco yesterday?”
The sheepish look that flickered across her expressive features was all the confirmation I needed.
“You’re definitely sharper than you look,” she conceded with a rueful laugh, unconsciously mirroring my casual body language as some of the nervous tension bled away. “Jane recruited me at the last minute to help wrangle the media horde after, well… you know.”
We shared a commiserating look, my respect for this Lilly character ticking up a notch or two now that she’d shown she could keep her cool even after being thrust directly into the eye of the storm surrounding my personal life.
“Well, they do say baptism by fire is the fastest way to get your feet wet around here,” I said with a wry chuckle, reaching out to clap her on the shoulder.
I could feel the lean cords of muscle tensing beneath my calloused palm – apparently the girl put in some work to avoid being completely overwhelmed by the insanity.
“But hey, consider that just getting a tiny preview of what you signed up for in the weeks ahead.”
Rather than look intimidated, Lilly’s hazel eyes fairly danced with a combination of eagerness and determination that was honestly refreshing to see.
“I was born ready for this, Miss Williams,” she stated with a conviction that briefly belied her youthful exuberance. “I’ve been devouring every scrap of coverage on your journey over the past few years. You’re… well, you’re an inspiration to me for all the adversity you’ve endured and obstacles you’ve shattered. I can’t think of a bigger honor than being the one to help document this defining moment in your career and life.”
Her earnest words, delivered with such palpable sincerity, caught me slightly off guard.
I searched her open expression and found not even the faintest trace of artifice or hero worship, just a contagious authenticity and fire that resonated deeply within me.
In that moment, I felt the first faint stirrings of something I couldn’t quite put my finger on – the barest flicker of kinship with this fiery young woman whose spirit somehow called to the part of me that burned brightest.
Before I could dwell further on the curious sense of connection, the door banged open and Jane barreled in, all gruff irritability and impatience.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes as she immediately zeroed in on Lilly, her scowl deepening.
“So this is the pup they stuck us with?” she rumbled, fixing the younger woman with an assessing glare usually reserved for sizing up potential opponents.
To her credit, Lilly stood her ground admirably, lifting her chin in silent challenge. “At least she’s scrappy. We’ll see if she can hack it with the big dogs for more than five minutes around here.”
With that backhanded assessment, Jane swung her penetrating gaze towards me, all business.
“All right, enough lollygagging. Time to get your ass in gear, kiddo.”
I sighed, equal parts exasperated and infinitely fond of her tried and true tough love regimen.
Jane certainly had a way of piercing any ephemeral sense of tranquility or lightness of being.
One pointed look from those granite eyes and I could feel the gravity of what lay before me resetting, every single nagging doubt and external pressure slamming back into hyper-focused clarity.
No megawatt smiles or dreamy interviews awaited – only the brutal, bone-deep work of forging myself into an unstoppable force of nature, honing both my skill and indomitable spirit to perfect razors’ edges.
I laced my fingers together, rolling my shoulders with a deep, steadying breath.
“You got it, Coach. Lead the way.”
My gaze flickered briefly towards Lilly where she watched our exchange with rapt fascination.
The first hint of awestruck wonder creeping into her expression as she witnessed the instantaneous transformation this was my normal.
Our shared look said everything without needing words – this was the reality she had willingly strapped herself into, unvarnished and merciless and utterly all-consuming.
The faintest of smiles tugged at my lips. Somehow, I got the sense she wouldn’t have it any other way.
With a final pat on her shoulder, I pivoted to follow Jane towards the arena’s training facilities, already sharpening my focus inwards in preparation.
The real work to seal this epoch into immortality was only just beginning.
I just hoped this new dynamic addition was truly ready for the full immersion she’d signed up for.