Thanks for the reviews! Big thanks as always to Love Ink for putting up with me and all my questions lol If you haven't checked out her Juice/OC story Hands All Over you've had to be living under a rock all these years because it is awesome! I do not own anything in this chapter, besides my ocs, everything else belongs to their rightful owners.
Chapter 13
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A few days had passed since her last run in with Juice, and Savannah was making it her purpose to keep them from having another one. She knew her and Juice in the same room was only going to end badly, and she didn't want to risk it. Sometimes, it couldn't be helped, especially when he made every attempt to be close to her, but she couldn't give in. It would only hurt her friend, and she couldn't have that happen.
Today was one of the off days Juice wasn't working. Which meant she could relax around the garage and clubhouse. She was currently standing with Cherry, who'd been here to see Half Sack all along, watching the prospect and Lowell fight in the ring. She had to admit, the prospect wasn't half bad. She briefly wondered if he could last in the ring with Bash, but tried not to let herself think about him too much.
Bash was someone else she was avoiding since the last run in with Juice. It didn't feel right seeing him when she still wanted Juice. She was conflicted. On one hand, she had a great guy who wanted to treat her nicely and take her out. He wasn't in the club life, and he was an escape from all the craziness. Juice, on the other hand, was now in the club life. One of the reason she fell for him in the first place was because he wasn't.
Not only that, but he was still seeing Lily and it wouldn't be the first time this week alone she'd seen her friend coming out of the clubhouse with a blush and bed head that screamed 'I just got fucked good'. It killed her, and she wasn't sure what Juice was thinking. If he wanted her back, why hadn't he left her yet? Why rub it in her face? Of course, he could ask her the same thing with Bash.
"Everything alright? You spaced." Cherry said softly, smacking her gum in a way that made Savannah cringe.
The brunette looked at her with momentarily concern. Her nose was healing up nicely since Gemma smacked her with a skateboard not that long ago. It would seem the two women made peace, so Savannah was happy to give her a chance. "Yeah, yeah, just thinking about some shit. How's our guy doin'?" Savannah asked, stuffing her hands in her pockets as she tried to move the attention off of her and back to the prospect.
Cherry was happy to talk about him instead. "Oh, he's really doin' good. Not that anyone that challenging has faced him yet."
Savannah's eyes flickered to poor Lowell. The guy was barely clean, and he was now taking a beating from the prospect pretty good. She was friends with the junky mechanic, known him since he was a kid. His dad was a friend of the clubs, a friend of her dad, before he took off after the accident. Lowell was a mess, and he went down a bad path as he got older. Clay took it upon himself to help the guy out. Kept sending him to rehab and so far this time was sticking. Savannah was proud of the guy, she knew how hard it's been for him.
"Half Sack, boombaye!" Chibs shouted. "Get in there, kid!"
Chibs had taken it upon himself to become some kind of trainer for the prospect, and it was almost funny. She'd taken him with her to gym a couple times and Bash had been happy to help him get refreshed in boxing. He was a junior lightweight champion in his division and Savannah found that to be really cool.
"Hands up, Lowell!" Savannah shouted, cheering on the poor guy who was obviously no match for Half Sack. "Keep your hands up, Lowell!"
He didn't give up though, so she had to give him that.
"Now you're just being cocky. Anybody can beat up a junkie, prospect. It doesn't mean shit." Chibs snapped, rolling his eyes as he turned and headed over to Tig and Bobby.
Chibs was taking this seriously, and Savannah knew why. There was a bare-fist fight coming up and they entered Half Sack. Not only that, but Bash was going to be one of the fighters that night too and he'd invited her to come. She hadn't accepted the offer yet, but she knew it'd look bad if she showed up for Half Sack and ignored his offer.
"Hey, where'd you learn how to fight like this?" Cherry asked, leaning forward so she could lean on the ropes.
Half Sack liked being the center of attention for once, it was a big difference to how he was treated as a prospect. Sometimes a guy needed it. Savannah knew that all too well. Juice and Jax were both the same way. "Uh, you know, I was junior lightweight champion. Armed forces, boxing competition." Half Sack, not really paying attention to his fight with Lowell anymore.
"Oooh, that's so hot." Cherry said with a grin, leaning up for a kiss.
Taking the moment of distraction as Half Sack went to give her what she wanted, Lowell was able to land a shot. Savannah smiled, cheering on the poor junkie. She raised her hands, clapping loudly. "Atta boy, Lowell." She cheered, giving him a wink. He blushed and lost his chance to turn the tables on the prospect.
Unfortunately, she spoke too soon and Half Sack landed a few hits thanks to her unintended distraction, knocking him right off his feet. Both girls winced as Lowell hit the ropes. The foursome hadn't noticed Clay joining the group of men a few feet away. He'd shown up just in time to see Lowell go down. "Shit, Lowell. Get out of there!" He snapped, wincing as he saw the poor shape his mechanic was in.
Savannah sighed, grabbing the rope so she could use it to lift herself up. Slipping in between them, she patted Half Sack's shoulder before helping Lowell to his feet. Savannah saw the embarrassment on his face. He didn't want to look like a wuss in front of the guys. "I don't mind it, Clay. I'm just helping Half Sack train." Lowell said, moving to show he was ready for another round.
"Yeah, well, you've killed enough brain cells. Come on. Come on. Back to work." Clay said over.
Savannah shot Half Sack a look, asking him to put a stop to this so Lowell would be okay with them taking a break. She didn't want to see him hurt anymore than Clay did. Lowell's well being was probably the only thing Savannah admired that Clay took notice of. Half Sack pulled one of his gloves off with his teeth. "Clay's right, I need a break. Thanks for helping, Lowell." Half Sack said before motioning for Cherry to help him.
Lowell tried to hide his relief. "Okay. Thanks."
Savannah smiled, relieved as well, as she helped him get his gear off. She'd done this a few times for Bash, she was starting to get a hang of it. She could see the disappointment of not being able to fight well in Lowell's eyes. She hated to see him upset over soemthing as silly as this. "Don't worry, Lowell. I'll take you to Lumpy's with me sometime. My friend Bash can help ya learn how to wipe the floor with Half Sack in no time." She said, smiling as she helped him get his gloves off.
Lowell looked grateful, nodding his head in thanks. Before he could make his thanks vocal, Half Sack spoke up instead. "Just a friend? Like, uh, the just friends you and Juice are or, you know, really just friends?" He asked, knowing it was a little harsh.
He and Juice had become friends though. Juice knew the struggles of being the new guy and he appreciated when Juice would lend him a hand in shit around the clubhouse. He knew Juice cared about Savannah and while he was just as protective over her to Juice, it was his turn to stick up for his brother.
Savannah looked surprised at what he was implying. She wasn't aware Half Sack knew anything about her and Juice. Not that it'd matter, nothing was going on there. Not anymore anyway. "What's that suppose to me, Kip?" She asked, moving her hand to her hip as she tried to figure out where he was going with this.
Half Sack hopped down from the ring, grabbing his water from Cherry before sitting on the picnic table. Savannah's eyes followed him, just waiting for a response. "Nothing. Just, uh, I mean, you and Juice? You're not just friends. Don't act like it, anyway." He said before he took a big sip of his water. He was hoping she didn't chew him out for it, but they both knew he was right.
"Uh huh, and what exactly do we act like, Half Sack? Cause last I checked, my business wasn't any of your concern." She said sharply, her eyes narrowing on him as if daring him to keep going.
Half Sack was quiet for a minute as she climbed between the ropes and got back down from the ring. He took another long sip of his water before he looked over again. "You know, Juice said almost the same thing when I asked him about you. Whatever game you guys are playing with each other, it's not gonna end nice. Someone's gonna get hurt, and honestly, Sav, I don't want it to be you." He said, hoping she didn't take it the wrong way.
Savannah stood there stunned, not really knowing what she could say. Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath before she headed over to the garage. "My man tells it as it is." Cherry praised, smirking as she watched Savannah's retreating form. Half Sack's eyes followed her until Cherry kissed him and got his attention back. He really hoped him speaking up wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass later.
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After a quick text to Bash, she told him she'd meet him at the place they were holding the fights before grabbing a ride with Tig over. She tried to avoid Juice's curious gaze, but it was harder said then done. She tried not to be hurt when he mentioned going to pick up his date and that he'd meet them there. Savannah immediately went in search of Bash as soon as her feet were on solid ground again.
He was with Lumpy getting ready for his first fight. He'd be going on before Half Sack and she was grateful for that. It meant she could cheer for both boys. Finding a seat, she made sure she had a good view of the ring. Bash had just climbed into the ring and was being announced by the man with the microphone. "Hey, Savvy." Lily said, getting her attention as she slipped into the side beside her.
Savannah was about to greet her friend when she caught sight of Juice sliding in on the other side of Lily. Why'd he have to come with her? Why couldn't he go stand with the guys and help them with Half Sack? Unaware of the tension between Juice and Savannah, Lily smiled and gave her friend a hug before she got comfortable in her seat. "Hey, Lil. Juice." Savannah said with a forced smile.
"Juice said I hadn't truly experienced fun if I didn't see a boxing match. You're here for Half Sack too?" She asked, looking between them with a genuine smile.
She was happy to be invited and be wih her friend. She had no idea the two were currently fighting their attraction to the other, or at least she was. Juice had made his feelings clear, but still kept Lily around while Savannah lead Bash on. It wasn't fair to anyone and maybe Half Sack was right. Someone was going to get hurt, but at this point it was gonna happen no matter what she did to try and stop it.
Giving her friend a small smile, she nodded. "Yes and no. Um, my friend at Lumpy's is fighting tonight. He's in the ring now."
Lily looked surprised, glancing to the ring to see the match had started. Juice looked bitter when he noticed Bash in the ring. "Right, friend." He muttered under his breath, his fists clenching inside of his pockets. Thankfully, it was too loud and not even Lily who was right beside him heard him.
Savannah mentally scolded herself for missing the beginning of the fight. She wasn't even cheering for Bash, and she wondered if he'd notice. She winced when his opponent landed a good left hook, but Bash was quick to gain back the upper hand. The two brunettes stood up and cheered, clapping loudly for the boxer. "Woo! Go Bash! Get him! You got this!" Savannah yelled, smiling proudly when Bash landed the winning punch that knocked out his opponent.
The ref held Bash's arm up in victory, declaring him the winner of the match. The girls smiled, laughing together before they settled back into their seats. Juice didn't look to happy as he purposely wrapped his arm around Lily and pulled her closer. She thought nothing of it, happy to snuggle into him, but Savannah knew he was doing it to piss her off. She clenched her fists as she watched him kiss her, his eyes opening to look at her before he deepened the kiss. She tried not to let him ruin her good mood as she turned her head, refusing to look at the couple beside her.
"Second fight of the afternoon. Round one!" The announced said over the microphone. The bell rang, annoucing the beginning of the fight.
"Let's go!" The Referee shouted, motioning for them to start.
The couple broke for some air only because they knew it was Half Sack. Savannah sat beside them, trying to take deep breathes to keep from lashing out. She knew Juice was only trying to piss her off, and it was working. She wanted to grab Lily by the hair and tell her to get loss. That was the Gemma Teller in her, but she wasn't her mom. She wouldn't be going after her best friend with a skateboard any time soon.
Savannah tried to focus on the match. Half Sack and his opponent were dancing around the ring until the other guy took a swing. Unfortunately, for him, he'd missed and given Half Sack the opening he needed. "He's really good." Lily shouted over, tugging on her jacket sleeve to get her attention.
"Yeah, he use to be a lightweight champion I think." She shouted back, trying her best not to look over.
She had no doubt Juice still had his arm around Lily. She could hear her giggling, meaning Juice was either tickling her neck as he nuzzled her or was whispering something in her ear to make her laugh. Either option just made her feel worse. This was torture and she hated Juice for putting her through it. She knew he was just trying to prove a point, but he had to know how bad this was hurting her. Of course he did, because she'd done the same thing to him with Bash.
Savannah forced herself to watch the match, but it was over too quick. Half Sack won, successfully knocking out his opponent. Chibs and Bobby were ring side, cheering on the prospect as he danced around the ring in victory. "Whoo!" He cheered out happily. Against her better thinking, her eyes flickered beside her to see she was right. Juice had his head nuzzled into her neck, grinning as he nibbled on her ear.
If it had been any of the other guys, she would have been happy for her friend. She could see how happy she was, and that's what made it harder. Lily was happy, and that was all she could want for her friend. Why'd it have to be with Juice though? Anyone else and she would have gladly been happy for her.
Biting her cheek, she fought back her emotions and turned her attention back to the ring. She just had to get through a few more hours of this. She could do it. Glancing over, she saw that the couple of kissing again. Upon feeling the tug on her heart, she wasn't so confident anymore.
Maybe she couldn't do this.
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It was the last fight of the night and Savannah's dred had set in. Bash was fighting Half Sack, and it could honestly go either way. She knew both men were great boxers, and it meant they were in for a good match, but she didn't know who to cheer for. Lily had left to go grab some drinks for the three of them, taking the twenty Juice had given her when he'd asked her to go. Savannah felt her stomach sink when she left. She didn't want to be alone with Juice. At least with Lily in between them, it meant she didn't have to talk to him.
"What your doing to Lily is fucked up, Juice. She doesn't deserve to be used like this." Savannah called over, not letting her eyes leave the two fighters in the ring.
Juice hesitated before sliding over on the bench so they didn't have to yell. He didn't want everyone and their brother to over hear them talking. "I like her, Sav. I do, and maybe if there wasn't a you and me-"
"There isn't a you and me." Savannah snapped, cutting him off as she shot him a glare.
Juice tensed, biting his tongue to keep from starting that fight. He didn't want to waste the few minutes alone they had. He'd been trying to get her alone so they could talk all week but she wasn't having it. "You and I both know this back and forth game is only gonna play for so long, Savannah. I love you. I like Lily, sure, but she's . . . she's no you." He said, reaching over to squeeze her hand.
Her mistake was letting him touch her. She knew it was a bad idea. They weren't alone in her kitchen and every time he got this close it was getting harder and harder for her to push him away. "Juice, you're not playing fair. Lily's my best friend and I don't want her to get hurt. I like Bash and he treats me good. Don't put me in a position to hurt them. Please." She begged him, closing her eyes as she fought back her tears.
He looked stunned for a moment. He didn't want her to be with anyone else anymore than she wanted him with Lily. He knew that for a fact, but she was asking him to let her go. He couldn't do that either. He had to let her go before in New York to keep her safe, he didn't want to do that again if he had to choice. He could see how badly this was hurting though and he hated to see her so upset.
If he was being honest with himself, he knew he didn't want to hurt Lily either. She was a good girl, and he did like her. If the situation was different, he could probably see himself making a real go at a relationship with her, but the reality was things weren't different. He loved Savannah and that was never going to change.
He reached over and brushed her hair back, stroking her cheek. Without thinking, she leaned into his touch. Closing her eyes, she wished she could just let him in, but it just wasn't going to work. "Juice, please. Don't do this." She said quietly, just loud enough for him and only him to hear. He'd broken her when he left her in New York. She couldn't just forgive and forget that. He hadn't believed in them, and it just wasn't something she could put herself through again. Not only that, but she couldn't hurt her friend like that.
The two broke apart when Savannah caught sight of Lily coming back. Luckily, she hadn't seen how close they were, but someone else had. Bash's eyes narrowed on the sight of Juice and Savannah in the stands. Juice moved back to his spot, standing when Lily reached them and helped her past him so she could take her seat back. "What'd I miss?" She asked, looking between them cluelessly.
Savannah cleared her throat, straightening in her seat as she returned her attention to match that was about to start. Juice did the same, giving her a weak smile as he took the beer she'd gotten him and wrapped his arm around her. "Prospect and Savannah's boytoy are about to fight." He said, trying not to cringe at the mention of Bash.
"I don't know who's worse. You or Jax. He's not my boytoy." Savannah said over, clenching her fists on her lap.
Lily wasn't completely oblivious, she saw the glares between Juice and Savannah and wondered what they were mad about. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she could see whatever it was about it something they weren't going to share with her. Clearing her throat, she squeezed Savannah's hand and gave her a small smile. "So that's Bash. I gotta say, Sav, he's a looker. You've got good taste." She said, hoping to take her mind off whatever was upsetting her.
Juice choked on his beer, coughing as he shifted around in his seat. Savannah's eyes narrowed on him. "Well, it's definitely improved since the last guy."
He knew it was a jab at him, but he also knew it wasn't true. She still wanted him, he knew that much, but she wasn't going to let herself fall back into a life with him. Not unless he proved it was going to be different. Of course, dating her friend probably wasn't the best way to do that.
"I somehow doubt that." Juice said back, his eyes locked on her.
Lily looked between them, shifting around uncomfortably in between them. She wasn't getting a good feeling about this tension between her boyfriend and her friend. Choosing to ignore it, she pointed to the ring. "Oh, it looks like he might actually with this, Sav." She said, breaking their stare off as she clapped. Savannah looked away, guilty for letting Juice get to her before she clapped her hands with Lily. Juice stared at her for another moment before clearing his throat and leaning back with his arms crossed.
The only reason the douche was winning was because Half Sack had to take a fall this round so they could make a profit from it. If it had been anyone else fighting the prospect, he would have been alright with them winning. Now that it was this prick, he wished the prospect could wipe the floor with him.
Juice watched as Half Sack's eyes seemed to lock on something in the crowd and fire lit up as his body tensed. Standing up, he tensed up when Half Sack suddenly head butted Bash, pushing him away from him. "Shit, shit! Fuck!" He yelled, meeting Chibs eyes from across the ring. That definitely wasn't suppose to happen. "Stay here, both of you." He shouted over before he hurried down the stands to get to the ring. Half Sack was going primal on Bash's ass, and as much as he wanted that it wasn't suppose to happen.
Savannah stood up, watching with concern as Half Sack wailed on Bash, not even giving him a second to breath before hitting him again. He was gonna kill him if he didn't let up. Juice, Bobby, Tig, and Chibs were all at ring side, waiting for Clay's okay to break up the fight. After it was clear Half Sack was going for the kill, he finally gave it. Lily stood up with her, touching her arm as they watched the boys get in the ring.
Tig and Chibs pulled Half Sack back. Juice stood in front of Sack, doing his best to keep him from going after Bash again. He thought the guy was done for the count, but realized he was wrong when he felt a sharp pain to his back. Whirling around, he didn't have time to get his hands up before Bash landed another punch to his face, knocking him down.
"Shit." Savannah cursed under her breath, watching as Bash kicked Juice in the ribs.
She hurried down the stands with Lily behind her. Bobby and Clay grabbed Bash from behind, stopping his attack on Juice. Savannah didn't think twice before slipping betwen the ropes and climbing into the ring. "Juice!" She called, falling to his side. He was bleeding from Bash's left hook and he was holding his ribs in pain. "What the hell was that, Bash? What the fuck is your problem?" She snapped as she knelt beside Juice, grabbing his chin to get a better look at his cut.
"My ribs. I think the fucker broke my ribs." He wheezed, groaning in pain as he leaned on her.
She stroked his cheek, worry in her eyes as she looked him over. Her sole focus was only on him, completely unaware of the hurt look on Lily's face. The tension she'd felt between Juice and Savannah earlier wasn't because they didn't like each other, she realized now upon watching how she held him. It was because they did like each other.
Savannah looked back at Chibs and Tig, her eyes flickering to a seething Half Sack behind them. The last thing they needed was another fight breaking out. "We need to get him to Saint Thomas. I can call Tara and see if she'll do the X-rays." She said, cringing when she heard him groan in pain again.
Chibs and Tig shared a look before nodding. The two helped Savannah get Juice to his feet before they got him out of the ring and headed to put him inside the van. Savannah lifted herself up and moved to where Clay and Bobby were still holding Bash. "That shit was totally uncalled for! Don't bother calling me ever again," She snarled before she climbed between the ropes and hopped down.
Clay and Bobby shoved Bash forward, hard enough to send him to his knees before motioning the prospect to get a move on. Half Sack spit as he walked past Bash. "Douche bag." He muttered before slipping between the ropes and hopping down.
He looked ahead to see Savannah climb into the back of the van, helping them get Juice inside of it. He glanced back to see Lily climbing into the ring to help Bash to his feet. He was right before, someone was gonna hurt in the little love square Savannah and Juice had created. He just didn't think it'd be physically or that it'd be juice. Sighing, he went to go change and find Cherry while the others went to go collect what winnings they could.
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It was only a few days before Juice returned to the gym. He was dressed in a wifebeater and basketball shorts, this time prepared to actually work out. He'd been put on bedrest while his ribs healed, but he couldn't sit still anymore. He needed to do something. His cuts had started healing since the fight, but he still had some soreness in his side from the cracked rib Bash had given him. Of course, it'd worked in his favor since Savannah didn't leave his side until she'd had to.
He wanted to win Sav back, and this was the first step to do it. Unfortunately, that meant he had to apologize to Bash. He shouldn't have talked shit the way he'd done. It was too rash, he wasn't thinking. He knew if he was gonna get anywhere, he couldn't have an enemy. Especially not Bash. He needed to learn what he could about the man, see if he could find any cracks he could exploit.
Scanning the gym, it took a minute for him to find the boxer he was looking for. Bash was currently practicing his uppercut on the punching bag. His wounds from the fight against Half Sack were healing, though not as well as Juice's. He had an angry black eye to show, among other bruises around his torso. Juice's pride was very against his plan. He didn't want to apologize to this jerk. He wasn't lying, he had every intension of winning Savannah back, but he couldn't do that if he didn't plan this right.
Swallowing his pride, he took a deep breath and headed over to him. Coming up behind him, he watched him for a minute. His jealousy aside, he could admit this guy wasn't an amature when it came to boxing. He knew how to place his feet, giving him a good form. His punches were on point, hitting the bag just right. "You done staring at me like a drooling fool?" Bash asked, hitting the bag again. He hadn't even turned his head.
Juice tensed, holding back the insult he wanted to say. Straightening up, he cleared his throat as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I wanted to apologize for the other day. I shouldn't have jumped on you like I did. Sav and I have been over for a few years. Guess I'm still protective of her. I just want the best for her. Not saying I deserved the cheap shot from behind, but I'm willing to look past it if you are." He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He didn't want him to see how tightly he was clenching his fists.
He didn't want Bash to know how much it killed him to say that. While it was partly true, he did want the best for her, he knew he was it. They belonged together. If he was going to get this to work though, he needed to keep that part to himself. Bash paused in his actions, grabbing the bag to keep it from swinging before looking back at him suspiciously. "What are you getting at? You don't think I saw you two in the stands? She was basically in your lap and obviously that's where you want her to be. So what kind of bullshit are you trying to pull here?" He asked, eyeing him with distrust.
Juice knew to expect that reaction. He wouldn't trust him either, but he needed to convince him he had come in peace. Shifting from one foot to the other, he adjusted the bag strap on his shoulder. "I don't like it, but if she's happy? I'm happy for her, and she was happy with you for whatever reason. I just wanted to make amends with you. Seeing as you are still together, I guess we'll be seeing each other a couple times." He said, shrugging his shoulders before he raised his eyes back to the man in question.
Bash didn't trust him, he didn't believe in what he was telling him, but he had no reason to not believe him either. He didn't know him, and Juice doubted Savannah told him much about him. She didn't like letting people in, it was hard enough to convince her to let him in the first time. He knew it was going to be ten times harder than the first time. Clearing his throat, Juice held out his hand to him. "Truce?" He asked, his eyes flickering to his out stretched hand before glancing back at Bash.
Bash looked at his hand suspiciously, and for a moment Juice was worried he wouldn't take the bait, but then the other man sighed and nodded. He raised his hand and took Juice's out stretched hand in a shake. "Truce." He said, giving him a firm shake before letting go. "I gotta get back to this. You're welcome to anything else here, if you were serious about joining." He said, motioning to the rest of the gym. His eyes flickered over Juice's outfit and knew he'd be sticking around. Unfortunately.