Hooked (TKO 2)

“Hil, where are you?” Travis yells from the door. We’re standing just around the corner of the building. This is my cue to get the hell out of here.

“I’ll see you around.”

I don’t give Hilary a chance to say anything before I stalk to my truck and drive off quickly. In the rearview mirror, I see what I didn’t want to see. His arms around her. No woman I know would stick around someone like Travis, so what’s Hilary’s real excuse? She’s beautiful, and after the hell she went through in high school, I would have thought she’d have learned to stay away from people like him. I suddenly realize how fast I’m going. Shit, I need to slow down. I haven’t had a lot to drink but I still don’t need to get stuck with a DUI or a speeding ticket for that matter.

The next morning, I am lying wide awake in bed with a major headache. I was hardly able to sleep at all. I couldn’t do anything but think of Hilary and how fucked up everything was. My final attempt to close my eyes is interrupted when my phone begins vibrating rather loudly on the nightstand. I reach out and grab it, anything to make it stop. I can’t take that annoying sound over and over again. Howard’s name on the screen jolts me from the bed. It’s almost ten in the morning and I was supposed to be at Lou’s an hour ago.

“Hello?” My head is still pounding.

“I was making sure you were alive. You’re never late.” Howard chuckles. I was anticipating him being angry, but he’s laughing instead.

“Yeah, I’m alive. I’m coming. Sorry, man, I don’t know what the hell happened with the time.”

“Just get here.” Before I can answer, he disconnects.

Dad’s already gone to work. Usually, he pops in to make sure I’m up, but I don’t know what happened this time. I throw on a pair of shorts and almost stumble trying to get my legs into them. The shirt is easier to get on. I hurry into the bathroom where I brush my teeth. I reach into the cabinet and grab a couple of ibuprofen. They slide down my throat with ease, and all I can do is pray they kick in before I make it to Lou’s.

Outside, I hop in my truck and drive to the gym with the volume down on the stereo. The aching in my head has eased, but it’s still hurting bad enough that I can’t seem to loosen my grip on the steering wheel.

As I pull into Lou’s, I leave every thought of the previous night in the truck. I don’t want that following me inside and hindering my training. I bust my ass too hard for everything I’ve worked for, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let anything fuck that up.

Chapter 5

I put my keys inside an empty locker in the back room before making my way out to the mat. Garrett struts over from the weight bench and shakes his head at me.

“What?” I ask. My head is starting to feel a little better, but my eyes are heavy. The lack of sleep is starting to really hit me.

“I was wondering if maybe you went back and tried to antagonize Travis after everyone left last night.”

“No, I didn’t go back. What would I do that for? She made it clear who she’s with and what she wants. It’s not me.”

“I saw the way she looks at you though, man. Don’t give up on her.”

“What are you, the damn love doctor?” I scoff. “You saw the way she looks at me, huh? Good for her.”

“You’re full of it, Lance. If she walked up to you today and said she was done with Travis, you would jump all over that.”

He knows me too well. He throws my gloves at me, and they hit me in the chest but I manage to catch them.

“What were you doing with my favorite pair of gloves?”

“I knew you would show up eventually. Raegan isn’t here, so that means you and me are sparring today.”

I glance around before I realize he’s serious. Raegan usually is here, so I’m a little surprised. “Where is she?”

“She went over to see her dad and stepmom. She’ll be up here eventually.”

I sit down and stretch. I close my eyes, and somehow I’m able to find peace of mind. When I open my eyes, I see Garrett staring at me. I rise and get in position. Even as we begin to spar, we can’t quit joking. When Garrett knocks me on my ass, I jump back up and take a swing at him, only to miss. He’s fucking good, even when he’s just playing around. I bounce on my feet, waiting to get the perfect hit on him when the door opens and I hear Raegan’s voice. Her arrival takes me completely off guard, giving Garrett a chance to knock me on my ass. Why am I so easily distracted?

“Hey, Lance, need a hand?” she teases.

“Yeah, since you’re offering. And by that, I mean, no thanks.”

“Oh, you are so funny.” She turns to face Garrett. For once, she seems a little nervous. She fidgets, shifting her weight from one side to the other. “Hey, Garrett, can I talk to you for a second?”

As the two of them step away, I drag myself from the mat and find Howard watching me. The laughter from earlier is gone. He raises his hand and motions me toward him with the crook of his finger. I get moving, because nobody messes with Howard. He is never kept waiting.

“Hey, Howard, sorry I was late.”