“This is a very private matter,” Gwendolyn interjected. “I’d like to speak to Juliette alone.”
“I’m sorry, Gwendolyn, but I can’t.” I had come home to resolve things one way or another with Leo, and despite the curve ball this whole situation had thrown our way, there was no chance I was going to jeopardise what I knew we could have on a stranger. “I’m sorry.”
She nodded solemnly. “I understand and I admire your loyalty.” Moving forward, she wrapped her arms around me. “Thank you for bringing my son back into my life,” she whispered in my ear.
I untangled myself from her tight embrace, feeling awkward and a little creeped out. I took a step back and looked her in the eye. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but my loyalty will always lie with Leo.”
“If you change your mind, I’d love to hear from you.” She handed me a small white card with her name and a number written on it. She appeared dangerously sincere. “Goodbye, beautiful Juliette.”
I stood in silence, watching the last person on earth I would’ve expected to meet today float gracefully towards the lake’s edge.
“What a bitch,” my mother stated firmly once she was out of earshot.
I swung around to face her. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, nothing, dear.”
I’d heard what she’d said and was in no mood for her. “I have to go, Mother.”
“Look, sweetheart.” She glanced down towards the lake. “I’m not just saying this because of who her son is, but I don’t trust her.”
I placed my hand on my forehead, wishing I’d just stayed in bed today instead of coming here. Again, the word trust was being thrown around by someone who had broken mine.
“I’m afraid I don’t give the slightest credence to your character judgement. In fact, it makes me want to run down there,” I said, pointing towards the lake, “and be her best friend.” I was starting to feel delirious with frustration and fatigue. “You set Leo up. Again.”
“Don’t lash out at me, darling. I was right about the kind of man he is.” She raised her eyebrows and appeared self-righteous. I wanted to punch her in the face. “He was hiding a pretty big secret from you.”
“Oh my God, Mother.” I rolled my eyes. “You have no clue what kind of man Leo really is. All you see is that he was on your staff and, therefore, beneath you.”
“Well, of course he’s beneath us, Juliette.” She appeared genuinely affronted. “Most people are.”
I clenched my teeth and started walking back up the hill. I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat, but it was impossible. My eyes brimmed with tears at the realisation that she might never change. I just had to find a way to be okay with that.
I could hear her calling after me.
I stopped and turned around. “There’s nothing left to say, Mother. I’m really tired and I just want to go home.”
“I don’t trust her, Juliette.”
“Well I don’t trust you, so we’re at an impasse, aren’t we?”
She sighed. “I’m fine now, I promise. We can start fresh when I come home and forget all this silliness. I have such big plans. I’m thinking we need to move. Maybe Sydney?”
I shook my head. “Dad will pick you up next weekend, okay? Take care of yourself.” I closed the distance between us and kissed her on the cheek. I hadn’t expected a miracle, but I’d hoped for more than this. If the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result, perhaps it was me who belonged in the looney bin too. I was done.
Chapter Four
Leo
I jogged all the way back to my Jeep, climbed in and slammed my palms on the steering wheel repeatedly. Over and over again, I pummelled it, trying to block out my mother’s face. I’d spent the last few months thinking my time in the cage was over. My future with Juliette was my priority, and I had even been in serious talks with my childhood coach, Nick, about re-entering the boxing circuit. All that had come crashing down the second I’d come face to face with the devil. She was pure evil, and I hadn’t been able to get away from her fast enough. I wanted to beat the living shit out of someone or something, and at that moment, the steering wheel was copping it.
The fact that I’d left Juliette in there consumed me with guilt, but I couldn’t go back. There was no way I could go back there ever.
My phone rang and I answered the call in a bit of a daze.
“Is this Leo Ashlar?” a man with an accent I couldn’t place asked.
“That’s me,” I replied, rubbing my forehead, unsure why I had answered the call in the first place.
“Pete Sanders here. Fight promoter from Perth.”
Surprised, I didn’t immediately reply. Promoters rarely called a fighter directly. They would negotiate with the manager or coach. “This isn’t a good time, mate.”
“I want you over here for a fight next weekend. I saw footage of your fight at the Melbourne Pavillion last week and you’re exactly who I need. My fight is the weight division below, but you strike me as the kind of fighter who likes a challenge. I know—”
“That was a one-off fight.” I cut him off. Jesus Christ, the guy didn’t draw breath. I pinched the bridge of my nose, struggling to think straight.
“I was told you wouldn’t be interested, but I wanted to hear it directly from you.”
“Hold up.” His earlier comment suddenly hit me. “Did you say the weight division below?”
“That’s right.” He sounded very casual about a pretty big deal breaker.
“Are you insane? Even if I wanted to fight, I can’t lose seven or eight kilos in a week.”
“There are ways, Leo.” He paused. “If you really want something, you find a way.”
I couldn’t believe I was even considering this, but the idea of taking my mind off what had just happened with my mother and the opportunity to get the hell out of Melbourne was appealing, regardless of the potentially insurmountable issue with the weight.
“So I presume you spoke to Nick.”
“The one and only Nick Matthews.” He chuckled. “Told me to go to Hell.”
“There are hundreds of legit fighters you could get. I don’t understand why you would come after me, especially given I’m in the wrong weight division.”
“My local boy needs a bigger challenge and you’re the fighter I want. I asked around my Melbourne contacts, and your name kept coming up as the next big thing. I know about your caged Muay Thai background, and that just makes you even more perfect.”
I looked out the windscreen at the dark clouds and took a deep breath. “If I can get Nick on board, I’ll do it.”
“Call me back by tonight.”
Two months ago, I’d returned to Lilydale the day after Juliette’s fight and reconnected with Nick Matthews, my childhood boxing coach and mentor. I’d been inspired by Juliette’s performance in the ring and asked Nick if he could line me up with a fight. Given my reputation in the cage, he had been able to secure me a high-ranked opponent at the Pavillion. I’d completely smashed him and taken victory by knockout. It had been exhilarating and a reminder of how much I loved the boxing ring. However, my first thought when I’d seen my mother was how much I wanted to be in the cage. It had become my refuge and my own personal oblivion that I didn’t think I could find in the ring. Perhaps this Perth fight could serve as a good distraction though.
Needing to talk to Nick in person about it, I headed to Lilydale, leaving Dartmoor, Juliette and my past behind me.
***
I poked my head around Nick's office door. “Everything okay?” he asked. “Come in.” He stood up and moved around his desk to shake my hand. This man had played such an important role in my life before I’d stopped boxing and I was surprised by how much I was enjoying spending time with him again these past few months.
Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven strummed soulfully through the speakers. “Still listening to 70s music?” I asked, smiling.
He
narrowed his eyes. “Don’t go knocking the greatest era in music history.” Shadow boxing, he gave me a mock warning. “I can still kick your butt, you know.”
“Good luck with that, old man.” I chuckled as he returned to his chair.
I sat down in the uncomfortable plastic chair and glanced around the small room… Memories of my youth flooded my mind. They had been the 'before' years. The years when my life had been simple. I had been normal and untouched by tragedy. A familiar picture caught my eye and I squinted to focus on the image.
The sound of his voice pulled my gaze from the picture. “Remember that day?” asked Nick. “It was the day I knew you were destined for greatness.”
“I remember.” I was surprised by the nostalgia in his voice.
“I told you at the time you were my once-in-a-career fighter, but you’d already made your mind up.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I was devastated, but I saw the magic again at the Pavillion last week.”
I linked my hands behind my neck, stretching my legs out in front of me. “I remember you saying that all those years ago.” I looked back at the picture of a sixteen-year-old me holding up a trophy and smiling broadly. I remembered the decision behind my easy smile. I’d won the fight no one thought I could win except Nick. I was satisfied and ready for something new. I was young, idealistic and had the world at my feet. “You were pretty pissed when I quit.”
He shrugged. “So what brings you out this way? You want another fight?”
“Pete Sanders called me.”
“Ugh. That snake. Trust him to do the unethical thing and call the fighter direct.” The look of disgust on his face matched his words. “Did you tell him to go to Hell just like I did?”
“Not exactly.” I narrowed my eyes and waited for his reaction.
“Tell me you’re not serious.”
“Deadly serious.” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “Will you come with me?”
“Why the fuck would you even consider this? Besides the fact it’s got dodgy written all over it, you would have to practically kill yourself to make weight and that arsehole would know it.”
I hesitated. Would he understand the truth? “I need this, Nick. I need your help.”
Nick groaned. “I don’t know, Leo. I don’t like this at all.”
“Please.” The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it, however crazy it was.
“This is insane, but it’s your body, not mine, so if you really want to do it, I’ll be there.” He shook his head. “I know you’re gonna do it either way.”
Releasing the breath I’d been holding, I relaxed a little.
“Thank you. I’ll text you the flight details when I have them.”
When I got to his door, I turned to shake his hand. “Thanks again, mate.”
“I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this, Leo.”
I patted him on the arm. “It’s gonna be fine. A good challenge. You are always telling me to push myself to the limit and then some.”
“This is definitely in the ‘then some’ category.”
“I know.”
When I got back to my car, I called Oliver, an old school friend. If anyone knew about losing weight fast, it was Oliver.
“I have to lose a lot of weight by Friday night weigh-in,” I said, skipping any small talk. “I need to know how to do it.”
“Jesus, Leo,” he replied. “Why would you want to do that? You have no weight to lose.”
“Can you tell me or not?” I rubbed my face with my free hand a little more forcefully than necessary and, again, wondered what the fuck I was doing.
Turned out Oliver knew exactly how to lose that kind of weight in five days. He was a jockey, and a jockey’s life revolved around weigh-ins. The information he shared filled me with dread and hope in equal measure. It was batshit fucking crazy, but I knew if there was any chance of making weight on Friday night, I would have to follow his regime to the letter, and the distraction was perfect.
Chapter Five
Juliette
Waking up face down on my bed at two in the morning was just one of the joys of jetlag. My body clock was still all over the place and my mind was close to melting down. I sat up and wiped the drool off my cheek and the sleep from my eyes. I must’ve been quite the picture of loveliness. I wasn’t going to get any answers lying in bed alone with my thoughts, so I decided to send Leo a text on the off chance he was awake. It actually didn’t matter to me why he hadn’t told me or why he had lied about his mother. The only thing that mattered was doing whatever it took to help him deal with it.
Are you awake?
I stared at my screen for several long minutes, willing a positive reply to appear.
I’m awake.
Energised, I quickly typed back.
I need to see you.
Nothing.
I sent him another text. Can I come to you?
Eventually, he responded. I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m sorry.
I didn’t know whether I should push it or just leave him alone. My brain was still sleep deprived and foggy despite my desperation, so I decided on the former.
I’m not giving up on us.
I wanted him to know I was prepared to fight.
I’m in a bad place and you deserve more than this.
I replied quickly, suddenly angry at his words.
You don’t get to make that decision for me.
Exasperated, I threw my phone down on the bed and lay back on my pillows, covering my face with my hands. What was I doing? I needed to have this conversation in person, so I shot Leo another text.
I’m coming anyway.
I showered and dressed quickly. He’d told me he needed time, so I stood a very real chance of being rejected. But we were meant to be together, and nothing about his past was going to get in the way of our future. I was going to remind him of why we belonged together.
There was more traffic on the roads than I’d expected at that time, but I still got to his apartment in far less time than I would have during the day. It was almost three in the morning, my brain was awake but foggy, this guy had some serious baggage and there I was sitting alone in my car, staring at his apartment like some kind of stalker. Fuck it. Before I thought about it too much more, I took some deep breaths and got out of my car.
As I walked up the path, I stopped in my tracks. Leo was standing on the front step, shirtless.
“What took you so long?” he asked. “I thought you were a race car driver?” His handsome features were made more so by his sexy smirk.
Without any conscious thought, I found myself running towards him. When I got close, he started moving too. When he opened his arms for me, I launched myself at him, wrapping my legs around his lean waist. The moment of impact when my lips met his was exhilarating. It was like coming home, because I was his and I hoped he was my mine.
I kissed him all the way up the stairs and down the hallway, refusing to let him go. My tongue eagerly finding his, I knew I would never leave this man again. I loved him with all that I had, and regardless of his past, I was going to be his future.
“I need to put you down for a second, Jules,” Leo whispered against my mouth, our foreheads still touching. “I need to unlock the door.”
I slipped down his body, only too aware of the hard bulge straining the front of his navy track pants hanging deliciously low on his hips. I couldn’t resist rubbing my palm over it, revelling in the groan that escaped from his mouth. Chuckling, I danced past him into his apartment.
“Not so fast,” he said, grabbing my arm lightly and pulling me back to him.
I was only too happy to oblige as my body melted back into his embrace. He held either side of my face and his expression turned serious. “Are you sure about this, Jules? I lied to you and I’m a complete fuck-up.”
“Stop talking and kiss me.” I smiled for a millisecond before Leo’s mouth crashed down on mine again.
He swiftly lifted m
e into his arms and carried me to the bedroom, never once breaking our connection. I didn’t know if this was going to be slow and sensual or hard and fast. I honestly didn’t care either way as long as he stayed as close to me as physically possible.
“I want you so bad, Jules.” Leo groaned.
“Take me. I’m yours.”
Something in my words changed the air in the room. It went from lust filled to full-blown raging inferno in that split second. It would’ve been disconcerting having my clothes literally ripped from my body if I hadn’t been right there in the moment, ripping at his clothes with equal fervour. It was the reunion I’d dreamed about, and our desire had moved to a level impossible to describe. I felt his body move against mine. I felt his breath, hot against my neck. My back arched when his fingers grazed my bare breasts. When he thrust into me, it was fast and hard, yet measured and deliberate. Every touch breathed new life into our connection, and if I had died right there in his arms, I’d have been found with an indelible smile on my face.
I woke up a few hours later to the sound of the shower running. I glanced at the clock. It was six and I needed to get home to get ready for my first day back at work. I knew it was going to be a punishment, but it had been worth it to be with Leo.
He walked back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, and I drank in the sight of him.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
“You’re up early.”
“I’ve been out for a run already.” Closing the distance between us in a few strides, he leaned over to kiss me. I closed my eyes briefly just to enjoy the fact Leo was right in front of me and we were together.
Leo’s stomach broke our kiss with a loud grumble and I opened my eyes. “I think it might be time for breakfast.”
He scrunched his nose up and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. “I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t? What’s going on?”
“I have to lose a bit of weight by Friday. I’ve signed up to do a fight in Perth on Saturday night. Weigh-in is Friday night.”
Impact (The Fight for Life #2) Page 2
