Despite everything, I almost smiled.
That was the older brother I knew.
Not the warrior everyone else suddenly saw.
The man who still carried two phone chargers because I always forgot mine.
The man who once drove four hours because I had a flat tire and didn’t trust the roadside mechanic.
I started to stand.
That was when Derek spoke.
“She’s not going anywhere until she signs the incident form.”
Cole turned.
“What incident form?”
Mark’s face went pale.
Derek pointed toward the office.
“Standard procedure.”
Melissa frowned.
“We don’t have incident forms.”
Derek shot her a look.
She stopped talking.
Cole helped me to my feet.
“Show me.”
Mark stepped forward.
“That’s not necessary.”
Cole looked at him.
“I wasn’t asking you.”
Something about his voice made Mark move.
We crossed the gym toward the little office near reception.
I had been inside once before.
It smelled like old coffee and athletic tape.
Mark opened a filing cabinet.
His hands were shaking.
He pulled out a clipboard.
“This is just for insurance.”
Cole took it.
He read the page.
Then read it again.
His expression changed.
“What?”
I asked.
He handed it to me.
The form wasn’t an incident report.
It was a liability statement.
It said I acknowledged I had ignored safety instructions, failed to tap appropriately, and voluntarily continued sparring despite warnings.
My stomach dropped.
“That’s
