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“What?” he asks, acting all innocent. “Lily’s a nice girl. You two would be perfect together.”
“You’re making her uncomfortable. Besides, it hasn’t even been four months since Ellie left.”
“You broke up before that. I didn’t realise there was a specific timeline before you could move on.”
“Fuck off.”
“You deserve to be happy, Harley. Ellie would want that for you.”
“I thoughtyouliked her.” I arch my brow in a challenge, trying not to think about my ex-girlfriend. “You’ve been flirting your ass off.”
Tom snorts. “I’m too old for her. She’s a sweet girl, but I was just waiting for you to realise she was perfect for you. You’ve been smiling a lot more since she’s been here.”
I shake my head. “Just drop it. She hasn’t shown any interest in being anything more than friends, and I’m not going to make a dick of myself when we’ve told her this is a safe place for her.”
He sighs. “Don’t let a good thing pass you by, little brother. It’s not easy to find the right girl once, let alone twice.”
I close my eyes as my head drops back onto the pillow, signalling the end of this conversation. But my mind is a storm of swirling emotions.Fuck.This is not what I need when I’m supposed to be staying focussed on my fight tonight.
NEEDING SPACE FROM Lily and my brother, I head out for a surf after breakfast to try and clear my head. The ocean is angry after the storm last night, but it gives me something else to concentrate on so I don’t kill myself.
If there’s one thing I’m getting goodat, it’s compartmentalising, and I manage to do just that–pushing all thoughts of Lily deep inside and locking them away. No distractions.
I head home for lunch. Thankfully I have the place to myself with Lily working an extra shift at Patty’s and Tom nowhere to be found. I make myself some chicken and rice, cranking my music loudly as I prepare mentally for the fight.
My opponent has an impressive record. He’s only lost one of his four fights, and despite the KO in my last fight, he’s going in the favourite. I’m not a complete narcissist–I know I’m gonna have to pay my dues, and I’m not going to win every fight. The guys I’m coming up against have been doing this a lot longer than I have.
I’m in the zone though as I toss a banana and a couple of protein bars in my bag and jump on my bike. There’s still three hours until the first fight kicks off, and Knockout’s parking lot is pretty much deserted except for Steve’s Dodge and Zeke’s Landcruiser. I park my bike and grab my gear, feeling good as I swipe my card to gain access to the gym.
Music is playing over the sound system as I head across the gym to Steve’s office out the back. He’s reading through some paperwork, a pair of silver frames perched on his nose. I rap my knuckles on the door frame, grinning when he looks up in surprise. “All good, kid?”
“Just checking in.”
He nods. “Zeke’s around here somewhere. Let me know if there’s anything you need for tonight.”
“Cheers.”
I find Zeke in the locker room. He grins when I walk in. “Here he is. You ready, Surfer Boy?”
I groan. “You need to come up with a new nickname.”
He chuckles. “That’s the thing with nicknames, Surfer Boy. You don’t get a say in them. Come on, let’s blow those cobwebs out.”
I quickly change into my workout gear and meet him out on the floor. We run through a light warm up, some sparring, and he gives me some last minute coaching tips. My body feels good. When we finish up, he heads back to talk to Steve while I shower.
My mental preparation for this fight is a little different to the last. Last time, I had no idea what to expect. This time, I have more of an idea of what it feels like having a one-hundred-and-eighty-pound semi-pro fighter trying to knock you the fuck out.
After my shower, I head out to the gym and let myself into one of the practise cages. Putting my headphones on, I crank my music and close my eyes, trying to picture the different combos I’m going to work through tonight.
Zeke pulls me from my reverie around five. “Food?”
My stomach rumbles, and I follow him into the little staff kitchenette. He’s fighting tonight, too, and his girlfriend has delivered two turkey burgers with a side of potatoes and asparagus.
“She’s a keeper,” he says when I moan around the first bite of my burger.
“I’ll say. This is like a fucking orgasm in my mouth.”
His laughter booms around the small room. “Christ, kid. Clearly you’re not getting laid enough.”
