by JB Salsbury
“Yes, go.” She plucks the shirt she’s wearing with her fingers. “I’ll wash this and get it back to you on Monday.”
“No hurry. See ya.” I head from her room, keeping my eyes to the floor, and it’s a good thing I do because, when I pass Mindy’s room, her door is wide open, and I’m assaulted by the hushed whispers of a very heated good-bye.
Five
Killian
I knock twice on Cameron’s door and wait for him to give me permission to enter. It’s cracked, but without Eve or Layla here to let me in, I don’t dare presume by barging in.
“Yeah, come on in.”
I push inside to find him sitting at his desk, his eyes pinned to a computer screen. His huge hands dwarf the keyboard as he types using his pointer fingers. “If I’m interrupting, I can come back.”
He hits me with the full force of his scowl. When I first started working at the UFL, I’d nearly piss myself every time he looked at me, but now I understand that’s just his resting scary-badass-do-not-fuck-with-me face. “Sit.”
I take the single seat opposite him, and his chair moans in protest as he leans back. “I have an opportunity I’d like to discuss with you. You know Caleb’s training over in England?”
“Yeah.” He’s turning out some kickass fighters and making a name for not only himself but for the UFL.
“We’ve been talking, and I think it’s time you get some fights under your belt.”
My pulse jacks up, and I try hard not to grin like a moron.
“How would you feel about a year overseas?”
“Overseas? You’re sending me to England?”
“I’d like to, yeah. Hugo Webb is ready. I’d like to promote a UK-versus-USA fight. You go, take a few months to train with Caleb, promote. Opportunity of a lifetime for a new fighter, Kill. We could line up a few fights in a year’s time. You’d be stupid not to jump on it.”
“How is it UK versus USA if I’m training in England?”
“Caleb’s always been USA. He’ll be your main trainer. Makes more sense to keep you there with him rather than fly you back and forth every four months.”
“Three fights in a year?”
“Big-ticket fights.”
It’s everything I always wanted, just…not exactly where I wanted. I blink, trying to absorb the offer when my mind screams one name.
Axelle.
“But, what about school? I’m on an academic scholarship and—”
“It’s only a year. This semester just started. You drop your classes, get over there, and when you get back, you can pick up where you left off. As far as your scholarship goes, if they can’t put it on hold for a year, I can guarantee you’ll make enough money fighting for a year to pay for eight years in college.”
I run a hand through my hair and wish I could put myself into a headlock for even contemplating saying no. This is all I’ve ever dreamed of; fighting for the UFL in any capacity is more than I could ever ask for.
“So…?” He leans forward, resting his forearms on the desk. “What do you think?”
“Oh, uh…can I think about it?” I’m a fucktard!
His narrow glare becomes impossibly narrower, and I cringe when I see a flash of disappointment in his expression. “Make it quick. If you’re not going, I’ve got a line of guys who will.” He turns back to his computer, dismissing me.
“Cam, this is a great opportunity. Thanks, ya know, for believing in me. I’ll let you know in—”
“Get yourself a passport and pull your head outta your ass so I can put you on a fucking plane to England. I need an answer in a few weeks, tops.” His disappointment is suffocating.
“I got it. Thank you.” It’s all I can say before I stand to leave, and even as I walk out of his office and to my Jeep, all I’m thinking is there’s no way in hell I’m leaving Axelle for a year. No. Way.
I’ll have to find a different route to achieve my goals, stay local, bide my time, and stick to my plan.
~*~
Axelle
Call me when we’re cleared to put that piercing to use.
I can’t stop staring at the last text Clifford sent me. Even as I run the stupid pink ball along the back of my teeth, my stomach clenches in that all too familiar way. Why can’t I just tell him to fuck off? Let him go and move on?
A tiny voice in my head whispers that I need him. That if I can’t keep him from leaving then I’m truly destined to be alone. A shiver races up my spine at the very idea of growing old alone. All I ever wanted was someone who’d love me unconditionally, someone who’d commit to me and only me forever and ever.
Is that even possible anymore?
“What are you doing?” My mom waves to me from the front door of her home.
I’ve been sitting in the driveway, trying to build up the courage to go inside and face the wrath of her and my stepdad. Before I left to come here, I practiced hiding my piercing by having conversations with myself in the mirror. I tried talking with my teeth closed, without moving my lips, and concluded that there’s no hiding this thing. The in-your-face approach is the best way to handle this.
“Sorry!” I roll up my window and shut the car off. “I can do this.”
She meets me at my car when I hop out and wraps me in a hug. “I swear you seem older every time I see you!”
“Mom, it’s been a week.”
“I know, but still.” She pulls back, but hooks her arm around my waist. “Come on. Jack’s inside and the last time I left him alone for too long, he wound up drowning his army guys in the toilet.”
I snag my purse and hit the key fob to lock my doors. “Where’s Blake?”
“He’s on his way. Don’t worry.” She squeezes me. “He’d never miss dinner with you.”
We break apart to climb the few steps up to the front door. Mom and Blake moved from their condo into a very comfortable home in one of the nicer Vegas suburbs. It’s a ranch-style home on a huge chunk of land with the biggest backyard I’ve ever seen complete with a pool, basketball court, and a guesthouse, which Blake turned into a man cave. It’s the perfect house for the perfect family. I frown and push through the front door. I really am happy for them.
“Jackie Bear, where is your diaper?” My mom’s giggle filters through the high-ceilinged entryway. “God, you’re just like your father.”
“Ass-ole!” Jack still can’t say my name. I sigh as a streak of blond and naked comes racing toward me. “Ass-ole!” He crashes into my shins, nearly taking me off my feet.
“Whoa, buddy!” I scoop him up and he immediately melts into me. “You’re a little tank.”
He rests his head on my shoulder, and the simple act of tenderness cramps my chest. I never knew it was possible to love someone as much as I love my brother—the kind of love I’d gladly lie in front of a bus for, commit murder if anyone hurt him, the craziest kind.
My mom comes up holding a fresh diaper, her eyes soft as she watches me cuddle Jack. “Here.”
I take it from her and move to the couch just as the door that leads from the garage swings open.
“Damn, it smells good in here.” Blake’s voice booms through the space before he appears from the kitchen and wraps my mom into a hug, his eyes on me. “Hey, kiddo.”
“Hey.”
“Car running okay? When was the last time you had the oil changed?”
“Yeah, it’s great. Maybe a month ago?”
“I’ll check your tire pressure after dinner.”
“Okay.” I put Jack down, his bare bottom flashing the room.
Blake’s mouth stretches in a grin that is all manly pride. “He can’t help but show off his assets.”
My mom shakes her head. “Sounds like someone else I know.”
“Dada! Ass-ole!”
“It’s Ax-el, son. Ax. El. Stop callin’ your sister an asshole.”
I secure his diaper and snag his tiny T-shirt that has Future Heavyweight written on the front. I pull it over his head and help him pop his little
arms through. “Can you say Ax?”
“Ass!”
I tickle him and he squeals. “Ax!”
“Ass!”
“You have a dirty mouth!” I’m laughing and totally lost in my baby brother. “Say Ax!”
“Ass!”
“No, silly! Ax!
“What the fuck is that?”
“Blake!” My mom’s voice reprimands him, but her narrowed eyes are zeroed in on my mouth.
I put Jack down, and he scurries off to his train set. Clearing my throat, I throw my shoulders back, which only makes Blake scowl harder.
“Oh this?” I point to my mouth. “I got my tongue pierced—”
“What?”
“Why?”
The what was from Blake, the why from my mom. And judging by the disgusted look on Blake’s face, I’d say he didn’t ask why because he already knows. “Dunno, just wanted to.”
“Oh.” My mom has always been good about allowing me to express my individuality with my clothes, my makeup, and hair, but something tells me this particular form of expression hit just outside her comfort zone.
Blake steps forward until he’s about a foot from me, and he tilts his head. I love my stepdad. I do. He’s the closest thing to a real dad I’ve ever had, and he’d do anything for my mom and my brother, but he’s also intimidating. Especially when he’s mad. I try to shrink away as he towers over me.
“Let me see it.”
I lick my lips and then open my mouth.
He crosses his arms over his chest. “It hurt?”
“A little.”
My mom’s hand is braced on her neck as if she’s physically holding back her freak-out. “When, um…” She nods to my mouth. “Why?”
Blake pinches the bridge of his nose at my mom’s question.
“Oh, well… I was just bored I guess, and I wanted to try something new, ya know. Killian and I went—”
“Whoa!” Blake’s jaw clenches hard. “Killian took you to do this?”
“Oh, no. No, he um… I asked him to go and he—”
“So he was there when you did this.”
“Yes, he was there, but—”
“And he didn’t stop you?” Oh shit, his face is getting red.
“Blake, calm down. He didn’t want me to.”
“He didn’t stop you!”
Now I’m pissed. “Like he could?”
“Of course he could!”
“I’m a grown woman!”
Blake’s eyes fly to my mom, who suddenly looks embarrassed. “Did you hear that? She’s a grown woman!” He lifts his brows. “Sound familiar?”
“You’re overreacting! I’m over eighteen and can get anything I want pierced.”
He clenches his head between his hands. “Oh, fuck, don’t go there.”
“Blake! Language!”
“You guys.” I force my voice to calm. “It’s okay. Honestly, I don’t even think I’ll keep it for long. Rex has piercings, right? You don’t see him any differently.”
“He’s a fucking pin cushion for a reason, kiddo. What I’m concerned most about isn’t your need to express yourself; it’s what the hell are you expressing and why.” He holds up a hand. “Don’t tell me.”
“Blake…”
Without warning, he launches himself at me and wraps me in a hug. “I love you, baby. You’re my girl.”
I hug him back. “I know.”
“Just want the best for you.”
Shame heats my body. “I know that too.”
He drops a kiss on my head then claps his hands. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
My mom relaxes, and when Blake leads the way to the kitchen, she hooks her arm in mine. “I like the pink. It’s pretty.”
“Thanks, Mom.” If she knew I did this to get a guy’s attention, she’d lecture me for days on how important it is to find someone who likes me for me. That who I am is impressive enough.
But damn, if my own father doesn’t even love me enough to stick around, then how can I expect anyone else to? Sure, I have Blake, and he’s amazing, but if he didn’t have Mom, he wouldn’t keep me. Only reason he has me is because Mom and I were a package deal.
So yeah…some girls get the man they want just by being them.
The rest of us have to prove we’re worth it.
Six
Killian
“Still can’t believe you’re passing this up.”
Ryder’s voice rakes against my nerves as we push out of the classroom and squint into the sun. He pops on his vintage black Ray-Bans, looking like some Sex Pistols throwback as we make our way across campus to the café.
“I haven’t decided anything yet.” Actually, I have. It’s been almost two weeks since Cam made me the offer. A tiny voice whispers I’m making a mistake by passing this opportunity up, but that voice shuts the hell up every time I see Axelle.
“You know how rare this is, man? You’re twenty-one-years old, and you’ll be representing the UFL USA over there.” He shakes his head. “You’re a dumb ass if you don’t jump on this.”
“But it’s a year overseas.” I hook my backpack straps with my thumbs and weave through the crowds of co-eds lingering between classes. “I’ve got school and…” I slam my lips shut. “I’ll get where I want to be another way. It’s not like this’ll make or break my career.”
Ryder stops and his sudden freeze makes me do the same.
“What?”
His eyes narrow. “You’re passing this up for her, aren’t you?”
Fuck yes. “No, I’m passing it up because I have a plan. Finish college, get my first fight, and once I graduate I’ll be able to do—”
“You’re a fuckin’ liar.” He chuckles and continues to walk. “Can’t believe you’re gonna pass this up for a chick. I’d say you deserve to lose your balls for that, but my guess is you handed those over to her a long time ago.”
I have no defense or desire to continue this conversation. I focus on the quad, which is bustling with people who’re grabbing food between classes.
We spot Theo at a table and head over to say hi. My eyes scan the area for Axelle. She’s usually here by now, but I don’t see her.
“What’s up?” Ryder drops down to sit next to one of the two girls Theo’s entertaining.
“Oh, hey.” One of the girls leans around Theo to study me. “I know you.”
I peer down at her. She’s good-looking and has bright red hair that falls over her shoulders in waves and a few perfectly placed freckles across her pale cheeks. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah, we had Econ together last year.” She lifts her strawberry blond brow. “Dr. Farlow, remember?”
“That’s right.” She looks vaguely familiar, but we never spoke. “How’d you do in that class?”
“B plus. You?”
“A.”
She smiles sweetly. “Nice.”
“Killian’s never gotten a B in his life,” Theo pipes up from across the table. “He’s got a 158 IQ.”
Her eyebrows pop up to her hairline. “Is that true?”
A flash of warmth hits my cheeks.
“Fuck yeah, it’s true,” Ryder answers. “Too bad his decision-making is less than genius.”
I glare at the guy, grateful no one at the table asks questions about his verbal jab.
“So, are we going out for Valentine’s Day or what?” Theo asks the brunette who’s been staring at him adoringly.
“Depends.” She flips her hair in that way girls do. “Are you going to actually take me out, or is this like the last date you took me on where we hung out on your couch?”
Whatever good mood I’d managed to find fizzles at the mention of Valentine’s Day. It’s been a bummer holiday since the night Axelle’s dad reappeared in her life only to crush her to pieces.
After that, we’ve always spent the holiday together. It’s never romantic. We pass the time by going to the movies, grabbing something to eat, or these last two years we’ve spent watching Jack so Blake coul
d take Layla out. It’s not their favorite holiday either, and between the four of us, we’re like the Cupid Killing Squad, all trying desperately to normalize a day that has left us with memories that are far from pleasant.
“…come with us, Killian.”
I shake my thoughts at the sound of the redhead saying my name. “Yeah?”
“Oh yay! It’s settled then.” She motions to Ry and Theo. “The three of us, so it’ll be, what, a triple date!”
Oh shit. “Wait, for Valentine’s Day? I can’t—”
Ryder slaps me on the shoulder. “Of course he can.”
I glare at him and he manages to smile wickedly. Fuckface.
“Great!” The redhead scribbles something on a piece of paper and rips it off, handing it to me. “Here’s my phone number.”
Ryder snags the paper from her since I make zero attempt to take it. I am not taking this girl out for Valentine’s Day.
She stands up and her friend follows her lead. “We have to go, but keep in touch and we’ll work out the details.” She flashes another sweet smile and then walks off with a confident sway in her hips.
Theo jumps up too. “Hillary, wait up.” He chases after the brunette.
I swivel around to glare at Ry. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
“Helping you to move on.” He chuckles and takes a swig of Red Bull. “It’s one night, bro.” He tosses me the scrap of paper.
I take it and look at the girly swirl numbers of her phone number. “I don’t even know her name.”
“Really? You guys had a class together.” He shakes his head. “Her name is Brynn. For a genius, you’re really fucking stupid.”
“Look. I’m not going.” I toss the scrap of paper back at him.
Ryder’s eyebrows pop above his sunglasses. “You got something better to do?”
He knows Axelle and I spend Valentine’s Day together every year, so I don’t answer.
He leans in. “Don’t worry, Kill. Something tells me her plans are already made anyway, and…” He nods to a spot just over my shoulder. “My guess is they don’t include you.”
