Fighting for Us (Love is Worth Fighting For Book 1)

by Bella Emy

  Yes, to me, it would be. But I’m not dating Carissa, and I have the right to have a female friend if I want one. Everyone can go suck a nut.

  “Okay, here goes nothing,” I say, hitting the box in the app to type my response.

  Me: Hey, it’s no problem. Happens to me all the time. Listen, if you’re not busy this Friday night—

  “No, dude! Don’t give her the option to chicken out and say she’s busy. Tell her you want her to go with you. Be bold,” Ryker states, hovering over my shoulder once more.

  I move away a bit. “Dude, okay… okay. Jeez.”

  I delete the last part of the message and rephrase it.

  Me: Hey, it’s no problem. Happens to me all the time. The company I work for is having a holiday party this Friday… I’d love it if you would come and check it out.

  “Much better,” Ryker says after I hit the send button.

  I chuckle and shake my head. “I’m glad you approve.”

  “No problem, bro.”

  My phone goes off again a few seconds later.

  Carissa: I would love to join you.

  “She said yes,” I tell him in shock.

  A huge smile spreads across his face, illuminating the entire locker room. “I fuckin’ told you, bro. She wants you.”

  I roll my eyes, put my phone away, and we make our way into the practice area of the gym.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Carissa

  “I think I should fake a headache or pretend I’m hugging the toilet from food poisoning. I should cancel,” I say, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

  I’m wearing a black miniskirt and a red top with heels to match. Shannon and Emy spent the last two hours doing my hair and makeup.

  “Cariss, would you like to get slapped now or later?” Shannon asks, standing behind me.

  I flip around with a frown, diverting my gaze from Shannon to Emy. “What if this is a big mistake?”

  “Carissa, would you stop second-guessing yourself? It’s just a party. He didn’t ask you to sleep with him, but ooh, if he did,” Emy says, and they both laugh.

  “I’m serious, guys. I’m really nervous.” I look at the ground before Shannon places a finger underneath my chin.

  “Hey, sis. If I thought this was a bad idea, I’d tell you. But I think it’s great. You keep running into the UFC heavyweight champion, and he’s a damn hot piece of man candy… like, seriously. You’ll be fine.”

  “Shannon’s right, girl. The boy is fiiiine!”

  Now the three of us are laughing.

  I was a little hesitant when I texted him the other night after the incident with Steve; I’ll admit that. But when I awoke the next morning and saw another text sitting there in my inbox from him, something inside me said to go for it.

  “Okay, I guess it’s okay,” I say and turn around to get one last glimpse in the mirror.

  “Is he picking you up?” Emy asks.

  “I’m meeting him there. He offered, but I didn’t want it to really feel like a date. He didn’t seem upset about it at all.”

  They nod, and Shannon goes to sit on my bed while Emy pops a piece of gum into her mouth.

  “Well, girl. Then you’d better get going ’cause you’re going to be late,” Shannon states.

  I look over at the time and notice it is indeed time to go.

  The girls and I walk out of my building and then they walk me to my car to make sure I don’t chicken out. I keep telling them they don’t have to, but they insist.

  They wait to make sure I pull out of the parking spot, but as I go to start the car, nothing is happening.

  “She’s backing out,” I hear Emerson say from right outside my car.

  Shannon moves closer to it and places her hands on the ledge of the window. “What’s going on?”

  I meet her gaze. “I don’t know. I can’t get it to start.”

  “Let me see.”

  I hop out and she hops in. She tries to bring the engine to life, but nothing is happening.

  “Of course this shit happens to me. Maybe this is a sign from God, low key telling me it’s not meant to be,” I say, pacing back and forth.

  Emy leans against the piece of shit that won’t start. “Oh, no. Don’t you do that. Call him and see if he can come pick you up.”

  I look at her like she’s got three heads. “Woman, are you crazy?”

  “No, Carissa. She’s serious. Now, call or text Lorenzo—I don’t care which—and have him come grab you,” Shannon says.

  For a second, I don’t move. The last thing I want to do is call him right now, but they’re not giving me any other option.

  “Can’t one of you two just give me a ride? It’s not that—”

  “Call him!” the two of them say in unison.

  I let out a deep breath and plop my ass against my car. Damn piece of tin that won’t start, I hate you so much right now.

  I pull out my cell phone from my purse and call Lorenzo.

  “I’m glad you didn’t stand me up. I don’t think my ego could take that,” Lorenzo says with a smile once he pulls into the parking lot.

  I chuckle. “I was so close. You have my best friend and sister to thank.”

  He looks gorgeous. The fact that he’s smiling right now only makes it better. He’s wearing a gray dress shirt over black pants. I think Emy and Shannon almost passed out when they saw him pull up. When he stepped out of the car… forget it.

  “Are you very close to them?” he asks.

  “Yes, they’re my ride-or-dies,” I respond, fussing with some strands of hair.

  He pulls into a spot and kills the engine. “That’s cool. I have a best friend named Ryker who I’m tight with. You’ll meet him tonight. And then of course, there’s my sister and brother who I’m also very close to.”

  I nod. “Is it the same Ryker from the tournament?”

  His smile widens. “Yes, that’s the one. I’m surprised you remember him.”

  “Emy wouldn’t let me forget if I tried.”

  He chuckles. “Okay, we’re here. This is where we hold our practices and some of our smaller tournaments. But don’t worry, it doesn’t smell like sweaty gym socks. We cleaned up and decorated the place for the party.”

  I giggle. “I’m not at all worried. Trust me, I don’t work in the most elegant environment all the time either.”

  “Oh, yeah? What do you do?”

  I shrug. “I work at the hospital. It’s not very pleasant sometimes.”

  His smile fades, and I instantly wonder what I said wrong. Of all the things we’ve talked about over the last couple of days through text message, my job never came up. We discussed so much, including our favorite types of food, music, and movies, but what I did for a living happened to slip both of our minds.

  “All right, let’s get going. Are you ready?” he asks.

  I take a deep breath and respond. “I’m ready.”

  We step out of the car and walk up to the main entrance.

  “Lorenzo’s Fitness Center… you own this?”

  He smiles. “I do.”

  Holy shit. I didn’t know he was the owner.

  He opens the door for me, and when we step foot inside, I see the whole gym is decorated in red and green embellishments. Colorful lights bounce off the walls, reminding me of school dances I attended as a kid growing up. Glittered snowmen and snowflakes line the wall, music fills the air, and a table full of holiday treats is set up against the wall.

  “You guys decorated all of this?” I ask, my eyes in awe of the beauty.

  He places a hand on the small of my back, causing that same bolt of electricity I felt the other night come rushing back through me.

  “We sure did. I couldn’t have a party here if it looked like crap. Let’s get our coats checked and then head on inside.”

  He leads me inside the center area of the gym, and almost instantly, Ryker walks up to us.

  “Hey, Enz! You made it, bro!” he shouts. He’s holding a drink in
one hand. Behind him, a woman with red hair wearing a dress that resembles a piece of lingerie comes forward.

  “Hey, Ryker,” Lorenzo says, embracing his friend. “This is Carissa Rodgers. Carissa, this is my best friend and the biggest goofball you’ll ever meet, Ryker Manzoni.”

  “Hi, Ryker,” I say.

  “Carissa, it’s lovely to meet you. This is my girlfriend, Justine.” He gently pushes her forward.

  Her cold, surly smile sends chills up my back. Shit. Winter doesn’t have anything on her cold and stuck-up personality.

  I smile politely, and thankfully, Lorenzo saves me. “Justine, it’s so good to see you again. How’s Mandy?”

  Her chilling smile fades, and her green eyes dart toward Lorenzo. “Amanda? She’s well, thank you.”

  “So, have you checked out the bar? It’s nice…” Ryker states and drains the rest of his drink.

  Lorenzo chuckles. “For what they charged? It better be.”

  Holy crap… I can only imagine how much this is costing him, more so because he invited me. I would have felt like a bitch if I had made up some excuse not to come. Thank God for my two girls, pushing me to attend tonight.

  “Yeah, well, there’s a shit ton of catered food coming in just a bit, and the music, the DJ… the drinks of course. I wanted the best for tonight,” Lorenzo states.

  “It must have cost an arm and a leg. Everything is so much money,” Ryker responds.

  “As it should,” Justine abruptly responds.

  No one says a word, but the look on Ryker’s face says he’s not all too thrilled. I wonder if she’s always like this when she’s with him or if she just doesn’t want to be here. From what I’ve witnessed so far, Ryker seems to be a really nice guy, but like I said, so far. I don’t really know him. Lorenzo has spoken highly of him every single time he’s talked about him.

  “Well, let’s go grab a drink,” Ryker says as he throws his empty cup in the garbage to our left and grabs Justine’s hand.

  Lorenzo and I exchange a look, and I swear I can feel my panties melting. He is incredibly hot, and whenever he smiles at me, I want to die. I don’t remember the last time I’ve felt like this about anyone.

  I want to melt into his gaze, and the sudden urge to get him in a corner and make out with him takes over me.

  No idea where that’s coming from, but fuck. He’s gorgeous.

  Breaking the spell, he turns to look at Ryker. “Dude, you already had a drink.”

  Ryker nods. “And now, it’s time for another. Come on!”

  “Did you enjoy yourself tonight?” Lorenzo asks as we buckle up. We said good-night to Ryker, Justine, and a few other guys he introduced me to from his gym, and now he’s taking me home.

  I smile and adjust myself in the seat. “It was so much fun. I don’t go out too often, so this was really nice. The food and the music were great. Your friends and the staff all seem very nice too.”

  He chuckles, and the sound of it sends me swooning. Damn.

  “Yeah, those guys are great, and Ryker is the best. Justine… not so much.”

  I place a hand over my mouth to stifle a laugh. “What’s her deal anyway?”

  He shrugs, pulling out of the parking lot. “She’s his baby mama. They dated a while back, she got pregnant, and ever since Mandy came, she wasn’t all that nice to him. She broke up with him and then she wouldn’t allow him to see the baby for so long. She always hounded him for money, even though he always sent her more than what the government said he should. Plus, he always buys her anything and everything on top of it.”

  I furrow my brows. “I don’t understand. If he’s doing what he’s supposed to and being a good dad, why is she acting like that toward him?”

  He shrugs again. “I don’t really know. I think she just likes drama.”

  We both chuckle before he continues.

  “Nah, but now they are back together, so he’s able to see his daughter again and be in her life like he wants without the drama. That little girl is everything to him.”

  I smile as we turn onto my block. “Aww, how old is she?”

  “She just turned four.” He pauses for a moment and then asks, “Do you have any kids?”

  I shake my head, even though he can’t take his eyes off the road and look at me right now. “No. Do you?”

  He doesn’t answer for a moment, and it seems as though he carefully chooses his next words. “I do. Gianna. She’s five.”

  I nod. I’m not surprised he does. I kind of expected it. He is gorgeous. Of course he had tons of women before me, and of course he was with someone long enough to have a baby with them. I wonder if he gets along with her. I hope for his daughter’s sake they do get along, but I secretly hate the thought that there was someone else before me.

  Before me. Listen to me, thinking there’s even a chance for us. I don’t want one. I want to stay single. Don’t I?

  “So, no kids… What about overprotective husbands?” He smiles, and I’m once again falling all over myself.

  “No… I was engaged at one point, but it didn’t go anywhere.”

  He pulls into a spot in front of my building. “Was it with the guy from the other night?”

  I smile nervously. “Steve. Yeah… that was him.”

  He turns to face me, and I want to melt into a puddle. Holy crap, the weight of his stare is causing so many emotions to flow through me right now. As against as I was about dating again after Steve, I want Lorenzo right now. I want him to kiss me with those full lips of his. I want him to place his huge hands on me and take me to where I haven’t been in so long.

  “His loss,” he whispers, and I surely wasn’t expecting that.

  God, this stare of his is making me drench my panties all over again.

  “We’re here,” I say, trying desperately to divert this conversation because I really don’t think I’m ready for it.

  He leans in closer and chuckles softly. My heart races. It seems like he wants to kiss me. Lord, do I want him to. Even if I am scared and changed the subject just moments ago.

  Instead of kissing me like I’m hoping, he speaks again. “We are, but I’d really like to see you again, Carissa.”

  Holy shit… he would? Damn, so would I. Honestly, I don’t even want this night to end now. Do I invite him in?

  I swallow thickly. “I’d like that very much.”

  His smile is still spread across his handsome face. My heart pounds in my chest, and my palms grow sweaty.

  “Good. I’ll text you. Let me walk you to your door.”

  “Okay,” I respond breathlessly.

  He walks around to my side of the car and opens the door for me before I have a chance to get out. He helps me out, and I grab his hand. I swear, the lightning bolts of electricity I felt earlier and the other night are back once more. This guy is going to be the death of me.

  We stop when we reach the entrance to my building, and I’m left standing inches away from him, looking up into his gorgeous brown eyes.

  He looks away for only a split second before coming back to my gaze. “I’m really glad you came with me to the party tonight. I really enjoyed your company.”

  “I did too.”

  He leans in a few inches, hesitates for a moment, and pulls back. “Good night, Carissa.”

  Damn, I thought this was surely the moment he was going to kiss me.

  “Good night, Lorenzo,” I respond and then he turns around and walks to his car.

  I wave before entering the building, and after I close the door and watch from the window above it, he disappears into the dark of night.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lorenzo

  I run a hand through Gianna’s hair and watch Ryker take another bite of his pepperoni slice. His daughter, Mandy, is sitting to his left, drinking some juice.

  It’s been two days since the party, and we decided to bring the girls out for some pizza and games. Two dads and their little girls… What could be better?

  “So, ho
w’s it been being back home?” I ask.

  Ryker lifts his gaze after scarfing down yet another bite.

  I shake my head. “Dude, I don’t know how you can eat that stuff like it’s actually good. My brother is the same way.”

  “It is good,” he says through a mouthful. “It’s great.” He swallows, takes a gulp of his drink, and wipes his mouth. “Chuck E. Cheese pizza is the best. I knew I liked your brother for some reason.”

  “Daddy, can we go play now?” Mandy asks Ryker, pulling on his sleeve.

  Ryker turns to face her, but I have to intervene.

  “As soon as your daddy is done with his eleventh slice, we’ll go play, sweetheart.”

  Mandy frowns at me. “He’s taking too long.”

  “I know, right?” I whisper back.

  Ryker throws me a glare. “Thanks a lot, bro.”

  I snicker. “No problem.”

  “Daddy, Uncle Ryke eats so much like Uncle Maxy.” Gianna now is tugging on my sleeve, grabbing my attention.

  Ryker throws me another glare.

  I face my little girl and place a kiss on her forehead. I want to laugh at her statement. “He does. See, when you’re a big muscle head, like your Uncle Ryke there, you need to eat a lot of not-so-good food.”

  “But I like Chuck E. Cheese pizza! It is good!” Gianna exclaims. Her big blue eyes shine like diamonds. Damn, she looks so much like her mother.

  I frown.

  “I’m sorry, Daddy. I know it’s not very good for you.” Gianna throws her little arms as best as she can around me. She doesn’t even make it halfway around.

  “Oh, no, princess. I’m not upset with you. It’s okay to like this pizza. Daddy is only joking. Uncle Ryke and Uncle Maxy like it too.” I grab her into my arms and set her in my lap. Then, looking at both girls, I say, “Come on. I think Uncle Ryke is done eating. Let’s go play.”

  “Yay!” they shout in unison.

  We slide out of the seats and head to the arcade games. The girls run to similar ones next to each other, and Ryker and I swipe our key cards so they can play.