Weightless

by Gia Riley

  Today I was broken, but I’ve survived far worse. I’ll survive this too. I’m worth it

  THE SECOND PRACTICE ENDS, AN entire forty minutes earlier than usual, I grab my water bottle and run to the locker room. After one of the fastest showers I’ve ever taken, I grab my bags and try to unlock my car before I’m even through the doors. Clearly, I’ve lost my shit.

  “Where’s the fire, Kip?” Troy asks as he walks into the locker room. Normally I’d stick around and talk with the other coaches after practice, but today, all I care about is getting to Sophie.

  “Gotta go get my girl back,” I tell him as I rush past.

  “Good luck,” he yells down the hallway at my retreating back.

  I don’t bother trying to call Sophie from the car. What I have to say needs to be said in person. I’ll never forget the look in her eyes when she saw me with Alisa. The disappointment. The hurt and rejection. It kills me to know I put that doubt back into her head. She has to know in her heart that I’d never fuck up what we have.

  When I asked her to marry me, I meant it. She’s it for me no matter how many times I have to convince her, and I’m not giving up until she knows it. I won’t be able to live this life the way I want to without her by my side.

  She’s not used to being needed, but she’s going to have to get used to it. My family needs her—I need her. “Come on, asshole. Drive your fucking piece of shit car faster!” I yell through the windshield. This drive is killing me, and it seems every time I have to get to Sophie in a hurry, it holds me back.

  This is exactly why I wanted Sophie to come home with me. I want her close not only to protect her, but so I can see her every day. I hate having to deal with rush hour traffic just to kiss her.

  Thankfully the rest of the drive is uneventful, and I can relax a little knowing I’m only a few minutes away from seeing Sophie. When I pull into the apartment complex, and spot Sophie’s car, I can breathe easier too.

  Cara pulls in beside me, catching me off guard. I’m so focused on the conversation I’m about to have, I didn’t even notice she was behind me.

  “Where were you?” she asks.

  “I need to talk to Sophie.” Her arms are full of books, and I take a few out of her hands so they don’t fall to the ground.

  “Thanks, Kippy. Congrats by the way, I didn’t get a chance to talk to you since the big proposal.”

  That makes no sense. She has to have seen Sophie. “You don’t know?” How could she not know?

  “Know what?” she questions, as she unlocks the door with her free hand.

  She really has no idea. “We aren’t engaged, Cara.”

  Cara pushes the door open and drops her keys on the kitchen counter. “What do you mean? I saw her last night when she came to get clothes for the bed and breakfast.”

  “Wherever she went, it wasn’t with me. I spent the night at home.”

  Cara stands in the middle of the kitchen with her mouth hanging open. “What the hell is going on with you two, Kipton. I mean, seriously?”

  “That’s why I’m here. To straighten the mess out.”

  “What mess?”

  “I fucked up the proposal, and then today she saw me with Alisa on my lunch break.”

  Cara grabs us each a bottle of water from the fridge, banging her head when she stands up too quickly. “Shit! Hold up. Why the fuck were you with Alisa?”

  “Is your head okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine. Start talking, Kipton.” Saying she’s not a fan of Alisa’s would be putting it mildly. She despises her for the hell she put me through. “If you even hooked up with her, I will throw your ass out of this apartment right now. You’re my brother, but I love Sophie like a sister, too.”

  “I love her, too. I didn’t do anything with Alisa. We had a conversation over lunch, and then I walked her to her car.”

  Cara takes a sip of her water while eyeing me suspiciously. “Did you touch her? Don’t lie to me.”

  “No.”

  “That chick always did have some kind of magical vag. No matter how many times she pissed you off, you took her back.”

  I roll my eyes at her comment. That wasn’t how it was at all. She didn’t do anything terrible until college. Before that, we were solid.

  “We hugged. That’s it. Troy sent her to talk to me if you can believe that.”

  She snorts. “Well, he must be a dumbass, too.”

  “It doesn’t matter, Cara. I want Sophie. Is she here?”

  “She should be. Her car was out front. Check her room.”

  I walk down the hallway, and my heart races knowing she’s just a few feet away from me. Turning the knob on her door, I’m stopped short when it’s locked. I knock lightly, afraid I’ll scare her if she’s asleep. “Sophie. It’s me. Open up.”

  I knock again when she doesn’t respond.

  Again, there’s no response.

  Right away, I’m reminded of the night I found her passed out on the floor in her dorm room. Worried she’s in trouble again, I throw my shoulder against her bedroom door. It breaks away from the hinge far enough that I can push it the rest of the way open.

  “Kipton!” Cara yells from the end of the hallway. “You broke the damn door!”

  Inside Sophie’s room, the only thing out of place is her trashcan as it sits in the middle of the floor. I know why it’s there, and it kills me. Her bed is empty, and doesn’t look like it’s been slept in. The blankets are all tucked in place with her pillows on top. If it wasn’t for the trashcan, there wouldn’t be a single thing out of place to prove she was ever in here.

  “Where did she go?”

  “I’m going to look for her. Stay near the phone in case she calls.” I squeeze past Cara in the doorway and run back to my car. There aren’t that many places she normally walks to from here, but I hate that she’s by herself. She knows better than to wander around when Blaine could be watching.

  Sophie mentioned the other day she was anxious to get back into her training, so I check the gym first. Two steps inside the building, and I already know she’s not here. The hallway is empty, and the lights are off inside the gym. Other than the custodian vacuuming the floor, it’s deserted.

  Her dad’s house is the next logical place she could be, but it’s too far for her to walk to from her apartment. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t have picked her up.

  Before I can even knock on Coach’s front door, I check for his car. When I don’t see it parked in the driveway or along the street, I’m positive she can’t be here, but I peek through the window next to the front door just in case. All the lights are off.

  Then it hits me. The treehouse. The last time she ran that’s where I found her.

  Within minutes I’m at the wrestling house, thankful that it dawned on me to check her favorite place. Although after last night, I may have ruined her safe haven by being an asshole.

  I run across the yard, and grab onto the ladder. As I climb up the tree, I can almost feel her waiting for me at the top. But when I get there, I’m not prepared for what I find.

  “Who’s there?” The figure asks as he hurries to his feet. It’s too dark to see his entire face, but the small glimpse I got was all I needed. I have no idea how he ended up in the damn treehouse, but the fucker is going down. “Say something,” he demands.

  I have plenty say, so his wish is about to come true. “I’m your worst fucking nightmare, Blaine.”

  The closer I get to him, the taller he stands. No longer cowering at the sight of me, he’s as ready to go to battle as I am. Before he has a chance to say another word, my fist connects with his jaw. His head jerks to the side, but he makes no attempt to fight back. The only sign of the punch is the small trail of blood he wipes away from the corner of his mouth with this thumb. A menacing laugh follows. “That the best you got, Kipton?”

  There’s no doubt he’s playing me now that he’s figured out who I am, but I’m ready. I’ve waited for a chance to get my hands on him for what he did t
o Sophie, but the longer I wait for him to strike back, the more I’m certain he won’t until I make another move. “Do you only hit women, you fucking pussy.”

  “The only pussy I know is Sophie’s,” he taunts.

  I lunge forward and grab onto the collar of his shirt. “Don’t you ever fucking talk about her again.”

  “Or what? You really think you’re going to kick my ass.”

  “I don’t think I am. I know I am.” Still holding onto his shirt with one hand, I grab his jaw in my other hand slamming the back of his head against the wall. Although he winces from the pain, he doesn’t go down. Instead, he reaches out for my throat and wraps his hand around it. Struggling back and forth, we fall to the wooden floor boards.

  His worst move was taking me to the ground. Within seconds, I use an easy hold to reverse our positions. Like an amateur wrestling match, he’s no competition for what I can do. “Now I know why you only attack girls,” I spit out as I tighten the lock I have around his throat. “You fight like one.”

  “Get off me,” He says barely above a whisper as he struggles to speak.

  “Is this what you did to Sophie?” I ask him. “Is this how she got those marks around her neck?”

  Without waiting for a response, I tug even harder. He claws at my arm, desperate for me to move. With him pinned to the floor, I have the easy advantage, but I let him get a hit in anyway. As soon as he lands it, his unprotected torso takes the brunt of one of my blows. Instinctively, he reaches for his chest and stomach to protect his ribs. I squeeze him tighter with my legs and punch him in the face until my knuckles split open.

  “Get off him, Kipton. You’ll kill him!” Caleb yells from the top of the ladder.

  “He doesn’t deserve to live,” I spit out through gritted teeth. “He destroyed her. You fucking destroyed her!”

  Caleb pulls me by the back of my shirt, yanking me away from Blaine. It would be more satisfying to stay put, but if I don’t stop now, I never will.

  Blood drips from the open cuts around both of Blaine’s eyes. My hands stay balled in tight fists by my side, ready to attack him again if he comes near me. It’s not likely as he sways from side to side, using the wall to keep himself from falling over. Eventually, he manages to get to his feet.

  “That all you got, pretty boy?” He challenges.

  He must have a death wish. I laugh at him as I use my shirt to wipe his blood off my hands. Taking my eyes off him for even a split second ends up being my biggest mistake.

  When I look up, he has a silver blade pointed right at me. “Not so tough now are you, Kipton?”

  With nothing to use in my own defense, I’m at his mercy—and he knows it. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up. “Put the knife down, Blaine.”

  His eyes are so swollen he can barely see out of the slits below his brows. As he waves the knife back and forth, he’s too weak to move away from the wall without falling over. “Call the cops, Caleb,” I say as calmly as possible. For once, Caleb listens to me and disappears down the ladder.

  Blaine waves the blade around again, slicing through the night air. I follow the small circles he’s creating, never taking my eye off the tip of the knife.

  “Are you going to stand there all night? Or are you going to fight like a man?” he asks.

  “Men don’t need knives, Blaine. What do you want? Why did you come here?” There’s no doubt in my mind I can take him—finish him off even. But not when I’m up against a fucking knife. I can’t save Sophie if I’m dead.

  “You know what I want. I told Sophie I wouldn’t quit until she paid.”

  “She’s been suffering since the day she met you. I think it’s time you move on.”

  He tips his head back and laughs, his arm falling lazily to his side. It’s his worst mistake. With the opening clear in front of me, I lunge at him. His reflexes are delayed from the alcohol I smell on his breath. It’s the opening I need to gain the upper hand in a matter of seconds.

  Just when I think I have him pinned against the wall, the knife makes a pass at my chest. I’m able to dodge the advance, pinning his arms to the wall. He pushes forward, but I push back even harder. “Give up, Blaine. You already lost.”

  “Fuck no. This isn’t over until I say it is.” He uses his legs to push off the wall knocking me backwards. With no choice but to move along with him, we inch closer to the ladder. I push forward one more time, spinning us around in a half circle. Blaine stumbles, pushing me even closer to the edge. The knife grazes my leg, but doesn’t penetrate my skin.

  I glance out of the corner of my eye at how much space I have before falling over the side. With little room to move unless I want the knife to slice through my skin, I shove him away from me one last time. “It’s over, Blaine!” I yell. The shimmer of the blade disappears before the treehouse fades to black.

  I WAKE UP WITH DROOL on the side of my mouth and a stiff neck. Although I needed the rest, I’m uncomfortable. The past few hours slowly come back to me even though I want them to stay away. I tried so hard to forget, but the reason why I ended up in the closet in the first place is fresh in my mind—Kipton was with another girl.

  I pull the hair tie out of my hair, and push the closet door open with the heel of my foot. The light that was radiating into my room before I fell asleep is now replaced by darkness. I must have slept longer than I thought.

  As I stand up, I realize how ashamed I am for hiding away in my closet. It’s always been a crutch for me, but instead of the usual comfort it brings, I’m mad that I didn’t fight harder. I don’t want to be the girl locked away from the world anymore. I want to be confident in myself whether I’m with Kipton or not.

  I use the bed to guide me over to my door. I’m positive I had the door closed and locked, but when I reach for the knob in the darkness, I’m met with open air. I feel around for the light switch and flip it on. That’s when I discover the mangled door frame that’s lifting off the hinges.

  “Cara?” I yell frantically down the hallway. Blaine was here.

  For the first time in my life, I’m thankful I was inside the closet where he couldn’t find me. If I had fallen asleep in my bed, I may not even be alive right now.

  “Sophie!” Cara runs down the hall wrapping me up in a gigantic hug. “I’ve been so worried about you. Where were you?” She looks around my room, even glancing at the windows. Both are closed and locked. I always make sure of it every time I come or go.

  “I don’t know what’s going on? My door is broken.”

  “Kipton broke it down when he couldn’t find you. He told me about the proposal. And about the misunderstanding with Alisa.”

  “What do you mean misunderstanding? That was her?”

  “Sophie, nothing happened. What you saw today was nothing more than a good-bye.”

  I turn my head away from Cara so she can’t see my eyes tearing up. “It didn’t look that simple to me.”

  “Nothing is ever simple with those two, but I promise you it wasn’t at all what it looked like. I’d break his face if he ever cheated on you. He knows that, too.”

  Although she tries to lighten the mood with her humor, I can’t focus on anything other than what I saw. “I went to the school to tell him how sorry I was. I didn’t even have a plan. I was just going to barge in there and tell him yes. And then I saw them hugging, and I didn’t stick around. I couldn’t breathe, so I drove off.”

  “I never said he wasn’t a fuck-up, Sophie, but he knows he hurt you. And he’s running all over town trying to find you to tell you how sorry he is.”

  Slowly, I start to process the fact that Kipton’s not cheating on me—that he came here earlier to fight for me. He’s the only one who has ever fought for me. “Cara where is he? I have to find him.”

  “The hell if I know. Your guess is as good as mine.”

  I search the living room for my purse and when I spot it, I grab it. “I’ll check the diner and the wrestling house. I can’t think of anywhere else he would go.�
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  Before I have a chance to open the door, Cara darts in front of me, blocking me from leaving. “You’re going to stay here with me. What good will it be if you’re both out there running in circles searching for the other one. He’ll come back here eventually.”

  Maybe she’s right. The odds of tracking him down aren’t in my favor. That doesn’t mean it won’t kill me to sit around waiting for him to walk through the door. “How long ago was he here?”

  “It’s only been a half hour, give or take a few minutes. You two are exhausting. It’s hard to keep track.”

  I feel so guilty for putting her through this shit. She has to be so tired of it by now. I know I’m completely over it. “I’m sorry you keep getting in the middle of our drama.”

  Cara shrugs her shoulders. “You’re both lucky I love you so much. Do you want a drink?”

  “Yeah. Some water.”

  Cara opens and closes the cabinet while I sit on the couch and watch the front door for any signs of movement. A few times, I walk over to the window and check the parking lot for his car. There are only so many places he can check before he has to come back here. But I’m not a patient person, and each second that passes, I become more and more agitated. I want him to know I’m not mad at him—that I want to be with him.

  Just as I chew my thumbnail painfully low, the front door opens. “Thank God.” I leap off the couch to tackle Kipton as he walks in the door. Only it’s not him. It’s Drew. “Damn it.”

  “Honey, I’m home?” he questions when he sees the disappointment on my face and the uncertainty on Cara’s.

  “Hey, baby,” Cara says as she gives him a kiss.

  “Why do you both look like someone just ran over your dog?” he asks us.