One Last Fight: Part One (The One Last Fight #1)

by Ava Ashley

  She laughs.

  “Yes... I did. And thank you. Dinner smells great by the way,” she adds, and it’s the first instance when she appears nervous. This woman has been polished, reserved, and quiet, making me think she’s mysterious and certainly confident.

  “Well, you might be surprised... I cooked dinner.”

  “You cooked?” Her face lights up.

  “But let’s try it before you thank me,” I say with a wink. “I made roasted duck with a jalapeño cranberry sauce.” I pull her chair out and then pour her a glass of red wine. “Try it. Let me know what you think.”

  She takes a bite and her smile tells me she’s genuinely pleased with it.

  “It’s amazing. Delicious.”

  “Good. It was a daring choice for a first date, but this is my specialty meal.” That strange feeling comes again, and this time, I can tell it’s guilt. That makes no sense, but for some reason, I feel guilty for making this meal for Kara when I’ve thought about making it for Lily.

  Kara is watching me and I make sure my face isn’t showing my thoughts.

  “And, hopefully, this is the first of many,” she says after a pause.

  “First of many dates?” I raise my glass to that instead of answering. I’d rather be mysterious than commit to anything. “So tell me more about you.”

  She’s shy at first, but after a few leading questions, she opens up. I listen. I really do. But random thoughts pop into my head. Here I am learning about Kara and wondering about Lily. I used to know her so well. I shouldn’t miss her and our closeness after what she did, but I do. I haven’t had that with anyone since.

  “So did you make the questions for the game show tonight?” she asks suddenly.

  “Some of them,” I admit. It wasn’t easy creating so many questions, so I only worked on about a fourth of them. At that point, I was also realizing that my creating the questions would give Lily an advantage because she knows me. I add, “Why do you ask? Did you like them? Well, you must have. You won!”

  “Did you have some information about us before this show started?”

  I laugh. “I wish. You don’t even know.” I cut myself short before saying something about Lily. After my outburst that first day, at least a few of them must have figured out that seeing Lily again was an unpleasant surprise.

  “I thought you might have catered a few to me.” Her voice is quiet, a sly smile on her face.

  I raise one eyebrow. “Maybe. Maybe not. I like a woman who can rise to the challenge and prove herself.”

  She sets her fork down and says with a small but confident smile, “We’re a good match. You’re looking for someone with brains and beauty, and here I am.”

  I tilt my head and give her a slow smile. “Here you are.”

  I hold her gaze, but she doesn’t answer. Maybe her confidence is covering up her actual lack of confidence and finesse. We still have a lot of time on the show, so I want to be careful about singling out any favorites too soon. But if I did, Kara would be right up there.

  “Dessert?” I ask. “I have several yummy things chilling in the fridge.”

  “Not tonight.” She smiles. “I already have my dessert.”

  Wow, she’s coming on much stronger tonight. I like it.

  “Would you like to go for a walk on the beach then?” I ask, already rising. As she gets up, I walk over to thank the band. Kara and I head outside and, by the edge of the patio, I remove my shoes and roll my pants up a few inches. After hesitating, she follows suit, pulling off her heels.

  “You really do look beautiful tonight,” I say.

  “Thanks. You do too. You always look good.”

  “Thank you. I haven’t been out here for a walk on this part of the beach yet.” I take her hand and we slowly make our way down toward the water. There I turn so we’re walking along the dry sand above the waves. The whisper of them washing up on the sand is soothing.

  It’ll be nice when this show is done and over with, and I can move on with my life and training for my fight. MMA has been my life for the last three years. Training. Traveling. Fighting. This is too much downtime. It’s the most time I’ve had to think, and the past, apparently, was sitting there waiting for me. Lily was there waiting for me all this time too.

  We walk in silence for a while and just watch the waves roll in and the moon play on the water. For just a second, I allow myself to picture tonight if it’d been with Lily. She’s been in the back of my mind all day. If only... If only her mom didn’t get sick. If only she hadn’t gotten the idea that she needed to strip for money. Then I’d tried my hand at cards. The money was good for a while. So why did it have to all go south? Did we make bad choices? Will I ever know the truth?

  I wonder for the hundredth time how I’m going to get her out of my head. Everything has come back. Our memories. The little things she did. Her scent.

  But I’m not here with her. I’m with Kara, someone who hasn’t stabbed me in the back.

  Kara could be a new start for me. Maybe I never got over Lily because I never tried a relationship with someone else.

  I stop suddenly and turn to her. She catches her breath before lifting her face, and I pull her to me almost roughly, catching her mouth with a hard, fast kiss. Remembering myself, I slow down, trying to make it good for her.

  She moans against my mouth and reaches her arms around my neck, stepping closer to press herself against me. I let my hands explore her sides and feel her fingers in my hair. It’s not bad, but it’s also not the chemistry I was hoping for.

  And it doesn’t push Lily out of my head at all. Instead, she’s on my mind even more. What would it feel like with her? I haven’t wanted a relationship with anyone else since Lily, and now I know it wasn’t just about avoiding more hurt. There’s more to it.

  I break free and take Kara’s hand again, trying to smile to soften the moment.

  “Why don’t we head back before it’s too late?”

  “Okay.” She smiles. We turn around.

  Motion farther up the beach catches my attention. I squint at a figure as it jogs out of sight. It could have been Lily going for a run.

  Kara is still talking and touches my chin. I glance down at her and smile, wanting to be in this moment with this beautiful woman, but my mind is on Lily. There are things between us that need to be cleared before we can move on with our lives. I want that. I might even owe it to her. We need to let each other be free. We can never be together again, but we shared our childhoods, and that means something.

  I know I can’t run from this anymore. I can’t back down. I need to look this monster in the face and get to the truth. Closure. That’s what I need to put this to bed and move on, first with this show and then my life.

  Hadn’t I wanted answers and closure anyway?

  That’s why I gave her the rose. I need to take care of this, not just run away and avoid it. Maybe if I can find out what she wanted to tell me, I can clear my head and make this show work. Maybe then I could make it work with one of these women.

  “Rafe?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You’ve been in another world.”

  We’re almost back to the house, so I try to shrug it off.

  “Is there another girl?” she asks. I look at her, surprised. “Is there someone else you had before this show? Or is it just Lily?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. That’s old news.” I laugh like she’s way off, but I think it sounds as forced to her as it does to me. I’d be a fool if I didn’t admit, at least to myself, that my past is catching up with me, and I can’t ignore it any longer.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lily

  I walk into the dining area and find Kara alone. “Is it too early for everyone else?”

  “Guess so.” She takes a bite of yogurt as I sort through the offerings. “I wanted to come down before everyone so I wouldn’t have to tell them about last night.”

  Is that an invite for me to ask? She seems to b
e waiting. I want to bite, but something holds me back. Well, it’s pretty easy to explain. I don’t want to hear about her date with the man of my dreams, the man who loved me before I lost him. I take a shaky breath and wonder if I can leave without offending her.

  “You were gone when I came in last night,” she says. “Where were you?”

  “Running.” I’m glad for the change in subject. I pour some juice while I wait for my English muffin to toast. “I went out on the beach for a while and then to the pool.” I stayed out really late, not wanting to know when Kara came back. I also had held out a secret hope that Rafe would show up in the pool again.

  “He kissed me.” She gushes in an unguarded moment. I can tell she immediately regrets it as she flicks a look my way. My mind conjures up a picture of them kissing, and I have to take a slow breath and center myself. I find myself comparing us. She’s already dressed for the day in jeans and a halter top, and looking good with perfectly straight, dark hair. Mine is a mess of ruffled curls, and I’m wearing my bikini cover up because it was the easiest thing to pull on.

  “So it went well?” I make myself ask.

  She hesitates and drops her gaze, like she might have doubts about it, but she says, “I think so. He cooked me this fabulous dinner... and before we ate, we danced.”

  “He cooked?”

  “Roasted duck.” She’s beaming.

  So he cooked for her and danced with her, and then walked on the beach. That’s probably where he kissed her. I want to ask what kind of kiss it was and if they made out or just kissed, but I can’t stomach knowing.

  My muffin pops up and I turn my back to butter it. I consider explaining why I don’t want to talk about it, but it seems like she instinctively knows. Before I say anything, however, we both hear Mel’s voice. She’s coming downstairs with at least a few other women. Kara and I turn to each other, doing mock looks of horror, and we grab our stuff and go outside to eat.

  There’s a cool breeze, so we sit under a shade umbrella and listen to the ocean while we eat.

  “That was a close call!” She laughs.

  I start to laugh too, but then Rafe walks into the pool area. I brace for his reaction when he sees me, but he walks right over like he’s not upset I’m here.

  “Good morning, ladies,” he says as he comes up to our table. He included me in that greeting. I realize something’s different and try not to read too much into it yet. I’m excited to see him anyway. I can’t help it.

  “Good morning,” Kara returns with a big smile. I feel like a third wheel, but there’s no way I’m leaving. “Join us,” she adds, pulling out a chair.

  Rafe sits and sets his protein shake on the table. “I was on the beach and thought I’d stop by.” He pulls off his sunglasses and sets them down too. “You two look nice.”

  Again he’s including me. I smile in response.

  “Thank you,” Kara says, her voice sweet and sexy at the same time. I haven’t been on my game with flirting on this show—but Rafe’s cold reception threw me. How are you supposed to flirt with that?

  I glance down... Yeah. I’m not sure I’d call this outfit nice. I didn’t even put on a bra, so I try to casually cross my arms over my breasts so my nipples won’t show through the thin material. But when I look up, Rafe’s gaze is following the hem at the top of my cover up. Heat flows through me at the way he’s actually looking at me and talking to me.

  “Going for a swim?” he asks, his eyes dancing. He might have noticed I wasn’t wearing anything underneath it. And if he didn’t before, he does now. I feel color rise in my face, but I’m more worried about my body’s reaction showing.

  “Nah,” I say lightly. “Just threw it on this morning. A swim might be nice today though.”

  I try to fight a smile and feel it creep onto my face anyway. What changed for him? He spent time with Kara last night and now he’s talking to me? Did she say or do something to trigger it? I want to figure it out, but I also just want to enjoy it.

  “Yeah,” Kara says. “The others haven’t been using the pool much. Maybe we could get it to ourselves.”

  Rafe glances her way. I’m still trying to figure this out. He must have come to some kind of conclusion or decision to talk to me now.

  “So how are things going over here in drama land?” he asks.

  Kara and I both laugh at that.

  “Land of the cliques and dirty looks,” I say. “But we’re fine.”

  “Maybe you should vote some of them off,” Kara says. It could have been a light comment, but her tone and intense stare make it feel heavier. She takes a sip of her coffee and peeks at him over her cup. Did they talk about the show and contestants on their date? I could drive myself up a wall thinking about what happened and what they talked about, so I try to ignore my curiosity.

  But for a crazy second, I wonder if she means he should kick me off.

  Rafe smiles and lifts a shoulder to her suggestion. It’s more flirtation than answer. Kara is still staring at him, and if I wasn’t here, I bet she’d say something about their date. Last night was fun...

  God, I hope she doesn’t. I need something to talk about and fast.

  “Kara!”

  We all turn toward Liam’s voice.

  “There you are. I wanted to go over a few things with you.” He smiles and nods toward the beach, asking her to go on a walk.

  “What the hell?” she murmurs. I’m thinking the same thing. I’m pretty sure we’re being filmed from some secret camera, and Liam has been careful not to let anyone interrupt good moments like this. Does he want Rafe and me to be alone?

  “I guess I’ve been summoned.” Her voice is flat. The gleam is gone from her eye when she glances between Rafe and me. “Well, have fun.”

  “I’ll talk to you later, Kara,” Rafe says as she walks away.

  Is that why he came over here? He was looking for her? I bite my lip as she disappears and hope Rafe won’t leave now that it’s just me.

  “I wonder what that was about,” I say. “You didn’t—?”

  “No, I didn’t ask Liam to do that. He’s always doing crazy shit anyway without explaining it.”

  “He can be over the top, but he definitely cares about the show.”

  “Yeah, the ratings and money.”

  I glance his way and catch him checking me out, his eyes glowing with appreciation. Funny that I grabbed this in a hurry, and it seems to turn him on. I feel my heart lift at the realization that I can still affect him.

  “You really do look good,” he says quietly, still watching me. “Not just right now. I mean, you look strong.”

  That’s a big compliment coming from Rafe.

  “Thanks. You look amazing. You must know that,” I add with a small laugh. “I bet it takes hours of training and working out to get where you are and fight like you do.”

  He tilts his head and lifts a brow. “You watch my fights?”

  “Yeah, I’ve followed your career. I wanted to know you were happy. That’s a little hard to tell from TV, but...” I shrug and meet his gaze, more words on the tip of my tongue. I could tell him now.

  But this feels so fragile. He’s actually talking to me, and we could lose this mood any second. I don’t want to ruin it just yet.

  “Listen... I’ve meant to tell you for a long time, I’m sorry about your mom.”

  I instantly choke up.

  “I thought I’d be around in the end.” He reaches over and takes my hand until I compose myself. It’s his concern and touch that does me in. He seems to think I’m being emotional about my mom.

  Several minutes later, he says, “I’m glad you’re down here.” He’s so handsome, and every time I glance at him I remember all our special times. Now there’s so much time and hurt between us. How can I ever fix it?

  Suddenly, his words sink in.

  “You are?” Did he actually want to see me?

  “I wanted to talk to you before we get a day off.”

  I’d forgotten
that there isn’t anything planned for today. I’ve hardly been able to talk to Rafe so far, but now he wants to have a conversation. I’m too shocked to respond for a minute. I try to choose my words carefully.

  “I’ve been wanting to talk to you too,” I say, growing more nervous by the minute. This is the chance I asked for!

  “You said something about explaining.”

  “Yes, I need to tell you something.” As I’m speaking, the back door slides open and people pour out. I can tell by the laughter that it’s Mel’s clique.

  “Rafe!” she squeals and hurries over. There’re two empty chairs at our table and she slides into one of them. The other women are right behind her, and even pull chairs over. “I didn’t know you were here!”

  Her peppy voice grates on my every nerve. It’s the worst timing of my life. Why didn’t I ask Rafe to go out on the beach to talk? I try to catch his gaze, but he’s engaged with them now. I was so close!

  It could turn into a long day.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rafe

  The next day is a “rest and relaxation” pool party at the beach house, and the ladies will all give me a short massage. I wear swim shorts and a tank top, and head over, thinking about my talk with Lily yesterday. It’s been on my mind since then, but things got busy at the beach house. Every woman there wants my attention. That’s a lot of women to talk to. At some point, Lily slipped out and left.

  Everyone is outside by the pool when I arrive. I scan and see the women I’ve been talking to the most, but I don’t see Lily.

  “Rafe, there you are!” Liam sees me and slaps me on the back. “Ready for some fun?”

  “Sure. And a massage or two doesn’t sound half bad either.”

  “I know! I envy you.” He’s wearing tan shorts today, a first since I’ve met him, along with sunglasses, and a blue shirt, looking like he’s actually here to have fun. The women are in summer dresses and a few are in bikinis with cover ups.

  Liam gets things started and gives a little spiel about how I’ll need a woman who can massage my sore muscles. I do my part by pulling off my tank top and flexing my shoulders and arms.