Chapter 23: Santos

"OOMPH!"

The sheer force of my entire body meeting the ground causes me to forget everything else outside of this moment of pain.

"Again!" I yell and take my position back on my knees and Daniel lobs kick after kick at me. Trying to block shots from the position is almost a guarantee that I'll end up with bruises up and down my body, but that's the point. Pain on the outside makes me forget about pain on the inside.

"OOOMPH! Again!"

"What the fuck, man?" Daniels yells back, as he sets up for another kick. "I can't pepper these at you that fast. There's no way you'll be ready. It's a waste of our time."

I get in position, ignoring his concerns. "I said again!"

"Santos!" I look to the sidelines as Coach waves me over.

"Shit," I mutter under my breath, stumbling to my feet and trudging in his direction.

It's been three weeks since Mariana dropped a bomb on the life I thought I was rebuilding, and obliterated it all. It goes without saying that things have been tense between us ever since.