Open Wounds (Harbour Bay #2)(17)

She was certainly the Kellie she remembered. Even back then, she’d been honest and loyal. The blonde hair and blue eyes often fooled people into thinking she was either brainless or a push-over, but growing up in their neighbourhood, nobody had the luxury of being one or the other.

“Are we going to talk about it?” Kellie asked softly.

“What’s to talk about?”

Kellie caught hold of the bag as she took another swing, the impact reverberating along her arm since she was unprepared for the lack of motion in the punching bag.

“You’re obviously angry with me.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I think I have a right. You’re the one who walked away and destroyed ten years of friendship.”

Mascara coated eyelashes fluttered at the charge.

“I couldn’t do it anymore. I wanted to forget and you wouldn’t let me. It was in every word and gesture. I was ashamed and embarrassed and every time I looked into your eyes I saw sympathy.”

She swallowed against the lump in her throat. “What did you expect? It didn’t just affect you. It almost killed me too, watching you suffer, knowing I couldn’t do a damn thing to help you. That I wasn’t there to protect you when you needed me.”

She slammed her fist against the bag hard, which moved only slightly with Kellie holding it still. She took a step back to compensate for the force of the blow.

They had been friends since they were children. Back then, Kellie had been the ambitious one and she had simply followed. Or rather had been dragged since Kellie refused to leave her behind. Then their world had changed overnight and Kellie had pushed her away. Not knowing what else to do, she’d allowed it. It was her biggest regret. She didn’t make friends easily, and due to her job and the hours she kept, along with her personality, she could count the number of friends she had on one hand.

She smacked the bag harder. “You just left. No explanation. Nothing. I was left wondering what the hell I did wrong, thinking you blamed me for being hurt.”

“Mia, I’m so sorry. I had no idea you felt that way.”

“It doesn’t matter now.”

“Of course it does,” Kellie said as she tapped her fingers against the thick plastic coating underneath her hand. “We’re going to be working together. We need to resolve our issues.”

“Just like that, huh?” Her mouth twitched into a smile.

“It’s only you, Mia, who makes it difficult, you know.”

She shrugged and didn’t deny it. Denying it would be futile since it was the truth, but it wasn’t something she could easily get over. Hell, it had been twelve years but that night still haunted her. Kellie wasn’t the only one who had lost something. She had also lost a good friend.

“I accept my actions have caused irreparable damage but I want to make it right. Or at least near enough to. Come on, Mia, let’s go hash this out Donovan Style. Don’t look so surprised. I read your file. Plus I know you. If there was anything that you couldn’t fix, you’d fester until an opportunity came along to cut loose and let it all out.”

She moved to the boxing ring in the centre of the room before turning around. She raised an eyebrow and motioned with her hand towards the ring. Amelia frowned before following her.

“Cut the crap, Kel, you know I’ll wipe the floor with you in a matter of minutes.”

Kellie climbed through the ropes into the ring and turned back to face her.

“That confident, are we? My, you have an ego. I bet you’ve been dreaming of kicking my arse for years,” she teased. “Well here am I. Come on, take your anger out on me. Let me take away your demons.”

“Don’t push me. I might take you up on that offer,” Amelia warned, noticing they’d caught the attention of some of the officers working out. Some were even inching closer in hopes of overhearing. There was nothing more interesting than Amelia Donovan being challenged by a perky blonde. She didn’t plan on being anyone’s entertainment.

Kellie shook her head, donning on a pair of gloves.

“Are you afraid you’ll hurt me? You can’t, no one can…not anymore. You need this. Hell, I need this. Relax, it’ll be a fair fight. I’ve been practicing. What have you got to lose except maybe their respect?” She motioned to the flock of men moving towards them, eagerly exchanging bets. “Let’s work off some of that aggression of yours. It’s not healthy to keep it bottled up. Believe me, you’ll feel better once we’re done.”

“She wouldn’t be Donovan if she wasn’t aggressive, that’s what we love about her,” someone said from the crowd. It was followed by male laughter.

“You’re just pissed she wouldn’t sleep with you, Kurt,” another said.

Amelia rolled her eyes and climbed into the ring. “You always knew how to make a spectacle of yourself,” she said. “Well, there’s no backing down now. Not if you want to save face.”

Kellie appeared unconcerned. “I was never planning on backing down.”

“I’ve got twenty on Donovan,” Officer Kovak shouted to no one in particular.

“I wouldn’t be so quick to make that assessment, Kovak,” a familiar voice called out. Nick Doyle appeared ringside. “The blonde packs a punch.”

Amelia huffed out a deep breath. Could this get any worse? She was never going to hear the end of this.