Bound By Cage Box Set (Complete Series Books 1-4) : MMA Romance

by Brittany Crowley

  I make a quick detour and pull into the local Walmart to grab stuff from the doctors list. I’m oddly hyper aware of everyone in the store as I reach out and grab a giant bottle of prenatal vitamins. Of course, the gummy kind, I don’t need anything else upsetting my queasy stomach. As I look around I feel like everyone knows, they know and they’re judging me. Poor thing, she’s knocked up and heading into single parenthood. This is how I felt when I was 17 and buying condoms for my date with Brad Winthrop. I reach over and grab a basket deciding I need to get a few more things to offset the vitamins. Tampons, that’ll throw them off, so I grab three boxes.

  With my errands done I pull into the bar. When I walk through the door I see my best friend behind the bar slinging drinks and as I walk closer I see Zander sitting on a stool in front of her as they make googly eyes at each other. They’re still in the nauseating newlywed phase. Gag.

  “Savvy knock that off, you’re going to scare our customers away.” I walk around the bar staring Zander down, lovey dovey is not what I need to see right now when my love life is currently in shambles.

  “Are you jealous Ash? Do you need a big smooch from me too?” She puckers up her lips.

  “I’ll never turn down a good make out session, but that would be like incest. Although, I might settle for a little leg humpage.”

  “Good to know I still have it. What’s going on? Where were you this morning?” She walks up to me and throws her arm around my shoulders.

  “Oh, you know kicking ass and taking names. I had a couple errands to run.” I smile thinking about my appointment.

  When I look at Zander, it disappears when I see the look he’s sporting. Surprisingly for a fighter he has a horrible poker face.

  “Something the matter Hitman? What’s with the look of constipation?” I brace myself knowing this isn’t gonna be good.

  “Babe I told you I’d tell her later…” Savvy tries to whisper.

  “Just tell me now.” I whisper just as loud.

  “Fine.” She huffs. “Marybeth moved up here yesterday. We wanted to warn you because you might see her around.”

  “We? I’m pretty sure this was all me.” Zander says causing Savvy to roll her eyes.

  Marybeth. The sole reason why Josh left me is now living in the same town, my town. She’s traipsing around living out the life I should be living. Able to talk to people about her pregnancy where I’m forced to keep mine a dirty little secret. I didn’t think hearing her name would be like a punch to the gut, but the fact that she’s actually up here now hits me harder than I thought it would. I stop and try to school my expression, nobody needs to know my internal struggles right now. I’m trying to deal with my inner turmoil about the baby already, lets add more crap to this never-ending pile.

  “And I would care why?” I look down ripping little pieces from a napkin in front of me.

  “Ash-”

  I cut her off. Kind words will push me over the emotional ledge right now. “Lots to do today. I need to get to the kitchen.”

  Quickly I turn around and high tail it out of there. I didn’t need this today and I don’t need Josh’s drama to rain on my parade.

  I put my purse in the office and head to the kitchen to catch up on what needs to be done. After a few minutes, I look up and see Savvy hesitantly staring at me from the doorway of the kitchen. She walks over and props her hip on the counter before she crosses her arms over her chest.

  “What’s going on Ash? You’ve been acting strange lately, well stranger than usual. I understand what happened with Josh was horrible, god knows I’ve debated crushing his balls more than once.”

  Nausea picks the worst time ever to rear its ugly head. I hold my hand up as if to ward off demons and sprint for the bathroom. Crashing the door open, I barely make it to the stall as I drop to my knees and vomit. As I’m puking I feel my bladder let go on a particularly bad heave. Did I really just piss my pants?

  When I finish emptying the contents of my stomach I get up to assess the situation. I’m relieved to find just a small trickle. Thank god, but still fucking gross. I inwardly high five myself remembering that I always leave spare clothes in the office.

  I flush the toilet before exiting the stall and I’m startled when I see a concerned Savvy perched on the counter not looking even slightly amused. “Talk.”

  “I think you already know the answer super sleuth.” I walk up next to her and wash my hands.

  “How far along are you?”

  “Almost nine weeks, I had my first appointment today.”

  “Wow, so you’re really pregnant? I definitely didn’t see this coming, does Josh know?”

  “No and you won’t be telling him, or anyone else for that matter. This situation is seriously insane and I need time to work it out in my head. I’m still coming to terms with the fact I’m going to become a mom in seven short months.”

  When I put a timeline on it, my anxiety rushes back. Damn, seven months to get so much stuff done. I need to plan out the baby’s room, figure out what I even need for a baby and most importantly, talk to Josh.

  “I won’t tell anyone, but I think you should tell him sooner rather than later. Secrets like this always backfire on TV.”

  I nod my head and exit the bathroom with Savvy in tow. After a quick pit stop in the office, I work the rest of my shift without anything else major happening. The way everything’s been going, I half expected death eaters to storm the building and suck out my soul.

  When I arrive home a little later I’m dead on my feet. If I feel this tired at nearly nine weeks, how the hell am I going to feel at 36? I prop my feet up and put on an old episode of Friends. Vegging out is what I need right now. I stand up and head for the kitchen when I remember there is something I wanted to do tonight.

  Opening a kitchen cabinet, I reach up on my tippy toes and grab a bag off to the side behind my bowls. I’ve been hiding this picture frame so nobody would see it. It’s a cute frame that’s the perfect size for an ultrasound picture. When I scheduled my appointment two weeks ago, I went to the store and bought it. I slide the picture into the frame and am thrilled by how it looks. Love, I’m already so in love with my baby. I know I said earlier that this pregnancy hadn’t hit me yet, well its sunk in like the Titanic now. The picture looks perfect on my bedside table, I smile knowing it will be the last thing I see before bed and the first thing I’ll see in the morning.

  As I sit back down on the couch I place my hand on my flat stomach and daydream. I picture a little boy with Josh’s toothy grin or a little girl with big blue eyes like her daddy.

  Soon, I think. Soon I’ll tell Josh my news.

  CHAPTER 2

  Josh

  “Marybeth.”

  The moment they call her name and I stand up to walk in with her she shoots me a glare.

  “Do you actually think you’re coming in the room with me Joshy? I think it’s best if you stay out here and I’ll fill you in later.” Not giving me time to argue she makes her way into the back following the nurse.

  What the hell was that all about? I thought guys went in for the appointments with their…god what is she to me? Friend, girlfriend, royal pain in the ass? I definitely don’t consider her my girlfriend and don’t ever see it going there again. If you can consider a wild drunken weekend and week of her stalking me a relationship.

  Marybeth has been up here for a little over a week and I’ve hated every second of it. I’ve never known a more self-centered person in my life. I’m concerned for when the baby comes and she actually has to worry about more than herself.

  After what I would classify as a fast appointment with her being in the back for five minutes, Marybeth comes out demanding I take her out for lunch because her and the baby are starving.

  “Are you craving anything?”

  “I could go for a nice salad, how about that place in town. What’s it called? Monkey Bars or something like that. Who the hell would name their bar after a jungle gym?”

 
I clench my jaw and follow her to the exit. All she eats are salads, what happened to pickles and chocolate chip cookie dough? We stop in front of my Jeep and she gives it a look of disgust.

  “Don’t even start.” I warn. She won’t let up on my baby. This Jeep is the shit and I’ve spent so much time working on her. It was my big purchase after my first real fight.

  “Stop at CVS on the way I need to get some things. Don’t worry, you can stay in the car.”

  “Can you make it quick? I’m starving.” I say while pulling into the parking lot. I really just don’t want to stop.

  “It’ll take me as long as it’s going to take me. I’ll be out in a bit.” She huffs.

  I watch her as she enters the store. This day didn’t go at all like I had thought. Am I all wrong about this situation? Has everything I ever thought about dads and pregnancy been fabricated in my head or is she just icing me out of this pregnancy? So many fathers out there want nothing to do with their children. Not me, I just want to be in the loop and know what the hell is going on. Is that really too much to ask?

  A few minutes later as I’m stewing on the situation, I hear the door open and Marybeth gets in all while grumbling.

  “Everything okay?”

  “No, everything is certainly not okay. Some bitch got in my face and practically mauled me. What kind of people do you have around here? Maybe we should move back to Texas.”

  “Fuck that.” I turn the ignition and head for the center of town. Texas is the last place I want to live right now. All the reminders of my last fight, I couldn’t walk down the street without someone heckling me.

  I persuade Marybeth to hit the Italian place across the street from Monkey Bars. We’re walking down the sidewalk towards the restaurant when I hear laughter across the street and stop dead in my tracks when I see Ashlyn standing outside the bar with Jayden. As if sensing my presence, she locks eyes with mine and stares blankly until she glances over to Marybeth. Her face goes from no emotion to murderous in the blink of an eye. You’d think they knew each other.

  “Josh let’s go. What the hell’s wrong with you? Oh, is that Jayden across the street? And wait, that’s the bitch!”

  “Don’t call her that.” I clip. Why is my brother Jay with her?

  “That’s the nasty woman from CVS who got up in my face! Go yell at her, she was horrible to me.”

  “Let’s go, I’ll catch up with them later.” I grab her arm and direct her towards the restaurant before she starts something Ash will no doubt finish. We’re seated at a booth next to the front window giving me a clear view of Ashlyn. I see her talking animatedly to Jay then pointing towards where we are. Jay stares at us so I nod my chin at him. He flips me off before putting his arm around Ashlyn’s shoulders and walking her into the bar. What is that all about? I have never wanted to beat the shit out of my brother more than I do right now. Don’t touch her asshole.

  The night I told my family about Marybeth’s pregnancy felt like I was being disowned. They swore they always had my back first and foremost, but like Ashlyn, they couldn’t figure out why I needed to live with her to raise the baby. They don’t understand because they aren’t in my situation. I loved having my dad around as I grew up. When he passed away I would have given up anything for more time with him. Thinking about him made my decision easy, well, easier to deal with.

  We order our food and sit in silence due to the fact that I barely tolerate her. Our lunch quickly becomes awkward as fuck because we have nothing in common. She starts to talk my ear off about a necklace she saw at the store and I inwardly groan. I have plenty of money in the bank from my fights and the construction company I started up, but still. Whether I will go back to fighting is still up in the air so I don’t want to waste my savings.

  Our food arrives and I thank the waitress. “So, what do you think? Can we go after we eat?”

  Crap, I zoned out after she started talking about jewelry. Maybe she wants to go to the baby store and look around? “I have to be somewhere in a couple of hours. Is that enough time to look around?”

  “Of course, I already know what I want so it will take fifteen minutes tops. If I knew it would be this easy to get jewelry out of you I would have tried harder when we were together before.”

  “You’re still talking about that stupid necklace? I thought you wanted something for the baby.” I cross my arms over my chest, laughing to myself on how clueless this girl is.

  “Why would I want something for a baby? They need clothes and diapers. Sounds easy enough to me.”

  I look down at my phone and let out a low whistle. “God I’d love to go but Sam from the job site just texted me and I need to head over there right away. Duty calls, I hope you understand.”

  “That’s fine, we can go tomorrow.” She half-smiles as she flips her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

  We stand and leave the restaurant together. When we reach the sidewalk, I look across the street to the bar where Jay and Ashlyn walked into. This baby is the only light at the end of this dark tunnel. Still, I can’t help but hope Ash and I find some way back to each other because no one will ever compare to her.

  ***

  Ashlyn

  I walk into the store trying to get in and out quickly before work. I’ve been out of eyeliner for a few days now and I refuse to go another. Without make up I look like a character from The Walking Dead and people keep asking if I’m tired or sick. I’m perusing the makeup aisle when I hear the most annoying voice ever yelling at one of the employees.

  I listen to a little of their conversation and realize this woman is trying to intimidate the sales girl into giving her a pregnancy discount. Like it’s a thing! What a piece of work.

  Now she’s bitching about an expensive moisturizer and I fist pump the air when I hear the sales girl grow a backbone and tell her to look at something cheaper.

  “I demand to see your manager, I’ll have your job!”

  I can’t sit back and watch anymore. “Back off and leave this poor girl alone, she’s just doing her job.”

  “Excuse me, this has nothing to do with you.” The psycho snaps at me.

  “She’s done nothing wrong from what I can see. Can we just take a deep breath? Maybe sing a little kumbaya and figure this situation out?” I close my eyes and take a deep breath not wanting to stoop down to her level.

  With a huff, she turns on her heels and heads towards the back of the store. If she’s planning on a grand exit, she marched her ass to the wrong side of the store.

  With a smile on my face I make my way to the front register with my eyeliner in hand as my annoyance diminishes. I can’t believe the nerve of some people. How can you be so rude to somebody without a second thought? As I’m paying I see the same woman storm out of the store and the alarms start shrieking.

  I can’t help my chuckle when I notice she has the moisturizer in hand. She looks my way and narrows her gaze before throwing the box in my general direction, by general I mean ten feet to my left.

  “Screw this town!” She shrieks before leaving.

  Looking at the cashier I notice her smiling. “That was some funny shit.” I raise my hand and she gives me a high five.

  My phone says it’s five minutes until I need to be at work. I’ll be pushing it but that was totally worth it. I’m walking down the sidewalk towards the bar when I notice Jayden standing outside the gym. Why did Josh have to be a twin? I can tell them apart easily enough, but it still sucks looking at a carbon copy of the person you are trying to get over. Luckily his personality makes me forget they’re brothers.

  “Hey Jay, how’s it hanging?”

  “Well Ashlyn, it’s hanging a little to the right today and itches like a motherfucker, thanks for asking. It’s time to get rid of my dicks five o’clock shadow, my balls hate me right now.” He follows up by reaching down and itching the front of his pants.

  “Crabs will do that to ya. You know Jay, you’re just who I needed to see today.”

 
; “Everyone’s day would be fan-fucking-tastic if I were in it. Don’t kid yourself.”

  I laugh as the hair on the back of my neck stands up. With a sinking feeling I’m being watched I look over my shoulder. Josh. Perfect, just who I needed to see today. I look away quickly, but whip my head back when I notice the psycho from the store standing next to him.

  “That bitch! Jay, please tell me that’s not Marybeth.”

  “That’s Marybeth.” He confirms.

  I explain my run in at the store.

  “Dickhead. No worries Ash, she doesn’t come close to you.” He nods his head in Josh’s general direction.

  “It’s okay. I need to get used to seeing them.” I return my attention back to Jay.

  Jay flips someone off behind me as he mutters under his breath. It doesn’t take a genius to realize who’s on the receiving end.

  “Can I treat you to a free lunch for getting me out of this awkward as shit situation?” I shift from foot to foot anxiously.

  “You had me at free food pumpkin. Feed me!”

  Jayden throws his arm around my shoulders as we walk into the bar. Finally, I can breathe. I didn’t expect to see Josh and feel his betrayal as if it just happened again. The fact that he is with that horrible excuse of a woman doesn’t help either. Jay excuses himself to go to the bathroom as I walk up to the bar. Savvy’s popping the tops on a few beers and pouring a round of shots. What I wouldn’t give for a beer right now.

  “How are you feeling?” Savvy whispers.

  “I didn’t know my wellbeing was a secret.” I whisper back.