“I also don’t want him to think fighting is the answer, because it isn’t. It shouldn’t be, at least.”
“Theoretically, no.”
She sighed. “Listen, I’ve been thinking about what you were saying before. Maybe you’re right about him learning to defend himself. It would give me some peace of mind, and maybe even deter these guys from trying it again.”
Relief flooded Tyler’s chest. He’d hated keeping this from her for the past few weeks. In fact, he’d only done it because he couldn’t turn Caleb away when he’d asked for help. Coming to him had taken a lot of courage and trust, something Tyler knew from experience was hard to come by when the world seemed to want to knock you down. He truly believed it was the best thing for Caleb and his well-being, and he also knew that his response to her now was critical. He didn’t want to concern her further.
“I can’t tell you how much I admire you. It’s got to be hard, raising a teenage brother. And I think you’re making the right decision, allowing him to learn some self-defense.”
She sat up straighter. “Thank you.”
“Remember, this is not about changing the person Caleb is. He isn’t the type of guy who seeks out a fight for the sake of hurting others. He’s gentle, but that doesn’t mean he has to let other guys beat him down.”
“You’re right. That makes sense, it’s just . . . I know your background, and while I don’t judge you . . .”
He chuckled and held out a hand. “Let me ease your fears. I know my past isn’t ideal. My shitty childhood, mixed with the fact that I grew up in L.A., led me into a gang and underground fighting. I did some bad things. No doubt. I was an angry punk at one time. When I was twenty-one, I joined the Army and was deployed to the Middle East. I was one of those guys that I mentioned. The kind who wanted to start shit because the world owed me and I wanted revenge.”
He watched Lia shift in her seat. He was used to sharing his story, but for some reason he not only needed her to understand why he felt called to help boys like her brother, but he also wanted her to really see him for who he was. “In Afghanistan, we got to know some of the locals. Crazy, right? I expected them to hate us. And some did. But more didn’t. Especially the kids. Several local teen boys hung around a lot, and slowly . . . I realized a few things. First off, I hadn’t had it so fucking bad in L.A. compared to the rest of the world. My dad was a dick, yes. But that started to seem pretty trivial when I realized those kids lived in fear of their home being bombed. And most importantly, I learned being a teenager can be a shitfest no matter where you grow up. We’re really all the same, just needing someone to tell us it’s going to be okay. And that the situations we find ourselves—and sometimes the stupid things we do because of that—don’t define our identity.”
A tear slid down Lia’s cheek, and every instinct in Tyler’s body was urging him to touch her. Before he could make the decision, she sat up straighter and wiped her tear away. Tough as nails, this woman was.
“Anyway, since then I’ve had this sort of . . . passion I guess, to give back. Use my knowledge and skills, learned both fighting and in the military, to help guide young men who might not have the best home life. I’m trying to coach them into fighting for sport. They don’t do anything illegal. But they do learn to defend themselves, and hopefully leave this building feeling a whole lot more confident in themselves.”
She stared at him for a long moment as Tyler threaded his fingers together, waiting for her response to all that he’d thrown at her.
“That’s really amazing, Tyler.” She smiled and then inhaled deep. “But God, I hate that Caleb is a boy with a bad home life,” she said, a slight hitch to her voice.
With that, Tyler could no longer help himself. He scooted forward and touched the hand resting on her knee. “Lia, don’t take that the wrong way. It’s all relative. Like I said before, you are doing all the right things. Yes, things aren’t ideal. He doesn’t have two parents and a picket fence. But who doesn’t have issues growing up, right?” He looked her in the eye, needing her to know he was speaking the truth.
She nodded, and he was grateful she didn’t pull her hand away. In fact, her thumb slid lightly over his knuckle, sending a shock through his entire body.
“You’re right,” she said. “Thank you.”
When her eyes lifted to his, she finally pulled her hand away, as if she’d just realized they were touching. “And thank you for helping Caleb. Especially after I was . . . kind of a bitch last time I was here. But I think that we do need your help.”
Tyler grinned. “I’ve never been averse to a pretty girl telling me she needs me.”
This time her laugh was louder and a little sardonic. She wiped at her eyes. “I should have seen that one coming.”
“Probably.”
They grinned at one another.
“I’m happy to pay you if you’d like,” she said.
“I don’t want your money. But, uh . . . you could let me take you to dinner.” When her eyes widened, he tried to smooth out the idea, not wanting her to think his help was dependent on her interest romantically. “We could discuss Caleb. My plans for him. I think it would only benefit him if you and I are on the same page.”
Damn, he was full of shit. He had only one reason for wanting to take her out. More alone time with her. As much as he could get. But he could tell Lia was hesitant for anything more, so if she needed time to get comfortable with him, then that’s what he’d give her.
“I guess we could. I’m off tonight, which never happens. I know it’s short notice—”
“Tonight is perfect.” To say he was shocked she’d so easily agreed was an understatement, but damn, he was glad. “Can I pick you up? Or would you rather meet?”
“I guess you can pick me up.” She still looked like she had some reservations, but he’d just have to show her he could be a gentleman.
“Great. How about six?”
As she recited her address, Tyler jotted it down on a piece of scratch paper on his desk. A few moments later he watched as she walked through the gym and out the front door. He grinned as he turned and walked back to the training room where he found Caleb punching on a bag. At the sound of the door the teen turned and grabbed the bag to stop it from swinging, his chest heaving in and out with exertion.
“I thought you forgot about me.”
“You won’t believe this. Your sister just came in to tell me she wants me to start training you.”
Caleb’s eyes went as round as plates. “No way! That’s unbelievable.”
Tyler laughed. “Surprised the hell out of me. But I’m glad we no longer have to keep it from her. It was not sitting well with me.”
“I know. Me either, really.”
“One more thing,” Tyler said. “I asked Lia to dinner tonight so we could discuss your training. I want her completely comfortable with it.” What he wasn’t saying was that he wanted her completely comfortable with him. “And I want you comfortable with me seeing your sister alone.”
Caleb shifted his weight on the workout mat. “Is this a date?”
Tyler hesitated. “Technically, no. But full disclosure . . . I like her. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t. Hope that doesn’t upset you.”
“I could kind of tell. And no, I guess I’m good with it. I trust you.”
“I appreciate that.”
Caleb chuckled. “I’m surprised she said yes to you. She never goes out with guys. Like . . . never. I can’t even think of the last time.”
For some reason that didn’t really surprise Tyler. “So, you think it’s a good sign?”
Caleb shrugged. “I would say so. Lia doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to.”
Tyler grinned. This day just got better and better.
CHAPTER SIX
It wasn’t a date, Lia repeated over and over in her head as she stepped out of the gym. But if it wasn’t a date, then why was she grinning? Also, why had she already started mentally running through her wardr
obe and planning to condition her hair and shave her legs? Because none of those things mattered if this was not a date. Which it wasn’t.
They were getting together to discuss Caleb. That was it. Nothing more.
She stopped in her tracks on the sidewalk, remembering that she’d promised to run by Liquid Wisdom at five thirty to pick up Abbie and drive her to the shop where her car was getting new brakes. Shit. She probably wouldn’t be home by six, and how would she get ready at the last minute? She really should ask him if six thirty or maybe even seven o’clock would work, and if she could meet him there. Quickly she considered calling him but then realized they hadn’t exchanged numbers.
Looking over her shoulder, she sighed. She was twenty feet from his work, she just needed to go back in and explain. No big deal. Turning around, she headed back down the sidewalk and entered the noisy gym. The woman behind the counter smiled at her.
“Hi again. You forget something?”
Lia’s eyes darted around the workout floor but she saw no sign of Tyler. “I did actually. Is Mr. Cavallo still around? I just need to tell him one last thing.”
“Sure. I think he headed into the training room. That door on the far wall. You can just head back.”
“You sure?”
“I promise, it’s totally fine.”
With that the young woman went back to scrolling through her phone. Lia squared her shoulders and made her way through the rows of fitness equipment. Hopefully he wasn’t too busy and she could just wave him over, or even better maybe he was alone.
The gym was nice, but sparse. Utilitarian. It was quite busy for a weekday afternoon, and she noticed that women in various stages of undress were a normal part of his day, same as hers when she served at the club.
When she made her way to the door, she slowed down and then peeked around the doorframe. Her mouth dropped open. Tyler was inside a large netted fighting ring, demonstrating a slow-motion punch to a familiar young man.
“Caleb?”
The two men in the room turned, both looking shocked before each of their faces quickly slipped into an expression of pure guilt.
Her face flamed with embarrassment and anger, and all she could think to do was turn and walk back through the gym toward the front door.
Shit. She should have made Caleb come with her. But her face was flushing. She needed to get out. Dodging workout equipment at a swift pace, Lia made her way toward the lobby, ignoring the sound of her name being called behind her.
“Lia, please stop.” It was Tyler, and she refused to turn around. “I’m sorry. Please, just . . . let me explain.”
She didn’t run, but her feet shuffled faster as she neared the front door.
“Lia!”
The minute she exited into fresh air she headed toward her car. She was nearly five feet away when a strong arm gently gripped her bicep.
“Will you hold on a minute?”
Fury rushed through her body. Jerking around, she shoved Tyler’s hand off her. “How could you sit in there and lie to me like that?”
“I’m sorry.” He put his hands on his hips and looked up, as if he had no idea how to continue.
“Was it amusing to you, having me come here and explain myself, let me listen to your pathetic life story, all the while my brother is in the same building?”
His head jerked back and she knew her words had been the worst kind of bitchy. She couldn’t care less right now. She was humiliated and furious.
“I didn’t lie to you outright. Yes, I should have come clean—”
“I’m pretty sure they mean the same thing.”
“Okay, they do. But I was trying to respect Caleb. I’ve hated keeping this from you from the start.”
“How long has this been going on?”
Tyler sighed and looked her straight in the eye. “For about three weeks. I was going to let it go after the fight, respect the fact that you didn’t want him coming back, but he came to me. I couldn’t tell him no, Lia. He needs this, we just talked about it.”
“We sure did, and you let me think we’d made the decision together.” She sucked in a breath and watched as he stared back at her, brow furrowed with what appeared to be genuine distress. “And you let me sit there and . . . fucking cry because this has stressed me out so much. How could you do that?”
“I’m so sorry. Lia. I don’t know what else to say, except that I just wanted to help you both.”
Her shoulders slumped and she felt like crying all over again. She wasn’t normally a crier, but things had been so damn stressful lately. Sitting in his office, it had felt so nice to have some kind of human connection. They’d shared parts of themselves, and it had felt a little raw, but somehow, he had also made her feel safe. But no, he was just another man with his own agenda.
When she opened her mouth, the sound of her voice was almost a whisper. “How can I feel so let down by someone I barely know?”
“Lia . . . please.” He groaned, stepping toward her. “It’s not like that.”
She backed up. “How is it not like that?”
“I wasn’t trying to deceive you,” he gritted out. “Every time Caleb came in here I tried to convince him to tell you. Talk to you.”
That might be true, but the fact remained, he’d sat in his office, stared straight into her eyes, and misled her. She pinched her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and looked at him. “I’m going to let Caleb stay. We’d decided to do this, and I still think he needs it. Tell him to walk home as soon as he’s finished.”
“I can bring him home. I have your address.”
She let out a bitter laugh. “Fine. Do that. And then you can just forget you have it. Dinner is off.”
He didn’t follow her, and when she got in her car and glanced up at the sidewalk, he was gone.
* * *
It wasn’t often that Lia wished she was working when she had a night off. Right now, though, serving assholes would really take her mind off the fact that she’d been anticipating going out with a handsome asshole tonight. Instead she’d bought a seven-dollar bottle of rosé and had just poured her third glass.
Screw men.
Especially men who gave you warm feelings inside when you thought about them, men who had you thinking they were different and nice and good, only to lie to you so you’d feel like an idiot because those warm feelings were still there. Maybe that was just the wine. Or at least that’s what she’d keep telling herself.
A soft knock at her bedroom door made her mute the sound on her Netflix binge.
“Come in,” she said. Caleb poked his head around the partially closed door, a bowl in his hand.
“Brought you some dessert.”
She gave him a little smile. “Thanks. Come sit.”
After a dinner of boxed shells and cheese, frozen jalapeño poppers, and chips and salsa, she’d made brownies. On the way home from the gym she’d developed a craving for every processed comfort food she could think of. Caleb handed her the bowl. He’d put in a brownie and dished ice cream on top of it. Something he’d never done for her before.
“Guilt’s a powerful thing.” She smiled at him as he sat at the foot of her bed.
“I guess so.”
He’d apologized the minute he’d walked in the apartment earlier. Shamefully, part of her had hoped maybe Tyler would come to the door with him and try to talk to her again, but he hadn’t. Just as well, because she clearly had issues.
“You get all your homework done?” she asked, enjoying a bite.
“Yeah.”
They sat in silence for a moment until she decided to test how much mileage she could get out of his guilty conscience. “I really wish you’d tell me a little more about the boys that have been bothering you.”
Caleb let out a heavy sigh. “I told you, it’s not a big deal. It hasn’t been an issue anymore.”
“Mrs. Burton called me, you know. Said she’d noticed some guys giving you trouble a couple of times.”
“What?
Nothing has happened at school.”
“She said nothing punishable had happened, but she obviously felt compelled to reach out to me. Let me know she was keeping her eye on you and them.”
“Yeah, well, she’s stupid.”
Lia frowned and lowered her bowl. “You’re right. A grown woman with a college education who just worries about you is totally stupid. I should have realized.”
“I didn’t mean that. She just shouldn’t worry about it.”
“Okay, then tell me who these boys are so we can put a stop to it.”
“It’s not that easy, Lia.”
“So, it is still happening!” She leaned forward, her stomach twisting with worry.
“No! Just . . . please. Let me deal with my own problems.”
She stared at him, debating how far to push it. The last thing she wanted was to alienate him further, or make him stop sharing anything with her. Maybe things were getting better and he just wanted to move on from it.
“Fine. I’m gonna let this lie, for now. I’m also going to let you keep going to the gym. But I swear, if I get another call from a teacher, or if I see one tiny bruise on your body, it’s fair game. You have to come clean.”
Caleb fiddled with a thread on her blanket before finally blowing out a deep breath. “Fine.”
“Thank you.”
He stood up and walked slowly to the door before turning back to her. “Just so you know . . . Tyler tried to convince me to tell you about the training every time we met.”
“He told me.”
“Well then, why didn’t you go out with him tonight?”
Lia’s spoon clanked in her bowl as she turned to look at Caleb. “He told you?”
“Well, yeah. He came back all grinning like an idiot after you guys had spoken. It was disgusting.”
She bit at her lip, not sure if she hated knowing that or loved it. She’d felt the same way after their decision to go out to dinner. Until she’d learned the truth.
“If it was so disgusting, why do you care that I’m not going?”
Along Came Us (Man Enough) Page 7