AllFreeNovel
Share Us
River had calmed me down when Romeo had gone for a run this morning and told me it was all for show and not to worry. I’d grown close to Romeo’s friends, and they felt more like family now. We met almost every day after work to watch Romeo’s second practice and cheer him on when we could.
Sheila led us out to the backyard, where my grandparents and my mom were sitting, drinking sun tea and chatting with Valentina and Mimi who’d obviously beat us here. They all seemed to be getting on just fine without us.
Everyone pushed to their feet, and we made introductions all around. My grandmother and my mom gave Romeo and River extra-long hugs, and I didn’t miss the emotion in their welled-up eyes when they pulled away. My mom bent down and greeted Cutler.
“And who is this handsome young man?”
“You can call me Beefcake, ma’am,” he said, a wide grin on his face.
“Beefcake, huh? What’s your last name?” my grandfather asked with a chuckle.
“Heart. Beefcake Heart. And I’m all heart, sir. You can even ask my uncles and my girl, Demi. They’ll tell you the truth.”
Valentina hugged me and scooped up Cutler to give him a hug, as well. They were clearly close because he called her Titi, and then he kissed Romeo’s grandmother on the cheek and called her Gigi.
Ben was barbecuing steaks, like he did every Sunday afternoon. He was Sheila’s husband, and they lived in the guesthouse on the property. The table was set beautifully, as always. My grandmother loved to entertain, and she and my mom were telling everyone about their plans for the white party this year.
“I’ve always wanted to come, but I usually have to work or something comes up,” Valentina said.
“This year, you’ll have to come. It’s a fun celebration for everyone in town,” Grammie said proudly, and her eyes landed on Romeo. “And I’m hoping you and your friends will attend this year.”
River barked out a laugh. “Yeah, white parties aren’t normally our thing. Not that we ever felt like coming here was a good idea.”
He never stood on ceremony. He may as well have just said that they didn’t come because our family had framed him and Romeo for a crime they didn’t commit, and there was no love there.
At least until now.
Romeo’s hand found mine as it rested between us on the outdoor couches, and he intertwined our fingers. Almost like he knew the conversation was difficult for me to hear.
But it was him I was worried about.
“Well, now that we all know what happened, we can move forward. We would really like you all to be here, and if you don’t want to wear white, we’ll be fine with that, too,” Gramps said.
My grandmother huffed. “Just a white shirt, you know, to stay on theme.”
Everyone laughed some more.
“So, let’s talk about the other elephant in the room. That guy you’re fighting is a real piece of work, Romeo. I don’t understand all that social media baloney, but pulling out a deceased man’s mug shot is not okay.” Gramps had no filter and was going to go right at it.
“Leo’s trying to get under his skin. He’s been doing it all along, which makes me wonder if there’s a reason,” River said as he sipped his tea.
“It’s pretty disgusting. Tia called this morning and was really upset about it. Why do you think he’s going to such lengths to hurt us?” Valentina asked.
River’s gaze softened as he looked at Romeo’s mother. It was obvious they were all close. “It’s all about messing with Romeo. Making this a big show so it draws a lot of attention, which equals a lot of money. But the way he’s doing it”—he looked out at the miles-long green pasture that led down to the water—“makes me wonder if he’s as tough as he pretends to be. And maybe half of his strategy is just to get into someone’s head.”
“I agree with that.” Gramps nodded and looked over at Romeo. “A man who was putting in the work would stay focused, like you’re doing with your training. Less talk and more work.”
“Listen, I haven’t fought in a while. All I can do is prepare the best I can, show up, and hope I can go the distance. I’m not under the delusion that I’m the more skilled fighter. He’s got experience on his side. He’s been a professional fighter for manyyears, and he wants to go for the belt. I want to leave in one piece and not embarrass myself. We have different goals.”
My heart squeezed at his words. I knew this had to be terrifying, hearing some asshole talk about how badly he planned to hurt you every day. But Romeo took it all in stride.
“You could never embarrass yourself,” I said. “You’ve stepped up, and you’re working unbelievably hard. It’s so impressive. And you don’t engage with his nonsense, which says a lot about you.”
“Trust me. I engage in my head,” he said, as he sipped his tea, and he suddenly looked like he was a million miles away.
“My daddy’s not letting me go to the fight. I’m staying home with Titi and Gigi because they don’t want to see Uncle Ro fight, but I do. And we’re watching on TV.”
Romeo’s mom looked away, and I knew she was just as nervous as I was. But I was going to that fight come hell or high water. I’d be there every step of the way, cheering him on.
