Page 79 of Only You
Selene blinked in surprise at the question before staring at the floor. ‘Umm… I guess. I mean, the sooner we don’t have to do this, the better. I finish school in December. So, once I’m a doctor, and you’re fighting in the pros, it’ll be worth it, right?’
‘What kind of doctor do you want to be?’ he asked her instead of answering.
‘A surgeon,’ she replied, laughing bitterly. ‘I already fix broken things so why not get paid for it? Don’t worry, this time I’m not talking about you.’ She paused before leaning towards him, lowering her voice. ‘Thank you for… everything.’
‘Don’t mention it.’
‘Always so humble.’ She shook her head even as a small smile made an appearance. ‘But I’m serious—’
‘Did you tell Jack?’ Demir asked suddenly. The question had been burning in his mind for days. He had been watching her act the same around Jack while his friend was none-the-wiser. He was sure she had her reasons for keeping the incident to herself, but he couldn’t imagine what they would be. Weren’t they in love? Then again, what did he know about that?
Selene’s smile dropped and her eyes flickered to the door. ‘No,’ she replied in a low voice. ‘And he doesn’t need to know.’
‘Then, don’t mention it,’ Demir replied. ‘Ever.’
Selene furrowed her brows at him, smoothing her expression when the door opened. She subtly slid back so she was out of Demir’s personal space as Jack and Mackie came in.
‘And here is the star of the night,’ Jack announced, holding out his hand in Demir’s direction. He tried to muster up a smile for the club owner, but it fell somewhere closer to a grimace.
Mackie didn’t seem to really care. He simply nodded and put his hands in his pocket. ‘Hell of a fight you put on tonight.’
‘Thank you,’ Demir replied, trying not to stare at Selene as she went to stand by Jack, his arms wrapping around her as he kissed her temple.
‘I should be thanking you. I’ve never seen the crowd so riled up,’ Mackie chuckled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope, holding it out to Jack. ‘But I hope this will be sufficient.’
He opened it, and instantly his eyes widened. ‘This is… very generous of you.’
‘Now, don’t get too excited. It’s merely an investment. I want him fighting every other week, especially on the last Friday of the month. You know, to keep things exciting,’ Mackie informed them. ‘I assume this will be more than enough.’
‘Y–Yeah,’ Jack cleared his throat awkwardly. ‘This, um, this looks good.’
‘Wonderful.’ Mackie tipped his hat. ‘See you all next week, then. Especially you.’ Mackie took Selene’s hand and kissed the back of it with a wink.
She giggled before winking back. ‘Looking forward to it,’ she replied, right on the cusp of flirty despite leaning her head on Jack’s shoulder.
Demir didn’t understand how Jack could stand it. Hell,hisblood boiled at the interaction, and he wasn’t even supposed to care. He looked down at his feet. What the hell was going on with him?
‘Lemme see,’ Selene said once Mackie left, taking the envelope. She squealed at the contents before hugging Jack.
‘Gonna show the man who got his face busted for whatever’s in there?’ Demir drawled. Jack laughed before holding the envelope to him. He took it and stopped short at the contents. He had never seen so many bills in one place, much less for him.
‘How much is this?’
‘Two hundred and fifty dollars,’ Jack answered excitedly. He took the envelope from Demir and divided the money, the envelope still thick when Jack handed it back. ‘We’re in, D.’
When Selene really thought about it, being in the library was the only place she had a chance to be alone. Everywhere else in her life, she was surrounded by people. Her two siblings and mum when she went home, Jack when she went to his place, other students in class, and Demir everywhere in between. Some days she could feel herself getting lost in the commotion of it all; her life felt like it rarely ever stopped.
Within all the havoc, the library was her sanctuary. It was the only place where she felt fully in control, where she wasn’t being dragged along to the next place. It was also the only place she was forced to be quiet, even if her thoughts weren’t. They bounced back and forth between biology, boxing and how much Jack had changed in the last few months. The brooding man from before was long gone, and he was finally back to normal.
But he’s not, she thought frustratingly. She huffed loudly, earning a few looks, as she put down her pencil.
She had known Jack since they were children. Even trying to remember her life before him, there were only a handful of memories. She had grown up knowing the five blocks between their neighbourhoods like the back of her hand. Before he found boxing, she was his fighter. She had fought kids on the playground to leave them alone, for them to be together, and even to get into Wayne State – who onlyjusthad their first Black, female graduate a couple of years ago – for her own sense of independence. Jack didn’t always get it, but he was always in the fight with her.
Now… Selene wasn’t sure what she was fighting for or who it was with.
Their new life was nice, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed within him. She shook her head, refocusing on her textbook. With an exam in a couple of days, she couldn’t think about that. She still had a dream to fight for, if nothing else.
She studied for another hour before heading outside to wait for Demir. A shiny new car pulled up in front of the steps and her eyebrows raised when she saw the boxer step out, a slow smile spread across her face. She may have been wary of their new money, but she couldn’t deny that it came with perks.
