by Naomi Niles
He sighed again and nodded. “Sure thing,” he said, without enthusiasm.
I left him in his office and headed to the training ring where I ran into Steven. I told him about my decision to resign from the MMA; unlike Wendell, Steven patted me on the back and told me I was making the right decision.
“Never forget your priorities, Talen,” Steven told me solemnly. “At the end of the day, the MMA is just another career – and a dangerous one at that. Life is made up of so much more than that.”
“Thanks for the support, Steven,” I said sincerely. “And the training.”
“It was a pleasure being your coach,” he replied.
I said goodbye to Steven and exchanged a few words with Ryan. He was shirtless and sweaty and a little disappointed that we weren’t going to be training partners anymore, but he understood my decision.
“I guess I’ll be assigned a new training partner now,” he said.
“I’m sure you’ll irritate the crap out of him, too.”
“Fuck you,” Ryan said, throwing me the finger.
Laughing, I backed away from him. “Don’t mention anything to Lacey or Brittany just yet, okay? I want to be the one to tell her.”
After saying goodbye to Ryan, I bought some groceries and headed to my place to prepare a romantic dinner for Brittany and myself. I spent the evening trying to perfect the dinner, but I kept making mistakes. In the end, I resorted to calling Peter, who talked me through the entire cooking process. By the time seven o’clock rolled around, I was exhausted but satisfied. I had a hot meal on the table, and Brittany was on the way.
I could tell she was anxious the moment I opened the door. She walked in looking a little distracted and when I glanced at her hands, I could tell she’d been biting her nails the whole day.
“You look a little frazzled,” I observed.
She smiled. “I was just wondering how your meeting went,” she said, cutting right to the chase.
I took her hand and led her to the table. “I made my decision, Brittany,” I said gently. “I handed in my resignation this morning. I’m not going to fight anymore.”
She stared at me for a second and then her whole body relaxed all at once. “Are you serious?”.
“I am.”
She took a deep breath and then she threw her arms around me. “Oh, Talen,” she said breathlessly. “You have no idea how happy this makes me.”
“You were hoping I would resign, weren’t you?” I asked.
“A little,” she nodded.
“Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“Because I didn’t want to influence you,” she replied. “I wanted this to be your decision.”
“Well, it is,” I assured her. “And, I know it’s the right one.”
“Good,” she said, sounding immensely relieved. “I just want you to be safe and happy.”
“I’m both those things now,” I said. “And, I have even more good news.”
“Oh?”
“Given that I was forced to resign because of medical reasons, I’m still entitled to my contract money,” I told her. “Which means we don’t ever have to worry about money again.”
Brittany put her arms around me and shook her head. “That is good news, Talen, and I’m happy for you,” she said soberly. “But it doesn’t really mean all that much to me. I’d gladly live in a box my whole life, just as long as I was living in it with you.”
I smiled. “That makes two of us.”
Six Months Later
Epilogue
Brittany
“What is this thing called again?” Talen asked.
I laughed. “It’s called a soft opening,” I replied. “It’s sort of a pre-curser to the grand opening. It’s only for family and close friends.”
“Right,” he nodded. “Okay, makes sense.”
I turned to him and raised an eyebrow. He was struggling with his tie and looking supremely uncomfortable. “You know, you don’t really need to wear a tie.”
“I know,” he said. “But this is a special occasion. The diner is making its debut.”
I smiled at his enthusiasm and walked over to help him with his tie. It was a midnight blue with tiny white pin dots on it. I fastened it securely around his neck and then stepped back to admire him. He really was a handsome man, and I felt a little bubble of pride burst inside me.
“There,” I said. “You look very handsome.”
Talen smiled and reached for my hand. He pulled me to him and kissed me softly on the lips. “And you look breathtaking – as always,” he said. “That dress is perfect on you.”
I had finally gone shopping with Lacey. The result was an entirely new wardrobe and a couple of dresses that were more expensive than my grocery bill for the week. One of my favorites was the one I was wearing now, which was a silk organza confection in a dreamy periwinkle purple hue. I had wound my hair up into an intricate up-do, leaving strands of hair loose on either side of my face. It was the first time that I’d actually felt like a real life Cinderella.
“I’m a little nervous,” I admitted.
“About the opening?”
“Of course not,” I smiled. “About meeting your family.”
“Why should you be nervous?” he asked. “You’ve spoken to all of them, and they already love you.”
“Those were phone conversations,” I said. “It’s different.”
“It’s not,” he assured me. “Trust me, you have nothing to worry about.”
I took a deep breath. “We should get going. I don’t want to be late.”
Talen nodded, took my hand, and we headed out the door together. We arrived at the diner a little earlier than expected. Lacey and Danny were standing out front, admiring the diner’s brand new façade. I had to admit, it looked wonderful.
Fairy lights were everywhere, illuminating the diner’s new navy blue and white motif. I couldn’t see the inside very clearly, but I could tell that the interior would match the diner’s romantic new feel.
“Hi, guys,” I greeted, as we walked up to Lacey and Danny.
“There you are,” Lacey said, turning around and giving me a hug. “Can you believe it? It looks great doesn’t it?”
“Looks amazing,” I agreed wholeheartedly. “Where are the others?”
“April and Emily are inside with the rest of the staff,” Danny replied. “Ryan’s in there, too, tasting all the appetizers.”
“Which reminds me, we should get in there and make sure he leaves some for the rest of our company,” Lacey said.
I laughed as Danny and Lacey linked arms and walked into the diner to finish the last-minute touches. Talen slipped his arm around my waist, just as three cars drove up, honking loudly.
Talen raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Looks like my family’s here.”
I tensed a little but I kept the smile on my face. One by one, they got out of the cars, and I realized that I already felt like I knew all of them. Talen’s mother reached us first. She was younger than I had expected her to be, with long hair and kind eyes. She hugged me before she hugged Talen, holding me close to her for a moment.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you in the flesh, Brittany,” she said.
“And, you,” I nodded.
Then Talen introduced me to each of his brothers in turn. There was Peter and Madison, Alan and Jessica, Sam and Mia, who stood with rosy-cheeked Renni standing between them, holding both their hands. And then there was John, with his partner Kami who was carrying their cherub-faced six month old in her arms.
“She’s adorable,” I cooed, reaching out to stroke the baby’s cheek.
“Especially when she’s quiet,” Kami smiled. “Which doesn’t happen very often.”
“May I?” I asked, holding my hands out for the baby.
“Of course,” she nodded, transferring the child into my arms.
The baby looked at me curiously for a second, as though she were contemplating whether or not to make a fuss. Then she seemed to give a little sigh
and settled into my arms quietly. I looked up, and Talen caught my eye. He gave me a secret little smile and turned back to his brothers.
“I love how you’ve done your hair, Brittany,” Madison said. She had done her hair up in braids. “It’s beautiful.”
“Coming from a hairstylist, that’s a big compliment,” I said.
“I won’t be a hairstylist for long,” Madison said. “I’m thinking of a career change, actually. I’m finishing up my degree soon.”
“You went back to school?” I asked.
“I did.”
“I’m going back, too,” I said.
“Call me anytime,” she told me. “I’d be happy to give you some advice.”
“I’d love that,” I nodded. “And, I will definitely take you up on that offer sometime.”
We spent a happy few minutes exchanging details and developments about our lives. I was happy to find that all Talen’s sisters-in-law were friendly, down to earth, and easy to talk to. I actually felt like I fit in, which was a new experience for me. I had always felt like the outsider, but this time was different. It felt like I was already part of their group.
I held baby Natalie in my arms, rocking her slowly from side to side. Her head had that beautiful downy baby smell and I felt my stomach do a little flip. I had never thought about children before, perhaps because I had always figured I’d never have the time or the money to be able to have one.
But now everything was different. My future was open. I could decide my own fate.
“She’s a beauty, Kami,” I said sincerely.
“Renni was obsessed with her when we visited them in California,” Mia said. “I have to admit, though, being around Natalie, makes me want to have another baby.”
Alice smiled fondly. “Have you told Sam that?”
“Not yet,” Mia said with a wink. “I don’t want to scare him just yet.”
“Where is Renni?” Alice asked, glancing around.
“She’s over there, with Sam,” Mia pointed out, shaking her head. “She’s such a daddy’s girl. She follows him around like a lamb at home.”
The girls fell into stories about their domestic bliss, and I was happy to realize that I could share a few moments from my own life, too.
Talen and I had moved in together a few months ago, after finding a nice comfortable two-bedroom apartment only a few blocks away from the diner. We had moved all the furniture that Talen had bought for me and added a few new pieces to our larger home. I was finally living the life I had seen other people live – and it was more amazing than I could have ever thought possible.
After a few minutes, Talen stepped in and broke up our little girl bonding session. “How about you ladies go inside and check out the diner?”
I handed little Natalie back to Kami and then the whole family traipsed into the diner, but Talen grabbed my hand and held me back. I leaned against him, feeling excited and content.
“Your family is amazing,” I said. “I love them already.”
“And, they love you,” Talen replied. “Seriously, you’ve won everyone over already.”
“You’re not just saying that?” I checked.
“I’m not,” Talen promised.
I smiled. “How are your brothers?”
“They’re all doing well,” he nodded. “It’s funny…”
“What is?” I asked.
“All my life I felt removed from all of them,” he said thoughtfully. “I suppose I thought of myself as the black sheep of the family. But it was only ever a self-imposed title. I’m the one that created the difference and distanced myself from all of them. I made myself the black sheep, when I didn’t need to. It was never about them, it was always me.”
I kissed his cheek gently. “And now that you recognize that, you can stop,” I pointed out.
He smiled. “I suppose I can,” he said. “It sounds simple now.”
“Why do you think that is?” I asked curiously.
Talen shrugged. “Maybe because I have you,” he said. “And once I’d opened myself up to one person, it becomes easier to do it with everyone else.”
I smiled. “That’s an interesting analysis,” I said.
“Does it make sense?”
“It does,” I nodded. “You know, I’ve been thinking of majoring in psychology lately… What do you think about that?”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Talen nodded. “You have my full support.”
I smiled. “Good.”
“So, shall we head inside then?”
“Yes, they’ll be waiting for us,” I nodded.
We walked up the steps to the diner, and Talen held the door open for me. The moment I walked in, I was stunned into silence. The diner looked spectacular. A motif of flowers and ivy hung from the ceiling, and it felt like we were still outdoors. Fairy lights were everywhere, coiled around the pattern of ivy that hung from above. And there were a hundred different covered candles cloistered around the diner, casting a faint but romantic glow over everything.
“This is…wow,” I breathed.
When I had finally finished admiring the interior, I glanced around at the small crowd that had gathered to celebrate our soft opening, and I realized that they were all staring at me with sentimental smiles on their faces.
“What is…”
I turned slowly and realized Talen was behind me, on bended knee. My breath caught, and I felt a rush of some strong emotion course through my body.
“Talen?”
He stayed where he was and pulled out a little blue box from his pocket. “I know this is unexpected, Brittany,” he said softly. “But it feels right, and I didn’t want to wait any longer. You are my first love, and I want you to be my last. Will you be my wife?”
He opened the box to reveal a breathtaking princess cut diamond sitting on a tiny, black silk pillow. And yet, as beautiful as the ring was, I couldn’t take my eyes off Talen’s face. Because I was looking straight at my future and I finally knew where my life was headed.
I took a step towards him and bent down to my knees, too, so that I was at eye level with him. “Of course, I’ll be your wife, Talen Burbank,” I said, with raw emotion tainting my tone and making me shiver. “There’s nothing else I’d rather be.”
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BLIND LOVE
By Naomi Niles and Erin Wes
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 Erin Wes
PART 1
Chapter One
Dylan
“Why are these houses so far apart?”
I sighed. If I was going to find the right car to steal, I knew I had to find the right house. So far, no one had left the keys in the car. Maybe rich people never did that. Poor people did because they didn’t expect anyone to take their crappy cars.
Needing a new computer and with my mother getting fired once again, I knew that I had to take desperate measures. With a new computer, I could do my programming homework at home instead of school. The computers at school were crappy, and I could never get enough time on them in class.
I spied a Mercedes. That could get a good price. My cousin boosted cars and he’d shown me where I could sell it to get cash. That would be one sweet computer.
My stomach rumbled. Right. I hadn’t had dinner and the low income lunch had been hours ago. The night was turning chilly, and I needed to get this done. I hadn’t brought a jacket because I had no idea where it was. Knowing my mother, she sold it.
I looked around. No one on the street. Being twilight, everyone was probably having dinner. Something I might have to skip tonight – unless
I found some ketchup packets in the refrigerator.
I sighed. This life sucks and with that computer, I can make a better one. I didn’t feel bad for stealing the car because they had insurance. They could buy another one.
I thanked my luck that the car was in the driveway instead of the garage. A silver Mercedes E-class. I’d bet it had all the bells and whistles. It would be a sweet ride to the chop shop. The porch light on the McMansion turned on, so I froze standing behind a tree. There was a light on in a front window, but I couldn’t see anyone in the room. No one came out of the house.
I stalked up to the car, then pulled on the handle to the driver’s side door. It was unlocked, but the dome light came on and the car dinged. The key was inside.
Sweet. I hopped in and slumped down. If anyone looked out, they wouldn’t see me. There was no movement, from what I could tell. I had just let out a breath I’d been holding, when the passenger door opened.
My heart raced, but I froze instead of jumping out of the car. A hand clamped onto my arm, which should have energized me, but it didn’t.
I looked up into the stern face of the man who probably owned the car.
“Son, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
My lips moved, but I could form no words. I’d been caught doing petty stuff. My life as a criminal had not been smooth. Ever. Auto theft was big deal – this was real jail time.
“Uh.”
“That’s all you got?” he said.
He’d probably already called the cops, so I’d better run, but the man had a strong grip and I couldn’t pull free. “I’m sorry.”
The man chuckled. He was laughing at me? It wasn’t a maniacal laugh, but it sent chills through me, anyway. “Oh, son. I’m guessing you’ve never done this before.”
I shook my head. Maybe the cops would be lenient on me since it was my first large offense. Never mind that I’d shoplifted and stuff like that.
“No, sir.”
“Sir, huh. Now you get manners? You try to boost my car and you call me sir? How old are you?”
“Eighteen, sir.”
He nodded. “You go to the local high school?”