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Billy knew what she was talking, or actually not talking, about. One night, right after he’d started training with Charlie, his mom had come down to the gym, drunk off her ass. She’d told him that her boyfriend had locked her out of their apartment and she’d demanded that Billy go “kick his ass.” When he’d refused, and told her to go sober up, she’d started offering sexual favors to the other boxers in the gym in exchange for them beating the shit out of her boyfriend.
He was so angry that his mom could do something so humiliating. Drunk or not, at that point he didn’t care. He couldn’t even look at her. Charlie had helped him get her out of the gym and on the way home she’d passed out. When they got her to the apartment her boyfriend said that she’d stormed out screaming that her son was going to kill him because she’d found a text from another woman.
He’d gone home with Charlie that night, and Maxi had stayed up watching movies with him. She hadn’t pushed him to talk and they’d never spoken about it since.
Billy shifted, turning towards Maxi. His emotions and hormones were running on overdrive. As much as he was worried that he was going to say or do something that he shouldn’t, he knew he needed to set her straight.
It was a long shot that she would take him at his word, but he figured he might as well give straightforward one more try. “I’m not mad at you.”
Crossing her arms, she tilted her head to the side and, shock of all shocks, had more questions. “Okay. Then why didn’t you look at me, say anything to me, when you came to SPC?”
What am I, on trial?
“Why did you ignore Jana all night? Why have you been so quiet? Getting you to talk has been like pulling teeth.”
Okay. I guess so.
The only good thing that was coming out of this inquisition was that his lower half was no longer standing at attention. He leaned back against the couch and tried to figure out what to say to her. He couldn’t tell her the truth. That after he found out what was going on, his world had stopped and he couldn’t breathe until he’d seen that she was safe.
She didn’t need to know that when he walked into that office, her back was to him, and even though he had visual proof that she was alive and unharmed, he couldn’t quite process it. He wanted to…no needed to pick her up, carry her out of that office, take her to the closest private room and prove to both of them just how alive she was.
That even now, all he wanted to do was hold her. Feel her breathing against him. Keep her in his arms and never let her go.
Since he couldn’t say any of that, as calmly as possible, he tried to explain his behavior in a way that would be rational and normal. “I’m not mad. I’m on the job. This isn’t a social call. We’re not hanging out. I wasn’t on a date. I was working. You know how serious I am when I’m training. This is the same thing.”
Billy couldn’t count the number of times that Maxi had witnessed him getting ready for a fight. She knew that when he had a goal, an objective, he was laser focused. Nothing distracted him…well, except her. But she didn’t know that.
He could see the wheels turning in her beautiful mind. She was considering his explanation, but she wasn’t totally sold. Probably because she knew him too well. He figured his best move would be redirection. He was in no frame of mind or body to get into a battle of wits with her. And honestly, he didn’t think she was either.
“Wanna watch a movie?” he suggested.
“Wait!” Her eyes lit with realization as she pointed at him. “You’re spending the night.”
He didn’t really think that was a question but he answered anyway. “Yep.”
A slow, sly grin spread on her face as she wagged her brows. “I might as well take advantage of it.”
Despite the mischievous expression that she wore, Billy did not get his hopes up that her intentions were anywhere close to where his mind would be if he’d said those words.
He was proven right when she clapped her hands together. “I’ve been wanting to watch The Conjuring 2. Now I can.”
Billy was not a fan of the horror or thriller genre. They stressed him out. In fact, the only scary or suspenseful movies he’d ever seen were when Maxi was a teenager. She couldn’t watch them by herself, because her vivid imagination ran wild and she’d be scared for weeks. Yet, she still loved them…go figure.
“You still can’t watch them by yourself?”
“No.” She shook her head emphatically. “It’s even worse now that I live alone. I can’t watch them at all. Not if I plan on getting any sleep for at least a week after. But, since you’re here, I can. I won’t be scared. You’ll protect me.”
Billy wasn’t sure if she was just talking about the movie, or everything else that was going on in her life. What he was sure about was the pride that swelled in his chest hearing her tell him that she wouldn’t be scared with him there. He wanted to stand up and pound on his chest Tarzan-style, knowing that she trusted he would keep her safe.
As she grabbed the remote and started scrolling through Netflix, Billy tried to silence the thoughts that were crowding his brain. Thoughts like, he wanted to be the one that made her feel safe every night and day for the rest of her life. That he never wanted her to spend another night alone. That he never wanted her to go on another date with anyone other than him ever again.
She scooted closer to him, tucking her feet beneath her as the opening credits began playing and Billy’s chest swelled again. This time it wasn’t filled with pride, it was filled with the knowledge that this, being here together, felt natural. It felt right. Like this was where he belonged.
He needed to remember the reason he was here. In the three years since Maxi had bought this place, this was the first time he’d ever been invited to her apartment. And he wasn’t really invited now. He was here because she was in danger. He was here to protect her.
When this was over, everything would go back to the way it was. This was temporary. So why the hell did it feel so fucking permanent?
