“No, but I wanted to. I can’t stand bullies, and besides, I know what your right hook can do.” I wink.
She cringes but smiles, knowing I don’t mean it in a bad way.
“Well, thank you all the same. I’ve always struggled standing up for myself. I can speak up for others…but never myself.” She straightens, giving herself a once over in the mirror.
“Do you have your phone?” She slides it from her clutch. “Let me give you my number. I think we could both use a friend.” I quickly enter it and then text myself.
“I’d like that, thank you.”
I hand it back to her. “I better go before my friends think I’ve done a runner.”
“I should get back to my table, too.”
We walk out together, and she smiles as we part ways. It isn’t lost on me how Henry’s line of sight found her and didn’t waver until I sat down beside him. He’s about to ask me something but shakes his head, and instead, we talk amongst ourselves, laughing at something Selene did with an entire box of crayons.
The next half hour goes by in a drama-filled blur—some skirmish with Meghan and another man I’ve never met had Henry rushing around, masculine protective anger pulsing around him.
When everything settles back down, Henry takes his seat next to me again. “You ready to see your boy fight?”
“Yes. But he’s no boy. He is all man,” I say, trying to appear confident. But I’m apprehensive. It’s one thing—having Olly teach me, seeing him training, the occasional sparring session. But this is something else. And truth be told, the thought of him getting hit makes my stomach roll.
My mouth goes dry when he is announced, followed by his opponent. I watch on, holding my breath, trying not to cover my face—wanting to both watch and look away at the same time.
I’m lost between rounds. It’s only when the fight is called, and Olly is announced the winner that I let myself relax. The room fills with chaotic applause and wolf whistles.
“He’s good, isn’t he?” Henry says close to my ear.
It’s hard to hear him over the crowd. “Yes, but I didn’t like seeing him get hit.”
“No, but he’s trained, and he knows how to take a punch.”
I clap along with our table, pleased he won…wondering how much he’s hurting right now.
Chapter Fifty-One
OLLY
Once I’ve showered and changed, I hurry out in search of Rachel. Approaching the table, I find Henry sitting considerably close to my girl. I almost falter until she looks up, her smile beaming as she stands before launching herself into my arms.
“Congratulations,” she says, going on her toes to give me a quick kiss. I hold her firm, deepen it.
A throat clearing causes me to relinquish my hold on her and acknowledge everyone who’s come out to support me and this cause. “Hey, guys! Thanks for coming—it means a lot,” I say, greeting all around the table.
I’m met with cheers and fist bumps from all my friends, and it means the world.
“I need to go and thank some of the sponsors and see if I can find my parents,” I say to Rachel once I’ve chatted with her table for about ten minutes. She kisses my cheek in understanding, then sits down.
“Come with me?” I ask, holding out my hand for her. She stares at it before taking it, allowing me to pull her to her feet. “We’ll be back in a bit, don’t lose our seat,” I say to Henry who nods with a warm smile.
“Are you okay?” she whispers as we walk away from our friends.
I turn into her and cup her cheek. “I’m fine, never been better. It felt good having you here.”
“It did?”
I trace her bottom lip with my thumb, desperate to take it between my teeth. My body’s natural reaction to her strains in my trousers, and I will it to calm down. “Yes, so thank you.”
I wrap my arm around her waist, stopping only to talk to the necessary people and to make brief introductions.
