Authors: M. Dauphin
Chapter 15
Eddie
There’s too much going through my head right now to make sense of anything. She’s throwing the fight? And now I’ve agreed to go watch her lose? What the hell happened to my ‘no fighting, no falling in love’ rules? I fucking fell, and I fell hard. Not that I wouldn’t do it all over again for her, but Jesus, I had to fall in love with a fighter.
The man sitting down the bar from me keeps glancing my way, but I haven’t paid him any attention. I’m still staring at my phone from when she hung up on me, confused as to what that was all about. She didn’t really go into detail, but from what I gathered, she’s certain that if she fights fully tonight she’ll lose, so instead she’s just throwing it to not get hurt as bad. See, this is why fighting makes no sense to me. How about just not show up, then she won’t get hurt at all.
“Shit,” I mumble to myself, getting up and stretching before throwing a tip down and nodding to the old man, who is looking at me again.
His eyes seem so... familiar. Eerily familiar. Before I can get wrapped up in why I feel so connected to his eyes, though, I turn and leave, heading upstairs to get some work done before meeting her at the fight. She told me to be there a half hour before the fight starts, and I’m hoping it’s because she wants me with her instead of being in the crowd. I have to be with her, I have to be there for her. Win or lose, I have to be the one she goes to.
Her fucking trainer pisses me off. I can’t believe he would do that to her just because she called off from a fight last minute. What the hell, what if she was sick? Would he have made her fight if she were sick? Shit, now I’m getting even more worked up!
I turn on my computers this time and start going through downloads that I have automatically set up to load for Erica’s husband, I see that he’s been pretty lax about watching his accounts, and I think I know why. He filed for divorce while we were in Vegas. He doesn’t need to watch it anymore, he’s already shown the courts he wants a divorce, and now he can freely do what he wants without it coming back at him.
“Son of a bitch,” I say, feeling the failure. I should have got him before the divorce was filed, but I was so wrapped up in Red, that I didn’t put my best effort into it.
I’m disappointed in myself that I let her down, and now I have to call her and apologize. Shit, I’m not doing this today. It can wait, it’s not like anything I found is going to help her out in the divorce anyway.
“Damnit,’ I say to an empty apartment.
I’ve never been so off my game before, and I know it’s her. She turned my world upside down. Either that, or she flipped it right side up again, making me realize there’s more to life than work. There’s Red, she’s my life now. I want her in it every day. Fuck... I want her in it every day!
“That’s it,” I say to myself. I know what I’m going to do.
I’ll ask her to marry me, to spend the rest of her life with me. I can’t see a future without her in it. We can get a house, she can do whatever she wants with her days since I make so much goddamned money from the Savages we would be set. She could work at the bar still, or she could open her own business, or she could fucking stay home with the babies. BABIES!? What the hell, Eddie, way to get ahead of yourself! I need her to know how I feel, and I need her to know I’m no longer afraid of the thought of marriage, because it means I’ll be able to spend every day of my life with the woman I love.
I need to do this tonight.
Rushing to get my things ready, I am out the door in less than five minutes, racing for the nearby jewelry store to get her a ring. I might be nuts, but people can fall in love that fast, right? People have done it, and gotten married shortly after, and not had any problems. It can happen, right? Fuck yes it can, and it has with me and Red.
It’s almost closing time when I walk in, but I’ve already decided what I want to get for her. She deserves something fucking brilliant. Nothing that anyone else has.
Walking towards the platinum bands, I ignore all of the sales people until I find the ring I want. I don’t want any other’s opinions on this. I know what she needs. It needs to be different, it needs to be something that she would pick out, and I will know it when I see it. I don’t need an annoying sales person trying to sell me the most expensive ring.
“Can I help you, sir?” an annoyed guy, probably in his late fifties, asks me as he looks at his watch.
“I’m buying that ring. Here,” I say, handing him my debit card.
“Sir, we don’t-”
“The money is there, man. Just take it, swipe it, and then give me the ring. I’m in a fucking hurry,” I say as his eyes widen at the realization that I know I can pay in full today, with my debit card, without even knowing how much the ring is.
“Sir, that ring is five thousand dollars,” he says, skeptically.
“And? I told you I have the money. Can we hurry this up, or will I need to find another sales person to give the commission to?” He’s annoying me. I need that ring, I need to get to Red before she gets ready for the fight.
“Very well, sir. I’ll be right back.” He walks away, looking a little brighter than he did a few minutes ago.
Sure I have the money. I have more money that I know what to do with, but I very rarely touch it. I’m sitting prettier than my parents did my entire life, but I don’t want to get too used to it. I know that any day I could be dropped from the Savage business, and I don’t want to think what would happen to my wallet because of it. I leave the plush in my account in case that day ever comes, but so far the money just keeps rolling in. So when I told him I have enough to cover it, what I should have said was ‘I have enough to buy five of those rings today’.
As quickly as he left, he’s back with a box for the ring. He takes it out and hands it to me to look at before putting it safely in its box. It’s truly beautiful, and just what she would wear. A ruby stone set in the middle, the man called it a princess cut, whatever that means. Black and white diamonds wrap around the entire band, twisting around each other, creating a beautiful pattern leading up to the ruby. It’s fucking perfect.
I thank him, and take off towards my truck, parked behind the bar. A feeling that I’m being watched creeps over me, but I brush it off as nerves as the thought of her saying no creeps into my mind. I hadn’t even given thought to it yet, but if she says no I’ll be ruined. Shit, I just assumed she’s going to say yes! My palms are sweaty the entire drive to the fight, and when I pull up I have to give myself a mental pep talk before getting out of my truck.
There are a ton of people moving about already, and it’s not even time for the fight yet. Hell, I’m earlier than she told me to get here, so I’m hoping she’s here. I’m hoping I can find her before the fight, then I can talk her out of this nonsense.
Walking into the bar, I look around but I see no one that I know. I sit down at a table and pull out my phone. There are no missed calls, no texts, nothing from her. I wish she would show up so I don’t have to look like a crazy man when I call her to ask where she is. It’s such a weird feeling, wanting to know where she is and what she’s doing, but I’m accepting it. I love her, I want her, I need her. If she doesn’t feel the same way about our future together, I’m not sure what I’m going to do.
As soon as I get ready to text her I hear the door open and glance to see who is walking in. Yet again, my mother’s training of always knowing my surroundings aids me, when I see Jase walking in the door, grinning to himself as he looks around. He hasn’t noticed me yet, but I know now why I was feeling like I was being watched earlier; I would bet any amount of money that this asshole followed me here.
I watch him scan the bar, and when his eyes land on mine, his smile turns into a scowl. He walks towards me, and I sit up a little straighter, one hand on my beer, one on the box in my pocket, reminding me not to beat the shit out of him, even though that’s the only thing I want to do.
“Edward,” he smugly says, and my hand twitches on my beer.
Fuck him, Eddie. He’s not worth it.
“Jase,” I answer, biting back a few choice words that I’d rather be throwing at him right now for following us to Vegas and scaring the shit out of my girl. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh you know, just wanted a drink. I live just down the block, thought I’d grab some food, too.” He’s not looking at me anymore, instead he’s looking at a door on the other side of the room. “Talk to Gwynn today?” he asks, like he knows something I don’t.
“Yep.” I’m not giving him anything. This dude is off his rocker. “She told me what you did with the picture. You need to back the fuck off, man. You are freaking her out,” I grind out, hoping that making it seem like he’s scaring her will make him back off. After all, if he loves her, he shouldn’t want her scared.
“Good, she should be,” he says, and when his eyes hit mine again a chill runs through my body. No emotion, no light, nothing. “Until she stops hanging around you, that is.” He smiles a greasy smile at me, then gets up and walks towards the door he was just eyeballing, turning around once more before opening it. “Oh hey, does she know about the ring yet?” He says loud enough for the entire bar to hear.
I glare at him as he laughs and goes through the door, slamming it behind him.
“Eddie?” I hear her voice behind me and close my eyes, breathing in to relax myself before I go after that assclown and beat him down.
He fucking did it on purpose.
Chapter 16
Gwynn
It’s still early, but I got a text from Jase asking me to meet him here before my fight to talk about something. I don’t know how he heard about my fight, but he’s been to so many of my previous fights that I figure he heard from friends that he has made over the years. There are a ton of cars outside, but I notice Eddie’s truck first.
How one would miss it is beyond me. It’s so damn big, just like everything else about him. Ever since I hung up on him, I’ve been wallowing in self-pity. I practically ate my weight in pasta, drank three sodas, and now I feel fucking miserable. Mac is going to be pissed, but fuck him. He only said that I fight for him, not that I eat for him.
I walk inside, taking in the crowd that is growing. I’ve only fought here one other time, but the fact that it’s in a basement has always creeped me out. I don’t like small enclosed spaces, and this basement is definitely that. No windows, one entrance/exit and a ton of people crammed down there to watch. That was just when I was fighting people my class. Tonight’s going to be worse, because Tanya is ten times more lethal than girls in my class.
Scanning the bar, I see Jase standing by the basement door, looking at someone with an evil smirk on his face. Then he speaks.
“Oh hey, does she know about the ring, yet?” I hear him ask the person he is looking at.
Following his line of sight, my eyes land on the one person I wasn’t expecting Jase to be talking to. Eddie. Why would Jase ask him that? What ring? Oh shit, did Eddie buy a ring? How would Jase know about that? What the hell is happening today!? And why is Jase going into the basement, I thought he was done with me?
“Eddie?” I say as I approach him. He turns to look at me, all of the color drained from his face.
Son of a bitch, he did buy a ring.
“Hey, babe,” he says calmly, but I see it. I see the rage. I know it all too well.
“Hey,” I say, sitting across from him at the table.
He sips his beer quietly for a minute before I speak up.
“So, what was that all about?” I ask, unsure if I want to hear the answer or not.
Sure, if he asked me to marry him I’d be over the moon. I can’t think of a future without him, but something tells me Jase was just trying to piss Eddie off, because every time marriage has been brought up around him he goes cold. No way he would change his mind that fast, in just a matter of days, and be ready to marry someone. That type of commitment, that type of decision, comes after time... right?
“Oh. Uh...Is it hot in here? I need to go outside. You wanna go outside? Let’s go outside.” He stands and walks outside.
What the hell, why is he being so insanely weird? I get up and follow him, confused as to why I’m suddenly getting incredibly nervous. He leaves the table before I even stand up, and I have to practically race to meet him outside. Once we are there, the wind has picked up and there’s sand and dust flying around from a nearby field. Not the best place for a conversation, but he doesn’t even seem to notice it. I can tell his mind is racing, something is bothering him, I just wish I knew what.
“Red...listen...Shit.” He kicks the dirt and walks over to the curb to sit. I follow him, because I’m not sure what else I can do at this point in his meltdown.
“Eddie, I don’t know what’s wrong. I’m here for you, you know that. Just talk to me. Please,” I say gently as I wrap my arms around my legs.
Sitting there, it takes him a while to look at me. When he finally moves his stare from the barren field next to the bar, he just stares into my eyes, a connection I’ve never felt so strongly comes over me, then he leans in and kisses me.
“I love you, Red,” he whispers as he breaks the kiss and leans his forehead on mine.
“I love you too, Eddie,” I whisper back.
This is a side of him I haven’t met yet. It’s the sweet side. The loving side. The side that makes me want everything I can get with him, and then some. This is the side of Eddie that gives me hope he isn’t as broken as he says he is. He turns, and his gaze returns to the field and he sighs. Reaching over, his hand takes mine like he’s about to say something insanely profound. Then the magic is broken by one nagging voice.
“GWYNN GET THE FUCK IN HERE!” Mac’s voice beams through the night.
“Shit,” I cuss, shaking my head. “Shit, Eddie, I’m so sorry. Hang on.”
I get up and run over to the door, pissed that it’s not time for me to report and he’s already acting like I’m late.
“What, Mac? It’s not time yet. I’ll be there, don’t flip out.” I grind, trying to keep my cool with him. Even though I’m pissed, and I could easily take him, I know he can make my life a living hell.
“Your tiny ass is gonna get beaten to shit tonight if you don’t get in there and get your mind away from that asshole over there, Red. You fight terrible with distractions. Don’t think I couldn’t tell your last few fights. He’s no good for you,” he says loud enough for Eddie to hear, and I want to hit him right there. I want to punch him, and beat him, until there is no evil, snide remarks left in him.
“Fuck off, Mac. You don’t know what’s good for me and not.” I turn and move to go back to Eddie, but Mac’s hand snatches my arm incredibly tight and rips me back around to him.
“Don’t forget, baby doll. You belong to me. You do as I say,” he growls, then turns, and walks back inside the bar.
I stand there, rubbing my arm where he held me in his grip, shaking because I’m so pissed at myself for getting wrapped up with him. If anyone had tried to warn me away when I signed with Mac, I would have beat their shit down. I just wanted somewhere to put my anger, somewhere okay to beat people. Mac gave me that opportunity. He also owned my soul for the last few years. I’m so close to being out of contract with him, and I don’t want to fuck it up this close to the end. So rather than going in there and beating the shit out of him, I turn to walk back to Eddie.
He’s still sitting on the curb, looking at the same spot in that damned field. There’s not much he can see as it’s dark as hell outside, but there’s one street light illuminating a small portion of it. I wish I knew what he was worried about. I wish I could help him, but without knowing there is no way I can help.
“Hey, sorry about that,” I say as I approach him.
He doesn’t move, he doesn’t even really acknowledge that I’m there. I wonder if he heard what Mac said, and if I should address it or not. He can’t have heard him that well, but Mac does have a pretty good voice. It carries. Shit, I bet he did hear. I bet that’s why he’s being like this.
“Listen, Eddie. Don’t worry about him. I’m getting out anyway, he just doesn’t know it yet.” Trying to calm him I put my hand on his knee, and he turns his head to look at me.
“Quit now, baby.” I hear his voice, I see the pleading in his eyes, but I don’t quite compute what he’s saying, so he goes on. “You are going to end it anyway, right? You just said it yourself.”
“Yea, but I can’t just NOT fight tonight. It’s in my contract. I have to do this. That’s why I’m throwing it,” I whisper the last part so no one hears me.
“Red, if you fight tonight, you are going to get hurt. I would sort of understand if you were trying to go places with it, but you JUST said you are getting out. Why not get out tonight and save the hurt?” His voice is pleading with me, his hands clasped around mine. I can’t take the emotion rolling off of him. I can’t take the fact that I now feel like I’m letting him down.
“Eddie, I can’t.” There’s a knot in my throat, and I’m willing no tears to come up so close to fight time. I know I’m throwing it, but I at least have to act like I’m in it to win.
“But you said you would do anything I ask you. Anything.” His eyes look so sad, and it breaks my heart that I lied to him. “Red, I’m asking you to quit this lifestyle. Please. Let’s just go back home.”
I hear Mac yelling for me again, but all I see is Eddie’s beautiful eyes. I love him, I want him for my life, but I’m so scared of what life will be left if I bail on Mac before my contract is up. I can’t do this, so I do the only thing I know how to do.
I fight.
“That’s not fair of you, Eddie. Not at all. Excuse me, I have a fight to get to.”
Taking my hands away from him, I turn and walk away, mentally yelling at myself for how weak I am, trying my hardest not to cry in front of Mac. Going through the motions once I get down to the basement, I’m ready to go physically for the fight a few minutes before the people start filling the seats. I don’t look for him. I don’t want to know if he’s out there. I don’t want him to see me fail, but I need him here to support me.
“Alright, Gwynnie. Give her your all,” Mac says as he slaps my ass and pushes me for the stairs.
Here goes nothing. Let’s pray my acting is up to par.