Chapter 18: It’s Not Worth It

“Justin?” Celeste breathed heavily she reached out to grasp Justin’s sweaty palm.

“Get the hell off me Celeste I have a fight to go to.” He wrenched away from her.

“No Justin. Please.” She needed to tell him that what he thought he had seen had not actually happened.

He quickly halted his steps causing her to fall into his chest. Justin did not bother to help her readjust her footing. “Talk.”  His words were harsh and his face was unmoving.

Now that he demanded she say something, she was at a lost for words. “Um…I’m sorry.” She had no idea what she was apologizing for, leaving him to watch Tati or going out with Kyle.

“Please save the apology. And take off those damn shoes before you hurt yourself.” Celeste did as he asked, but she still apologized again.

Justin ignored her as she continued to talk. He asked himself why he was so angry, but he couldn’t come up with a plausible answer.

“Go back home Celeste you do not belong out here.” He pushed her hands away.

There was no way she was going back home. Besides she didn’t even know where Justin was leading her. “I’m not leaving and there is nothing you can do to make me.” She quickly jumped in front of him to block his path when he started to walk away again.

Justin observed her from head to toe. From her stocking covered feet to the jeans that hugged her hips so perfectly, up to the sheer camisole with sequin accents and the denim blazer that completed her outfit. She looked damn good. Even the subtle amount of makeup she wore didn’t change his mind about her appearance.

“Move Celeste.” He was giving her one more chance.

“No.” She emphasized her determination by placing her hand against her hip.

Justin roughly turned her around so that she wasn’t facing him anymore and gave her a swift pat to her bottom.

“Ow!” Celeste had shrieked so loud that her voice echoed down the street. She tried to cover her hands over her rear, but Justin replaced her hands with his and pushed her along in front of him.

“You better not had left a mark on my ass!” The pain had yet to wear off after he had hit her.

“I’ll check when we get back home, but now I’m almost late for my fight.” He was unconsciously rubbing the spot where he had hit her on the bottom until Celeste reached back and grabbed his hand. It was too uncomfortabe to have his hands on her behind.

“I can walk by myself Justin. Besides you’re putting runs in my stockings.” She was starting to feel the cold concrete against her bare feet.

Justin stopped but didn’t remove his hands instead he looked down to examine her stocking covered feet. She was right she did have runs in her stockings. He turned her around to quickly sling her over his shoulder and began a light jog.

“Justin my shoes!” She didn’t want Bridget’s money to go to waste if she had just left the shoes on the sidewalk for someone else to wear later.

Justin turned back to retrieve her shoes. He effortlessly bent down to grab the straps of her shoes in one hand, all the while keeping one hand on her jean-clad rear to steady her.

Celeste felt like she was going to throw up her dinner. While Justin bounded down the street, she bounced uncontrollably against his back. “I’m gonna be sick.”

“Shut up Celeste. I can’t concentrate.” He was mentally preparing for his fight since he wouldn’t have the time to practice when he arrived.  

“Can you take me back home Justin?”

“Fuck no. Which way does it look like I’m walkin’?”

“I don’t know which way you are going and don’t you dare swear at me. I’m not one of those tramps you fancy yourself with-ow!” Justin had quickly released her from his grasp and allowed her to fall to the ground, landing on her rear, which seemed to be getting a lot of injury tonight.

“Who told you that?”

“Ow…Justin I could have hurt myself!” Celeste stood up and brushed the residue from her new jeans, which weren’t going to look so new by the time she made it back home.

“Fuck that. Who told you I fancy myself with tramps?” He grabbed her wrist.

“Why does it matter? You do it anyway.” She didn’t notice the ever increasing signs of anger on Justin’s face.

His grasp tightened pulling her dangerously close to him, “Kyle told you, didn’t he? He should be one to talk.” And with that said he pushed her away again.

“You are not gonna be roughing me…” She paused when his words settled in. Celeste stared at his retreating form. Was he calling her… “A tramp Justin. I’m not a tramp!”

“Well tramp in training then. A woman can not be anything more than that nowadays.” He tossed her shoes on the sidewalk without looking back.

What was he trying to do? Make her cry? Normally, Celeste would have been in tears by now, but over the past week advice from Bridget had taught her how to hide her true feelings. But damn Justin had really driven it home with his last comment.

When she caught up with him, she grabbed his hand, “Do you really think I am a tramp?”

“Ask Kyle babe.” He spat trying to free his hand.

“Answer me damnit! Do you think I am a tramp?” She was dead serious.

“Whoa Calm down Celeste.”

“Why does my going out with Kyle bother you so much? I’m free to go out aren’t I?”

Justin glared at her, “Don’t go there Celeste. The point is you told me you were going shopping hours ago. I had half-pint all day…no all fucking day! While you were all embellished in your fancy apparel…yes I know big words and on a date with that shit-faced loser. Were you trying to get kicked out on the street? Cause I was this close to doing just that when I saw ya’ll holdings hands and shit.” Furious, he backed away from her when he was about to raise his hands to grab her. There was no point in trying to reason with her anyway.

“You’re not a tramp. There happy, that’s what you wanted?” Walking away from her for the third time, Justin resumed his path. When he turned and saw her unmoving of where he had last left her, he went back to her and pulled her along with him.

Celeste unconsciously fell in step with him, but she was hardly paying attention. She started to say something, but quickly closed her mouth. There was nothing to say…

~*~*~*~

Justin wrapped the gauze around the knuckles of his left hand. Every since they had arrived neither he or Celeste had spoken a word. Celeste hadn’t even given him a sideway glance, she just sat in the chair like he had told her to.

“Celeste.” Still no eye contact so he continued with his instructions. “Do not leave this room at all. In fact when I leave, lock the door behind me and don’t open it until I comeback. If I don’t say chicken grease keep the damn door closed. Got it?”

No answer. All he heard was the sound of a bell that told him the fight was nearing.

After he was finish all the preparations for his fight he stood in front of Celeste, “We gonna talk later?” The question was more like a demand.

“Wish me luck…well see ya in a while.” He dropped his lucky dog tags into her palm and walked out the door.

Immediately, Celeste followed his orders and locked the door. She sighed heavily thinking about the previous twenty or thirty minutes.

Justin last words rang in her head. While you were all embellished in your fancy apparel…yes I know big words and on a date with that shit-faced loser. Were you trying to get kicked out on the street? Cause I was this close to doing just that when I saw ya’ll holdings hands and shit.

Celeste had never seen Justin as angry as he had been a minute ago. And it bothered her even more that she was the reason for his anger.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have gone out with him.” It wasn’t like an actual date, despite what Justin thought. But how could she explain Kyle holding her hand? Yes, because Kyle was holding her hand, not the other way around. That’s what she would tell Justin when he returned.

Noise, more like unbearable commotion occurring behind the door invaded her thoughts. She heard people chanting. “Timberwolve! Timberwolve! Timberwolve!”

Timberwolve? That was Justin, right? Celeste asked herself. The chanting seemed to be advancing.

Celeste grasped the knob, “But Justin said not to open it unless he said chicken grease.” Yet, it was too late. She had already opened the door…

Justin watched as his opponent swayed back and forth on his toes trying to regain his balance, after being hit by a fast one to the ribs. Come on fall damn it!

He was trying to make this a quick fight so he could get his money and leave. “The Hittman” as he called himself, wasn’t going down as easy as Justin suspected. I guess I’m gonna have to fix that then.

“The Hittman” made a swift short jab, but Justin dodged it completely, reaching up to hit him square in the left cheekbone, much to the delight of crowd. “The Hittman” had just officially become “The Get Hittman”.

However, the larger man was quick to counteract, with an uppercut to Justin’s jaw as a spray of blood spurt from tightly clenched teeth.

Celeste winced from the massive blow to his face; feeling as though she may have underestimated how much it would affect her once she opened the door. Her loud gasp caught the attention of the crowd, and the deafening sound, was now suddenly silent, when someone yelled. “Hey who is the hottie!”

Everyone turned and looked at Celeste with silent stares including Justin, and even “The Hittman” who could barely see.

“Oh shit Celeste!” Celeste vaguely heard Justin’s voice but she didn’t respond.

“Woo-hoo! This is one bad bitch right here fellas!” A grotesque man hollered as Celeste tried to move away from him.

From afar Justin attempted to make out what was going on but he couldn’t because unruly men were closing in on her.

Never one to miss an opportunity when it was available, Justin pummeled into “The Hittman” until his back was pushed against the thick ropes in the right hand corner.

Once “The Hitman’s” back was against the ropes all he could do was desperately hold his forearms up, bent at the elbow to cover his face, but too little avail. Justin’s unstoppable punches found their way in, connecting so hard, that the sound of bone fractures reverberated off the walls, shifting the attention of the crowd back to the fight.

Celeste watched as “The Hittman” slumped in a bloodied mess to the floor, hanging haphazardly on the ropes like a side of beef strung up in a butcher’s window.

Finally he calmed down, breaking the hold of the referee and some random guy had on him after it was clear that the fight was over.

The burly referee stepped over to Justin enthusiastically to announce his victory, “And the winner is-”

“Fuck that…” He breathed heavily wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. “Just gimme my damn money so I can get the fuck outta here.”

Once it was obvious that the fight was over, the gruesome men turned their attention back to Celeste.

“Won’t you bring your tasty ass over here next to moi? I bet you as sweet as you look, just like chocolate.” He licked his lips.

“That’s my chocolate.” Justin’s voice was heard from behind the group.

“I was here first buddy.”

“Run Celeste now!” Justin demanded when it appeared that he wasn't going to be able to make it through the pack of men before they pounced on her. “And lock the damn door!”

Celeste had followed his instructions, immediately taking off as fast as she could.