Derek glanced at Brandon's phone.
Then back at her.
“You said you used to train.”
“I did.”
“So move around.”
“I already am.”
Several people laughed.
Derek's face reddened.
Mike heard.
“Derek.”
The black belt turned.
“What?”
“Leave her alone.”
That should have ended the conversation.
Instead, Derek felt embarrassed.
“What, she's fragile?”
Mike's voice hardened.
“No.”
“Then what's the problem?”
“The problem is I told you to leave her alone.”
Derek raised both hands.
“Fine.”
He walked away.
For ten minutes.
Then the sparring rounds started.
Mike paired Derek with Tommy Briggs, a strong purple belt who outweighed him slightly.
“Technical round,” Mike warned.
Derek nodded.
The first minute was clean.
Tommy moved well.
Then Tommy caught Derek with a deep half-guard sweep.
Derek scrambled.
He escaped.
Then he immediately turned up the pressure.
He passed aggressively.
He pinned Tommy.
He finished with a choke.
Brandon recorded the last thirty seconds.
Derek stood and smiled.
Then he looked toward Claire.
She was sitting against the wall drinking water.
She had watched part of the round.
No reaction.
Derek didn't understand why her indifference irritated him.
He had spent years learning how to make people react.
Fear.
Respect.
Anger.
Admiration.
Anything.
Claire gave him nothing.
His next round was with Eli.
Seventeen years old.
Forty pounds lighter.
Mike said:
“Technical.”
Derek nodded.
The first minute was fine.
Then Eli caught him with a clean arm drag and briefly took his back.
Someone near the wall reacted.
Derek's pride took over.
He escaped hard.
He passed aggressively.
He pinned Eli.
He applied pressure until the teenager tapped.
They restarted.
Derek swept him hard.
Eli landed awkwardly.
Claire's eyes narrowed.
She stood.
Mike saw her.
Before he could speak, Claire walked toward the mat.
“Eli.”
The teenager looked up.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
Claire glanced at Derek.
Derek was already standing.
“What?”
Claire looked at Eli again.
“Take a minute.”
Derek scoffed.
“He's fine.”
Claire didn't answer.
She simply helped Eli stand.
The room became quieter.
Derek didn't like that.
He walked closer.
“You have something to say?”
Claire looked at him.
“No.”
“Then stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I did something wrong.”
Claire's expression remained neutral.
“If you need me to tell you, you probably already know.”
Someone whispered:
“Damn.”
Derek's jaw tightened.
Mike stepped forward.
“Enough.”
Derek turned toward him.
“She keeps talking.”
Mike stared at him.
“No. You're the one who keeps creating the conversation.”
Derek laughed bitterly.
Then he looked at Claire.
“You know what? Maybe you should actually spar with me.”
Claire shook her head.
“No.”
Derek smiled.
“Scared?”
Claire looked almost amused.
“No.”
“Then why not?”
“Because I don't need to.”
The answer hit him harder than an insult.
Derek looked at Brandon.
“Get this.”
Brandon raised his phone.
Mike stepped between them.
“Put it away.”
“But—”
“I said put it away.”
Brandon lowered the phone.
Derek stared at Claire.
“You're making a big deal out of nothing.”
Claire picked up her water bottle.
“No. I'm not.”
Then she walked away.
Derek watched her go.
Something inside him had shifted.
He no longer wanted to impress her.
He wanted to prove something.
He just didn't know what.
The Woman Mike Never Talked About
Claire returned to the edge of the room.
She sat beside Sophie.
Sophie leaned closer.
“You okay?”
Claire smiled.
“I'm fine.”
“You know him?”
“No.”
“He seems like a jerk.”
Claire took a sip of water.
“He's young.”
“So?”
“So sometimes young people confuse being strong with being important.”
Sophie considered that.
“Were you ever like him?”
Claire laughed softly.
“No.”
Mike approached.
He sat beside them.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Claire said:
“You're still protecting him.”
Mike looked down.
“I know.”
“You've known for a while.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Mike didn't answer immediately.
Finally he said:
“Because I remember what he was like when he started.”
Claire nodded.
“He needed the gym.”
“He did.”
“And now?”
Mike looked across the room.
“Now I think the gym needs him less than he needs the gym.”
Claire smiled sadly.
“That is not the same thing.”
Mike knew she was right.
He had known it for months.
Maybe years.
But admitting it meant accepting responsibility.
He had allowed Derek's talent to become an excuse.
Then Mike said something that surprised Sophie.
“You know, Derek isn't the first person to mistake you for someone harmless.”
Claire looked at him.
“Don't.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You were about to.”
Mike smiled.
“Still reading me.”
Claire shook her head.
“Some things don't change.”
Sophie looked between them.
“What are you two talking about?”
Mike answered:
“History.”
Claire gave him a warning look.
Mike raised his hands.
“Fine.”
He stood.
“I'm going to coach.”
When he left, Sophie turned toward Claire.
“You fought professionally?”
Claire shook her head.
“No.”
“Competition?”
“A long time ago.”