by Maya Rossi
She studied her hands with a skeptical frown. “I don’t see what you see.” She caught his hand, tracing the network of old injuries and calluses. “You’ve got a fighter’s hand.” To shield some of her emotions, she hugged herself tight and aimed her gaze somewhere above his head. “I suffer from fear of being abandoned. Abandonment. That’s what my therapist calls it. She says it governs everything that I do, my intention to have a family of my own who won’t leave, choosing Eddy who is stable, my hesitance to get close to my parents, my not taking this dog and--”
“Your hatred for Arsenal,” he quipped.
She hit his shoulders, and he laughed, dragging her to the ground with him. When she stopped smacking him, she sighed. “Yeah, that’s why I don’t want the dog. It’s illogical but… what if I come home one day and he’s gone or worse dead?”
“I understand.”
“Now tell me why you tip off the press so they can ‘stumble’ on one of your good deeds?”
“Who said that’s what I do?”
She rolled her eyes. “Kellie says she receives the tip from a highly accurate source. It’s from inside your camp and for your own good. There’s no way I’m wrong Brayden.”
“So, if we had included some inaccurate tips--”
“It would feel more…natural, yes.”
With a mental note to speak to Luke about it, Brayden tried to figure out a way out of the question. Lying wasn’t something he did very well, especially not with Ava lying half on him to see his face. “I value my reputation.”
She shook her head. “I also value my reputation and you already got a great reputation. This is something else. Brayden?”
He knew. He just knew what she was about to say and he braced himself, waiting.
“You know how this looks, right?”
He forced a shrug. “I know.”
“Then what?”
“My causes need the publicity, I can’t do it alone. Plus my reputation needs to be spotless unless no one would trust my foundation with money.” He grinned. “It’s nothing underhanded, I promise.”
“So, let me get this straight. Your reputation means a lot to you because you’re the face of the foundation whose causes serve many and who is dependent on your reputation.”
“You realize your getting it straight only made it sound more complicated?”
Ava sat up, practically vibrating with excitement. “I know you said not to use you, but--”
“Why do I get the feeling that’s what you’re about to do?”
“Hear me out, please. You already call all these networks, just add HTV to the list? It’s not like I’ve got anything to do.”
“So, I will save your career.”
“And I will save your reputation.”
Brayden pretended to mull that one over for a second. “Add the dog and you’ve got a deal.”
“No, no, no,” Ava lurched up and began to walk away. “I’m not taking the dog.”
With the breeze caressing his features and the threat of sleep lurking, Brayden got his ear buds in and relaxed into the music.
“Bray?” Jack called.
“Yeah?”
“Want to sleep out here? I can get Ujin to make the arrangements,” he said, amused.
“Uhhmmm, what you should do is date Ujin.”
Jack snorted. “He wears skirts, I’m not that gay.”
Brayden opened his eyes and gave Jack a look of disbelief. “I don’t believe you.”
“Can you imagine me taking him out, with the guys?” Jack shuddered.
“You fuck a slut who wears flowery shirts and speaks in a high falsetto,” Brayden replied flatly.
“He wears skirts,” Jack maintained stubbornly. “And I thought you didn’t curse.”
Brayden almost smiled at that. “The last time I said ‘date’ you corrected me.”
“Jack?”
Ujin stood there, unsmiling. There was no point asking if he heard them talking or Jack’s damning declaration. Ironically, in dusty jeans, boots and shirtless, Ujin didn’t even look a little gay.
“Yes,” Jack sounded strangled.
“Raymond needs you.”
With no small amount of amusement, Brayden watched Jack stare at Ujin’s ass as he walked away. “Still too gay for you?”
Chapter six
The punch rocked him, striking his chin and slamming his head backwards. Shit. Either Jack was pulling his punches, or he needed to get a new permanent sparring partner. Brayden stretched out blindly for the return, unsure if he would get a hit but giving it his all. He got one, landing one on the temple of his new sparring partner, Ade.
He gritted his teeth, willing his reaction to submission. Ade staggered back and regained his footing. Giving Brayden a nod to indicate he was ready, he danced forward.
Samson called time out and approached his corner. “This one’s a little better. You still need to stop holding back, be a beast in there. Kill that motherfucker, that’s our fucking goal.”
His vision darkened in warning before his stomach gave that familiar roll. Brayden lurched to his feet, reaching the toilet in time to lose his, well nothing. Gagging on empty was damn painful, he thought, washing his mouth twice before going to work on his teeth with the toothbrush.
Jack’s image appeared in the bathroom mirror. Brayden rolled his eyes. “I know where my toothbrush is.”
“Duke wants a weigh in.”
“Tell him no.”
“He’s doing his job, even I am interested in the result of the weigh in.”
Brayden spat out the paste and rinsed his mouth. “What’s with the rush? I don’t have a challenger--”
“Yet.”
“Like any of them would come forward unless the money’s right.”
“I’m hearing rumors about Highland.”
He paused, before slowly reaching for a towel. “That guy’s a tool and not worth my time.”
Scrubbing harder than usual, Brayden ran the towel over his hands twice, the neatly folded into a square and replaced it. He walked out of the bathroom, past the lockers to the ring. Jack followed. “You know I find it strange the way you brush off Highland like he’s nothing--”
“That’s because he is.”
“You didn’t use to do that before, either you’re afraid of him or you don’t want to fight him for some reason. And we both know, no reason you give is gonna fly.”
“Get on the scale,” Duke ordered, his color a high pink. On the sidelines, Coach railed at no one, kicking out at a piece of innocent equipment.
“What got you two going again?” he asked.
“Your shoulder is tender but your coach who happens to be a secret emeritus professor in sport physiology obviously knows better,” Duke snapped.
“You look here,” Samson charged forward and was stopped by Brayden’s hand flat against his chest, “you don’t--”
“Go home and that’s an order.”
“You both have the same goal, I don’t see where the shit is coming from,” Caleb, his trainer said.
“You’ll support him, you’re fucking the same,” Samson snapped, stalking off.
Brayden’s phone vibrated and he went to reach for it only for Duke to go off. “I wanted you to have a social life, I really did but if that phone goes off again, I’m going to lose it.”
He laughed. “I think I’m going to take Samson’s side, something else is bothering you.”
“Get on the scale, Bray, please.”
Trying to come off as casual, Brayden checked out the latest video Ava sent and got on the scale. Three weeks since she got Jami, who names a dog, Jami? Ava sent him videos of her playing with Jami or Jami doing something cute at least three times a day. In the video, she opened and closed her arms repeatedly and Jami ran into her arms to cuddle each time.
“Fucking adorable,” he muttered.
“Fucking adorable?” Duke looked alarmed. “What the hell’s going on man?” he asked Jack.
“That�
�s his notgirlfriend,” Jack replied with an evil light in his blue eyes.
“Notgirlfriend? What does that mean?”
“I’m out,” Caleb and Ade announced as they exited the gym but Duke and Jack were too busy ganging up on him to notice. Brayden waved them off and turned his attention back to the video but he couldn’t help hearing them.
“He says she’s not his girlfriend, that he’s not interested because she’s, what’s the word you used again?” Jack snapped his fingers. “Said she’s too obvious.”
“What does it mean to be obvious?” Duke asked, sounding more confused by the second. “She dresses loud or something? Is she like Garth?”
Jack sputtered on his reply. Brayden caught his stunned look and burst into laughter. When Duke gave them puzzled looks and asked, “What did I say?” Even Jack had to join in.
“I’m glad to see you laughing like a normal person, so I like this girl already. You seem different, happier, lighter,” Duke groused, “but you have to tell me what’s funny.”
Jack caught his breath, rubbing his sides gently. “What the fuck does Garth have to do with our discussion?”
Duke frowned. “Well, he’s… loud or obvious or whatever Bray meant by that, I was only using that as an example….” he trailed off when Jack and Brayden went off again.
Shaking his head, Duke grabbed his notes and checked the scale to record the reading. He froze. “Jack, come over here. Can you call that number for me?”
Jack glanced at him and grimaced. Brayden held his breath, afraid the weight would be too low. “60.5.”
A frightening, gurgling sound like that of a man drowning came from Duke. Brayden gave a sigh of relief. “I thought it would be worse.”
Duke’s head came up so fast he feared it would snap. “Are you even listening to yourself? No wonder Ade almost knocked you out.”
“He didn’t almost knock me out,” Brayden mumbled.
Arching an eyebrow, Duke folded his arms. “Tell me, how’s your chin?”
“Great.”
“Seriously, this is unacceptable, should I handle this or hire a consultant--”
“Handle it.”
“It means you must do everything I say,” Duke warned.
Twenty minutes later, he left the gym with his new meal plans tucked into his back pocket. Jack grinned as Raymond left to bring the car around. “Duke handled it well.”
“Yep. Samson would have been a different matter,” Brayden agreed.
His phone rang. Ava. “Hey--”
“Jami’s sick,” Ava shouted. “I don’t know what happened- oh, God, I told you, something’s going to happen. He’s going to die, what did--”
“Hey--”
“I told you, didn’t I? This is your fucking fault--”
“Get Ujin,” he said to Jack.
“Ujin?” Ava queried. “Are you even listening?” she screamed.
Brayden sighed. “I was talking to Jack--”
“Who the hell’s Jack?”
“Ava,” he called sharply.
“Brayden--”
“Shut up. Close your eyes, take a deep breath.”
“Okay, okay.”
“Release it.” He smiled at her dramatic expulsion of breath. “Now, just sit tight, I will be at your place in ten minutes.”
“Still think she’s too obvious?” Jack asked.
“Hell, yes.”
“If only she wasn’t a journalist,” he mourned.
Brayden eyed him askance. “I still need to be attracted to her.”
“Like hell you aren’t,” Jack said dismissively.
“I don’t think of sleeping with her or her body parts--”
“Bro, that doesn’t sound romantic at all.”
Brayden glanced at his watch. “I love talking to her, listening to her opinions but I’m not attracted to her.”
“Maybe you’re demisexual.”
“Or maybe you’re looking for what isn’t there.”
Ava stood in front of a crappy building waiting with Jami cradled in her arms like a precious bundle. The moment she spotted Raymond, she ran over, jerking the car door open and hustling Brayden to the far corner.
“What happened?”
“I think he ate something. Soon after I sent that last video, he started throwing up and grew quiet.” She clutched her fingers together tight until the veins went blue under her pale skin. “Brayden, I don’t know what I will do if he dies, I’ll just--”
He caught her hand and squeezed. With a heartbreaking sob, Ava pressed her head to his chest, nearly cutting off the circulation in his fingers when she grabbed him tight. Soon, Raymond brought the car to a stop and Ujin was there.
In the waiting room, while the vet attended to Jami, Ava’s panic only got worse, not better. Brayden took her to the restroom, got her onto the washing counter and ran a wet washcloth over her face and hands. Her fingers shook so badly, and skin went so pale that he got out his phone to get his doctor. Ujin opened the door.
“The vet is done, Jami is fine. I think--”
Ava flew from the counter, almost knocking Brayden down. Ujin smiled. “I think she’s the perfect dog owner.”
Brayden scoffed. “I’m not so sure, not if she will panic like this every time something happens.”
The vet explained Jami was fine; he ate the wrong thing, threw up and grew weak. Ava had nothing to worry about.
“Thank you, thank you,” Ava whispered for the thousandth time.
After the vet left, Ava’s phone pinged. She checked the color I.D and gave him a pleading look. Brayden nodded in encouragement. “Are you ready to leave?”
“Uhmm, Eddy’s here.”
“That’s even better, I was wondering when you would call him.”
She bit her lip while her nervous eyes danced to a point above his shoulder. “I don’t want you two to meet yet.”
“Why?” He laughed. “We’ve already met, remember?”
She winced. “I might have told him I was just a fan.”
Brayden flinched as the blow struck home. He rose as casually as he could, running a hand down Jami’s fur. “Take care of yourself.”
Chapter Seven
“He’s pissed,” Ava whispered to Ujin as Brayden left.
Dark-skinned, small-boned and almost painfully pretty, Ujin from the shelter crossed his hands over his chest and regarded her with surprisingly hard eyes. His cynical eyes seemed out of place in his delicate features, like a fumbling, unorthodox player in a fluid, attacking team.
“He’s not.”
“He’s not?”
“He should be pissed but he won’t be.”
“Why the hell not? I will be.”
Ujin’s lips twisted in his very beautiful face. The action might have been beguiling in another, but Ujin’s coldly disapproving gaze had it bothering on an insult. “Brayden Marshall has a martyr complex or what I call a martyr complex anyway.”
“Why would he take responsibility for -- have you seen him do it, like you’ve seen him take a wrong and assume responsibility for it?”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re a journalist.”
“Brayden Marshall’s my friend.”
Ujin shrugged. “He’s my friend too and you’re still a journalist and I’m gay. Good bye, Ava Miller.” He stopped at the door. “Maybe you should get the vet’s card for emergencies. I should have handled that when you took Jami, I apologize--”
“Don’t you know I hate dogs?” Eddy exclaimed from the doorway, giving Ujin an unflattering once over. “I can’t stay here.”
“Ujin?” Ava called. “Can you help me watch Jami for a minute, please?”
“You named it?” Eddy shuddered. “For just how long have you had it?”
Without a word, Ujin edged around Edward and went to Jami’s side. She grabbed Eddy’s hand and led him out of the room. All the adrenaline from when she realized just how sick Jami was slammed into her then. Her body began trembling. Eddy wrapped his arms around h
er from behind.
“Are you alright?”
She shook her head. “I thought Jami was going to die.”