by Ana Layne
Later, I get out of bed and find Raegan fixing a cup of coffee in the kitchen. She grabs an extra cup, handing it to me. This woman is perfect. I kiss her on the forehead as I sit at the table. She stands up on her toes to pull two bowls out of the cabinet and pours some Lucky Charms in. As she slides the bowl to me, I grin.
“Thank you, baby. This looks delicious.”
She rolls her eyes as she pours the cereal into her own bowl. “I’m terrified to cook for you. I honestly have no clue if I even know how, and trust me, it’s probably best I don’t. I don’t want to burn your apartment building down.”
I almost laugh, but the look on her face is telling me she’s not lying. She can throw a punch but probably couldn’t scramble an egg to save her life. “Can you cook toast? That’s a start, babe.”
She glares at me and it takes everything in me to keep my mouth shut. “For your information, I have never burnt a piece of toast!”
“For the record, Raegan, I would eat dirt if that’s what you fixed for dinner.”
“Oh, how’d you know what we were having tonight?” She throws her head back laughing, but stops when her phone rings. She grabs her phone and groans. It slides across the table when she sets it down.
“Something wrong, babe?”
“Everything’s fine. My stepmom keeps blowing up my phone. I guarantee it has something to do with the truck incident two weeks ago.”
“Do you need to call her back?”
“Nah, it can wait until later.”
Once I finished my bowl of cereal, I held onto the cup of coffee, nursing it the same way Whitney did that morning she told me she was moving out.
“Hey, babe, can I ask you something?”
Once she brushes her hair behind her ear, she grabs my hand. “Of course.”
“It’s been two weeks. Now that you’re out of your Dad’s house, are you going to quit fighting? I know it’s probably none of my business and I don’t have a say, but I wish you would. I’m not asking you to quit coming to the gym but I just, I don’t want to see anything happen to you. I’d die if anything happened to you, Raegan.”
“I’m not quitting, Garrett.” She jerks her hand away from mine. “I like it ,okay? I’ve talked to Whitney; I know why you started fighting. Why haven’t you stopped?”
“Our parents died, Raegan.” The pain rose in my throat, making it difficult to say the words aloud. “They were run off the road by some idiot who had too much to drink. They ran into a tree and were killed instantly leaving their two kids behind. Howard saved our lives, giving us purpose. I’m a guy, it’s different.”
“What do you mean, it’s different? All this time I’ve been treated as if I was one of the guys and all of a sudden you’re in love with me and you want me to change.”
“I’m not asking you to change anything, Raegan.” I begin to wish I’d kept my mouth shut. “I’m just saying I don’t want you getting hurt. I’d quit in a heartbeat, don’t think I wouldn’t. If you wanted me to, I would. You think I need to be in there doing that? No, but I love doing it.”
“I’m not going to get hurt. I happen to enjoy fighting. Plus, if something happens, it can’t be anything worse than what my Dad has done.”
“I love you, Raegan. I’m sorry I brought this up. I’ll get over it, okay? I’m getting ready to head to the gym. Want to ride with me?”
Her eyes flared with anger, but then her shoulders slowly relaxed and she sighed. Leaning forward, she planted a kiss on my cheek, lingering there for a minute. “Yeah, babe, let me get changed.”
Howard pulled her into the office the minute we walked in. The only one who paid me any mind was Whitney, who ran up and threw her arms around me. “I know I’m late with this because of everything that’s happened, but I love the baby’s room, thank you so much!”
Instant gratification spreads across my face. “You’re welcome. Hey, what are they in the office for?”
She glanced toward the open door and shrugged. “I’m not sure. So, how are things going?”
It’s great.” I paused for a moment, hoping I wouldn’t set Whitney off. “But I upset her this morning because I asked her to quit fighting.”
Her eyes grew wild as if I’d told her I committed murder and hid the body in the woods somewhere. “You did what? What did she say?”
“She said no. I just worry about her, Whitney. The same way I used to worry about you.”
“Garrett, that’s her decision, and I know she will make the right one. Don’t think too hard on it.”
“I know,” I grumbled as Raegan came walking out the office. She briefly grins at me before making her way to Lance who just walked in. I should have guessed that would happen. I guess old habits die hard. It was probably for the best since we were sleeping together now.
Howard joined me on the mat, helping me get ready for the fight tonight. I was ready to get back in the ring; it’d been a while and there’d been too much going on. I missed it. I thought about how Raegan had asked me why I hadn’t quit. Well, she didn’t understand.
***
The crowd was heavy tonight. Blaize and Howard stood in the corner getting the list together for what was sure to be a good night. Lance was supposed to be fighting tonight, and he and Raegan were too busy goofing off when he needed to be preparing himself for this. I know his mom isn’t doing very well, but I was glad to hear his dad got the job he interviewed for at the lumber yard. It wasn’t what he really wanted, but it was helping them pay the bills.
“Hey, babe.” I kissed Raegan on the head. “Make sure you stay by Whitney or Lance once I’m in the ring tonight.”
“Got it. You’re going to be awesome.” I knew I loved this girl for a reason. She believed in me.
“Hey, hey, party animals,” Blaize exclaimed over the loudspeaker. “Do we have a lineup for you! Tonight we have Lance Miller against Harley Trent, Garrett Johnson against Blaine Smith, and our main event is one we can promise no one is backing out of this time.” The last part caught my attention as I tried to find Raegan. I didn’t see her anywhere. “Get ready for our main event tonight, y’all…the one and only Raegan Montgomery against Layla Green!”
Not even the crowd roaring could keep my thoughts from exploding in my head. What the hell? And she didn’t even tell me about it. Before I could find her, Howard pulled me toward the back to prep me since I was up first.
“What the hell, Rock? No one was going to tell me?”
“It was her decision, Garrett. She came to me this morning and said she wanted back in the cage.”
Motherfucker. He finished wrapping my hands and helped put the gloves on. I better not lose tonight because I’m already far from focused.
In the ring, I was more than thrown off. Blaine got more hits in than he should have. Howard kept screaming at me to put my head back in the ring but I couldn’t get it there no matter how hard I tried. I swung at Blaine, missing him completely. The crowd reacted wondering what the hell was wrong with me. I tried to focus as I maneuvered, but the other time I tried to move, Blaine took me down, and I lost.
Lance tried to talk to me before his fight but I wasn’t having it. I walked into the room where we prepped, and punched a hole in the wall. Sheetrock crumbled and crashed to the floor. I’d be in trouble over this later, but right now I don’t care. Raegan betrayed me. After I told her I loved her, she still betrayed me.
I notice her phone on top of her clothes, and a call is coming through. I see Nancy’s name, and wonder if she ever called her back like she said she would.
“Hello?”
“I’m sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number,” a woman’s voice says. “I’m trying to reach Raegan.”
Raegan had never called herself that, but I’d guessed it was her real name.
“This is her phone. I’m her boyfriend, Garrett.”
“Oh, okay. Can you give her a message for me, please? I’ve been trying to reach her.”
“Yes, ma’am, I sure can.”
“Please tell her I’ve been in touch with her father, and he wants to sit down and talk to her before he puts himself in rehab. He wants to meet in a public place so it’s not awkward. You are more than welcome to join for support if you’d like, just please let her know that’s why I’m calling. He really loves her more than anything, Garrett, and I worry about the two of them. All that matters is he’s trying to be better. He knows he’s made some very poor decisions.”
“I understand. I’ll make sure she gets the message.” In the back of my mind, I’m blown away by the whole thing.
“Thank you, Garrett,” Nancy says, sounding relieved.
When I head back out, Lance has just won his fight and is talking to Raegan minutes before she steps in the ring. Her opponent, Layla, is tough; I’ve seen her fight before and she definitely gives the females a run for their money. At least Layla is in her weight class unlike Stacy. Her gaze meets mine but she looks away quickly. I wasn’t even trying to show her I was pissed. I just got her; I won’t fight with her and drive her away.
I watch as she steps in and shakes Layla’s hand before the fight begins. She maneuvers around trying to get the best angle for a shot at her. She blocks the first hit she throws, and my stomach is cutting flips. I can’t breathe watching this. The first hit she gets in has Whitney and I fist-pumping in the air like a couple of Jersey Shore rejects. Howard is in his own little world cheering and hollering tips to her. She’s in there because she feels she has to prove herself. I know she probably thinks she looked like a coward the night she was supposed to fight Stacy. She’s proving herself rather well, and I hope this is over soon.
The minute Layla’s fist connects with her jaw, I catch myself wanting to jump in there and defend her but Howard grabs my arm to hold me back. I almost walk away when her little body hits the mat with enough force to have everyone in the crowd gasp. I close my eyes, blinking back a tear, almost certain she’s lost.
But when I open my eyes, I spot Raegan with Layla on her back and the crowd was going wild. Layla tried to get up, but after a few seconds she tapped out and Howard, Whitney, and I all jumped up screaming. I could see Lance across the ring jumping and screaming like us. Holy shit, she did it.
I jumped into the ring so fast, pulling her into me, crushing our lips together. “That was fucking crazy, Raegan, I can’t believe you did that. I wanted to be mad but I’m just glad you were okay.”
“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you, Garrett,” she says over the roar of the crowd. “ I just had to do it.”
“I know you did.” I pull her in again, kissing her head.
Blaize pulled her away to congratulate her, and the crowd continued to chant her name. Lance ran up in the ring alongside us and suggested drinks to celebrate. But because of the way Raegan is looking at me, I knew that even if we went, we wouldn’t be there very long.
Chapter 26
Raegan
Garrett had every damn right to be mad at me. We’ve been together two weeks and for someone who never dated before, he’s awfully good at it. We’re a team, like Batman and Robin. I know I hurt him, I could see it on his face. His eyes betrayed his weariness, but more than anything I saw the frustration there. Seeing him lose his match was unbearable for me. If it were unbearable for me, I don’t want to think about how it made him feel. I knew it was my fault and I should have discussed this with him, but at the table this morning he was so adamant about me quitting. I understand he cares, and I’m grateful, but I’m a big girl and I don’t need him to monitor every single thing I do.
Layla was what I expected and more. She was quick on her feet, but so was I. I knew Garrett was standing ringside, and that told me everything was going to be okay. Howard served as my personal cheerleader as well as my coach the entire fight. I tried to make out what he was saying but anytime I tried, my focus left, and that’s when I was taken by surprise. When Layla tapped out, I was elated, ecstatic. The moment got a thousand times better when Garrett ran into the ring, kissing me some kind of fierce.
As the crowd chanted my name, Blaize grabs my arm, pulling me away from Garrett. He lifts my hand into the air, causing the chanting and cheering to escalate. I throw my other hand in the air, cheering about as loud as everyone else. As exciting as this was, my body was exhausted, and I wanted out of this ring.
Joe’s is packed. Garrett bought us a round of shots. “I’d like to give a toast to my stubborn, sexy girlfriend. She’s one badass woman and I love her so fucking much.”
“I fucking love her too!” Lance chimes in.
“I fucking love you too Lance.” I clink my shot glass against theirs and let the liquid slide down my throat, then pull Garrett in for a kiss. “I love you way more though.”
“I hope so or we’re going to have issues.”
Lance gags, then starts scoping the crowd for any girl in a short skirt who might look his way. He finds a brunette at the bar, and that’s the last we see of him.
I hope Garrett understands I had my reasons for fighting. This wasn’t the place to have this conversation, but the thought weighed heavy on my heart. All I want to know is he still loves me, and forgives me for my selfishness.
“Garrett, I know how mad you must have been.”
“I don’t want to talk about that right now.”
“We need to eventually. I know I should’ve told you.”
“Babe, I was upset. It’s not worth arguing over.”
I leaned in until I could feel his rugged breath on my lips. Although proving myself wasn’t worth losing Garrett, I got in that ring and did the best I could: I won. I also had a good chunk of change in my pocket to show for it.
I called the bartender over to order a beer for Garrett and a panty dropper for me. Before I could savor the first sip, my phone began vibrating in my pocket. Nancy.
“You going to get that, babe?” Garrett nudges me shoulder.
“I’ll call her back later.”
“Raegan, I know this is none of my business, but she called earlier before your fight and I answered the phone.”
“You did what?” The drink stayed untouched as I pulled myself away from him. He could’ve told me on the way here, but instead he waited until now.
I went outside and leaned against the wall. He came after me.
“Raegan, hold on a damn minute. Why haven’t you called her back? She just wants to talk to you about your dad.”
“I don’t want to talk about him. I’m done with that. Done.”
“He wants to get help, Raegan.”
I didn’t want to have this conversation right now. I was done with my father. Nothing he had to say could change anything. Nothing could change the way he treated me, the way he talked to me, the way he started a fight with me just to have me arrested.
I clenched my chest, trying to catch my breath.
“Look, I don’t want to talk about this tonight. Can we just go home?”
“I’m sorry, Raegan.” I hate the way he sounds right now, but I’m seething. If anything but fury courses through me, I know I’ll cry, and I just don’t want to. I’m tired of tears, tired of the way my father tried to destroy my life. I could never forget the way he hurt me.
The ride home is quiet, awkward. Garrett reaches over, trying to hold my hand; I pull away, lean my head against the window. It’s not his fault. Can I really hold it against him that he answered my phone? I’ve done my fighting for the night, and it was in the ring.
I draw in a deep breath before I reach over and lace our fingers together. He seems to loosen up, he tells me he loves me. I want to be angry, but I can’t be—not when he speaks to me with such heavy grief in his voice, as if he’s afraid he’ll lose me.
We lay in bed in silence for the first time in two weeks. I held true to my words inside Joe’s. I didn’t want to discuss this. I didn’t want to fight. What hurt more other than us not talking was neither of us touched the other. I wanted him to hold me, but it was just like he’d said during the toast
at the bar: I’m stubborn. It took long enough but I finally fell asleep and when I woke the next morning, I was on his chest where I belonged.
Chapter 27
Garrett
Maybe I should have stayed quiet. Her phone rang and she passed the call off yet again. I don’t want to push the issue of her father, but I recall the pleading in her stepmom’s voice. I can’t hold the phone up to her ear and make her talk, but I can try to get her to communicate. Her father is abusive, but he’s still alive; I can’t help but see the good in that. If there’s a chance they can fix things, that her father might apologize for his behavior, well—
I wouldn’t blame her if she can’t forgive him. But I wish my parents were still alive. Sitting in that funeral home and staring at those caskets was the worst experience of my life.
Raegan stirs in her sleep; as she moves, I feel the slight dampness of drool on my shirt. I can’t help but chuckle as I run my fingers through her hair. She stirs a little more and those gorgeous blue eyes of hers open to meet mine.
“Good morning, baby.”
She looks up and stifles a yawn. “Good morning.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“No.” She pouts. “I can’t sleep well at all when I’m not in your arms.”
“I’m sorry, baby,” I whisper.
She pulls her hair behind her ear and before I can blink, she’s straddling me. I moan as she arranges her perfect little frame against my body and no doubt she can feel how much I want her right now.
Her hair falls down around my face as she crushes her lips to mine, letting out a soft moan. I tug off her tank top, and slip one of her hardened nipples into my mouth. Her back arches as she moans in delight, begging me for more.
Once her shorts are off, she slides on top of me. I cup her ass as she begins to move up and down; oh damn, this feels too amazing. I’m shaken to my core as I feel myself come and when she loses control, her body collapses against mine.