Page 63 of Between the Ropes

As I’m escorted backstage, my blood still pumping, I know this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.

I’m still fuming when I storm into the locker room, slamming my fist against the wall. Travis is waiting for me, leaning against the row of lockers, his arms crossed and a calm but unreadable expression on his face.

“Feel better?” he asks, arching a brow.

“Not even close,” I snap, pacing like a caged animal. My fists clench and unclench, the adrenaline from the fight still coursing through my veins.

Travis doesn’t move. He’s quiet, just watching me for a moment before speaking. “You’re acting like an asshole, you know that?”

I stop mid-pace and glare at him. “You here to lecture me?”

“I’m here to tell you the truth,” he says coolly. “You’re letting everyone else dictate your life—Brian, Kyle, hell, even Natalie.”

At the mention of her name, my chest tightens, and I look away, trying to swallow the lump forming in my throat.

“You don’t want to hear this, I get it,” Travis continues, stepping closer. “But I’m going to say it anyway. I know you, Ryan. You’ve been my best friend for years, and I’ve seen you atyour best and your worst. I know what happened with your ex messed you up. She tore you down, made you think you weren’t worth loving. And ever since, you’ve been carrying that around like some kind of curse.”

My jaw clenches, and I stare at the ground, every word hitting harder than I want to admit.

“But here’s the thing,” Travis says, his voice softening. “Natalie’s not her. She’s not going to use your past against you. She’s not going to run when things get tough. She saw you, man. The real you. And you know what? She still chose you. She still wanted you. That’s rare, and you threw it away because you were scared. Because for some reason you still think you don’t deserve to be happy. That championship belt, might seem like the most important thing in the world, but had you won last night would you have been happy? Or would something still be missing?”

“I’m not scared,” I growl, but it sounds weak even to me.

“Bullshit,” Travis shoots back, his tone sharper now. “You’re scared because for the first time, someone got past your walls. Someone made you feel something real, and that terrifies you. So, what do you do? You push her away, tell yourself it’s better this way. But it’s not, Ryan. You’re miserable, and you know it.”

I sink down onto the bench, my head in my hands. “It’s better for her,” I mutter. “If we kept going, I’d hurt her even more. I’m not built for this, Trav. I’m not built for relationships. It’s for the best.”

Travis crouches down in front of me, his voice low and full of conviction. “You’re wrong. You’re built for more than just this grind, Ryan. You’re built to love, to protect, to be someone’s rock. And Natalie? She saw that in you before you even saw it in yourself. You think you’re protecting her by staying away, but all you’re doing is breaking both of your hearts.”

I stare at him, my throat tight, unable to respond.

“She believed in you,” Travis continues. “And maybe, just maybe, it’s time you start believing in yourself. Stop hiding behind this ‘lone wolf’ crap. You deserve to be happy, and so does she. You’ve fought for everything else in your life—your career, your respect, your place at the top. Why the hell wouldn’t you fight for her?”

His words settle over me like a heavy weight, and for the first time in days, I feel something shift inside.

Travis stands, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “It’s not too late, man. Go get her back. Fight for her, the way you fight for that damn title. And this time, don’t let her go.”

He walks out, leaving me alone with my thoughts. His words echo in my head, over and over. I don’t deserve Travis.

When I finally get up, it’s with a new resolve burning in my chest.

He’s right. It’s time to stop running. It’s time to fight for what really matters.

And this time, nothing’s going to keep me from her.

47

Even though I know I shouldn’t, I can’t help myself. I’m sitting on my bed, the TV flickering in the dark as I watchUXW. The volume is barely audible—I don’t want Annika to hear. She’d call me out, tell me I’m being self-destructive, that I’m torturing myself for no reason. But none of that matters. I’m drawn to the screen like a moth to a flame.

The moment Ryan’s entrance music hits, my stomach twists into knots. He steps out onto the stage, his presence commanding as ever, but I see it—the pain in his eyes, the anger simmering just beneath the surface. He’s not the man who used to light up every room with that cocky grin. He’s hurting, and it’s like looking into a mirror.

Tears spill down my cheeks as I watch him. His promo is raw, filled with emotion as he calls Kyle out. I feel every wordhe says in my bones. This is what he loves, what he’s sacrificed everything for. Including me.

I pull my blanket tighter around myself, sobbing quietly into it. God, why am I doing this? Why am I putting myself through this pain? I tell myself that in a few months, it won’t feel like this. The ache will dull, the memories will fade, and the sight of him won’t tear me apart. But right now, it feels like I’m drowning in it.

Eventually, I fall asleep, the TV still playing in the background.

The next morning, I wake up to the soft light of day filtering through my blinds. My eyes are puffy and sore from crying, and my heart still feels heavy in my chest. I grab my phone from the nightstand and see a missed call from Travis.

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