Page 76 of The Fighter

“Wow,” Amara said. “Pretty nice place.”

“Thank you,” I answered.

Tav stood near her, but not too near, his gaze never leaving her in a way that might have been unnerving to anyone else. But she didn’t seem to mind. She turned to face him finally, really taking him in.

Tav had tried to look nice for her, I could tell. His hair had been slightly tamed, but he hadn’t had the time to dry it. “D-Did you sleep okay?” he asked.

“I did. It’s so quiet compared to my other apartment.”

Tav nodded. “Yeah, you’re right on the street.” As soon as he said the words, his body locked. So did Amara’s. Tav blinked. So did she. His lips parted, and it took everything in me not to cometo his rescue. He hadn’t asked me to. He puffed out his cheeks and blew out a breath. “I, uh, I checked on you and Holden a lot.”

Her head cocked. “Check on us or spied on us?”

He chewed his lips. “Both.”

She nodded. “Okay, thanks for being honest about that.”

“I’ll be honest about everything, Mar.” He was the picture of openness, this Tav, not anything like the cagey one I first met. His body language was loose, his handsome face without a mask. “I just don’t always know where to start or what to say.”

“I know.” She reached for him, and her hand hesitated in the air before she lightly patted his biceps. “I once knew you better than anyone. And I can still read you.”

He smiled, leaning into her touch. “Yeah, okay.”

She let him go and knelt, placing her hands on Holden’s shoulders. “Remember all I told you about Uncle Tav? Well, this is him. My brother. Your uncle.”

Tav mimicked her position, dropping his big body into an immediate squat. He smiled identical dimples at the boy who watched him closely. “Hey, little man. I’m so glad I can finally meet you.”

“Where’ve you been?” Holden frowned slightly. “Mommy said you were gone.”

Tav swallowed, and his smile went wobbly. “I, uh, I was on a long trip. But I’m back now.” His eyes shifted to his sister before returning to Holden. “She told you about me?”

The boy immediately held out one hand, palm flat. He made a fist with his other hand and slammed it down on his palm. “Tavin the Gavel!”

Tav made a strangled sound in his throat, and I covered my mouth with my hand, because I wasn’t sure what my face was doing, all I knew was that it was doing something weird, and my throat hurt, and I felt a tightness in my chest that burned.

Amara’s head was down, her hair covering her expression, and her shoulders shook. She hastily swiped at her face before lifting her head, eyes wet. “He knows a lot about you, Tav.”

Tav hadn’t moved yet, still watching Holden’s little hands. But then he shook himself and smiled. His eyes shone. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“Mommy said you hate watermelon. And I hate watermelon too.”

“Tastes like soap.” Tav wrinkled his nose.

“Nasty ol’ soap.” Holden howled as if this was incredibly important to him.

Tav stood and held out his hand. “Want me to show you something cool?” He glanced at Amara, who also stood and nodded.

Holden immediately grabbed his uncle’s hand and bounced on his feet with a fist pump in the air. “Yeah!”

Tav led him toward the door of the gym, and they walked inside. I didn’t follow, and neither did Amara. Tav’s deep voice murmured as he described the different equipment, and Holden chirped excitedly in answer.

I felt Amara’s gaze on me, and I gestured toward the kitchen. “Would you like a coffee?”

She nodded with a careful dip of her chin. “Sure.”

I made her a coffee, asking her if she wanted creamer or sugar—only a bit of vanilla creamer—before sliding the blue mug in front of her. She perched on a stool at the island while I stood across from her. My coffee was cold, and the second cup was making me jittery, so I ignored it. She took a sip from her mug and eyed me over the rim. I eyed her back.

“You don’t like me, do you?” she asked.