Chapter 22

Finally it was over! The fight was over and Rocky actually won, but Ivan seemed to handle the loss quite well, which surprised me to be honest. I've seen what losing does to the best fighters and Ivan had the most pressure of them all.

Ivan and I walk back to the changing room while the fans look at us suspiciously. Some even shout not-so-nice words at Ivan, but that leaves him cold. He stood up to Nikolai, the regiment and everyone else in front of his whole nation when he listened to me and not Ludmilla.

He went against everything when he said he was only fighting for himself.

I was just unsure what that would mean for his future. Certainly nothing good and I can only hope that he hasn't thrown his whole career away.

"Rocky!" He stands alone in the corridor. Now or never Alexa tell him the truth.

"Rocky, congratulations! I'm so sorry. Everything I said and that I doubted you." I hug him so tightly because I'm afraid it might be the last hug.

"No, Lex. I'm sorry. You were right all along, even about Apollo. I should listen to you more often, especially because I have the feeling you advised him to take the short cuts." Rocky looks at Ivan, who is standing behind me.

After the handshake in the ring, at least I don't have to worry about there being an extension here in the hallway.

I let my eyes wander downwards as Rocky says this, unsure what to say.

"Lex?" I slowly look back up at Rocky, who looks at me softly. "You know I know about you and Drago, right?"

For a few moments, I just stare at him in confusion.

He knows?

HOW?

Did Pauli tell him or Mary Ann?

"Adrian told me," he explains. But how could she know?

"After Vegas, Ivan apparently came to us to ask where he could find you after you'd been avoiding us all. Adrian told him to look for you at the cemetery or at Mickey's school."

Shocked, I turn to Ivan, who has a slightly embarrassed look on his face. He went to Rocky's just to see me again?

"Lex, why were you so afraid to tell me?"

"Well, Mary Ann was understandably furious when she found out and Pauli ... well you know how Pauli is. I guess I was just afraid that if you knew about Ivan and me, you might never want to see me again. Especially after what happened with Apollo."

"Hey, hey." He puts an arm around me. "I don't care who you're with, as long as you're happy and he treats you well, I'm happy too." He glances at Ivan before turning back to me. "Mickey would have said the same thing, and besides, I don't know if I ever told you this, but when me and Ardian started going out, Pauli came at us with a baseball bat."
Ein unkontrolliertes Lachen entweicht mir, weil ich mir das nur zu gut Vorstellen kann.

"So we have your blessing?"

"Of course you have my blessing. Oh, and one more thing." He turns sideways away from me and pulls something out of his sports bag.

"After all, it's Christmas and Mickey told me back then that I would know when it was the right time to give it to you." He holds a necklace with a boxing glove in front of me and I can hardly believe my eyes.

"Is that so? But I thought Mickey always said the second half was lost." I can still remember when Rocky got his necklace.

I turn around so that Rocky can put the chain around my neck.

"Thank you Rocky. I love you." I look at Ivan who suddenly looks slightly worried and when I turn back to Rocky I know why. His eyes are all glassy and he's just rocking on his feet.

"Rocky? Are you okay?" but as soon as the words leave my mouth, he slumps to the ground.

„Rocky!"

"Rocky, please!" I kneel down next to him and support his head. Ivan is immediately at my side.

"Ivan please get a doctor! Quick!" Without a second's hesitation, he gets up and hurries to find a doctor while I'm left alone with an unconscious Rocky in my lap.