First and Only

by Olivia Howe

  “Go ahead.”

  “Thanks.”

  I run past him, searching for Ivy and the rest of Adam’s family. I spot them in Adam’s corner. I go and sit with them. Ivy jumps up when she sees me. “He’s dying out there, Mandi. I’m so scared,” she cries. Tears are falling down her face. “He’s just giving up.”

  I watch Prince and Eddie giving him a pep talk. Prince fixes up Adam’s face as best as he can. It’s bad… Really bad.

  It smells like sweat and blood in here. Everyone is on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what happens next. Some people are standing, yelling and cheering. Others hold signs in their hands, waving for The Great.

  Prince spots me and his face drops. He whispers something in Adam’s ear, and Adam whips his head around to see for himself.

  I wave, not knowing what else to do. Eddie waves me over, shocking me. I do as he requests.

  “Let her through,” Eddie says to a security guard. Then he looks at me. “You have ten seconds. Make them count.”

  I lean against the ring. “Adam, what’s going on out there?”

  “I’m so sorry, Mandi.” Adam’s face is swollen, and a black eye is forming. Blood is sliding down his face.

  “I’m not mad at you. Your sister explained everything to me. You can’t think about that right now, you understand me?”

  “I fucked up with you. I love you, Mandi.” He reaches over, grabbing my face. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I forgive you. Your good luck charm is here now. Now get your ass out there and win this fight.” I smile, our faces touching and our eyes locked onto each other’s. I kiss his lips. Oh, I’ve missed that feeling so much.

  For a moment, the eighteen thousand people around us vanish. It’s only him and me. Butterflies fill my stomach—the good kind, the beautiful kind. He gazes into my eyes. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Adam.”

  The referee interrupts our moment. “Adam, are you ready and able to continue?”

  He looks at me and I smile. “Yes. Let’s do this.”

  I take a seat next to Ivy. She holds onto me tightly. Adam looks at me before the bell dings. I nod my head, and he knows exactly what I want him to do—knock this man the hell out and win this fight.

  Adam shakes his whole body, pumping his heartrate up, staying loose in his joints like a hardcore professional. That man, I love that man so much. He’s mine.

  The boxers go head to head. Adam hits Clark Kennedy, forcing him to stumble backwards. He sure as hell wasn’t expecting that to happen. He thought he had “The Great” in the palm of his hand. Little does he know, Adam’s good luck charm is here now.

  “Let’s go, Adam!” I shout. Ivy is still clinging onto me for dear life.

  “Mandi!” a voice yells over the crowd. I look over. It’s Adam’s mother. She waves.

  “Hi, Mrs. W.” I wave back.

  “I’m so happy you made it. I knew you would come.” She smiles.

  Not knowing what to say, I smile and then focus my attention back on the fight. Adam can still win this thing. I know he can.

  Clark throws an upper cut and a hit to the ribs. Adam falls back but gets up quickly. That’s my man!

  Clark’s facial expression is priceless. He thought those two hits were a done deal for Adam. He’s underestimating Adam way too much.

  Adam plays defense. Good idea.

  Clark throws a punch, and Adam dodges it. In the process, Adam throws punch after punch, dropping Clark to the ground. The crowd goes wild. I jump to my feet, screaming with excitement.

  “1, 2, 3, 4, 5,” the referee starts the count. Clark tries to get up. He’s fighting to get back on his feet. “6, 7, 8, 9, 10.” Clark is down for the count and not getting up anytime soon.

  The crowd is hopping. Everyone is hugging each other and jumping up and down. Adam did it! He won his first fight at Madison Square Garden. I knew he could do it. I knew in my heart Adam would pull through it.

  Prince waves for me to come into the ring. He helps me over the ropes. Wow. It feels weird in here. Adam is the KO king and the ring is his kingdom.

  Adam spots me and is by my side quickly. “I love you. Please forgive me. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you. I was scared you wouldn’t want a broken me.”

  “I didn’t come this far not to have a happy ending.” I pull him in and kiss him like I’ve never kissed anyone before.

  Eighteen thousand people close in around us. Everyone is cheering Adam’s name. “The Great! The Great! The Great!”

  Adam stares into my eyes. “I’m so happy you’re here. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  “I’m your good luck charm.”

  “For always, Mandi.”

  We kiss passionately in the boxing ring of Madison Square Garden. It’s the most romantic moment of my life.

  Adam is a bloody, sweaty mess, but it’s the sexiest scene. Looking at this man, I can’t believe he’s finally all mine.

  Clark comes over to us and reaches his hand out to shake Adam’s. “You deserve it, man. That was the hardest fight I’ve ever had.”

  Adam shakes his hand. “Thanks. You did some justice on me.” They both laugh.

  The ring announcer comes to Adam’s side. “Are you ready to be announced as the winner?”

  Adam smiles and nods. “Hell yes.”

  The ring announcer holds the microphone and begins talking. “And the winner by a knock-out is Adam ‘The Great’ Wilson.” He lifts Adam’s arm high in the air. The crowd goes ballistic. Everyone loves him. It’s sweet. It’s a beautiful scene to witness.

  Adam Wilson has done it. The love of my life has won a boxing match at Madison Square Garden.

  CHAPTER 22

  DON’T GET ME WRONG, I loved New York, and I loved being at Madison Square Garden, but it feels so nice to be back home in Chicago. I think I’ve had enough action for a while. Sleep is what I desperately need.

  Adam drops our luggage in the living room then picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. “Adam, put me down!”

  He always seems to do this to me. “Nope.”

  He throws me onto the bed and crawls on top of me, kissing every inch of my body.

  I lift his head up and kiss his lips. “Let’s talk.” We need to talk. The reason we didn’t in New York was because Adam was celebrating and I wanted him to enjoy the moment, considering it was a huge accomplishment.

  “Your wish is my command.” He collapses down next to me, propped up on one arm. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about Linda and her cheating on you?” I ask, breaking the ice. It needed to be done sooner or later.

  “I was scared to lose you, Mandi. And it’s embarrassing to announce that my wife cheated on me with another man and now is having his baby. It’s not a subject that’s easy to bring up in conversation.” He’s right.

  “You should’ve trusted me. I would’ve understood.”

  “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you.”

  “Well, let’s leave it in the past now. It’s over and done with,” I say, kissing his nose lightly.

  “I talked to Linda, and the divorce papers have been signed and shipped off. We’re officially divorced.”

  “I’m sorry she did that to you. You didn’t deserve that.” I kiss his nose again.

  “Don’t be sorry. You didn’t do a thing, darling. If that had never happened, then I would’ve never come back here and found you. I’m happy it happened. I love you, Mandi.” He takes a deep breath, pushing a strand of hair from my face. “I’ve never loved someone the way I love you.”

  “And it only took us twelve years to realize we were meant for each other all along…”

  “You’re very right, sweetheart. Better late than never.”

  We strip off all our clothes, giggling and ready to have some fun.

  I’ve never been so happy the way I am right now. Adam does something to me. He makes me feel special, like I’m the only woman in th
e world for him. Not only that, he makes me feel good about myself—smart, beautiful, caring. He makes me a better person for it, too.

  Yes, it took us years to find our way back to each other… but we did, and I thank faith for that. We’re two soulmates who are meant to be together, no matter the obstacles that stand in our way.

  I love him, for always.

  ***

  I speed through the streets of New Jersey. I know I should slow down. The rain is coming down hard. It’s blinding my view of the road, but I need to get to Mark. I need to get to Mark now. It’s been weeks since I last saw him. I should’ve done this much earlier.

  I find the club they’re playing at. I hesitate to walk inside, nervous of the outcome. What if Mark doesn’t want me? What if he has a new woman already and has completely forgotten about me?

  I’m going to have to take my chances.

  I exit the car and walk into The Blues club. People are drunk and on drugs. I can spot that from a mile away. I make my way to the back of the club to the bar.

  “Is Dark Rises playing tonight?” I ask the bartender.

  “Yes, they sure are.” The handsome blond-haired man leans against the bar to talk to me, the music making it hard for us to hear each other.

  “Where can I find them?” I ask, hoping for the best. “I need to talk to the singer.”

  “They’re in the back. Security isn’t tight, so you should be able to get back there without trouble,” he says and then leaves to help another customer.

  I wander into the back, looking desperately for Mark. I can’t seem to find him anywhere. Where the hell is he? Where is the band? Usually there’s people lined up to see these men.

  Finally, I hear the loud partying going on in the back. I walk through the door and spot August, Ivan, and Axel. They each have women hanging off their shoulders, groupies trying desperately to get in the pants of rock stars.

  August sees me first and pushes the woman off quickly. He walks over to me and hugs me. “How are you, Lauren?”

  That’s weird. “I’m great. Where’s Mark?”

  The room goes quiet, all eyes on me. “What do you mean?”

  I look around at everyone, and then my eyes meet August’s. “I need to talk to Mark. Where is he?”

  August looks at the guys and then back at me. He clears his throat. “You don’t know?”

  “Know what?” I’m confused. What in the world is going on right now? And why is everyone looking at me like I’m stupid?

  “Mark was in a car accident, Lauren.”

  “What? Is he okay?” My heart races faster. This isn’t okay. My anxiety skyrockets.

  August clears his throat again, like he’s avoiding his next words. “Mark is dead, Lauren. He’s gone.”

  I shake my head abruptly. “No!”

  August holds onto my arms to stop the shaking. “I’m so sorry.”

  Tears pour from my eyes and down my face like a waterfall. This can’t be happening. I just saw him a couple of weeks ago. Not that long ago…

  “Please tell me this is some kind of sick joke. It’s not funny, August. It’s not funny!” I shout. I know it’s not a joke, but I needed to say it. I needed to distract myself for one single moment.

  August looks at the floor and shakes his head, tears budding in his eyes.

  I collapse onto the floor, holding my stomach as I cry harder than I’ve ever cried before. This can’t be happening. I was going to tell him I love him. I was going to confess my love for him, tell him how much I needed him in my life, how much I needed to be with him.

  “I was going to tell him I love him, August. I was gonna tell him I love him, and now I can’t, because he’s gone. He’s gone and I’m never going to be able to tell him how I feel about him. Why? Why did this have to happen to Mark?”

  August falls to the floor and pulls me into him, hugging me tight. I listen to the other guys around me. They’re telling the groupies to get lost. Axel shuts the door behind them.

  Ivan and Axel drop to the floor next to me and rub my back. No one says a single word. We sit in the quiet, listening to the sounds of our cries.

  Mark’s gone and he’s never coming back. I can’t believe this reality. I can’t believe this is my life.

  Why couldn’t I have the happy ending? Why couldn’t I have the fairy tale? I guess it just wasn’t in the cards for me. This was God’s plan all along.

  In that moment, my whole world comes crashing down. I lost the one person who made me want to achieve more in life, who taught me it's okay to be afraid, to be afraid of moving on, of change.

  I lost him. I lost the one person who made me feel whole.

  ***

  Three years later…

  A horn beeps at me as I cross the busy street of New York City. I shake my head. “The nerve of some people,” I whisper under my breath.

  I continue walking down the road, taking in the atmosphere of the Big Apple. Today is a good day for a walk.

  Two years ago, I landed an acting job in a movie. If it wasn’t for Mark, I never would’ve come here to follow my big-time dream. The movie hit the big leagues and the reviews were off the charts. It’s safe to say the movie did amazing—well, more than amazing. The fans are incredible! I can’t leave my house without someone coming up to me, asking for my autograph and picture.

  My thoughts wander to Mark—his handsome face, his generous soul, his love for rock music. He came into my life when I needed him most. I still mourn him every day. People say that time is supposed to heal the wounds of a broken heart. I never believed that. Time only lessens the pain, making it easier to get through it.

  Over the years I’ve realized that some people aren't meant to stay forever, but instead only make an imprint in your life.

  Mark wasn't meant to be my forever. He was meant to come into my life and teach me that it's okay to move on. And that's what I've done. I’ve moved to the big city to follow my dreams.

  I’ll see him again one day, but until then, I’ll never stop loving him.

  The End

  I type the last words in my novel and keep staring at the two words “The End.” It’s bittersweet to have to end this novel. I wish I could’ve stayed in Lauren’s world longer, but my characters took me on an adventure, one I will never forget.

  Lauren and Mark are so precious to my heart. Their story was interesting to write. Maybe readers won’t appreciate the ending. Hell, Barbara might not even like it, and her opinion is what’s going to get it published or not. But that doesn’t matter. Right now, all that matters is that my characters went in the exact direction they were meant to go. As a writer, I’m proud of that.

  I email the whole manuscript to Barbara. I hesitate to press send, but finally I get it over with.

  I shut my laptop and crawl into bed with Adam. It’s like three in the morning, and he’s sound asleep.

  I stare at him, watching him sleep. He’s so handsome, so perfect in every way. I got lucky with him. A high school friendship that turned into an everlasting love.

  I slide a loose strand off his forehead and smile as I gaze at him. My life wouldn’t be whole without him. Look at how I was during that time when he was absent from my life. I went crazy without him. I don’t think I could ever survive something like that again. I know one thing for sure: I won’t ever have to.

  I love this man with every part of me, and I always will. He’s the stars to my night sky. He’s the other half of me that makes me whole. He’s the icing on top of my cake.

  He is my always and forever.

  THE END

  EPILOGUE

  Eleven years later…

  I SIT ON A BENCH at the playground. Adam is chasing our three-year-old son, Cory, around everywhere. Our toddler’s going to be tired and out cold tonight. Watching these two, I realize how perfect my life is.

  Adam has been undefeated since the fight at Madison Square Garden. He’s become a living legend in the professional boxing world. Every fighter wants
to be him, and the cocky ones want their time in the ring with him. None of them succeed, and I don’t think anyone will. Adam “The Great” Wilson will live on in the record books.

  As for me, my book, First and Only, became a New York Times bestselling novel within weeks. Readers went crazy over it, and it warms my heart how much they all love Lauren and Mark’s story. Showing up at signings is the greatest gift, especially seeing a crowd of people raving over my book. Readers talk to me like they know Lauren and Mark the way I do. It’s refreshing and mesmerizing. I’m so very happy that so many people fell in love with the novel. They’re even more excited to find out that Adam Wilson was my muse.

  I’ve had several publishers fighting over me, but I’ve decided to stay with Birdie Publishing, considering they were there for me when the others weren’t.

  Lauren and Mark’s story still lives in my heart. I think of my characters as family to me, but I guess only a writer would understand. Some days I think about a different ending, with Mark alive, and him and Lauren living happily ever after. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. It just wasn’t meant to be that way. My characters took full control. I was just typing it out and telling their story the way they wanted it done. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

  My life is perfect. The people in my life are more perfect. Adam and I are great parents to a brilliant little boy who’s obsessed with art, which makes his momma very proud. He likes boxing, too, but no matter what, I will stand with him on whatever career path he chooses.

  If you would’ve asked me twenty years ago how my life would end up, I would’ve never guessed I would be married to Adam Wilson, be a bestselling author, and have a beautiful toddler. I’m lucky, I know. I couldn’t have imagined my life any other way. I have the career. I have the husband. And I have the son. What more could I ever ask for?

  FIRST AND ONLY PLAYLIST

  Here are some songs Author Olivia Howe enjoyed