Page 140 of Heal Me, Love Me

I took a step back. “About what?”

His throat moved as he swallowed. “Us.”

The entire night I’d felt as though I was on top of the world. I’d won my bout, my parents had been happy, and Grant had been talking about a fight in June, sponsors, and everything that might come next. Keaton had been there through all of it, yet chose this moment to hit me with relationship talk.

“Us?” I questioned.

He finally met my eyes. “Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”

For a second, I couldn’t say anything. My ribs ached and my shoulders were on fire from three rounds with Navarro, and thebruise under my eye throbbed every time I blinked, but what Keaton had just said was harder to take than any of that other stuff. “Doing what?” I finally asked.

His face twisted. “Ro.”

“Don’t call me that right now,” I snapped. He flinched, but I continued. “Say what you mean and let me hear the words.”

He took a deep breath. “I think we need to break up.”

“Why?”

His eyes were wet. “Because I hate what this is doing to us.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“But it is the answer.”

“No, it’s how you’re feeling.” I kept my hands at my sides because touching him would be a mistake. “I want the reason.”

He glanced down at the floor again, and I hated that he couldn’t look me in the eyes. “It’s a lot of things.”

“Then start with one.”

“You’re here,” he replied. “I’m in California. Grant’s talking about your next fight, sponsors, and whatever comes after that. You’re building something at Atlantic Combat. Meanwhile, Marcos isn’t just talking about Vegas. Plus, he got Phil Reynolds to work with me when I get back.”

I balked. “Phil Reynolds?”

“Yeah.”

“ThePhil Reynolds?”

“That was the other stuff I said I’d tell you in person.”

“You were going to tell me tonight?”

“That was the plan.” He wiped at his face, but the tears came anyway. “I wanted it to be good news. Then Grant started talking, and all I could think was that both of our careers are moving forward, just in different places.”

“Phil Reynolds is good news.”

“It is.” His voice cracked. “That’s why this hurts so much.”

I closed my eyes for a moment. “You’re breaking up with me because our careers are going well?”

He shook his head. “No. I’m breaking up with you because as we both progress, we’ll have even less time for each other than we do now.”

I wanted to argue, but nothing came to me fast enough. My eyes burned, and I sat on the edge of the bed because standing in front of him made it too easy to reach for him. Keaton stayed where he was, giving me space I didn’t want.