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Al didn’t know who Charleigh was either, so he was extra confused as to why she was trying to push me away.
“Bobby, you talk to Al, I need to talk to L… Br… him.” Charleigh grabbed my arm and pulled me into the office, shutting the door for us to have privacy.
The door opened back up immediately, and we both whipped around to see Rhys poking his head in. “Can you tell me who knows what and who? I am going to fuck this up.”
“Just tell Al it's all good and to get ready for a fight.”
He hesitated, but then nodded and shut the door back.
Charleigh spun back around to face me, her head shaking as she tried to find words. “You can't fight.”
“I can fight, Apple.” I leaned in so she knew I was angry before adding, “It’s your day off, leave.”
“I tried to call you. I have been dialing for thirty minutes. I tried beating you here. I tried to warn you.”
“You could have warned me weeks ago. You could have never blocked my number and chose to tell me any time last week,” I shouted. “But you chose not to and that's fine. It's better this way. Just more proof that I am doing the right thing.”
“The right thing about what? Richard is going to have a cow.”
“Richard has bigger issues, and we can deal with those later. I need to go get ready.”
“NO!” she screamed again. “Please don't fight.”
I paused before I passed her to get to the door and looked down at her slowly. “Is the fight rigged?”
Her eyes squinted and her nose snarled. “Bobby would never…”
I didn’t let her finish, just pushed past her and opened the door again.
“Let's do this,” I nodded to Rhys and Al, who both thought I would run. “I’m ready to hit something.”
“No… please…” Charleigh cried behind me.
I didn't look at her, but I paused and listened to her breathing for a minute. Then I walked past everyone and to the locker room, Rhys on my heels.
When I sat down on the bench, I pushed my hands through my hair and tried to suppress a scream. Every instinct I had told me to go to her and give her what she wanted. But she didn't yet understand that the repercussions of the fight no longer mattered. I could explain that later, but I had a lot to sort through first.
And I couldn't do it before I taught Bobby and Sisco a small lesson.
“Okay, so I have pieced most of this together, but do you need to get it off your chest before you fight?”
I looked up in question. “Piecedwhattogether?”
“The hot ref,” he motioned toward the door as if Charleigh was standing there. “She also works here for Bobby. You two are in love. Shit is about to hit the fan. You're gonna fight because you know you will be fired anyway once the league finds out about your relationship. All that.”
“Is it that obvious?” I smirked, almost humored at his take on it.
“Yeah bro, it is. But if you are gonna fight, then get it off your chest first.”
“I’ll worry about Charleigh later,” I sighed. “I’m still a little pissed she didn't tell me about this shit show.”
“Oh, I’m sure she had a good reason,” he laughed, indicating he knew more than I thought he did. Were we that transparent?
I nodded, agreeing with his statement but not wanting to add to it. I needed to get into fight mode. Charleigh needed to be my fuel. All I would have to do is look her way and be reminded of how much anger I had inside. Poor Sisco was going to get the wrath of her transgressions.
When it was time, Bobby made the announcement that the fight was starting and introduced me as ‘Brett.’ I pounded out of the locker room to a round of boos, making me laugh a little inside at the small-time fanfare. Being that I got booed by hundreds of thousands of people during every away game, their disdain for me didn't even hit my scale of discomfort.
My eyes were scouring the room, looking for the woman that made me want to fight everything and everyone–including her. The woman that I was so mad at, yet still so enamored by. The woman that made my heart race, but somehow calmed me at the same time.
