“Fight me,” she strains against my hold. “You know you want to. It’s the only way I can help.”
She must be tired since she’s making no sense.
Enough of this.
In one deft movement, I sweep an ankle, sending her careening backward. I slip one arm around her back, the other cradling her neck as I lower her to the mat. I pin her arms beneath my thighs as I box her in with braced arms.
“Why won’t you fight, dammit?” She manages enough leverage to slap the mat in frustration. “You need to. I know you do.”
“Oh, love,” I whisper, “I’ve been fighting for you this whole damn time. But I needed you to fight for me, too.”
I swing myself through the ropes and drop to the floor without looking back.
KATE
I slap the mat again and sit up. Anger rises in my chest like a phoenix, hot and on fire. Ihadbeen fighting for him that night. Fought my parents about him. Begged him to stay, to not leave me on that beach because of those three little words I couldn’t say.
I’ll be damned if I go another six years carrying the regret of not telling him everything he didn’t hear.
“You didn’t hear everything that night,” I pant.
Brandon stalls a few paces away, then reluctantly turns back. “Hear what?”
“Outside that study. When you were eavesdropping. You didn’t hear.”
I’m close enough to see recognition flash in his eyes.
“Julia.” He curses, scrubbing a hand down his bristled jaw. “And I heard more than enough of your parents ripping me to shreds before you agreed with them.”
I shake my head, clambering to my feet on exhausted legs. I sling my forearms across the top rope of the boxing ring.
“You didn’t hear the rest of what I said,” I say, cursing the tears building behind my eyes. “You didn’t hear me give up my inheritance. You didn’t hear me say goodbye to my parents. You didn’t hear that I choseyou.”
Tears burn hot down my cheeks, but Brandon has turned to stone.
“You…” he croaks.
“Yeah.” I swing myself down through the ropes. “I told them that I didn’t want any of it. That I only wanted their acceptance. That I was going to choose you over them every day and twice on Sunday.”
He blinks as though he can’t quite understand me.
“Then why…” His throat works hard in a swallow. “Why couldn’t you tell me you loved me on that beach?”
“I made a mistake. I was scared. You looked like you were going to leave me if I didn’t, and I froze.” A sad cry escapes me. “And you did. You left me, Brandon.”
“Another mistake,” he whispers.
I swallow, swiping the emotion from my eyes with the back of my forearm. “I don’t know where to go from here. Or what you even want. And I know there’s a lot going on with your mom?—”
Brandon curses Julia’s name again.
“But I just want you to know I’m going to support you,” I say. “I care about you, Brandon. I want to be there for you, even if it’s just as a friend.”
He shoves a tired hand through his hair. “Kate, I?—”
A vibrating ringtone chimes from the pocket of his leather jacket lying on the bench. He fishes it out, frowning at the late hour before answering it.
“Hello? Yeah, this is Brandon.” I watch the blood drain from his face as whoever it is speaks in muffled tones. “What? She… She couldn’t. She wasn’t…” Terror seizes his expression. “Where is she?”
