“What if you take a hit to the belly, that could cause you to miscarry. No, fighting is out as an exercise for you and certainly not the sort of fighting that I know you’ll be doing.” He said it gently but I knew he thought I was crazy to even consider it.
“It’s just that…”
“You’ve been training for it and it’s close. I know, I get it. I do marathons and I felt pretty much the same when I got a stress fracture in my ankle last year right before New York. I kept telling myself I could do it. Well, that was what my heart was saying, my head was telling me I was being an idiot. I went with my head after my wife threatened to nobble me if I didn’t give the idea up.”
“What if I don’t want to keep the baby? Can I fight?” I blurted out in protest and I heard Eden gasp in shock.
He gave me a considered look. “Theoretically, if you had a termination almost immediately, and if that’s what you’re thinking, then my advice it to act in the next week or so. Terminations get more difficult the longer they are left and options become more limited. Most ladies recover quickly from a termination, however most aren’t about to step into a cage. We normally say you need a couple of week’s recovery. I would err on the side of caution and still say no to the fight.”
“But I still could, right?”
He shook his head and looked at Eden. “She always been the stubborn type?”
“Pretty much. Although, I think I’m fortunate enough to have a few strong people around that can help make sure she sticks to the plan, to ensure they both stay healthy.”
“You need to think of your health and that of your baby.” The doctor continued to drum it into me, as if concerned I’d forget.
They all sounded so sure.
I felt like I needed to say something in my defense. “Look, I’m not reckless or stupid, this has all just come as such a shock, okay. I only found out today.”
“Then, you’ve done well to get this far with so little symptoms. You’re lucky if you’ve only had a little patchy nausea and that one faint, given the training you’ve been doing.”
Dr. Collins wiped the sonar gel from my stomach. “Why don’t you get dressed and step through into my office. I’ll see you there in a sec.”
Eden and I exchanged looks but said nothing. There was so much going on in my head.
We joined Dr. Collins in his office and he passed me a whole heap of information.
“Have a look through all that and have a long hard think about what you want to do. Talk it over with your boyfriend and try not to feel time pressured. You need to be certain about this decision. I’m going to have the receptionist book you for the tests for Down syndrome in just over a week. At this stage, I’m progressing things as if you intend to carry this child to term. You’ll need to have a blood test first then come in for another scan and we’ll take some specific measurements. Take the vitamins that Dr. Jacobs suggested. It’s what I’d recommend too and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.” We stood to leave and he offered me his hand which I shook.
“I’ll take good care of you, Sophia, whatever you decide.”
“Thanks, Dr. Collins.” And I meant it.
I was almost at the door.
“Wait, just a second.” I stopped in my tracks and turned around. Dr. Collins had moved around from behind his desk He handed me a print out. “You’ll want these. Your baby’s first pictures.”
My stomach fell. My baby had photos…it really did exist.
I had no words.
Seth
Where the hell were they? Actually, more the point, what was wrong with her? They’d been gone all afternoon.
Surely, it couldn’t be anything major? Soph was too fit and healthy.
“Relax, mate, they’ve probably just decided to go shopping,” Dane reassured me as he sipped from a beer and watched a cricket match with me. I normally loved the Big Bash. It was fast, fun, and full of massive hits. Even better, it was all done in a couple of hours, which was just perfect for a guy like me that was all about getting in and getting it done.
“They should have been back hours ago,” I muttered.
Dane chuckled. “Seth, they’re probably still waiting. You should know better than anyone, doctors are often running late. Have you called or text her?”
“Shit, why didn’t I think of that genius…only three times.”
Dane had the hide to laugh. “Then, call her.”
“I don’t want to seem like a fucking stalker,” I admitted.
“Mate—you’re her boyfriend. It’s within the rules to be worried, as long as you don’t drift over into stalker territory.”
That made me sit up a little straighter. Stalker territory?
“And what exactly is defined as stalker territory, seeing as you seem to be such an authority on the subject?” This, I had to hear. Dane prided himself on having his shit together when it came to relationships and, to his credit, he had landed Arianne. Not only was she hot, she was also a great lady. Exactly what Dane wanted. I took a sip of my beer and settled back, keen to hear where he was going to go with this.
Dane frowned. “Let me give you an example. That will make it easier. Take that cuntpuddle of an ex of Arianne’s; he’s a stalker.”
I burst out laughing and almost sprayed beer everywhere through my nostrils. “What the fuck, mate?”
“Saw it on Facebook the other day and just about busted a nut laughing. I’ve been looking for the right time to use it and I figured if anyone would appreciate the sentiment it would be you! You do know what a cuntpuddle is, don’t you?”
I recovered enough to give him a withering look. “Yeah, I think I’ve got it; kind of self explanatory. Besides, I’ve been known to create my fair share.”
“I thought you were reforming?” he shot back at me.
“All safe as long as it’s only with Sophia, right?” I brushed it off, even if it did cut a little that he’d think that of me.
Dane tapped the side of his nose and pointed at me. “Smart, mate.”
“I’m not a total dunce when it comes to relationships. Just because I’ve not elected to go down that path in the past, doesn’t mean I’m totally clueless.”
“Fair enough…anyway, getting back to the stalker question and the cuntpuddle.” We both cracked up. Yep, that word was going to get some use amongst us guys.
“He called Arianne thirty-five times in less than half an hour. She just kept ignoring it. It drove me to distraction. In the end, I grabbed the phone and turned it off. But seriously, Seth, who the fuck does that? What self respecting bloke would do that? Clearly, the girl didn’t want to talk to him.”
I shook my head, stunned. “That’s just wrong on so many levels. And yeah, I knew the guy was a dick, that just took it a whole new level. What bit about not wanting to talk to her didn’t he get?”
“Yeah, right!” Dane agreed. “I mean, I know we can be a little slow at times if the communication isn’t direct, but I think the message would be pretty clear after the first five calls.”
“Ah, yeah. So, the number’s five you reckon?”
“I’d stick with three in the first three hours. If you didn’t know where she was. One an hour you can explain away as being worried. Any more and it becomes control freak territory. Once it goes over three hours, I reckon you can up it more, particularly if she said she’d be somewhere and you haven’t heard from her. You have a right to be worried.”
I glanced at my watch. “Okay, by my calculations, the three hours are nearly up.”
“Have you called Xander? Maybe he’s heard from Eden.”
“I tried but he’s teaching, obviously, and not answered his phone.”
“Yeah, I probably should be in there helping him rather than drinking beer with you.” We both looked at each other, then burst out laughing. “Nah, he’s a big boy.”
“Isn’t that the perk for both of us not pro-fighting anymore? We don’t have to be so bloody deprived. A beer every no
w and then never hurt anyone.”
“Absolutely,” I agreed. “Besides, it’s about time Rohan and Owen stepped up.”
“Yeah, it’d be easier too if you got your butt up to speed again. How long you reckon before you can start doing more?”
Wasn’t that the question? “I’m getting better quicker now. Muscle is starting to come back in and I’m stretching a lot more. I’ve got another doctor’s and physio appointment next week, if they’re happy with the x-rays and how everything has healed, then I’m going for broke. If the bone has healed properly, it’s just soft tissue and muscle. Only one way to fix that.”
Dane nodded his agreement. “It would be good to have you in this prep but Xan doesn’t expect it or want to jeopardise you getting back to full fitness.”
“I know. Just fucks me off that I can’t be in it. I hate sitting around.”
“You’ll be back soon enough. Regardless, you’ll come to Vegas, right.”
“Yeah, absolutely. I’m not missing a trip to Vegas, plus I want Soph to see it. She’ll get a real kick out of the Vegas crazy.”
Dane smirked and I looked at him, then realized what I said.
“You’ve got it bad, mate. When you start thinking and talking like that—game over. You’re done. Put a ring on it, sit back and enjoy the ride. Your days of being single are done. Besides, you could do a lot worse than Soph. She’s a top chick in every way. You don’t let those ones go. Best part is, she’s not fucking psycho like most of the women out there.”
Fuck! Was what he was saying true? Was I really done—off the market?
I thought about that for a second and it didn’t seem so terrifying. Then, I thought about other girls and what I was missing out on.
Not one girl sprang to mind. All I could think about was where the hell was Sophia and was she okay?
Eden hadn’t been driving long. What if something…
The front door opened and Sophia breezed in as if nothing had happened.
“Sorry I’m so late. I only just got your text. They made us turn our phones off and I forgot to turn it back on. I didn’t mean to worry you.”
I let out the breath I didn’t realise I’d been holding and the tension that had been building in me for the last few hours dissipated.
“Eden out there?”
“No, she dropped me and headed off. She had stuff to do.”
Sophia was heading for the kitchen. “So, are you okay?”
She looked at me and I saw her tense before she put a smile on her face. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
Her smile was forced and I wondered if it was because Dane was here or whether it was something more. Then, she raced on like she had a case of verbal diarrhea.
“So, the doctor was running really late because of an emergency, then she just told me I’m low on a few vitamins and minerals. Probably due to the diet and the training. Apparently, I use more of those elements quicker. So, then we had to go to half a dozen pharmacies to get the vitamins I needed.”
“No virus?” Dane asked.
“Nope. Not contagious. Just need to take it a little easier for the next week or until I have a chance to absorb these vitamins. I’ve got more bloods scheduled in another ten days.”
Dane let out a low whistle. “Ten days is going to screw with your program.”
“I’ll be fine,” Sophia protested.
“Your health is more important. You’ve been training super hard for weeks. A few lighter days shouldn’t hurt too much. It’s only amateurs after all,” I added.
She looked as if I’d slapped her.
“Only amateurs! Is that what you think about what I’m doing? You don’t take me seriously.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, Soph. Yeah, it is really important and also where everyone starts, but you’ve been on a prep that is what a pro fighter would be sticking to. You’ll get through without going to that level.”
“I’m not going to get through, Seth. I’m going to win or I’m not going to fight.” Well, that made no sense, because didn’t you have to fight in order to win? Something told me not to push that point. I’d already pissed her off enough.
“And that would be my cue to leave.” Dane got up and headed for the door. “Thanks for the beer, mate. I’ll see you at Onigsahima in the next couple of days. Night, Soph, see you at training.”
“Yep, for sure.”
“Bye, Dane,” Sophia called from the kitchen as he let himself out.
I got off the lounge and headed to the kitchen myself. At least I could get up now without taking half an hour.
She was standing at the kitchen sink looking as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. For not the first time, I wondered if this fight was what she needed. It was consuming her.
I stepped in behind her and wrapped my arms around her middle and locked my hands together in front. She stiffened in my arms then seemed to relax. “Babe, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make it sound like the fight isn’t important. I get that it’s really important to you. But you need to get well first. You can’t push your body if you’re not fully healthy.”
She spun in my arms and buried her face into my shoulder. “I’m sorry too, Seth. I’m just being a bitch and I don’t mean it. The fight and everything is just doing my head in.”
“You know, there’s no reason you have to go through with it. Nothing and no one says you have to be a fighter. You can still train and move up the ranks without fighting in the ring or cage.” I wanted to make sure she knew she had options. Just because we all fought—past or present tense—didn’t mean that Soph had to as well.
“I do know. It just kind of seems the next step. Besides, I’ve sold myself on the idea and the challenge of doing it. I want to achieve it.”
I knew that feeling all too well. I was the master of it. I’d been living it almost all my life. Set a goal and achieve it. Another challenge met. The faster the better.
“Just remember not to lose sight of what’s important when you’re chasing down those goals. Case in point, your health. They’ll always be another fight if that’s what you really want. You screw up your health and sometimes there’s no coming back.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said resolutely.
God, I hoped so.
22
Sophia
For the last week, I’d been doing my best to avoid Seth, which wasn’t easy when I normally felt exactly the opposite where he was concerned.
Up until this whole crazy baby thing, I would have been so all over him. I’d have been wanting to be close to him.
I still felt that way, more than ever actually—I was just scared that he’d figure it all out before I was ready to come clean.
Terrified.
Terrified he’d figure out there was something going on with me. I needed time to think it through. I couldn’t just blurt something like, ”Oh, hey, Seth, by the way, I’m pregnant.” I needed to finesse it—figure out how to approach it and then slide it into the conversation at the right moment.
In many ways, I sensed we were getting closer. Every day, he was opening up to me more and giving me insights into what he was thinking. The question was, would my news blow all of that sky high or would he roll with it? I felt like such a fraud. I was doing exactly what I’d asked him not to. But that was just part of it.
Never in my life had I felt so time pressured. Every second was drawing me closer to some invisible time when I’d have to fess up. There was no way I could not come clean, time and biology were not my friends.
This left me with a gnawing fear almost constantly in my guts. At this point, I wasn’t sure what was what. Was it morning sickness or was it fear making my stomach turn?
Oh, God! I wish I knew. How I wish I knew.
I glanced at my watch. It was close to midnight. Surely, he would be asleep? I went back into my website software and made a few finishing touches.
My phone buzzed a text coming through and I looked at it curiously.
Se
th: You done yet?
What the…? He was sending me texts now and he was laying in a bed in the room one down from this one. Only Seth!
Me: Just finishing up some website stuff.
A couple of seconds later, I had my reply.
Seth: Hurry up. I’m lonely.
Mmm, why didn’t I believe him? I think I was onto him.
Me: Sure you don’t mean horny?
Seth: Well maybe…
Me: Are we going to go through all this again?
Seth: Nope. I’m feeling much stronger. You were there when the doc said the bone has healed fine. I’m good to go…seriously go ;)
Me: There’s that small matter of pain.
I turned back to the computer and tried to focus on getting a bit more done. From what I could figure, I thought there was about another day or so of work remaining. If I went really hard, I could knock it over tomorrow.
Another few minutes passed.
Seth: I’m getting the impression you’re avoiding me. Have I done something wrong?
Far out! I must be acting weird. Seth would never normally say that.
Shit, shit, shit.
I hated keeping secrets. I just didn’t know what to do with this one. I couldn’t get my head around it.
Eden was pushing me as well. Before she’d dropped me off when we left the doctors, I’d made her promise not to say anything. I was training but very lightly, and I’d avoided any sparring. I couldn’t make it look like there was something more than what I’d said going on.
I’d ignored the subtle text message she’d sent me before. Progress? Was all she’d said. We both knew she wasn’t talking about my new business. She was most definitely referring to me having told Seth. Fortunately, she was smart enough to make the message cryptic in case he happened to see.
My phone beeped again.
Seth: I’m starting to freak out.
He was freaking out! What about me!
Me: Okay I’ll be there in a sec.
Seth: I’m naked and waiting.
Wasn’t that a female line?
Challenge: A Contemporary MMA Romance: Oni Fighters Book 3 Page 25