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From the arrest to the deal I struck. I explain about the boxing commission and how I’ve found out that I’m no longer a professional fighter.
I zone out while I continue talking, giving them every last detail. When I’m finished, I get up from my seat and walk away. I don’t want to see the looks of pity they’re sure to have on their faces.
I barely make it across the room before my mom wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me to her. She doesn’t say anything, she just holds me. Reyna joins in, wrapping herself around me. I glance over to my brother to find him staring at me. “What? You going to join these two now?”
Rhett’s mouth twitches at the corner, and he shakes his head. “Nope, I’m good.”
Finally, Mom and Reyna let me go, and I tell them I’m heading out. After giving them all that has been going on, I need space. Mostly I need Haven, but I don’t know if I can face her.
I make it out to my Range Rover when Rhett joins me.
“You know you didn’t fuck your life like you think,” he says calmly.
“Don’t you get it? I have fucked it all up. I’m not a fighter anymore. I won’t be able to get in that ring again. I’ve lost everything.” I shake my head, lowering it in defeat.
“Reese, you haven’t lost everything. We’ll figure shit out, if boxing means that much to you, and I know it does. I get that part of you. It’s in your blood. You need that rush you get when in the ring. You can still have it, maybe not in the same way.”
“How’s that?” I ask, cocking my brow.
“You’ve fought professional boxing. Hell, you’re the heavyweight champ. Now’s your chance to enter the world of underground boxing. Think about it. The Dyer brothers could take over and reign as the champs in our divisions.”
I let the weight of his words sink in and for the first time feel somewhat lighter. He’s right, but will I be able to do it and get the same rush as I got before?More than that, will Haven be able to handle me fighting in the underground circuit? For that matter, will she understand why I haven’t told her everything yet, and when I do, will she want to be with me still?
The woman has gotten under my skin, and I don’t know how to handle it all.
CHAPTER TWELVE
HAVEN
I pick up my phone for the fiftieth time in the last hour.
Reese is completely MIA. I called him twice already today, but so far, I haven’t heard back from him. Usually, I wouldn’t be so focused on someone not calling me back, but this is strange.
Reese and I have been in almost constant contact since we started dating three weeks ago. To have him go a whole day without speaking to me is really putting me on edge. Nothing happened yesterday that I can remember that would keep him from reaching out.
I plop down on my bed as thoughts of what could have gone wrong start to rush through my mind. This is one of the reasons I don’t like to date. I’m usually very sure of myself, but now I feel like something else is going on.
“Ugh, this is ridiculous,” I mutter to myself as I pick up my phone again and look at the screen, to make sure I didn’t miss a call. Instead of dropping the phone back onto the bed, I swipe at the screen and scroll up to Reese’s information. Hitting the green call icon, I wait as the phone rings to see if he’ll pick up this time.
“Yeah.”
I puff out my air, and my eyebrows instantly furrow in.
I was right. Something is wrong.
Tension radiates through my body, and I sit up straight on the bed. “Yeah? What’s wrong with you? I haven’t heard from you all day,” I reply right away.
“Nothing,” he replies, but his one-word answer is clipped. Even though I can’t see what he’s doing, it does sound like he’s pacing back and forth.
“Reese, what’s going on? You don’t sound like yourself.” I do my best to keep calm, but I wish he’d just tell me whatever it is that’s bothering him.
“I’m fine. I just . . . it’s nothing. I had . . . fuck, it’s nothing,” he growls out, and I can hear the distinct sound of his phone creaking in his grip.
“Bullshit,” I huff out. Something is wrong, and I’m going to find out what it is. This is so unlike him. “I’m coming over.”
“Haven, ye
ou don’t . . .” he starts before he lets out a deep breath. When he starts talking again, his voice sounds weaker, as if he’s exhausted. “Yeah, can you come over?” he replies.
