My boxing Angel

Chapter 15

~Jasmine~

I watch closely how Rafael swiftly bandages Vincenzo’s hands. After his hands are properly bandaged, all the brothers do the ritual. First Joaquin fist bumps Vincenzo, then Rafael, and finally Elias. They do this before and after every match, and I still get amazed by it. I move my gaze from the brothers when I receive a message from Beckett, after sending him a quick reply I hear someone clear their throat. I look up from my phone and see Vincenzo’s abs in my line of view. I move my gave up his body until I meet his green eyes.

“Wanna give me a bump for good luck?” He asks with a smirk, and I look at him with my lips a bit parted. He gives me a brief nod, asking me again. I smile at him and give him a fist bump.

“You don’t need luck champ,” I tell him, and he laughs.

Vincenzo seems faster than ever tonight. He is lighter on his feet, and his punches are quick and ruthless. I drift my attention from Vincenzo and to the other fighter, he is barely hanging on, and it’s only the fifth round of the match.

I align my camera to my face and wait… Vincenzo delivers the final blow, and my camera is the only one that flashes. The other fighter stumbles back and falls to the ground with a big thud. After the fighter is down, everyone starts to take pictures. I smile down at mine, as I manage to capture the exact moment when Vincenzo hits his opponent.

The ruckus inside the locker room is insane, all the brothers are celebrating and having the time of their lives. I smile at them playing roughly with each other, Vincenzo grabs a hold of Rafael and ruffles his hair, Rafael bats his hand and pulls away from Vincenzo’s hold. Elias takes this chance and pounces onto Vincenzo from the back, he wraps his arms and legs around Vincenzo, so he won’t fall off. The brothers are laughing, and I can’t help myself, so I take a picture. The flash alerts the guys that I’m here and they pull away from each other with a smile on their faces.

“You were great tonight champ,” I tell him with a smile, and I can see how his eyes twinkle when I use his new nickname.

“Thank you, angel,” he tells me with a smile of his own and I feel my cheeks heat up.

“Uh! I like that,” Rafael says with a flirty smile. “Angel…” he tries the nickname, as it rolls off his tongue. It’s nice, but it doesn’t have the same effect it does when Vincenzo says it.

I see from the corner of my eye, that Vincenzo’s eyes narrow and he grabs Rafael in a chokehold with his biceps. “Don’t even think about it, only I get to call her that,” Vincenzo says with a gruff.

“Let him go,” Joaquin tells him with annoyance as he taps Vincenzo on the shoulder. “It can’t be a brothers’ night if one of us is missing… or dead for that matter” Joaquin finishes with a laugh, and I roll my eyes. These guys are always play fighting with each other, it’s bizarre if I’m being honest, but if that’s their way of showing affection, who am I to judge.

“Okay, you can tell me all about your plans after the family photo,” I tell them while shaking my camera, to let them see that I’m waiting. They all scurry and squish themselves together so that they can fit into the frame. After snapping the photo and each brother having a turn to look at it, I finally ask. “So, you guys going out tonight?”

“Hell, yeah, we are! We are going to have a long night” Elias tells me with a smile, and I roll my eyes playfully at his silliness.

-

I sit peacefully in the living room watching a movie when I hear a door open. I turn my head slightly to see who it is, I see Vincenzo walking outside his room, he is wearing a black button-down, black jean, and black comeback boots. I smile sweetly at him, and he gives me a smile back.

He has been doing that more often, he is smiling more around me, and I love it. Especially when I can get a glimpse of his dimples.

He slumps beside me, and his husky scent invades my head. Has he always smelled this good?

“You seem happy.”

“How can I not? I’m famous, a winner, have great brothers and I’m sitting next to an angel” he finishes his sentence with a smirk, and I rapidly blink, trying to understand what he just told me. Was I really one of the reasons he seems happier these days?

“Let’s go!” Rafael whistles and I hear banging on two doors.

“Joaquin you can’t gamble all of Vincenzo’s money” I hear Elias hiss at his brother, as both walk into the living room, right behind Rafael.

“Let’s go lover boy,” Elias tells Vincenzo as he squeezes his shoulder, I notice Vincenzo tense, before glaring at Elias, who lifts his hands in surrender and walks outside the house.

“Be careful,” I tell them sternly and I see them nod their heads.

“Will do!” Joaquin calls out as he steps outside the door, trailing behind his younger brothers.

“You better go, before they leave you behind,” I tell him, giving him a nudge on the ribs with my elbow.

“Thank you for today angel,” he tells me in a whisper, giving me a gentle kiss on the forehead. “I had a lot of fun” he smiles at me, and I feel my heart skip a beat.

-

I spring awake when I feel a hand gently touch my cheek. “Hey hey, it’s just me” Vincenzo whispers to me, his tone sounds soft and delicate. I hum at his words, trying to wake myself up from my deep sleep.

I look around and see that the TV is no longer on, and I have a blanket on. “We arrived a few minutes ago” he informs me, and I nod my head. “How about sleeping on your bed?” he asks, and I nod my head again at his words. “Come on angel” he helps me up and I cling to him, wrapping my legs around his torso, while Vincenzo holds tightly onto me and walks to my bedroom. Vincenzo places me gently on the bed, and I quickly snuggle into the covers.

“Good night champ” I mumble sleepily. A soft snore escapes my lips when I start to drift off to sleep once again.

He tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear, before whispering as if in pain, probably thinking that I was already asleep, but I heard him clearly. “If only you could remember me”