His playfulness is suddenly gone. “What?” he asks, wide-eyed. “My parents are here?”
“Yep,” I confirm, popping the ‘P’. “And let me tell you, they are the most pleasant people I have ever met. I don’t know why you haven’t introduced us earlier.”
“Shit, babe,” he sighs as he hops off the bed and pulls on a pair of jeans. “I’m sorry, I thought we had a few days before this happened.”
“Apparently not,” I say, also getting up and pulling on a pair of jeans.
Xander heads to the stairs but I detour to the bathroom to make sure I look at least half decent as after all, these are his parents, no matter how much Xander despises them.
I head back down the stairs to find Xander’s parents have most certainly invited themselves in. Xander’s father stands in the centre of the living room, arms folded across his chest as he scowls at his son while his mother goes about in the kitchen, making herself a coffee.
I’m hardly down the stairs by the time Xander’s father is getting stuck into him. “What the fuck is this shit I hear about you being kicked off the team?” he demands.
“Da-,“ Xander starts but if cut off by his father who seems to be on a roll.
“You get yourself in trouble?” he questions. “What is it? Drugs? Partying? Or you just couldn’t cut it in training? You’ve always been useless. Do you know what kind of strings I had to pull to get you on this team? I should have known you’d screw up like this, you don’t have the drive that I had.”
Xander leans back against the stairs railing and I slip my hand through the gap to rest it on his shoulder. His body is shaking with rage and I sense him trying to hold himself back. “First of all,” Xander starts, not allowing his father to continue. “I’ve been a better player than you ever were for years, always have been, always will. I train my ass off every day so don’t you come storming in here telling me I have no drive. Secondly. If you even knew a damn thing about me, you’d know I don’t fuck around with drugs -”
“Then what the hell happened?” his father cuts in again.
“I was fighting,” he says.
“What?” his mother finally cuts in. “You got kicked off the team for fighting? That seems a bit harsh now, doesn’t it?”
“No mum. It doesn’t,” Xander says with annoyance in his tone.
“Don’t you speak to your mother like that,” his father scolds, earning himself a groan out of Xander. “Now, what are you talking about?” he questions, finally starting to calm down. “Fights have always been excused, especially with hockey. I’ll have to go down there and speak to Coach Harris. He is just trying to make an example out of you. That damn fool.”
Geez. His dad’s moods are giving me whiplash. First, he has the shits with Xander and now Coach Harris? How hard is it for one man to notice that he is the fault behind it all?
“Dad, would you shut the fuck up,” Xander scolds. “I didn’t get kicked out for getting into a stupid fist fight. I got kicked out for fighting in an illegal underground ring.”
Oh shit.
His father turns bright red and his hands turn into fists at his side. Xander notices immediately and straightens up. “Just fucking try it, I dare you,” he insists.
His dad takes one big step forward making my hand squeeze down into the flesh of his strong shoulder. “Underground fighting?” he says with disgust. “You’re throwing away your future for trash like that.”
“How many times do I need to tell you before you will listen? I don’t want to be in the NHL. I never have. That’s your dream, not mine. My future is MMA,” Xander says and it’s clear this is an old argument.
“The hell it is. You march your ass back to that ice rink and tell Coach the fighting is finished. You’re going to beg for your spot back and I don’t care how much of a fool you make yourself look.”
“Are you serious right now?” Xander scoffs. “I don’t want to play hockey. I don’t want to go to the NHL and I don’t want to have this conversation again. It’s over. Hockey is over. Get it through that thick brain of yours.”
By this stage, it’s clear his father is beyond furious. “You ungrateful piece of shit,” he yells.
That’s it. My fuse is blown. How dare he speak to my man like that? “Hey,” I yell, as I storm down the rest of the stairs and come to a standstill in front of Xander’s father. “Don’t you talk to him like that. If you had even the littlest bit of decency, you would notice that your son is amazing and could easily make it in the professional circuit, probably earning two times the amount of a skater in the NHL but you’re too damn self-consumed that you can’t see anything in front of your own damn nose.”
My whole body shakes but it instantly relaxes when Xander threads his arm around my waist and pulls me into his chest.
“It’s this little hussy, isn’t it?” his father says to Xander, ignoring my outburst. “She’s the one who has corrupted your mind, turned you into this disgraceful version of yourself.”
Within seconds, I find myself behind Xander while his fist flies forward and nails his father in the jaw. My hands come to a rest on his naked back and feel the vibrations through his skin as he roars at his father. “Get the fuck out. No one speaks about my girl like that.”
“You’re going to regret that,” his father scolds as he spits a mouthful of blood onto the cold morning tiles.
“Fucking try it, dad. I’m done with you. I don’t need your bribery or your damn money,” he says before leaning over to the hallway stand and grabbing his keys. “Here,” he says, tossing them at his father as his mother begins sobbing, “Take that too. I’m finished with you, with both of you.”
“You’re going to regret this,” his father repeats as he storms towards the door with his wife on his heels.
“No,” Xander says as confidently as ever. “I’m not.”
He turns back around, just before slamming the door. “You have one week to vacate this property.”
“Consider me already gone.”
The door slams with a shattering bang and we stand in silence for a moment. “They seem nice,” I say, trying to hold back my smirk.
Xander scoffs but pulls me against him once again. “I’m sorry you had to witness that,” he says as he leans his head down to my shoulder.
“Don’t worry,” I tell him. I bring my hand up his strong back and weave my nails through his hair. “Are you ok?”
He pulls back ever so slightly so he can look me in the eye. “You know, I think I am. I feel free,” he says on an exhale. “I never have to worry about them again. I can go and pursue MMA, join the professional circuit and make whatever career choices I want.”
I smile up at him and realise he is definitely ok, in fact, he is more than ok. He seems full of confidence, like nothing can stop him getting what he wants and I’ve never been more proud.
“Alright babe, he says, pulling me towards the couch and flopping down. He pulls the IPad out of the coffee table drawer and puts it on my lap. “Get searching. We have a week to find a new place.”
“Ok,” I say, “But you know Micky would let us stay at the bar, there is no reason to rush.”
He becomes thoughtful but I know he wouldn’t be too keen on the idea. “I don’t know, I’d feel like I was invading on his hospitality.”
“He wouldn’t feel that way,” I tell him.
“I know, but I would,” he explains.
“Fine,” I say, swiping my finger across the IPad to unlock it. I get searching and instantly find hundreds of places that I could only dream about before I narrow my search to places a little more in our realm of reality.
I point out a few and not an hour later, we are walking through properties, making pro’s and con’s lists.
By that night, we are both exhausted and curl up in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms. “So, if the cat’s out of the bag now, does that mean you can start training for the professional circuit?” I ask on a yawn.
“Technically I can bu
t I want to finish the competition first before I put my name out there. I can’t have anything leading me back to the underground once I go pro,” he explains.
“Oh, so you still want to finish the competition?” I ask, a little disappointed.
“Yeah, I can’t give in now, especially after everything that has happened. It would mean it’s all for nothing.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “I guess I’m just nervous about ‘Pitt Bull’,” I tell him.
“Don’t be,” he says, pulling me in tighter. “I’ll be fine. There are only a few weeks left and then it’s over. I can handle him.”
“I know,” I sigh.
Xander rolls me over and presses his lips to mine. “Quit worrying so much,” he tells me.
“I can’t help it,” I grin as another yawn takes over. I lay my head down on Xander’s chest and listen to the steady beat of his heart. Sleep takes over within moments and before I know it, I’m waking up to start another day in the arms of the man I love.
Chapter 18
Xander
It’s been five days since my parent’s intrusion and life couldn’t be better, or at least, it will be the second I get out of that house.
Though I have to admit, it still pisses me off the way they barged into my home and spoke to my girl. I can handle the shit they gave me, after all, I’ve gotten it from them my whole life but for them to turn that bullshit on Charli. That was uncalled for and completely sealed the deal for me. From that moment, I swore to myself that I will never put myself or Charli through the ugliness of having anything to do with my parents. They will never intrude on our future again.
Though I have no doubt I will make it in the professional circuit and I know the moment my name starts spreading around, my parents will be right back, begging for a piece of the attention but they have burned their bridges and I will never go back on my word. I am done with them.
The moment the decision was made, I felt like I was free like my chains had finally been broken away and I could be who I truly am. The feeling was like flying and I will never put myself back in that position again.
Cole and the boys at Rebels Advocate were thrilled when I walked in on Monday morning as a free agent. They always hated the hockey thing, not the actual sport but knowing it wasn’t truly me and that it was wasting good energy that I could have been spending on training for upcoming fights.
So the next few days pretty much went as waking up with Charli, screwing her brains out, she would go to the salon and I would go to Rebels, we’d each spend our days doing what we did best and loved before heading home, cooking dinner and making sweet, sweet love.
Though, now that’s all ruined because Micky called yesterday to tell Charli the bar has been reopened and her shifts are starting up again. Charli was thrilled and of course, I was thrilled for her but only because she loves the place so damn much. Otherwise, I would have been much happier having her all to myself each night, rather than sharing her with the ogling eyes of her customers.
So here I am, Thursday after training all day. I have decided to wait to get a new truck until the end of the competition, that way, I’ll know exactly how many extras I can afford to put on the big bastard. Which means, I’ve been running to and from training, which isn’t too bad in the mornings but after a day of vigorous training, it really sucks.
A slight rain starts coming down which refreshes me and makes me feel brand new, so I push myself a little harder. I run through the streets, rather than sticking to the main roads. My iPod blares through the little speakers in my ears and I get lost in my own world.
I stop after a while and quickly reach into my bag for a drink of water. As I bend down to find my bottle I have a quick look at where I am, which honestly I actually have no fucking idea but one thing I do know is the house I stand directly in front of has a big ‘for-sale’ sign and I absolutely love it.
I work out the address and save it to the notepad in my phone before taking a quick picture of the house and the agent’s details on the front of the sign. I glance back at the house and I know this is it. I can picture myself here with Charli, having kids and growing old. Nothing screams more perfect than this.
I get myself back home and clean myself up before heading down to Micky’s. I know she is working but I can’t find the will to wait till she gets home to show her this place. I was going to head down just to walk home with her later, so what if it’s a few hours early?
The place is packed and I have to boot some drunken idiot off my favourite stool before I can sit down and enjoy a beer. Charli’s face lights up the second she sees me and I can’t wait. I pull my phone out immediately and show her.
Her eyes light up and I know she is seeing what I saw. “Are you sure about this?” she asks.
“I’ve never been so sure in my life,” I tell her.
Her eyes flick back to the picture on my screen one more time before she leans across the bar and kisses me. “Ok,” she says. “Call the agent.”
--------
We’ve been living in our new home for just over a week now and it honestly is amazing. You know, a part from having a mortgage but I’m hoping, once I win this competition, I’ll be able to pay a shit load off it.
I stand in my lounge room with Aaron as we wait for Charli and Zara to hurry up and get ready. I swear, the moment Charli discovered makeup, she has gone crazy about the shit. Well, not super crazy like those chicks you see on MTV with the orange skin and raccoon eyes, more like everywhere we go she has to try a new colour on her lips then match it with her outfit.
Apparently, she has fallen in love with the stuff so much that she wants to study make-up too and have that as a service her salon will provide, you know, when she gets one of course but if that makes her happy, then I’ll make my way through the darkest pits of hell to make it happen.
Aaron ducks into the kitchen and grabs two beers from the fridge and offers me one as he takes a seat. “Nah man,” I say. “Not with the fight tonight. I need a clear head.”
“Yeah, sorry man,” he says as he retracts his outstretched arm. “I should have known.”
“No drama’s,” I say, flopping down on the couch, realising the girls could be a lot longer.
“Who are you up against tonight?” he asks, already halfway through his beer.
“Some kid called ‘The Dark Shadow’. He’s pretty good,” I tell him.
“Oh yeah, I caught him last week. The kid is fast.”
“I know,” I laugh. “Hence why I need a clear head tonight. The guys I’m up against are getting better and better.”
“Yeah, but they still don’t have anything against you,” he says, ever my number one fan, right after Charli, of course.
“True,” I scoff, adding to the ever-growing giant which is better known as my ego. “But all it takes is one punch. If I miss even the smallest little move, they could take me out.”
“I guess,” he agrees, putting the empty beer down and reaching for the second. “I still got bets on you so you better not fuck up,” he warns me.
“Really?” I question, “That might just be incentive enough to throw the match,” I joke.
“Get fucked,” he laughs as the girls finally emerge from the bathroom.
Charli comes out in a gold sequined dress that hugs her perfect body just right. I get up off the couch and go straight for her. I grab her wrists and hold them up over her head as I slam her up against the wall.
My lips come down on her neck as I press my body against hers. She lifts her legs around my waist and I grind myself into her. She lets out a moan and I release her wrists so I can explore the feel of her body.
A throat clears behind us and I groan into her neck. “Do you think they’ll go away if we pretend they aren’t here?” I murmur.
“It’s worth a try,” Charli giggles.
“Seriously, dude? I know you love your girl and all but I’m sure tonight’s forty grand will look pretty good in your bank account,” Aaron comments
.
“Are you kidding me?” Zara scolds Aaron. “This shit is hot, please continue.”
I let out a sigh as I grind myself against her one more time. “This isn’t over,” I warn her.
“I’m counting on it,” she says as she untwines her legs from my waist.
We lock up and head for Aarons truck. He pulls the keys from his pocket and I snatch them from his hand while making my way to the driver’s seat. “What gives?” he demands.
“You just had two beers in the space of five minutes. I’m not letting you drive, especially with my girl in the truck,” I tell him.
“Fine,” he sulks as he climbs up into the passenger’s seat. The girls get in the back and before we know it, I’m pulling up at tonight’s location.
We make our way in and just like the few times before, they come in through the back with me until it’s time for the fight to begin.
Cole wraps my hands and I’m pleased to find my match is second in line, which means I’ll be in and out in no time and back home, buried deep inside my girl, making her scream my name over and over again.
Half-an-hour later, I stand in the middle of the ring with the crowd cheering my name, waiting for my opponent to emerge.
The kid who is better known as ‘The Dark Shadow’ comes strutting out into the ring, he is roughly the same size as me and from watching him the week before, he is just as quick which means tonight comes down to pure skill.
Luke had blurted out all the facts of the guy before the match and apparently, while he is fast with his punches, his footwork is lacking, he apparently also favours his right side which is just enough information to give me a good boost into the match.
The fight gets started and just as I expected, we are pretty equally matched. As I land a blow, he also lands one. I know watching this must be killing Charli’s nerves so I do my best I get the job done without getting touched.
Just as I had told Aaron, I certainly do need a clear mind with this one. I keep my eyes trained on the guy, watching and waiting for every little movement he makes and I quickly realise that I’m so deep in concentration, I am almost his mirror image. When he moves, I move.
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