Fighting For Love - A Standalone Novel (A Bad Boy Sports Romance Love Story) (Burbank Brothers, Book #5)

by Naomi Niles

  I shook my head at her. “Cold.”

  “It’s time to sink or swim,” she smiled. “You and I have paid our dues – it’s time to make other people work. Now, tell me about the doctor’s appointment.”

  I sighed. “I’d rather not.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Basically, the swelling in Talen’s brain hasn’t gone down,” I explained. “Which means if he continues to fight, he’s risking permanent brain damage.”

  “Damn,” she said, her tone turning somber. “That’s serious.”

  “Very serious,” I nodded.

  “And?” she asked. “What has he decided?”

  “He hasn’t really said yet,” I admitted. “I didn’t want to push him. I think he’s leaning towards continuing to fight, though.”

  “Seriously?”

  “You know the kind of guy Talen is,” I sighed. “He’s determined, ambitious, and stubborn. I think he feels like he can continue to fight without anything major happening to him.”

  “Isn’t that a little naïve?”

  “Of course, it is,” I said, throwing my hands up in frustration. “But I can’t get involved.”

  “Can’t?” Lacey asked pointedly. “Or won’t?”

  “I… Both,” I said hesitantly. “I can’t tell him what to do, Lace. Nor can I decide what’s best for him. If he gives this up just for me, he could end up resenting me in the future, and I don’t want that to happen. He has to make this decision on his own.”

  “You still owe him the truth,” Lacey pointed out. “Did he ask you what you thought?”

  “He has,” I nodded. “And, I told him the same thing I just told you. It’s his decision and I would support him no matter what he chooses. Which is true. I will support him no matter what.”

  Lacey pursed up her lips. “You’re scared he’ll blame you later, aren’t you?” she asked. “That is if you ask him to give up fighting.”

  “Of course, I’m scared of that,” I admitted. “My father resented me for being born, Lace. Why wouldn’t Talen resent me for this?”

  “Because Talen is not your father,” she told me gently. “He’s a better man than your father will ever be – and you know that.”

  “I do know that,” I said.

  “So don’t judge him by your father’s standards,” she advised. “And, don’t be scared to be honest with Talen. If you want a future with him, then honesty is the only way forward.”

  “It sounds simple when you say it like that.”

  Lacey smiled. “I know it’s never that simple,” she said. “But I don’t think that Talen’s the kind of guy who’s going to hold this against you. Think of everything he’s done so far. He’s bought you a car, redecorated your apartment, and even bought you shares in this diner… He’s serious about you Lacey.”

  “I know that.”

  “Then, don’t you think you owe him your honest opinion?”

  “He’s done everything to put me first,” I said, trying to explain how I felt about everything. “He’s done everything to make sure my future is secure. He’s tried to give me the freedom he always wanted.

  “The least I can do is be there to support him in whatever decision he makes. That’s why I’m not going to influence his choice, Lace, because now I need to return the favor and put him first.”

  “Even if it means spending the rest of your life fearing that you’re going to lose him?”

  “Yes,” I said, through gritted teeth. “Even then.”

  Lacey nodded. “Okay then,” she said.

  We got on with the rest of our day and it was one of the busiest days the diner had ever had. Alice happened to be a cheerful and efficient waitress, and by the end of the day, we had got a steady rhythm going between the three of us. Danny had decided not to introduce dinner to the diner until after the renovations, so we still closed at the usual time. But unlike previous days, we had people sitting at their booths until the very last second.

  It was almost five when I saw Talen’s car pull up outside. A few people’s heads swivelled in his direction the moment he stepped foot into the diner. I was about to approach him when a young woman beat me to the punch.

  “Can I have your autograph?” she asked breathlessly. She had already had a pen and a piece of paper in hand.

  Talen looked a little taken back, but he nodded and gave her a small smile. He signed the paper for her and then suffered through a picture before she hurried back to her booth with the biggest smile on her face.

  She wasn’t the only fan Talen had, however. She just opened the floodgates. Before I knew it, there was a long line of people waiting to shake hands with Talen, take his picture, and ask for his autograph. His eyes met mine over the line of people, and all I could do was smile and wink at him.

  “Look at your man,” Lacey whispered to me. “You should be proud.”

  “Oh, I am,” I assured her. “More than you know.”

  “Wait, is that your boyfriend?” April asked in amazement.

  I looked at her dumbfounded face and felt a little thrill of satisfaction. I had never had anything in my life that other people liked or wanted. It was a completely new experience – and I had to admit, I was enjoying it.

  “Yup,” I smiled.

  “Talen Burbank is your boyfriend?” April asked, as though she couldn’t quite believe her ears.

  “He is.”

  She stared at me for a second. “You are so fucking lucky. He’s so freaking hot.”

  I laughed. “He is, isn’t he?” I agreed wholeheartedly.

  Once the crowd cleared and the diner had been closed up for the day, Talen came to sit in front of me at the breakfast counter. He was about to say something when April cut in.

  “Hi,” she said, flicking her hair out a little. “I’m April, the new waitress Danny hired.”

  “Nice to meet you, April,” Talen replied politely.

  “I’m a huge fan,” she said. “Part of the reason I wanted this job was because I heard you were part owner.”

  “You don’t say?” Talen looked amused. “Well, welcome on board then.”

  April smiled. “Could I have an autograph, please?”

  “Of course,” he said graciously.

  After April had her autograph, she waved goodbye to everyone and left for the day. Taking advantage of the quiet that had descended over the diner, I walked around the counter straight into Talen’s arms and kissed him passionately on the lips.

  “Urgh,” Lacey complained, coming in from the kitchen. “That is not sanitary for a diner.”

  Laughing, I grabbed Talen’s butt for Lacey’s benefit. “Eww,” she complained, as she turned her face away.

  “Oh, come on,” I said, calling her out. “You’ve done far worse.”

  “Somehow it’s different when I do it.”

  “Double standards,” I said, wagging my finger in her face.

  She ignored me and turned to Talen. “Well, well,” she said. “If it isn’t our very own celebrity.”

  Talen looked a little embarrassed. “I didn’t really expect that today.”

  “You can thank Danny,” she said. “He put the word out that you were the diner’s new investor.”

  “He sent me a text asking if it was okay,” Talen admitted. “I didn’t think it would do shit, so I told him to go ahead.”

  “I think you underestimated your own popularity,” I pointed out.

  “Apparently,” he nodded, as though he were amazed by that fact.

  “So?” I asked, snuggling in between his legs and throwing my arms around his neck. “How does it feel?”

  “How does what feel?”

  “All this,” I said. “The fame, the attention, and all that obvious adoration?”

  “Oh…that.”

  “Yes,” I said amused. “That.”

  He gave me a small smile. “You know, I never really cared about any of that. The reason I started fighting in the first place was because it gave me an outlet for
my anger and frustration. As it turned out, I actually enjoyed it and had the talent for it. So it became my career. But right throughout, I was only ever interested in being the best fighter I could be. The fame is just white noise to me. It doesn’t mean a thing.”

  I smiled. “I believe that.”

  “In other news… I have a meeting with my promoter and my coach in the morning,” he informed me. “So, I’m not sure if I’ll come in for breakfast tomorrow.”

  “Ah,” I said, feeling my nerves increase instantly. “Does that mean you’ve made a decision?”

  “I think so,” he said.

  “You think so?” I repeated. “Are you not sure?”

  “It’s a big decision,” he said, a little uncertainly. “Either way, it’s a big decision.”

  “I know,” I nodded sympathetically, trying to read his face for clues.

  “But you’ll support me no matter what, right?” he asked, gazing into my eyes.

  I did my best to wipe the worry from my expression. “Of course,” I said confidently. “I promised I would and I always keep my promises.”

  He leaned in and kissed me hard on the lips. “Thank you, Brittany,” he whispered into my ear.

  I hugged him tight and nodded. “Good luck tomorrow, Talen,” was all I could say.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Talen

  I was standing in the middle of the ring. I could sense the crowd around me, but when I looked up, there was no one there. I frowned, searching for the crowd, hearing them chant my name even as their screams became less and less intelligible.

  I looked around for my opponent, but again, there was no one around. I walked around the ring, readying myself for the fight I knew was coming. And then the spotlight fell and I saw them all. It wasn’t the crowd I was hearing. It was my family. They were all there, all my brothers surrounding the mother I had thought I had lost forever.

  She was standing in the center, Brittany at her side. I smiled as my eyes fell on Brittany. She was wearing a white dress with flowers in her black hair. She looked just like Snow White, and it made me want to reach out and touch her, just to make sure she was real. They were all looking at me; they were chanting my name and cheering me on.

  I took a step forward so that I could speak to them. I wanted to say thank you. I wanted to tell them that I appreciated their presence there. I had never wanted to say those words so badly before. But as I took a step forward, they seemed to recede further and further away from me.

  I frowned, looking around, trying to understand what was happening. The ring seemed to be getting smaller and the spotlight falling on my family seemed to be fading.

  “Wait,” I called, hoping for an answer. “What’s happening?”

  I took another step forward and again the same thing happened. The ring got smaller and my family seemed to be pushed further from my grasp and my vision. I locked eyes with Brittany, realizing that the smile had faded from her face.

  “Brittany,” I said.

  She looked me right in the eye and shook her head sadly.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, but I realized that no sound came out. I couldn’t speak or move. I tried to run, but the ring started to shrink dangerously.

  “No,” I said, looking around in a panic.

  When I looked up, I realized with a start that my family were fading away. The spotlight falling on them was dimming. Soon it would die altogether and I would lose them.

  “No,” I said again, and again, no sound came out.

  I locked my eyes on Brittany. The spotlight flickered for a moment and the rest of my family disappeared as if by magic. Only Brittany remained, looking angelic in her white dress. She gave me a smile, but it was a sad smile and I could sense the goodbye in it. The spotlight flickered and suddenly…she was gone.

  I woke up with my heart beating fast and my hands clawing out, trying to grab onto Brittany as though I could stop her from vanishing. When I realized I was in bed, in the safety of my apartment, I relaxed a little.

  “It was just a dream,” I whispered to myself. “Just a dream.”

  It was still dark outside and when I checked the time, I realized it was not yet three in the morning. Sighing, I tried to go back to sleep, but somehow the dream had shaken me awake and I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep. I walked to the kitchen and made myself a cup of weak coffee. I sat at the table and sipped slowly.

  I don’t know what made me do it. I had no intention of disturbing anyone, but then a sudden urge overtook me, and I picked up my phone and dialled her number.

  “Hello?” she answered groggily.

  “Hi, Mom,” I said softly. “I know it’s late… I probably shouldn’t have called.”

  “Talen?” Mom’s voice was tired with sleep, but I heard her perk up immediately. “No, I’m glad you called. I’ve been worried about you.”

  “Me?” I asked. “Why?”

  “I don’t know… You’re the youngest,” she said simply. “And, I don’t see you very often.”

  “That’s my fault.”

  “It’s not your fault,” she said firmly. “It’s mine. I’m the one who should be making the effort. Especially because I’m the one who left.”

  I hesitated for a moment. “You had a reason,” I said softly.

  “That doesn’t change the fact that I wasn’t around for you,” she replied. “Did I ever tell you how sorry I was for that?”

  “You’re telling me now,” I said softly.

  I could hear the smile in her voice. “How are you, my boy?” she asked tenderly.

  I felt a warm feeling spread across my chest and realized that this was the first time I was actually letting down my guard a little and letting her in. “There’s this girl in my life, Mom,” I confided in her. “And, I’m in love for the first time in my life.”

  “Your first love,” she said, and her tone softened instantly. “That’s all my boys, then…”

  I laughed. “Who would have thought? All the Burbank boys in happy relationships. I never thought I’d see the day.”

  “You boys underestimate yourselves,” she said. “As strong as you all try to act, your deepest nature is your father’s. And, his greatest quality was his capacity to love. He loved me more deeply than I could have ever imagined. And, that is the same way you boys love your women.”

  “I wish I had a second chance with Dad, too,” I told her.

  “I know, darling,” Mom replied. “Sometimes… I wish I did, too.”

  We were silent for a long time, before she finally spoke again. “I’d like to meet her one day.”

  “You will,” I said confidently. “Soon, I hope.”

  “Good,” she replied.

  “Thanks for talking to me, Mom.”

  “Call me anytime, okay?” she said. “I don’t care how late or early – anytime.”

  “I will,” I smiled.

  “Goodnight, son.”

  “Goodnight, Mom.”

  I hung up, finished my coffee and went to bed. Within minutes, I was sleeping soundly once again. And this time, I didn’t dream.

  I woke up the next day feeling invigorated and ready for my meeting with Wendell. I dressed quickly and headed into the training facility. I went directly to Wendell’s office, instead of making a detour to the training ring where I knew Ryan would be busy training.

  “You’re early,” Wendell said when I walked in.

  “I know,” I said, sitting down in front of him.

  “Just as well,” Wendell said, clapping his hands together. “We have a lot to discuss.”

  “Oh?”

  “I’ve booked you for another fight,” he said, obviously excited. “It’s five months from now, which should give you plenty of time to recover and train up in preparation. Your opponent’s name is-”

  “Whoa…hold on Wendell,” I said quickly, holding up my hands to stop him.

  “What?”

  “I have something I need to tell you.”
/>   He frowned. “Okay, what is it?”

  “I met with my doctor a few days ago,” I informed him.

  “Right?”

  “The swelling in my brain hasn’t gone down, Wendell,” I said. “And, if I continued to fight, I’m risking permanent brain damage.”

  Wendell narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re quitting, aren’t you?”

  I nodded. “I am.”

  “Huh,” he said, looking shocked at my decision.

  “Did you not expect this?”

  “Honestly, I thought you’d continue to fight no matter what the doctor’s say,” he admitted.

  I smiled. “I would have done, if not for one very important reason.”

  “Which is what?”

  I hesitated a moment. “Let’s just say, I’ve found something that is more important to me than fighting. And, I’m not prepared to risk it for this career. I had my moment in the spotlight and it was better than I could have imagined. I proved to the world and to myself that I was capable of going the whole way. I’ll have to be content with that and quit while I’m ahead.”

  Wendell listened to me in silence, but the dumbfounded expression never left his face. “I understand, I think. It’s just… Your career… It’s just starting to take off.”

  “I know,” I said. “And trust me, I understand what I’m giving up. Which is why I know it’s the right choice.”

  Wendell looked at me pointedly. “You’re sure?”

  “Positive,” I nodded.

  He sighed, looking wistfully at me. “I guess that’s that, then.”

  I stood up and he did the same. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me,” I said. “I can’t thank you enough.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Wendell said, still sounding disappointed.

  “I suppose this means my contract will be retracted?” I asked, unsure of what the next step would be.

  He shook his head. “Actually, since you’ve stopped fighting based on medical reasons, the MMA is still obliged to pay you your contract in full. So you’ll still get your money.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “You’re serious?”

  “I never joke about money.”

  I smiled and shook his hand again. “That is great news. Thanks a lot, Wendell.”