T.K.O.: Total Knock Out

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T.K.O.: Total Knock Out Page 15

by Ana Layne


  When she steps into the bathroom, I wonder if I can convince her to talk to her father. No way in hell will I ruin this wonderful morning, though.

  When my phone rings, I see Whitney’s name on the screen. “Hello?”

  “Hey Garrett, it’s Howard.”

  “Is something wrong? What’s going on?” Frantic worry settles in my stomach.

  “Everything’s fine now. Whitney was hurting, so I brought her to the emergency room. Something about some fake contractions or something. But she’s fine and we’re heading home. I just wanted to let you know.”

  Thank God. I was fully prepared to yank Raegan out of the bathroom and drive to the hospital. “Shit, you had me worried, Rock. Is that normal?”

  “According to the doctor it is. I won’t lie, I was scared shitless.”

  “Damn. I’m glad she’s okay.”

  “We’re going home and she’s on strict orders to rest for the rest of the day.”

  “Yeah, good luck with that one.”

  “Yeah, man, I know.” He laughed, knowing just as well as I did that Whitney was stubborn.

  Raegan came walking out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel and my heart almost stops. She didn’t stick around too long. The door to the bedroom shut and another minute later she emerged wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

  “Everything okay?” she asked. “You look a little worried.”

  “Howard called and said Whitney was in the hospital.” At Raegan’s panicked expression, I quickly add, “It’s okay, false alarm. She has to relax for the rest of the day.”

  Raegan laughed. “Well, Howard will have fun with that.”

  See, we all knew how Whitney was.

  Raegan’s phone rang and she glares at the screen as she, steps into the room to answer it. I stepped across the room, keeping myself out of sight, and listened.

  Giving up, unable to hear a word, I walk into the kitchen and grab an apple off the table. Before I can take a bite, she slides her arms around my waist and rests her head on my back.

  “Will you come with me?” she asks.

  She has no idea how relieved I am to hear those words, or how reassuring it is to know she’s giving this a chance.

  Chapter 28

  Raegan

  I agreed to meet with Nancy alone this first time. I knew she and Dad would never work out their problems—she’d been beaten by him the same way I was—but they were talking, which I suppose was a good thing. I drew in a deep breath and counted silently to myself, trying to calm down, then I went to find Garrett.

  He agreed to come with me; there wasn’t a hint of hesitation in his voice. I’m so relieved; I probably would’ve begged if he’d said no. I need him with me.

  I’m antsy the whole ride to Nancy’s. The fact that we passed Dad’s house didn’t even faze me. There was nothing that could be said or done to calm my nerves. I wanted to run, and I was questioning my decision. But for some reason, I’d always believed in second chances, and I wanted to do the right thing.

  Garrett pulled up and I was relieved to not see Dad’s vehicle. She’d told me he wouldn’t be there but part of me believed they were tricking me. I startled when Garrett asked if I was all right.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” The words were such a lie, and he knew it. But he just squeezed my hand and listened. “Thank you for coming. You have no idea how much this means to me. I’m only talking to Nancy today. I can’t handle talking to Dad too.”

  “Geez, babe.” He chuckled, nodding to my hand. Oops, guess I was squeezing a little harder than I needed to.

  He pressed a kiss against my forehead, calming me. I needed that now, especially when I looked toward the door and Nancy stood waiting for us to come inside.

  My grip loosened and then fell as I pulled Nancy in for a hug and introduced her to Garrett. She gave a very approving smile before inviting us inside. I sat on the same couch I sat on every time I came to see her. Where I told her about James and I breaking up. Where Nancy heard about the black eye I endured. This time, there were no tears to be shed and I felt I could breathe easier. She handed us each a glass of sweet tea. I took a sip quickly to quench my thirst. My throat was so dry from the stress of being here.

  “Thank you for coming, Raegan, you have no idea how much this means to your father and I.” I took another deep breath, nodding. Garrett sat patiently as Nancy continued. “Your father called me a few weeks ago completely broken. I’ve never heard him sound like he did and I agreed to meet with him to talk. It took a lot of convincing on his part, it’s just not something I was willing to do. That’s why I understood why you avoided my phone calls. I would have avoided them too.”

  “I’m sorry about that, Nancy.” My voice emerges broken, edged with guilt. “I-I just, I didn’t know what to say or do. And I got mad at Garrett when he told me he answered the phone. I never meant to ignore you, I know you meant well.”

  She reaches out to take my hand. “Your father has started going to anger management classes. He wants to talk to you privately. In a few weeks, he can bring anyone he’s hurt to his meeting to talk to them in person. He wants you and I to go. He wants to make things right. I know it doesn’t fix anything, but it’s a start for him and a chance at healing. He told me everything.” She hangs her head, and I can see the exhaustion and the pain in her eyes. “I know about you being arrested. I know about your truck. And I know this isn’t easy.”

  I clasp my hand over my mouth and run for the door. I need air. Suddenly I want to vomit. Why didn’t this happen before I left the house? Why was I getting so damn emotional? Maybe I’ve wanted this all along, and now it’s finally happening. My thoughts are gone like ash in the wind when Garrett’s velvety voice flows into my ears.

  “I know it’s not easy to hear that. It’ll be all right, you hear me?”

  He holds my hand, kisses my knuckles. I couldn’t have done this without him. I focus on the tree branches before me, how intricate they are and the way they flow causing the green leaves to cascade in the breeze. I’m drawn back to reality when his voice breaks through my thoughts.

  “Raegan?”

  I turn to face him and stare into his eyes. I never thought I would find myself here, never thought I’d be with Garrett. The fact he’s here with me means more than he could possibly imagine.

  “I know. I should uh get back inside. I didn’t mean to run out like that.”

  Inside, I mumbled an apology to Nancy before making plans to meet with my dad. Tomorrow. Nancy tells me she will get back to me with a time and place. My gut says I shouldn’t trust any of this but another part of me tells me this is something I shouldn’t ignore. Life is too short. I never knew my mother, but I had a father—and there was a time he was good to me. I had to believe he might change. That maybe the monster could become a man again.

  I once was a young girl sitting on my father’s lap while he read to me from my favorite books. We played with baby dolls together, even after he had an exhausting day at work. I was once his pride and joy. I didn’t know why he got so bad, but he had no excuses.

  I remember all the hours we spent watching football with Nancy. Could he really change? I wasn’t sure, but I had to hope.

  I would never move back home, but if he did change—

  We could have a relationship again. I’d do just about anything for that.

  There’d been moments before I was arrested when he was nice to me, when we talked. Even now, it breaks my heart. I miss him. If this doesn’t work, I’m out of ideas. If he can’t change now, there’ll be nothing left. And I won’t care anymore.

  Chapter 29

  Garrett

  Tomorrow. She’s meeting with her dad tomorrow. I told her, no matter what, I will be there for her. I won’t let her do that alone. I shoot a quick text to check on Whitney, and Howard lets me know she is fast asleep.

  Before we leave Nancy’s, she mentions how thankful she is that I’m in Raegan’s life, and I want to tell her I feel the same wa
y—but I don’t.

  As we head to the truck, my phone vibrates with a text message from Lance.

  Hey, the fair is in town. Bring your ass down here.

  The fair seems like a good way to distract Raegan, so I reply quickly, telling him we’ll be there.

  I open the door for Raegan, not shutting it until I get a kiss. She seems frightened, probably wondering if she made the right decision. I know she did and I’m so proud of her. I climb into the driver’s seat, pulling her hand into mine.

  “Now it’s my turn to ask. Will you go somewhere with me?”

  “And just where are we going?” She raises her eyebrows, a suspicious expression in those beautiful blue eyes.

  “Just sit back and relax. You’ll see.”

  “Wait.” She laughed. “I didn’t say yes.”

  “Yes, you did.” I head in the direction of the fair; I’m almost positive she’ll love it. As I pay to park, her gaze catches the brilliant lights on the horizon. She lets out a squeal. “What are you so happy about?”

  “The fair? Oh. My. Gosh. Garrett, this is freaking amazing!”

  “Hey, you a little excited?” She jumps out of the truck, and I catch her arm before she can run off.

  “You have no idea!” She beams as I lead her into the fairgrounds. The air is thick with the aroma of carnival food. Her eyes light up when she sees someone holding a funnel cake; I buy her one after trying to change her mind. We wander around eating it until a little boy runs past us, accidentally bumping into her, sending the sacred funnel cake flying through the air before it hits the ground. I don’t think the kid even noticed. Raegan just laughs it off and squeezes my hand as we continue to a ticket booth. I’ve always been up for riding the craziest carnival rides. Flipping upside down doesn’t bother me a bit.

  “Garrett, can we ride the Ferris wheel?” Her voice is so sweet and angelic; there’s no way I can refuse.

  The line for the Ferris wheel is nowhere near as long as the line for the Ring of Fire or the Scrambler for that matter. The laugh I hear as we approach the line was quite familiar; I’d heard it many times at Joe’s, both drunk and sober. The blonde was here and she saw me. I can’t deny it because the man-eating grin on her face insists she will get what she wants by the end of the night. No chance; she’s not getting me ever again.

  I place my hand on the small of Raegan’s back and tug her close to me. I cup her chin and bring my lips to hers, gently teasing her mouth open, before crushing our lips together. She moans into my mouth as the kiss deepens. I hate to be possessive, but my point is made as the sound of laughter slowly fades away. As I break the kiss, Raegan wears a goofy grin on her face.

  “What was that for?”

  “I can’t kiss you?” I brush a strand of hair behind her ear. She’s everything I ever wanted. “I just love you, I’m so proud of you for today.”

  “I love you too.”

  Soon we’re sitting in our own little car on the Ferris wheel. Raegan rests her head on my chest as we go around in circles. The view of the city is breathtaking. Nothing in this world could ruin this moment, or the certainty that she is everything I want and need. She’s the one who changed my whole world. The one who made me want to believe in love.

  I reach for her hand, lacing our fingers together. The scent of her hair overwhelms me; she smells like Heaven. She knows how much I love her, I made that clear, but there’s so much more I want to say to her. So many things I want to express but I don’t. For a brief moment, we’re stuck at the top not moving. She squirms a little and I can feel her heartbeat escalating.

  “You okay, Raegan?”

  “Why’d we get stuck up here?” She buries her head against my shoulder. “Make it move, I’m ready to get off. I hate heights.”

  “You’re safe, babe. I’m here. We’ll move soon, I promise.” I kiss her hair, pulling her tighter against me until she begins to relax a little. A short minute later, we’re on the ground and our car is being opened. We step out hand in hand.

  She’s grinning as she leads me to some carnival game that I’m almost positive will drain all the cash out of my pocket. About thirty dollars later, she holding onto a giant pink teddy bear. Her smile fades briefly as she glances to her right. Lance comes running up holding a super-sized corndog.

  “Raegan, don’t you wish Garrett was this big?” Lance puts the corndog in front of his crotch and jumps around like a damn idiot.

  “Lance, man, shut the fuck up,” I retort. He’s a joker, he just can’t help himself.

  “You know, Garrett, when you react like that, it makes him think he knows what he’s talking about. Good thing I already know the truth.” Raegan winks, and I just about lose it.

  Lance takes a big bite out of the corndog. I could slap the shit out of him sometimes, but what would life be without Lance and his dumbass remarks? Probably pretty dull.

  “That’s my boy. Hung like a mule!” Lance exclaims. “Garrett, hold this bear. It’s Raegan and me on the Ring of Fire.”

  I know she’s terrified of being stuck up high. We watch as the ride goes round and round, going faster and then slowing down to a dead stop at the very top before going back around again. No way in hell is she getting on that. She clings to the giant bear for dear life and tells him no. He finally relents and talks me into going instead. I give her a quick kiss, then get in line with my best friend.

  “How’s your dad’s new job?” I ask.

  “It’s a job. It’s helping me out, I know that for sure. Mom misses him during the day though. I don’t know how much more I can take of this, it’s hard.”

  Before we step on the ride, I clap my hand on his shoulder. “Everything will be okay. She appreciates everything you do, never forget that.”

  “I know, man, that’s what keeps me going. I met a girl, but shit…it’s complicated.”

  “You? You met a girl? Am I hearing things?” Lance was the biggest man-whore around; I couldn’t picture him with a steady girlfriend.

  “No, you aren’t hearing things.” He chuckles, shaking his head. “I fucked it up though. We were getting ready to have sex and she told me she was a virgin. I couldn’t touch her. She deserves better. I’m too fucked up.”

  “Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. What you did doesn’t make you an asshole, if that’s what you’re thinking. You didn’t take advantage of her, even after she told you that. Have you talked to her since?”

  “No, she is avoiding me, and I don’t know why but it’s driving me fucking nuts.”

  “You turned her down after she said she was a virgin. I’m sure she was embarrassed, man. Give her time.” I had to laugh; my best friend had it pretty bad over a girl. I was in his shoes once with Raegan. I want to pry a little more, but the line moves, and we step onto the ride, getting ready to have our worlds turned upside down.

  When we return, Raegan is waiting patiently by the exit. “I think I would have puked on that,” she says, gaping.

  “That could be hot, depending whether you’re into that sort of thing or not,” Lance comments.

  “Yeah, no.” Raegan laughs. “Don’t you have some poor defenseless women to prey on?”

  I wanted to laugh at that, but not after what I saw a moment ago. While Lance and I rode the Ring of Fire, Raegan’s ex approached her and they talked for a while. How convenient he waited until I wasn’t around. I guess I can’t blame him. Lance gives Raegan some witty remark, then wanders off into the night, and I’m alone with her wondering what the hell I should say.

  Chapter 30

  Raegan

  Just when everything is going well, James shows up in uniform. I squeeze the giant pink teddy bear to my chest. My heart jumps. His brown eyes sparkle like little chocolate morsels and I quickly shake the thought away. He’s working. I’m so glad Adryian isn’t here to gloat. Right now I loathe him; he arrested me. I just can’t let that go. I wish Garrett and Lance hadn’t left me alone. I was vulnerable and James picked up on that.

  “
Hey, Raegan, good to see you.”

  That voice—damn, it still gets me. But I can’t let it.

  “Hi.” I wish he would disappear.

  “I’m glad to see you’re okay.” He reached out and touched my hand, and I jerked away almost immediately. “I’m so sorry about that night, Raegan. You have no idea how horrible that was for me. I worried about you so much. I couldn’t even tell Adryian about it. She asked how my day was and I couldn’t tell her. I’m sorry I brought her up.” He hung his head for a moment.

  Sincerity. I hear it in his voice and for a moment I let the anger subside. “It’s okay, James. Really. You were just doing your job.”

  “I do miss you, Raegan. I know you asked if I love her and I do. I know you don’t want to hear that, but I’m going to be honest with you. That doesn’t mean I can’t miss you, we’ve had too many good times together. You, uh, you still fighting?”

  “I am. I really like it.” The screams of people on the rides fill my ears and the scent of cotton candy travels up my nose as I watch him intently.

  “Wow.” He chuckles. “I can’t say I ever pictured you doing something like that, but I’m glad to see you’re happy. That’s all I wanted Raegan, was to make you happy.”

  Why is he telling me this? There’s so much I want to tell him. So many words left unsaid.

  “I’ll leave you alone, Raegan. I just wanted to say hi. If you ever want to talk, you know you can call me. We’re still friends.” I wondered if that was even possible; I knew it would be torturous, not to mention inappropriate.

  Soon he’s gone, maneuvering through the crowd, making sure the fair is safe for all these kids who seem to be running around without parents. Garrett and Lance return. After bickering with Lance for a few minutes, he walks off to go do what he does best. Garrett and I stand in the warm evening air. The expression on his face is unreadable; he hadn’t even laughed at Lance and that seemed almost impossible.

 

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