Max

"Alright, everyone," Jace said, standing from the table we were eating at after the weigh-ins the night before my title fight. "Let's get to bed. We have a big day tomorrow and everyone who is going to be in Max's corner needs to be ready to go by noon."

We all groaned in response and stood from the table. I watched as my friends and family gravitated to their significant others. Jace wrapped an arm around Clary and placed his free hand on her growing stomach. She was almost seven months pregnant and we were all excited to meet the new addition to our little family. Simon took hold of Isabelle's hand and she rested her head on his shoulder. Will mimicked his father as he wrapped an arm around Tessa and kissed the top of her head. Even James was walking hand in hand with Barbara as we headed up to our hotel rooms.

It seemed that I was the only one who didn't have someone to share my life with. For the past ten years, I had spent every free moment preparing for a title shot and working towards my dream. It wasn't until I was about to live my dream that I realized that there was more to my dream than being the best fighter in the world. Did it really matter if I didn't have anyone to share it with?

I was extremely thankful for Jace and Simon and their families, but I wanted my own family to share this moment with. I hadn't even gone out on a date since I was in high school. Every moment of my life had been dedicated to fulfilling my dream and now that it was finally happening, I wanted more.

Once I was safely in my hotel room, I flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. It was always so hard for me to sleep the night before a fight and this was no different.

I turned on the TV and watching the countdown special the organization always played the day before an event. About a week before, cameras flooded the gym as they filmed me training and everyone was interviewed about my training and their thoughts on the matchup. As I watched myself put on a show for the cameras, I glanced at the clock on the bedside table and noticed just how late it was. I knew that I really need to try to get some sleep, but I was too pumped to even try.

All of the sudden, my phone started ringing and I had to dig to find my phone that I threw on the bed without knowing where it went. I finally found the phone and saw Emma flashing on the screen.

At first, I was shocked. Emma was a girl I had dated in high school and a little while after we graduated. I thought she was going to be the girl I shared my dreams with, but one day she told me she couldn't handle being second to my dreams and she left to go off to college. The last I had heard, she was dating some guy named Julian and they were living happily ever after.

"Emma," I said, jogging over to my girlfriend of three years as she entered the gym. When I came within reaching distance, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her to me. "I didn't know you were coming by today."

Something was wrong. Her eyes were dull and that playful behavior that I loved was gone. For three years, Emma had stood beside me as I trained and worked toward a goal. I had promised her when we graduated high school that if she gave me a year to focus on my dream, I would spend the rest of my life committed to her. That was two years ago.

While I knew she was the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, I had a goal and it was the most important thing to me at the time, but I loved this girl with all my heart and I knew I needed to start showing her.

"I wasn't going to come," Emma whispered, avoiding eye contact. "Can we go outside or something?"

I nodded and told Jace and Simon I was taking a break before leading Emma outside where we sat on the tailgate of my truck. Emma swung her legs back and forth as I entangled our fingers together. After a few minutes of silence, Emma finally turned to me.

"Max, I came here to tell you that I'm leaving," she said without the slightest hint of doubt in her eyes. I went to say something, but she put a finger on my lips, stopping me. "I have spent three years watching you put your career first and I was fine with it, but something has to change. It would be one thing if you were making an effort in our relationship, but you aren't and I can't just sit here doing nothing until you get a title shot. I need to figure out who I am and I need to do something with my life. You asked me to give you a year and I've given you two. I have to start living my life for me. I know it sounds selfish, but I'm twenty years old and I get to be selfish."

She had rendered me speechless as I just held onto her hand, thinking it would make her stay. What she was saying wasn't wrong, but I just didn't want to believe it.

"I love you, Emma," I finally said when I could form a thought.

"Sometimes, that's not enough, Max." I looked over to her to see tears running down her face and I swiped them away with my thumb. "I love you, too, but it's not enough."

"Is there someone else?" I almost didn't want to know the answer because I had a feeling there was and I didn't want her image in my mind to be sullied. She simply nodded. "Who?"

"Julian." I couldn't even be angry because I knew that it was partially my fault. I didn't put her first and didn't show her that I loved her more than anything.

When her tears turned into sobs, I pulled her into my arms and comforted her, knowing it was probably going to be the last time I would hold her. I took that time to memorize everything about her; her blonde hair, the way she smelled like oranges and the way she fit perfectly in my arms.

"Do you think you'll ever want something like what Jace and Clary have," she asked when her sobs calmed and she was just sitting there with her head on my shoulder, almost like she didn't want the moment to end.

"I thought I had it."

I tentatively slid my finger across the screen and answered the call before saying, "Hello?"

"Max," the sweet voice that I hadn't heard in years said into the phone and I had to catch my breath.

"Emma." I whispered and all of these feelings came rushing back. I was so in love with this girl and in light of my recent revelations, I realized how much I had screwed up by not putting her first the first time. "It's good to hear your voice."

"I could say the same for you." I could hear the nerves in her voice and I had to wonder why she was calling me all of the sudden.

"Emma, it is so good to hear from you again, but I have to know why you're calling me up in the middle of the night after I haven't heard from you in years."

"Right, well, I was flipping through channels and I came to the countdown to the fights tomorrow and saw you rolling around on the mats at the gym." She paused to take a breath. "I haven't been interested in your career since we broke up because it hurt too much to watch you put fighting above everything, but when I saw that you were finally getting a title shot after all these years, I couldn't help but be so proud of you. I just wanted you to know how proud I am of you."

Her words had me speechless and I couldn't believe this was happening.

"You have no idea how much that means to me, Emma." I ran my hand through my hair, stalling for time because I didn't want this phone call to end. "I have to say though, that being here, alone in my hotel room on the eve of the most important day of my life makes me realize that the title and fighting means nothing without someone to share it with. I should have put you first, Emma. I shouldn't have let you go off to college without you knowing how much you meant to me and knowing that you moved on and are probably happily married right now kills me."

"Max, I loved you so much." I heard the tell tale signs of tears in her voice and my heart broke all over again. It killed me that I had ever hurt her and made her feel like she wasn't important to me. "I would have done anything for you and I just felt like you wouldn't do the same for me."

"You're right." Her gasp echoed in my ear as I admitted my faults to her after years of thinking that she was wrong for leaving me. "All I cared about for so long was living up to the expectations I had of myself since I was ten years old. When you told me you were leaving, I didn't even try to stop you and I should have. The day you left was probably the worst day of my life."

"I'm really sorry that we're having this conversation on the phone, but I'm glad we're having it." I heard her take a deep breath. "By the way, I haven't been with Julian for a couple of years now and I'm not married like you think I am. No one has been able to tie me down."

I chuckled as her words lit a fire inside me and asked, "Why?"

"Why do you think, Max?" I took a deep breath and ran my hand through my hair again. When I didn't answer, Emma continued. "Listen, I'm moving back home next week and I would love to see you. I know everything can't be fixed over the phone and we still have a lot to talk about, but I want to at least give ourselves a shot."

"I think you're right."

"Okay, well, I'm going to let you go because I know you have a big day tomorrow. I will be watching and I wish I was there, but I know you're going to be amazing and maybe you'll fulfill your dreams tomorrow."

"My dreams won't come true if I win that fight, Emma and I'm just now realizing that."

We were silent for a few minutes, neither one of us wanting to hang up. Finally, she said good night and for the first time ever, I was able to sleep the night before a fight knowing that I was going to have a second chance with the girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

Two black doors were all that stood between the ring and me. I could hear the opening notes of "Bleed it Out," by Linkin Park and the adrenaline started pumping. The doors opened and I felt hands push me forward. Jace, Simon, Will, Tessa and my dad were walking behind me as I made my way through the arena to the side of the ring where the referees were waiting to groom check me.

I stepped up to the referee and he checked to make sure that everything was in order before lathering my face in Vaseline. Once he was finished, I walked down the line of my supporters, each of them giving me an encouraging statement and a pat on the pat. The last in line was Jace and I could see the pride in his eyes. He shook my hand and pulled me into a hug.

"You are ready for this, Max," Jace shouted over the music into my ear. "You are the best student I have ever had and no one deserves this more than you do, but remember that it doesn't matter if you win or lose. We all love you and are so completely proud of you. You control the outcome of this fight."

I nodded as I pulled away from the man who was always like an older brother to me and made my way into the ring. My song continued to play as I climbed the steps and ran around the ring before settling in my corner. The guys in my corner were hanging over the side of the ring, clapping along with the crowd.

The song switched and I glanced over to the other side of the arena to see my opponent making his way to the ring. I had to keep taking deep breaths to calm myself down because I was getting so nervous and tell myself that it was just another fight. I was there because I deserved to be and no one could take that away from me.

The next few minutes as my opponent made his way to his corner passed by in a blur. Finally, I was standing across from the man who stood between me and the belt I had been working toward my entire life. The announcer made the introductions and we were called to the center of the ring to touch gloves, which I did respectfully.

When we were back in our respective corners, the referee asked if we were ready and the fight began. I advanced into the center of the ring to meet my opponent and he threw the first punch. His fist connected with the side of my face and I staggered back briefly before throwing a punch of my own.

He was rocked when my fist hit his temple and I took the opportunity to throw a kick to his side, followed by an uppercut to his jaw. He quickly retaliated, throwing his fist in the direction of my face, but I dodged the punch and threw my elbow into his eye. Glancing at the clock, I noticed that I had over two minutes left in the round, but I wanted to finish it immediately.

With one more blow to the head, he fell to the ground and I fell on top of him, raining punches before the referee pulled me off of him.

I did it. I won the belt.

Running to my corner, I climbed on top of the cage and waved out to the crowd where I saw Isabelle and Clary jumping up and down cheering. Jace and Simon were already behind me, ready to congratulate me as I got down. I was engulfed in a group hug before I went over to my opponent to make sure he was okay and went over to the center of the ring where the belt as waiting for me.

Everything was a blur as the announcer gave the official time of the fight and said that I won by knockout before announcing that I was the winner and new champion before Valentine Morgenstern placed the belt around my waist. I raised my hands in the air and thanked God for giving me this chance.

Suddenly, there was commotion in the crowd and I glanced toward where Isabelle and Clary were sitting to make sure they were okay. When I saw Isabelle cradling a head out fiery red curls, I knew something was wrong and it only took about three seconds before Jace and Will were running through the crowd to get to her.

I couldn't even register what was happening until I saw Jace fall to Clary's side and yell, "Clary!"

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you're wondering, this is a second draft of this chapter because I decided to add a little flashback of Emma and Max because someone mentioned that the chapter felt a little rushed and I didn't really introduce Emma before Max was madly in love with her. So, I hope this version is a little better and there will be more of Emma and Max after I resolve Clary's issues.

Let me know what you think and leave a review! :)