I admit I don't care much about seeing Ty beating and getting beaten up by Eoghan Doherty, but I'm excited about the prospect of being around him during this event. I know how consumed and worked-up he’s been about the fight.
My tears drip down my cheeks, and I ugly-cry, because, damn, I'm so touched by these two special women in my life.
Izzy wraps me into a hug. "Awwwww, Blaire's suffering from an emotional overdose. That's a first!"
I find the perfect spot between her neck and her shoulder blade and nuzzle into it, even though that sticky mud mask is totally touching my hair.
“Izz…” I take a deep breath, because I know I’m about to drag her into a subject I don’t want to talk about, but I have no one else to turn to and I am, in fact, suffering from an emotional overload. “I think Ty is keeping something from me.”
“D’uh, of course he is. Who wants their significant other to know everything about them? What is he, crazy?” Izzy heads for her bedroom and I follow her there and into our bathroom. She turns on the faucet and slowly wipes off her facial mask.
I sit on the edge of the bathtub. “I don't know what he got himself into, but I think it's serious and it pisses me off that he hasn’t told me what it is.”
Izzy puts her hand on my shoulder. I shut my eyes, exhaling.
“Maybe it's not because he's hiding something fishy. Maybe it's because he doesn't want you to carry his burden with him. He likes you, sissy. I can see it in his eyes that he’s crazy about you.”
I daren’t tell her that he didn’t tell me he loves me back last time we were together. I can’t. It’s too humiliating and, besides, I’m repressing it pretty skillfully. In fact, I’m not even sure he didn’t say it back. Maybe he did. Maybe I didn’t hear. Maybe…
Oh, God. I’m an idiot.
“I get lonely," Izzy blurts. Her voice comes from a faraway place inside her, the place Izzy doesn't usually share with the world. "You have someone that makes you feel very seen, and not just in the obvious, sexual way.” She swallows a lump of self-pity. “Don’t give it up too quickly. I can bet good money Ty is all kinds of fucked-up, but don’t forget—so are you.”
***
"Surprise."
This dangerous word floats in the air for the second time in one day, but this time it's coming out of Ty's mouth. I slide from behind the counter at Ned's the minute he walks in and invites me with his crooked smile to the seat next to him in a tiny booth, curling his finger seductively.
He is so breathtaking. It's not even his beauty. It's something far more powerful than that. And the fact that he took time to come say hi during his final push of training is amazing. He's been holed up in training camp for the last couple of days.
"Hey, smartass." He plants a kiss on my forehead and tucks his hand into his pocket, searching for something while making a funny face. "I got you a little something to celebrate your grade." He hands me an envelope. I take it in both hands, and before I even manage to tear it open, he announces, "It's kinda dorky, but I figured your schedule's cleared up with school over and everything."
I pull out a voucher from the envelope and grin, completely mesmerized by its content.
"You enrolled me in a French class?" I can't help but laugh uncontrollably, because really, Ty's gifts are the weirdest. He cups my cheeks and kisses me again, this time passionately, with tongue and everything, before I break free.
"One step closer to your happiness, Barbie. This one is for rocking it in your assignment. I'm proud of you."
My grin fades quickly when I remember what I need to ask him. I decided not to tell him about Vegas after all, to keep it as a surprise for when he sees my face for the first time.
But I still need to run Shane's accusation past him.
"Thank you so much." I wave the voucher in the air. "Hey, listen, I need to ask you something."
I must look serious, because he frowns almost immediately. "What's up?"
"There's a rumor going around that you're...using steroids." I almost whisper the last word, feeling self-conscious. "I told Shane there's no way..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, rewind." He is brooding, and he looks like he's about to tear this place down judging by his face. "What business does Shane have talking about me? He doesn't know me. And even if he did, why the hell would you believe some gossip he’s spreading about me?"
He feels betrayed. His eyes are so dark and stormy, I can almost see my own reflection in them. And I'm glad I can't, because I know I'm very close to crumbling like a stale cookie.