Love You Always

“What did she say?” I ask Clyde as he stands from the stool he’s sitting on.

“Not much, but she was low key looking for you. I think she’s been by your place too. I got the feeling she stopped by and you weren't home.” It had to have been when I was at my mom’s. “Told her you’d be back here today. When you didn't show that's when I called you.” He claps his hand down on my shoulder. “You’re welcome.”

“Thanks,” I mumble, looking toward the door, still feeling on edge. What if she doesn't show? What if I missed my opportunity to see her again? I take a deep breath in, trying to calm myself down. I’ll find her one way or another. Nothing will stop me from having my forever with her.

She came looking for me. Something about that has me smiling. If it were any other woman, I’d be asking for tighter security here. But I want my little pixie to find me. I guess now it’s only a matter of who finds who first.

“I’ll hang around.”

“Why don’t you look busy? Don’t make me look like a snitch.” He smirks at me.

“I don’t want to play with your pups.” I can’t pull my eyes from the door. Clyde might be right, though. There is a chance she might not come in if I’m hovering over the door. If she wanted to come out and see me, she would have shown back up at my place and knocked. I’m starting to think my little pixie might be a bit flighty.

She tried to walk away from me in the bar like she’d lost interest in me. I don’t think things hold her attention long. That slice of happiness I was feeling about her looking for me yesterday starts to slip away. What if she’s lost interest already? Shit. She really was fucking with my head. I’d be a liar if I didn't admit I was enjoying any kind of fuck she wanted to give me. As long as I had her attention, I’d take that as a win.

“Come on, go a round with Bruno. He wants another chance with you.” I glance over to Bruno. His eyes are looking better. He talked so much smack when we’d gotten into the ring the other day that I blessed him with not only one, but two black eyes.

“Nah.” I’ll punch a bag or something to look busy.

“He was playing with your girl’s hair yesterday. Asking her to wait around for him.”

“What the fuck?” I’m going to break his hands and then his jaw. That should stop him from touching and talking to my girl. You can't ask shit when your mouth is wired shut.

“Shit.” Clyde grabs my arm. “Didn't think it would make you that mad. Calm down, boy.”

“What the hell did you mean?” Did he make that shit up to get me in the ring?

“Tomas.” Bruno gives me a chin nod. I must have knocked the sense right out of him the other day. Otherwise he would notice that Clyde is holding me back.

“You touched my girl.” Bruno holds his hands up, taking a step back.

“I haven’t touched a girl in days.”

“I was messing with you.” Clyde pushes me and I take a step back out of respect for him. “She wears glasses and has a ponytail.” He glances over to Bruno. Bruno takes another two steps away from me.

“I didn't know she was yours until after.”

“After what?”

“I winked at her and pulled her ponytail.”

“You pulled her what?” Why the fuck would he pull her ponytail?

Clyde jumps in front of me. Both of his hands go to my chest. “He was harmless. She didn't even notice him.” That would be a first. All the women notice him. I like that shit because they leave me the hell alone. Now that it’s my pixie, I hate that shit.

“You hurt even one hair on her head and you’ll never fight again.”

“You can’t ban me from fighting,” he throws back, but his ass is taking another few steps away. I notice some men start to circle in, ready to break up a fight. I haven't wanted to fight someone just to make them hurt in years. Now I only fight because I’m the best at it and it pays well. But the urge to bash Bruno's face in until he’s unrecognizable rides me hard. I take a deep breath in, reminding myself that I’m no longer fighting in the streets and that I’m a professional.

“How hard did I hit you?”

Bruno is clearly not that bright. Clyde spells it out for him. “He means he’ll break your hands.”

Bruno looks down at his hands. “Her hair was soft.”

Yep. He’s dumb as fuck is all I can think before I’m charging him.

8

Neily

Once again I stand outside the gym debating what I should do. This time I promise myself that I’ll only take a small peek. No one has to know I was even there to begin with. I don’t have to go inside. My feet move closer to the front door on their own accord. I jump out of the way of a man that I almost walk right into.