AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Then they lied to you,” he said.
My hand fell to my lap, and Anna reached over and squeezed it.
“When your folks came to visit me they discovered I was getting better. They offered me a hell of a lot of money to get out of Dublin and never talk to you again. I don’t know why they wanted you to think that I was paralyzed.” He shrugged. “But as far as I’m concerned, I willingly stepped into that ring with you, knowing goddamn well you were in a whole other league. I shouldn’t have done it, and that’s on me. Not you.” He swiped a hand across his mouth as his brows pulled together. “It worked out well for me, though. I’ve been running this gym for the last few years, and I’m happy.”
“Adam.”
Anna’s voice arrested my attention. “Yeah?”
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I stood up and went over to the fighting ring behind us. I rested my elbows over the rope and clasped my hands. My eyes shut, searching through the different emotions that funneled through me all at once.
I’d been killing myself for five years, and he was okay?
Anna’s hand touched my back, and I released a deep breath. “All this time . . .” If Anna hadn’t encouraged me to visit Owen, to try and move on—I may have never known the truth. Jesus.
I opened my eyes and turned to face her, reaching for her hand, lacing my fingers with hers. I kept quiet for a few minutes.
It was overwhelming.
I released Anna’s hand and faced Owen. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything, man,” Owen responded.
At the moment, I didn’t think I could say anything else. I nodded and walked away.
“Adam!” Anna called out.
The sunlight met my face as I pushed open the door. I tipped my chin up, absorbing the rays, sucking in a deep, cold breath.
“Are you okay?” She came around in front of me, her hands going to my chest.
I grabbed hold of her wrists and stared into her beautiful eyes. “I’m really feckin’ confused.”
“I can’t imagine how you must feel.”
I released my grip on her and cupped the back of my neck, working at the tension there. “He’s really okay?” I squinted at her.
“Yeah . . .”
I sat on the curb outside the gym and pressed my face to my palms. I wasn’t much of a crier but damned if I didn’t want to let loose right now.
A huge fecking weight had been lifted from my chest.
“How are you feeling?” she asked after a few quiet moments.
“How am I feeling?” I looked down at the gravel beneath my shoes and kicked at the loose stones there. “Shit . . . I’m both pissed and thankful.”
“Thankful?” She sank next to me, her hand traveling up to my cheek.
“If my parents hadn’t lied to me about Owen being paralyzed, I’d probably never have stopped fighting. And maybe I would have ended up killing someone. Maybe myself.” I reached for her hand and clasped it tight. “I may have never met you, either.”
As much as I wanted to raise hell with my folks, I knew that parents did crazy things to protect their kids. And although I’d hated the guilt that had eaten away at me for all those years—hell, I had hated myself—I was pretty sure they had saved my life.
“Anna?”
“Yeah?”
