by T. E. Black
“I-I …” She presses her lips together and refuses to meet my eyes.
“Talk to me. Tell me what’s going on, Lauren.”
A sob made of hysterics rakes over her body as she loses it. She buries her face in my chest while I rub her back in an attempt to calm her. I need to know what she’s done. Did she sell me out to the media? A sex tape? I can handle that. It isn’t the worst thing to happen.
“I set you up,” she sobs. “I’m so sorry. Mark and I … we set you up.”
My whole world stops.
“You did what?” I drop my arms and step back.
More sobs.
I take two more steps back, suddenly repulsed by her touch. I want to turn and punch something just to give myself something else to focus on.
“What the fuck have you done?” I still have no idea what she actually set me up for.
“We were never getting divorced.” My whole body flinches in shock. “I love you. I swear, it was all real. It was Mark’s idea …” She takes a deep breath. “He wanted his guy in your spot. He wanted me to get dirt on you. Something he could use to get you suspended from the league. But I love you. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t once I found out how amazing you are. I know this is bad timing, but I’m afraid of what’s going to happen once I tell Mark. Our plan was to tell him, and I still want to. I think that, considering the circumstances, I need to tell him alone,” she says and then blows out a long breath. “I didn’t want him to throw this back at you when he found out. He’s going to try to do anything to make sure we’re against each other, and I don’t want that to happen. I love you, Rook.”
I turn my back on her, needing a moment to myself before I freak out. Although, the way my blood is boiling tells me the next thing she says is going to send me over the edge.
“We are getting divorced. I’m telling him how I feel about you … and you hopefully still feel about me. I plan to tell him during your fight, but I wanted to tell you first. I can’t keep this secret from you anymore. I fell in love with you.”
I glance over my shoulder at her. “You think I could love you after what you did?”
“I hoped you could,” she sobs again.
Stalking over to her, I grab her wrist roughly as I drag her across the room to the window overlooking the city.
“You see that, Lauren?” I seethe.
“I don’t know what you want me to look at,” she cries.
I release her wrist with a toss and point to the billboard with my face plastered on it.
“My face on the billboard. I worked all my life to get my face on that stupid sign. Then you and your screwed-up husband decide it’s a good idea to try to strip me of it, and in between doing so, you claim to fall in love? You think I’m going to believe a thing you say?”
She’s still sobbing when I grab her by the chin harshly, but not enough to actually hurt her. I make her look me dead in the eyes as I continue, “What the fuck was the plan for whatever you dug up? Sell it to the media? Do you really think I have any skeletons in my closet bad enough to actually strip me of my damn title? Why would you tell me this now—right before I’m about to go out there and fight for my title, Lauren?”
I stare at her in shock—mind blown by the way this woman thinks. What sane person would think it’s all right to derail someone’s life like this? What could possibly be wrong with her that she thinks she’s doing right by me?
Instead of answering me, she tries to pull me back in and press her lips to mine. With cat-like reflexes, I shove her back a step and follow her movements as she stumbles. My body moves like lightning as I pin her against the wall and hold her hands to her side.
“Don’t you dare touch me!” I scream in her face. “You tricked me! You lied! You made me fuck a married woman! How the hell could you expect me to love you?”
Pushing off the wall, I back away slowly, trying my best not to go ballistic. That’s not me. I don’t go crazy on women no matter the case, and I don’t want to start now.
“You need to leave.”
Attempting to calm the storm brewing, I link my hands together above my head.
I need to breathe. I need to calm down.
“Rook …”
My eyes snap open as blood pounds furiously in my ears. My world tilts, and the anger I have only ever felt inside the cage bubbles. It’s lava under the surface, reaching and searching for the cracks in my restraint that will let it out. I take a deep breath, trying to force my muscles to relax. But she’s just standing there. The soul focus of my anger, the woman I thought I was in love with who has proven to be just another person trying to get something from me.
This isn’t working.
“I need you to get out of my room. Get the fuck out!” I shout before resuming my breathing technique.
“Please don’t do this—”
“Get out! I’m dead serious!”
A moment passes where she doesn’t speak, and I’m grateful. If she speaks again, I’m going to lose my shit and break everything in my path.
“I love you.” I hear before the clicking of the door.
When I open my eyes again, she’s gone, and Luke is standing in front of me. Funny, because I didn’t hear him come in. Although, everything is in slow motion, so my concept of time is shit. I also can’t take a deep breath past the iron tourniquet around my chest. I know I’m panting and likely shaking from a mixture of anger and panic, but I can’t focus enough to get my emotions under control.
“Rook. Can you hear me?” Luke snaps his fingers in front of my face, which makes me want to swing on him. It’s the concern in his eyes that stops me. Luke isn’t the bad guy. He knows what’s happening to me, just not why. “Remember when we went to that childrens hospital?”
I hear his words clear as day, but the pounding in my chest won’t let me answer him. So, I listen to the controlled way he speaks.
“I’ll never forget how that day changed you, man. I don’t think I ever saw you so humbled in your life, do you remember?” He keeps talking, and I let his voice become a voice over for my own memory.
Walking through a children's hospital is the most breathtaking yet beautiful thing I've ever experienced. It's a mix of emotions for a hardened man like me. Everywhere I look, a different feeling crashes into me like a freight train.
“You good?” Luke whispers with a nervous strain to his voice.
“How is this possible?” I mutter in disbelief.
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“All these kids …” I pause. “There's so many of them.”
“The way you looked at all those sick kids made me respect you on another level, Rook. Anyone looking at you knew you loved those kids the moment you laid eyes on them.”
I nod my head in agreement, trying to take a deep breath.
“Just when I thought you seeing those kids was going to bring you to your knees, we saw the kid we went there to see.”
I flick my gaze to Luke who gives me a sympathetic smile. He knew this shit would throw me for a loop. Hell, he even tried to talk me out of coming here. It was no use, though. Hospital or not, I was meeting this kid. He deserved it. I can only imagine the countless hours he spent writing the article. Not to mention, he was twelve. He had to be smart as hell.
When I was twelve, I wasn't writing ten-page sports articles on my own damn blog. I was doing twelve-year-old shit—playing football with my friends, trying to stay up late without my mom knowing, and then there was Leigh, who was a completely different story.
The waiting room is covered in murals, and I can't help but smile. There is one of the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland holding his ticking pocket watch in one hand and the other hand planted on his hip.
Drawing my eyes from the door, I look over the rest of the waiting area. A smile breaks from ear to ear as I notice the rest of the rabbit’s buddies strategically painted on each wall. Alice sits at a long table on one of the four walls, while the Mad Hatter pours himself a
drink at the other end.
A nurse comes into the room where she calls out me and Luke’s names.
“You can follow me,” she announces.
We leave the waiting room, following the nurse. The paintings on the walls cause me to run my hand against them before we enter the elevator. She presses the button to take us to the fifth floor—the brain injury floor, and I hold my breath.
“You’re going to make this kids day,” Luke nudges me with his elbow.
“I hope so. He’s pretty harsh with some of the shit he writes. He might hate me.” I crack a small smile.
This kid has praised me when I deserved it and shamed me when my actions called for it. Hell, he gave me the name “The Reaper”. I owe him more than I could ever give to him.
When we reach the floor, the door to the elevator opens and we walk into a brightly colored hallway. Rooms that belong to sick kids line the corridor, but I keep my eyes on the floor. I can’t handle it.
How could this be? How the hell are people letting their children wither away in this place? I get that they need doctors and medicine, but these children need to see the sunshine—not the same four walls on a daily basis.
“We’re here.” Luke says and nods to the door to the left of where he’s standing. “You ready?”
“I’m ready.” I take a deep breath.
Luke knocks on the open door, and two adults, who are blocking the view of the hospital bed, turn their heads in our direction.
“You must be Luke,” the black haired woman squeaks excited.
“Nice to finally meet you, Angie,” he greets back.
Luke lets out a low whistle, chuckling as he adds, “Remember those baby blues on Angie? If her husband weren’t twice the size of me, I would have gotten down on one knee and asked her to marry me right there.”
I stand in the background with my hands stuffed in my pockets and the chip that’s usually on my shoulder nowhere in sight. I don’t feel like an undefeated fighter here. I feel less significant than I ever have before. This hospital makes me remember the side of me that isn’t famous. Being here makes me realize how insignificant my accomplishments are compared to a child fighting for his life. How is it right for the world to love and care about me, who only fights for a living, when there are children who fight more than me on a daily basis?
“And you must be Rook.” Angie turns to me with a smile.
“Yes, ma’am. Nice to meet you.”
She waves her hand around, letting out a laugh. “Please. Call me Angie. People call my mother ‘ma’am’, and I’m nowhere close to her age.”
Chuckling, I step inside the room with Luke and the little boy’s parents.
“I’m sorry, Angie.”
“No problem! You know, he can’t wait to meet you! He just had his medicine for the morning so he’s a little out of it, but he couldn’t stop talking about your visit! Dave, is he awake?” she asks the man still standing by the child’s bed.
“He’s asleep, hunny,” he confirms.
As Dave steps away from the bed, a small boy resting kicks my heart into gear. I ache for the sight in front of me. The little boy, who has lost his hair and is paler than anyone I’ve seen before, breaks my heart without a word.
“He had chemo about an hour ago. We didn’t plan on them ordering it so early because of your visit, but the doctors said it would be better if he got it before you came, rather than later on,” Dave says.
“I don’t mind,” I answer taking a seat next to his bed.
As I watch him sleep off the after effects of his chemo, I can’t help but root for this little man. I want him to beat his cancer. I want him to go on living a happy life where he does everything and anything his heart desires.
“He’ll probably be out a few hours,” Angie says, stepping around to the other side of her son’s bed. “If you want, you and Luke can go grab something to eat and we can call you when he wakes up. I know you’re a busy man. I don’t want to keep you any longer than you can stay.”
I stare at Angie with wide eyes. She’s crazy if she thinks I’m leaving this room without getting to meet my biggest fan.
I do have other things on my schedule today but they can all wait.
“I’m not leaving. I’ll wait until he wakes up,” I say, settling back into the chair.
My rapid breathing calms into slow and steady. I open my eyes and blink, bringing the world back into focus.
“There he is,” Luke smiles. “You good, dude?”
Glancing to Luke who now sits at my side supportively, I nod. “I’m all right,” I say, but the words burn my dry throat. I begin coughing, and Luke leans over and grabs a bottle of water from the table.
“Take a drink.”
I do as he suggests, and the drink burns worse than I thought it would. Another cough rips from my chest, and as it fades, I feel better.
Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I look toward Luke. “Thank you.”
He pats me on the shoulder, shaking his head. “No need for that shit, man. That’s what I’m here for. You’re good.”
Chapter Seven
Ryleigh
“Shut up, assholes! It’s starting!” I growl from behind the bar.
Cranking up the volume on every one of the televisions, I let the sportscasters’ voices travel through the surround sound and drown out the noise from the bar. The crowd roars as a million different angles of the cage flash across the screen. The number of people in the stands is enough to make me nervous for Rook. Although, it has to be one crazy rush.
The televisions cut back to the pre-fight interviews with both Rook and his opponent, and I can’t help but smile. Rook looks as if he were born to fight. It’s as if he knows exactly what to do and say to drive his fans wild with excitement. The confidence he possesses isn’t something rehearsed. It’s something that comes naturally.
“I can’t believe my brother didn’t come see us before the fight,” Trent growls from his seat.
“Give him a break, man. The guy has to fight for his title. Let him focus on one thing at a time,” Mac chimes in.
“Yeah. Calm down, bro. No need to get your panties in a twist,” Evan says, slapping Trent lightly on the back of his head.
Mac and Evan are the two other idiots I’ve been taking care of over the years. Evan doesn’t manage to screw things up as often as Trent and Mac do, but he’s come into my bar on more than one occasion and drank his face off after he had done something stupid.
I’ve known Evan for a long time now. He’s the only one of the guys who hasn’t made me want to pull my hair out on a regular basis. He’s a simple man for the most part. He goes to work at a gym where he does personal training and then goes home to his fiancée, Sierra, and their son. Normally, people have nothing but complaints when it comes to work and family, but Evan is different. His family is everything to him. Hell, he’s never had one complaint about being a father.
These three idiots and their women are my group, the ban of stupids I’d do anything for. We all have flaws, but as a group, we’re perfect.
“Still, the dick could’ve stopped by the bar to see us,” Trent grumbles.
Trent got lucky when he met his fiancée Shay. She forced him to grow up, and take responsibility for his actions. Whereas Mac is pussy whipped by his pregnant fiancée, Callie, who also happens to be one of my best friends and the sweetest girl I’ve ever met. She’s a strong woman with demons of her own, but she’s a damn survivor. She has weathered suffocating parents who doesn’t approve of anything she does, a horrible relationship she doesn’t ever really speak of, and the worst case of depression I’ve ever heard of.
After Rook left for California, it was Trent, Mac, Sierra, Evan, and me in the group. Then, slowly but surely, the guys each found their happily ever after. I never minded being the best friend who made a mean cocktail, but after the fiasco with Trent and Shay a few months back, I started to think about my life. I started to realize I didn’t want to be alone
forever.
I want to be valued in the same way each of the guys valued their girl.
I don’t want to be alone for the rest of my life, and I fear it might happen if I keep on with this selfless side of me. It’s already ruined two relationships of mine. First, when I sent Rook away and then when I chose my friendship with Trent over my relationship with Susan.
Neither Rook nor Trent would’ve ever asked me to give up my wants and needs for theirs, but I did it anyway. I would do it all again if I needed to, even if it has left me a tad miserable.
“His music is playing!” Mac cheers from the bar.
Swinging my eyes to the nearest screen, I swallow hard and my stomach twists and turns with nerves. The camera zooms in on Rook and his crew as they emerge from the darkened tunnel. The crowd roars, and fans hold up signs in the distance, stating their love for him, and I hate every one of them. While they are allowed to publicly adore him but I am forced into the shadows for my own damn protection. I know the publicity isn’t something I ever really wanted, but it still annoys me.
Rook approaches the gate, and he looks directly into the camera. He does this before every fight. But tonight, something's different. His deep-set eyes look empty. There’s no excitement, no happiness, no fear, no life. They’re hollow.
My heart is screaming that there’s something wrong, but my mind dismisses it, telling me that I can’t have it both ways.
“Twenty bucks says he’s going to knock the other guy out in the first round,” Evan bets, slapping his money on the bar.
“I say he lets the guy live until at least the second round, and I raise you five.” Mac’s money joins Evan’s on the bar.
Trent gets in on the bet, but not before adding in his two cents. “You’re both wrong. I know how Rook works. He’s going to let his opponent suffer until the last minute, and then he’ll knock him out.”
“You’re all a bunch of idiots! He will make him submit. He always does,” I toss in my opinion but not any money.
A wave of silence washes over the group. When I look to see why everyone’s gone quiet, they’re staring at me.
