I roll my eyes. “You’ve been spending too much time with Wylie. You sound like him.”
He throws his head back, barking out a laugh.
“You don’t want to have any regrets,” Dove says gently beforepatting my chest and turning to walk back inside of her house.
I know she’s right, but how do I go about that without influencing Maggie’s decisions and feeling like I’m manipulating her life for my benefit?
Dallas gives me that classic Marine scowl, the one he reserves for just when he thinks I’m being an idiot.
“What?” I ask, sighing.
“You’ve always been a natural in the ring. A natural fighter. But this was never going to be more than a hobby for you, at least not with where your head was at. Fighting’s as much mental as it is physical, and I think you’ve finally locked that piece in. Maggie’s one hundred percent the reason for that. Before her, your mental game was shit, and I’d hate to see you lose that edge by letting her go.”
He’s right. The mental part came last for me, and a huge reason for that was Maggie. For a long time, I thought it was enough that only Jovie knew about this side of my life—though she never asked many questions, more worried for me than anything else. But she’d check in after every fight just to make sure I was still breathing. That was nice, but I hadn’t realized how much I needed someone who didn’t just care, but who truly believed in me, no questions asked. Ten toes down.
Maggie gave me that.
And I’d be stupid to lose it.
Maggie didn’t have to show up to each fight, stand in the front row, and cheer me on more loudly than anyone else. This was supposed to be a fake relationship. I was using her as a cover so that no one would question why I was always busy.
But she did it anyways.
I told myself I didn’t need anyone’s support. I wasn’t fighting for anyone else. I wasfighting for me.I was fighting to prove something to myself. But when Maggie started coming to everyfight, something changed. I wasn’t just fighting for me anymore—I was fighting for her, too.
For us.
The idea that maybe we could be something more and that I had her support, made me push harder, focus better.
My phone buzzes in my pocket and I look down, seeing Chief Hollister’s name flash across the screen.
“Nice talk, boss,” I mock salute Dallas who just rolls his eyes at me. I may already have two older brothers, but Dallas has become like a third over the past few years. “We’re good for Saturday? The chief is calling me so I should probably answer this.”
Dallas waves me off, “We’re good. Get some rest tonight. Maybe take the next two days off from humping yourfakegirlfriend.”
I laugh to myself, thinking about it as I head back to my truck. Mornings with her are my favorite—her skin still warm from sleep, eyes still soft, and the way she smells like me from sleeping in my bed all night. I decide that I'm making her breakfast as soon as I get home so that I can watch her eat while I eat her again.
I slide into my truck and swipe to answer the phone. “Hey, chief, what’s up?”
“Hey, Clay. I hate to catch you off guard, but I think you need to come to the hospital.”
“What? Why? What’s wrong?” I ask, confused, as I shift my truck into reverse casually and start backing out of Golden Farm’s driveway.
A bad accident, maybe? Something that requires more than just his support as chief and second in command. My mind races for answers, but nothing prepares me for what comes next.
“Maggie’s been admitted. She’s not doing well.”
Everything stops.
My stomach lurches, my hand trembles as I glance down at the phone, praying I didn’t hear that right.
“I’m on my way.”
Chapter 31 – Clay
“Where is she?” I demand as I race into the emergency room and am greeted by Chief Hollister who holds out his hands, trying to calm me from attacking the triage nurse.?
“She’s in a room, being assessed. They think it was an acute flare.”
