Fighting Silence (On the Ropes #1)(49)

“No. Seriously. We’re just friends.”

“Well, of all the times I’ve seen you two together, she wasn’t just anything to you.”

“Whatever.” I blew him off, but only because I knew he was right.

“So, what’s your hang-up with Derrick being there, then?”

Now that I could answer. “I f*cking hate that guy. I don’t want him anywhere near her.”

“Yeah, I heard you two went at it a few weeks ago.”

My head snapped to his.

Before then, he hadn’t mentioned a single word to me or Flint about that night at the gym. Slate had a strict “no fighting outside of the ring” policy, so I’d figured we would have for sure heard about it if he’d caught wind.

“Yeah. About that—” I started, but I was quickly interrupted.

“So, you’d be okay if it were any other guy at her place?”

“You got eyes for my girl, Slate?” I smarted back, and he laughed. “Nah. But it’s definitely worse because it’s him.”

“I get that.” He squeezed my shoulder. “Okay, stay as long as you want. Take it easy on my bag though.” He shot me a smile as he turned to walk away.

“She wants more,” I blurted. I needed someone to talk to, and the speed bag just wasn’t cutting it.

He turned back to face me, crossing his arms over his chest and signaling for me to explain.

“What if we took it to that next level and it didn’t work out? I’d lose her for good. But I can’t get her to understand, so I’m afraid it’s gonna happen anyway.” I tucked a glove under my arm and tugged it off.

“You want advice or you just want me to listen?”

“Advice. Please. Anything.”

“You’re going to lose her no matter what you do.”

“Wow. You are terrible at this,” I snarked.

“Till, she’s not the girl you hung out with in high school anymore. One of two things is gonna to happen. Either you take the next step and make her your woman or you sit back and watch someone else do it. It’s gonna happen regardless of how much you try to fight it though. If it’s not Derrick, it will be someone else.”

“No. She’s dated in the past, but she’s never gotten serious with anyone.”

“She’s not a kid anymore though. She’s twenty-one years old and starting to make plans for the future. People don’t stay the same forever, especially women. But you have to face the facts that you can’t lose that girl you’re so desperate to hang on to . . . She’s already gone.”

“She’s not gone!” I shouted as the panic began to set in.

“Yeah, she is, son. You need to let go of whatever you two had before and make something new. I’m not saying you have to marry Eliza, but I think you need to figure out what you want before you find yourself sitting in a church, watching her marry someone else.” Slate walked forward, swinging his keys around his finger. “And you better figure it out fast, because women like her don’t stay single long.”

I didn’t have a response as he backed away. The fact that someone hadn’t already swooped Eliza off her feet was a miracle in and of itself. But she’d always made it clear that she loved me. It was stupid and na?ve, but I hadn’t worried that she would end up with anyone else. The scenario of watching her get married seemed so farfetched that I couldn’t even conjure the image.

So, instead of focusing on Eliza’s imaginary wedding, I closed my eyes and pictured my life with someone else.





I WAS ECSTATIC WHEN I heard the unexpected knock on my apartment door. But when I opened it, I felt a deep sense of disappointment when I found Derrick standing on my welcome mat. He’d brought Chinese food to apologize for having to dash after our date the night before. Little did he know, but that had been my favorite part of the entire date. My manners won out and I invited him in.

We’d hung out and talked for a couple hours. It had been a fine evening. Not great. Just fine. When I made the excuse that I was getting tired, he took the hint. I offered him a chaste hug at the door, but he had other ideas. His lips softly brushed mine, and instead of feeling the spark of excitement that should precede a first kiss, I cringed. He didn’t seem to notice, so with promises of a date the next night, I hurried him out.

Derrick was a nice enough guy. He was charming and all that crap, but there was no chance in hell we would ever turn into more. He was no Till. I was afraid no one ever would be though.

I was lying on my couch, fighting my hands as eyes flowed from the charcoal, when yet another unexpected knock at the door startled me.

“Um . . . who is it?”

“It’s me.” Till’s voice shook on two simple syllables.

I snatched the door open, praying that it would be the moment I’d been waiting for, but his feet never even shuffled forward.

“I’m ready to let us go,” he announced abruptly.

Never in my life had I felt a pain so deeply.

My heart seized.

My bones ached.

My soul withered.

“What?” I squeaked.

“We’re not the same anymore. I get it. It’s my fault. I’ll own it.” His eyes were as hollow as my chest felt. “Eliza, I can’t do this anymore.”