by L. P. Dover
“Then keep your mouths shut and there won’t be a problem.” Scar smirked and moved out of the way. Paxton didn’t waste any time getting us out of there as he charged through the crowd.
As soon as we got in the car, I knew all hell would break loose. Gabriella jumped in the front seat, while I sat in the back with Ryley. His body looked horrible, covered in blood and torn open in places. I was afraid to touch him for fear I’d cause him more pain.
“Paxton, we need to go to the hospital. Ryley’s going to need stitches,” I demanded. There were wounds torn open to the point I could see the muscle underneath.
Ryley scoffed. “I don’t need to go to the hospital. Just take me back to the hotel.”
“Are you serious right now? Look at yourself!” I shouted. Snapping his attention to me, his nostrils flared and his jaw tightened. “You can be pissed the fuck off if you want, but you’re going to the hospital, and that’s final.”
“Do you want to know why I’m pissed?”
I already knew why, but I had to let him get it off his chest. He was going to blow up at some point, it might as well be now.
“I’m pissed because you put not only your life in harm’s way, but our babies’ lives as well. How could you be so stupid?”
“Uh-oh,” Gabriella mumbled.
“Stupid?” I asked, eyes wide. “If I didn’t show up, you probably would’ve made the biggest mistake of your life. You were two seconds away from snapping your brother’s neck. Our children are very important to me, but where would they be without their father, huh? They need you just as much as they need me. You can’t be there for them if you’re in jail. So right now, you’re going to the hospital and then we’re going back to the hotel. The next time you think what I did was stupid, I want you to remember that.”
Taking a deep breath, I turned away from him to look out the window. The rest of the ride was nothing but silence, even from Gabriella—which was utterly shocking. I’d said what I needed to say and hopefully it got to him. If what I did was stupid, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
WHILE GABRIELLA AND I waited in the waiting room, Paxton left to run to the hotel to fetch a change of clothes. Ryley didn’t have anything on except his fighting shorts, which were drenched in blood. We couldn’t have him going into the hotel like that.
“You made a solid point in the car,” Gabriella murmured. “I think you got to him when you said it.”
“He’s still pissed at me though, and I see his point. But I’m still angry at him for leaving. It was reckless and irresponsible.”
“We all were irresponsible. The night could’ve turned out differently, but we’re all okay and so is Ryley. All we can do now is be thankful.” I was going to be praying and thanking God for the rest of my life. I didn’t want to imagine what really could’ve happened.
About that time, Paxton strolled in with a set of clothes in his arms. “These should work,” he said, passing them to me. “Have you heard anything yet?”
I took the clothes and put them in my lap. “No, but I’m pretty sure it’s just going to be stitches. Why don’t you two go back to the hotel? I can wait here on my own.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Gabriella scolded. “I’m not going to leave you here to the wrath of Ryley all by yourself.” She sat back in the seat and folded her arms across her chest. Always the stubborn one.
“Seriously, guys,” I said, glancing at them both. “It might be best if you leave. I can handle Ryley. Besides, don’t you two have some terms to discuss?”
They both looked at each other, but Paxton was the one who spoke, “Actually, tonight’s not the night for that. We can discuss it later. It’s been a long night.” Getting to his feet, Gabriella reluctantly followed, but not before checking with me one last time.
“Are you sure this is what you want?”
“Yes, now go. I’ll call you in the morning.”
Side by side, they walked out of the waiting room and disappeared around the corner. For the first time, I could breathe easily. Ryley won the fight and it was all over. The only thing I had to tackle now, was Ryley himself.
Leaning my head against the wall, I closed my eyes and started drifting off, only to be right back in the Dark Side, staring at blood. Lots and lots of blood. I thought Camden was a nightmare I couldn’t escape from, but the Dark Side was much worse. The way it smelled of death and decay would always and forever be ingrained in my mind. It was seriously a place you’d see in scary movies or in your worst nightmares.
Thankfully, I wasn’t in the depths of despair long, as a hand caressed my cheek and I was brought back to the present. Jerking awake, I opened my eyes to find Ryley kneeling in front of me, his sunken eyes boring into mine. He’d lost so much blood.
“Angel, are you okay?”
“Yes,” I answered quickly, handing him the clothes. “It was just a bad dream. Regrettably, I have a feeling there’s going to be a bunch of them in my future.”
“Where did Gabby and Pax go?” Taking my hand, he helped me to my feet and then slid the T-shirt over his head. His skin was covered in dried up blood and bandages, but at least there weren’t exposed wounds anymore. I didn’t realize how many cuts he actually had.
“I told them to leave,” I said. “I thought it would be best. I should probably call a cab, huh?”
Once the cab was called, we walked outside and waited. We were finally alone. Lowering his bloody shorts to the ground, Ryley quickly put on the pair of khaki shorts Paxton left for him and threw his fighting shorts in the trash.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked.
Sighing, he gently took my hand and held it in his lap, clasping his fingers with mine. “Not really. It’s over and there’s nothing we can do about it now. The only thing that worries me is the way you looked at me when I was in the ring. You were scared of me, weren’t you?”
I didn’t want to admit it, but I knew I couldn’t lie. I’d been terrified. I had never seen him so full of hate and violence. “Yes,” I whispered honestly. “It was like you weren’t even there.”
“I wasn’t,” he answered sadly. “Deep down, all I could feel was a bottomless pit of anger. I don’t want to imagine what I would’ve done if I didn’t stop. If you weren’t there . . . things could’ve ended up differently.”
Lifting my other hand, I gently stroked his hair. “It’s a good thing we don’t have to worry about that. Everything is going to be fine now.”
“So we’re good? You forgive me?” he asked. The cab finally pulled up and he helped me to my feet.
“Yes, we’re fine, I promise. We’re going to make mistakes and do stupid shit, but now we have more than just ourselves to think about. Things are about to change and we need to be ready.”
Nodding, he put his hand on my stomach and closed his eyes. “You’re right. When we get home, a lot is going to change. I just hope you’re ready for it.”
Lifting up on my tiptoes, I gently kissed his lips. “I’m ready for anything, as long as I have you.”
Three Days Later
As soon as we got back home, Ryley couldn’t rest until we were out of Los Angeles. I guess there were too many bad memories there. For the past three days, with the help of family and friends, our belongings were packed up and already at our cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Today was the last day we would be in the city for a very long time.
Ryley was ready for a new beginning and so was I. His cuts were healing nicely, but every time he would do something strenuous they’d ooze. Needless to say, I was dying to make love to him again, but I wanted him to heal more. Besides, we’d been too busy moving into our new home.
“I can’t believe you guys are leaving already,” Gabriella cried, flinging her arms around me. “I’m going to miss you.”
I held her tight and squeezed my eyes shut. “I’m going to miss you too. But hey, we’ll see each other soon. You’re coming up for Thanksgiving, right? It’s only a couple of months away. Maybe Pax
ton could come with you?”
She laughed. “Yeah, right. We’d kill each other.”
“Have you two talked since this weekend? I’m curious to know what his terms are. You guys were acting kind of strange when you were helping us move our things.” Paxton’s repentance was basically to help us move. He felt like he owed it to Ryley for breaking the guy code. It basically all boiled down to that it was mine and Gabriella’s fault, which it was.
“No, we haven’t talked about it yet. He decided to wait until next weekend. He knew I was upset about you leaving.” Her phone buzzed with an incoming text so she pulled it out and looked at it, frowning. “Where’s Ryley at?” she asked.
“He said he wanted to make his rounds and say goodbye. Why? What’s going on?”
Sheepishly, she walked backward to the door, biting her lip. “Because there’s someone who wants to see you before you go. I thought it best he do that with Ryley not around. I think we all need closure in our lives and you need it with him.
“Face it, Ash, you two have history. Yes, he made a mistake, but he loves you, and remember . . . he came clean in the end. He’s leaving California and I know after today you guys probably won’t ever see each other again. You’ll regret not doing this if you don’t.” By the time she opened the front door, he was walking up the front steps. “I’ll just be outside.”
Colin joined me at the door, but didn’t make a move to come inside until I stepped out of the way. He had his usual green baseball cap hanging low over his eyes, wearing a USC T-shirt and jeans. From the looks of his skin, he had already healed from his fight at the Dark Side.
“I know you probably don’t want to talk to me, but I wanted to see you. Gabby told me about Vegas and what went down.”
“Yeah.”
Taking off his hat, he ran his hands through his blond, spiky hair and looked up at me, his expression full of trepidation. “I heard you’re having twins too. Congratulations.”
“Do you even mean that?” I asked skeptically.
“A lot’s happened in the past week, Ash. I feel horrible for what I did and knowing you’ll never forgive me is the worst of all. I’m sorry for everything, and I wanted to make sure you knew that before I left town.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to New York to play ball. My flight leaves this afternoon. I just wanted to tell you I was sorry before heading out.”
Tears stung the back of my eyes and I looked away, pursing my lips. Colin was one of the loves of my life and his deceit went deep. It hurt more than anything I could’ve ever imagined. Approaching cautiously, he wrapped his arms around my body. I didn’t even move, but let him hold me while the tears fell down my cheeks.
“I love you, Ash. I think I’ll always love you. I just want you to be happy,” he murmured gently.
Lifting my arms, I circled them around his waist and held him in return. “I am happy. One of these days, you will be too. You just have to let it happen naturally. Don’t force it.”
He pressed his lips to my forehead and smoothed his hand down my back. “I’ll try. You’re not an easy girl to get over, but I’ll keep that in mind. Take care of yourself, Ash. Maybe one of these days I’ll be in the World Series.” He stepped back and let me go, heading toward the door.
“Take care of yourself too. I have no doubt you’ll make it.”
“Thanks,” he said, placing his hand on the door handle. “Goodbye, Ash.” Opening the door, he stepped out and started down the stairs.
“Goodbye, Colin.”
I joined Gabriella on the front steps and watched him get in his car and drive away. He looked back once and I waved, my throat closing up the further he drove off. Colin had been a huge part of my college life and now that time was over. It pained me, but I had to move on.
“Now aren’t you glad you said goodbye? It’s one less regret you’ll have.”
I nodded and put my arm around her. “You’re right, I’m glad I got to see him one last time. Thank you.”
“Do you think Ryley’s going to try and find Camden?” she asked.
Clutching my stomach, I took a deep breath and let it out slow. “I don’t know, Gabby. As much as I hate the idea of him seeking Camden out, I can’t help but wonder if he feels obligated. Ryley had always been the one to look after his brother, almost like he took the place of their father when he died. I just hope he knows what he’s doing.”
How many regrets would Ryley have if he didn’t face his brother again? Would he regret what he did? Or simply just hate Camden forever? I didn’t share a sibling bond with anyone, least of all a twin. Whatever Ryley decided to do, I would support him.
I HAD SAID my farewells to everyone I knew in California . . . except my brother. There was no telling where he was, or what he was doing. Hell, I didn’t even know if he was okay. After I left him knocked out in the ring, I hadn’t given much thought to him until now. Even with my body riddled in cuts, I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of ever thinking about him again. What changed my mind was my mother when I went to visit my father at his grave. She had reminded me of something my dad would have said. I needed to face my anger. That I should face my brother and tell him how I felt.
It was a long shot, but I pulled into Camden’s driveway in Malibu. His car wasn’t there, but it could easily be in the garage. I had a key to get in, but when I got to the door it was already unlocked. A giant cloud engulfed me, bringing with it the stench of alcohol and weed. What the fuck?
After shutting the door, I followed the cloud to the living room where Camden sat with his back to me, a fifth of whiskey in his hand. It was halfway gone.
“I thought I was dead to you,” he slurred.
When he turned around and I got a good look at his face, I hung my head and sighed. The place on his cheek where I cut him with his own glass fist was jagged and red. It was going to leave a nasty scar.
“I mean, that is what you said to me the other night, right? That I’m dead to you.” Lifting the bottle of whiskey to his lips, he took a long, hard pull.
“You’re right, I did say that. I was angry and I still am. However, you’re my brother and I can’t let things end this way. So what do you say about a truce?”
Camden bellowed and took another sip. “Are you serious? You almost killed me in the ring, asshole.”
“I wonder why,” I snapped. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to me? And judging by the way you held that shard to my neck, I have no doubt you would’ve followed through. I’m the one who should be pissed at you, not the other way around. I swear, I didn’t realize your hatred for me ran so deep.”
Camden swayed on his feet and he slammed the bottle of whiskey down hard on the glass table. “It’s always because of you, isn’t it? So what now, brother? You gonna get married and ride off into the sunset with your girl? Have the white picket fence? Let me tell you, it sounds fucking boring.”
In that moment, I actually felt sorry for him. I never thought I’d settle down with a girl and have a family. My life on the road was what I looked forward to, the chance to see different cities and fuck whoever I wanted. That was the life for me . . . until it just wasn’t anymore. If he didn’t straighten up, he would never find true happiness. But if I were being honest, at the current moment in time, I didn’t give a shit if he found it at all. He was too stupid and fucked up to realize he was pissing his life away on hate and jealousy.
“It may be boring to you, but it’s what I want. I’m leaving Los Angeles for good. I came by to tell you that I’m sorry if I’ve done anything to spur your hatred of me. Believe me, it was unintentional.”
Chuckling, he lit up a blunt and sucked in a lung pull, holding it inside until he coughed it out. “So do you want an apology from me? Because you sure as fuck aren’t going to get one.”
I had a feeling he’d say as much, but I had to try for my family’s sake. Backing away, I opened his door wide and let it slam into the wall. “Then I guess y
ou are dead to me. I thought you’d come to your senses, but it’s obvious you’re too goddamned stupid to realize you’re fucking up your life.”
“Then maybe you should’ve killed me and put me out of my misery.”
“Maybe I should have. That way, I wouldn’t have to worry about you fucking up our lives ever again. The only problem is, after all of the shit you’ve put me through, I still love you.” I took a step forward, my voice dripping with venom. “But if you so much as try to fuck with me or Ashleigh again, I will make sure to put you out of your misery. I can promise you that.”
With those final words, I stormed back to my car and sped out of his driveway. It was hopeless . . . he was hopeless. He’d fallen so far, I doubted he would ever come back. I know I meant it figuratively, but my brother really was dead. There was no trace of him left in that body of his.
One Week Later
A WEEK HAD passed and it was pure bliss spending it with Ryley and his family. He hadn’t left my side for a moment, yet I knew once his coach moved up here, my time was going to be all over. Training would begin again and my champion would have to make sure he was fit to defend the Middleweight title next season. But for now, he was all mine.
The sun shone down on us as we laid on the blanket in the middle of the meadow by his house. Trees surrounded us with their plush green leaves, and every so often I’d find a twinge of yellow and red amongst them. The smell of autumn lingered on the cool, brisk air and I welcomed it. Fall was my favorite season.
For the past week, I’d let Ryley heal from his fight, not only physically, but emotionally as well. He’d confided in me about visiting his brother before we left Los Angeles, but didn’t want to talk about it. His wounds went deeper than just skin, and would take much longer to heal.
Luckily for me, there was no one around for miles, especially since I had plans to seduce him. Hence, the reason I put on a pair of skimpy shorts and a plaid button down, left open with a sports bra underneath. The sports bra wasn’t exactly sexy, but it was the only thing helping my sore breasts. Who would’ve thought pregnancy hormones would make your tits hurt like a bitch?
