Page 21 of Between the Ropes

She’s quiet for a moment, her gaze thoughtful. “You’re really passionate about it. I can see it in your eyes when you talk about it.”

“Yeah,” I say softly. “It’s who I am. It’s the one thing I’ve never doubted. The one thing in my life that has never let me down.”

Her head tilts slightly, and her eyes grow heavier as she blinks slowly. “Tell me more,” she murmurs, her voice soft and drowsy.

I smile faintly, my hand brushing her hair back from her face. “I will. Another time.”

By the time I realize it, her breathing has evened out, and she’s fallen asleep, her small body curled against me. I shift carefully, laying her down and pulling the blankets over her. She looks so peaceful, so vulnerable. Absolutely beautiful.

I shut the lights off, locking the door behind me as I leave. But even as I walk down the hall to my own room, I can’t stop thinking about her. Her trembling under my hand, the pain in her eyes, the way her body fit against mine like it was meant to be there.

By the time I reach my room, my head is spinning. I sit on the edge of the bed, running a hand through my hair, trying to calm the storm inside me. But all I can think about is her. What would’ve happened if I hadn’t been there tonight? How many times has she had to face that bastard alone?

Anger pulses through me, and for a moment, I consider going back downstairs, finding that asshole, and beating him until he’s unrecognizable. But there’s a difference between us. I’m not like him. And I won’t let myself become that.

Still, I fight the urge to go back to her room, to knock on her door and… what? Hold her? Kiss her? I don’t even know. All I know is that I want her. Fuck, do I want her. And that’s dangerous.

Because once I start, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop. And I made a promise to myself a long time ago—a promise I always intended to keep.

15

I wake up to the obnoxious blare of my alarm, groaning as I fumble for my phone on the nightstand. My head is pounding, and I barely got any sleep last night. Ryan is all I can think about—his protective stance, the way his body felt pressed against mine when he led me inside the hotel. Like a wall of strength. The things he shared with me about himself. I feel like we had a moment. I don’t remember falling asleep last night, but the thought of seeing Ryan again has my heart suddenly racing.

But then, there’s also the embarrassment. My stupid uncle showing up here, drunk and pathetic, begging for money so he can drink himself to death, humiliating me in front of Ryan. I wanted to keep that part of my life hidden, wanted to be seen as this put-together professional. Now I just feel weak. Exposed. And damaged.

I roll over, groggily unlocking my phone, only to be met with a flood of angry text messages from my uncle. Fantastic.

"You think you can just ignore me?""I’ll find you again. I always do.""Ungrateful little brat. After everything I did for you."

My stomach tightens, and I quickly block his number. Annika was right. I should’ve changed my phone number ages ago, but now everyone in UXW has it. I can’t change it now—not in the middle of all this. He’ll probably find another phone to harass me with anyway or use someone else’s. That’s just what he does. I know, deep in my bones, this is not the end.

I take a deep breath and dial Annika’s number. She picks up on the second ring, her voice cheerful as always.

“Morning, sunshine!” she sings. “How’s it going over there in wrestling wonderland?”

I let out a heavy sigh. “Annika, I need to tell you what happened last night.”

“Oh god, this sounds serious,” she replies, her tone shifting to concern. “What’s going on?”

I tell her everything. About my uncle showing up, the confrontation, how Ryan stepped in and basically saved me from a total meltdown. As I talk, I pace the small space of my hotel room, the memory still too raw, too fresh.

“Wait, wait,” Annika interrupts. “Ryan Pierce? As intheRyan Pierce came to your rescue like some kind of tattooed, muscular knight in shining armor?”

I let out a small laugh, despite the tension still coiled tight in my chest. “Yeah. I guess that’s exactly what happened.”

“Oh my god, Natalie! This is... this is the stuff romance novels are made of!” Annika squeals through the phone. “He’s hot, he’s protective, and he came to your rescue like a freaking hero. Please tell me you’re going to climb that man like a tree!”

“Annika!” I groan, heat flooding my face. “It’s not like that. I mean... it was intense, and—” I pause, biting my lip. I can’t deny it anymore, the pull I felt toward him, the way his presence made me feel safe and electrified all at once. “Okay, fine. There was... a moment. It felt like something was going to happen, but it didn’t. And then he walked away, and I’ve just been... thinking about it. About him.”

“Youhaveto see where this goes,” she insists. “I’m telling you, Nat, life is too short to not go after something—or someone—you want. You deserve some happiness. And it sounds like Mr. Tall, Dark, and Muscular might be exactly what you need.”

I fall silent for a moment, Annika’s words sinking in. Maybe she’s right. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to let myself feel something for Ryan. He’s strong, protective, gorgeous, and honestly... I can’t stop thinking about him. But there’s so much baggage.

“I just don’t know, Annika,” I finally say, collapsing back onto the bed. “It’s complicated. And after everything with my uncle, I just feel so... exposed. I didn’t want anyone to see that part of my life, and now Ryan knows. It was really embarrassing; this is all just so much.”

“Nat,” Annika says softly, “Your past doesn’t define you. Your uncle is a parasite, and you need to cut him off for good. Blood doesn’t mean anything if the person is toxic. You’ve done so much to get away from him and build a new life. Don’t let him drag you down anymore. Don’t give him anymore power over you. This is your life, take it back girl.”

Her words hit me harder than I expect, and I blink back sudden tears. She’s right. I’ve spent far too long letting him control parts of my life, even when I thought I’d broken free. Like Annika said, it’s time to stop letting him have that power over me.

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