Stomping inside, I shivered at how cold it was. Quickly grabbing my bag, I stuffed some clothes inside, then opened the closet and grabbed the few items I’d tossed in there when I first moved in. There was other shit to grab, but that would have to wait for another time.
Stomping to the door, I almost didn’t see the little post-it note pressed against the window.
Trivia nightat The Beaver and Boot Saturday night. Seven sharp. Don’t be late.
Of course,the note wasn’t signed. That would give me some clue as to who left it for me. It couldn’t be a coincidence that someone moved my house next to Cassidy’s. Or that the same someone wanted me at a trivia night when no one in this town had ever suggested I do a damn thing.
This wasn’t a friendly suggestion.
This was a setup.
I bouncedfrom one foot to the other as I counted down the minutes until the fight started. I didn’t dare tell a soul about where I would be tonight. The last thing I needed was my family showing up, especially if I blew the fight.
My confidence had taken a hit since my last fight, but I felt stronger than ever, and even though I wasn’t ready to get back in the ring with Joe Rubin, this fight would get me a foothold into the life I missed so much.
“You ready?” Deke asked, rubbing my shoulders.
“Ready.”
“You got this. Remember, this guy is a nobody. This is just a warmup, a way to get you back in the ring. You’re ready for this.”
I knew I was. That familiar electricity I felt before a match zipped through my veins, carrying me all the way to the ring as they announced my name. A shocked gasp sounded from the crowd as I stepped into the ring. No one had expected me to make a comeback, and the way they started cheering for me, screaming my name, brought back that old, familiar feeling I had missed over the past year and a half.
I was back, and it was time to show the world that I wasn’t going to be taken down by the likes of Joe Rubin.
I tuned out the crowd and focused solely on my opponent. He was large, about the same size as me, with nearly as much muscle. His eyes spoke volumes, the intensity and focus just as high as my own. He was ready for this match, and once we stepped into that ring, he would come at me hard.
We tapped gloves and stepped back, both of us continuing to stare at one another. I waited him out for only a few seconds before he did the expected, swinging like his life depended on it. I dodged the first hit, blocked the second, and then I allowed him in.
That hit square across the jaw hurt like a bitch, nearly knocking me off my damn feet. I let him get in a few more blows, dropping my elbows just as he went for the kidneys. After the next round of hits, I got a feel for his moves, could sense what he planned and how he would execute each swing.
As he threw his fist one last time, I took the hit.
And then I grinned at him.
With my mouth full of blood and my sides already bruised, I was finally ready.
And it was gonna be beautiful.
It took two left hooks and one hard jab from the right to knock him on his ass, and when he got to his feet, the confidence in his eyes dimmed, and he knew he was in trouble.
We went three rounds, and then I delivered the final blow. He was out, unable to move as he laid out cold on the mat. As the referee lifted my hand, announcing my victory, I looked around, listening to the crowd going wild. But as my eyes connected with Deke’s, the smile slipped from my face.
I was back, but the one person who really mattered wasn’t here.
It had never bothered me before to not have a single family member or friend in the crowd. In fact, it helped me focus. But right now, as I stood on the mat, my victory and comeback complete, I wished more than anything that I could see Cassidy’s beaming smile.
She wasn’t here, and it was all my fault. I’d pushed away too many people in my life, and now when it really counted, I was all alone.
But that was about to change.
I wouldn’t take another step in the ring unless she was by my side.
42
CASSIDY
I was a nervous wreck.All freaking day, I was limping around, my hair in a frazzled mess as I desperately tried to pretend I was cool going to the bar with Maverick for drinks. I woke up late, couldn’t decide what to wear, got to the shop with minutes to spare, and then proceeded to knock over a stack of newly arrived books.
