Fighting for Love (Second Chances #4)(37)

“Does this make you feel better?” I challenged.

“No,” she growled, “it doesn’t.”

Already, she showed signs of fatigue and huffed in anger, pushing herself past the limit. I didn’t know what the hell to do. Carter moved out of the ring and gave us our space, knowing our situation needed to be handled in our own way and with a little privacy. It was hard to have that with everyone in the gym staring at you.

Circling around her, I lifted my arms in the air and shrugged. “Well, then what would make you happy, huh? Do you want to hit me, is that it? Tell me what—”

Stopping mid-sentence, I saw someone out of the corner of my eye come through the door that I hadn’t seen in a really long time. When I turned to look, Shelby glanced in the direction as well at the long, dark haired beauty that smiled and waltzed her way over to the ring.

All I heard from Shelby was a low growl and her voice saying, “You have got to be kidding me.” Suddenly, her fist slammed into my right cheek and I fell to the mat. The girl could pack a punch, especially when pissed off. Lying on the mat, I tilted my head back to peer at the girl behind me with her elbows resting at the edge of the ring.

“Well, well,” she began with a chuckle, “it’s been ten years and the girl can still knock you off your feet. I thought you would’ve learned your lesson by now.”

Rubbing my cheek, I groaned and collapsed onto the mat. “Oh, you know me … when I fall, I fall hard. It’s been, what … four months? I can see you’re still as charming as ever. Welcome back, Gabriella.”

She winked and smiled wide. “It’s good to see you, too, brother.”





THE MOMENT MATT SAID GABRIELLA’S name I knew I had made a terrible mistake. I didn’t want to hit him, but when he turned away from me to look at another girl I just reacted. I hadn’t seen his sister since she was thirteen years old, and a lot had changed in ten years. She was twenty-three years old and completely different … grown up.

Sheepishly, I covered my face with my hands and groaned. “Matt, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you that hard.”

When I heard him shuffle on the mat, I lowered my hands and hesitantly opened my eyes. Standing in front of me with a huge smile on his face, it was hard to stay angry.

“Now, did that make you feel better?” he asked, tilting my chin up with his finger.

As much as I hated to admit it, yes, it did.

“Actually, it did,” I answered truthfully. “But I promise I won’t do that again. It just feels like every step forward we take there’s always something that tries to hold us back.”

“And that’s why we’ll keep pushing,” he murmured low. “Nothing is going to hold us back because I’m not going to let it. I’ll fight for what’s mine, and you, my angel, are mine.”

Staring into his swirling green gaze, it was so easy to get lost in them. However, the moment was broken when Gabriella cleared her throat. “Long time no see, Shelby. I see you found your way back to my brother. If I’m not mistaken, I thought he wasn’t good enough for you.”

Taken aback by her words, I almost thought I had imagined it, but by Matt’s glare I knew I didn’t. “Gabby, what the hell are you doing?”

“What?” she snapped, glaring back at him. “Have you forgotten everything? Because I know I haven’t. I was there, remember, unlike her.”

Turning on her heel, she stormed through the gym and out the door. I used to spend time with her when Matt and her mother would be at work. We grew really close to each other, and when I ended things with Matt I never saw her again—never told her good-bye—but I missed her. Being with Matt again, I didn’t even think about what it would be like to have to confront his sister or his mother. It wasn’t just him I left behind.

Matt sighed, his gaze weary when he turned to me. “I’ll be right back. I can’t let her leave like that.”

“Wait,” I called, grabbing his arm, “let me go out there and talk to her.”

“Are you sure? You know how tough she can be.”

“Yes, I know,” I agreed, “but she also needs to hear me out. I know she probably hates me, and she has every right to. I owe her an apology at least.”

Matt smiled sadly and nodded for me to go. I rushed out the front door and turned the corner to the parking lot to see if I could find her. Thankfully, she hadn’t gone far; she stood by Matt’s sport bike with silent tears streaming down her face. She looked so different now; she was taller and her raven black hair was long past her shoulders, instead of chin-length like it used to be. I could only assume by the gray California State T-shirt she wore that it was most likely the college she attended.

When her gaze found mine, she wiped away the tears and lowered her head. “Why are you back, Shelby? Is it because Matt has money now and your family would finally approve?”

That couldn’t have been farther from the truth. My mother always liked Matt; it was my father that had the issue, but I never let his concerns sway me from being with Matt. “No, Gabriella, that’s not it at all,” I answered with a sigh. “The money was never an issue with me.”

“Then what was it?” she cried, her green gaze showing the hurt she clearly felt.