Page 9 of See Me

Enzo pegged me the first full day with him. I'm a people pleaser, to a fault. Except my parents. I think I’ve done everything in my power, within reason, to rebel against those two. I wouldn’t doubt if I subconsciously made decisions to alter my life in a way they wouldn’t approve of just to spite them. But when it comes to everyone else, even strangers, I will bend to fit in. Not my most favorable personality trait, but there you have it. I’ve done so much bending in my life, I hope this next chapter doesn't snap me in two.

THREE

TKO

Just five more minutes.The blood rushes past my ears over the pounding of the music, the noise in my head infuriating me. Sweat drips in puddles off my chin to the matted floor. I can’t hear the satisfying thwap of the gloves hitting the bag and it ignites a rage that has my arms weighing a thousand pounds with each jab. I feel the impact but I need to hear it.

I rip the gloves off and whip them at a locker, the metal clanging.

I heard that.

I throw a towel over my head and pace the gym floor to cool down.

It’s never enough. The bag. If I can’t feel my hand sink intoflesh and hear the breath rush out of the body across from me, it’s never enough. But that's all I have now. One night, one single fight against one douchebag opponent and I took it too far. The night my career ended.

And Benny’s.Coach. The only person that didn’t blame me. I ended his career too. Now this gym is a fraction of the size it used to be with a goddamn bar in front of it. Not where I thought my life was going. I know it isn’t where Benny wants to be. Sitting at the end of the bar reading a newspaper every day instead of training fighters like he did all his life. But he still shows up every day. He has nowhere else to go.

After that fight, when the media went after me, and him by association, anyone who wanted a chance in the MMA world bolted. No more fighters in the gym. No more Coach Benny. I single handedly ruined his life. A month later I took the majority of my winnings and bought the gym outright. I owed him that much.

My dumbass brother convinced me a bar was the way to go. I hate fucking walking in here every day and not smelling blood and sweat. I hate walking in here and not hearing Coach yellthat all you got, Nancy?

Instead, I walk in here and see hipsters with their tight fucking pants and loafers drinking IPAs. Or businessmen in three-piece suits that cost more than my first car, flirting with the waitresses while a ring gleams on their left hand. I want to drag them all into the half ring that’s left and hit them until their blood soaks the floor.

I don’t even like people.

Why did I let him talk me into this shit?

Once I have my breathing under control, I leave the gym and go through the locker room to the showers. I tried to keep as much of the original gym as I could. It was all I had, after all.Benny too. I’ve come in late at night to work out a few times, instead of my usual morning routine, and caught him just walking around back here. Carrying around a roll of tape, tossing it in the air, or hanging up the gloves I whipped across the room. I never know what to say to him. Or if I should say anything. Which means I walk away without a word.

I owe him my life and I can’t even spit those words out.

I strip and step into the shower. I have an hour before the doors open. Untilshecomes in. Ella. Jessica fucking Rabbit. I should be ashamed to admit she was my teenage fantasy. Gram and her fucking ‘80s movies.

It took me all of three seconds to know it was her. I’ve fisted myself several times over the last month thinking about those full, pink lips. And the way the breath rushed out of her when I pinned her up against the wall in the hallway. My cartoon fantasy come to life. My dick stayed hard the entire interview and it pissed me off. The minute she opened her mouth and started spouting off, I had my opportunity to get rid of her. I don’t need that kind of temptation walking around. My brain said no, hell my mouth even said no. But when Enzo pleaded with me, my dick sent an SOS to my mouth before my brain could catch up.

Greedy bastard.

Thoughts of her breathing in my ear and my hand will have to do. No way I’m going down that road.

I turn the water as cold as it will go and fight the urge to grab my cock. She isn’t winning this round.

I tally the invoices for produce this week on the adding machine, like Benny taught me when I was just a kid. I’ll admit I’m a little behind the times. But if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I would say I blame Gram and Benny for exposing me to nothing but the ‘80s when I was growing up. But I don’t really blame them because I see nothing wrong with the way this place runs.

Tomi saunters in, without knocking of course. She comes around my desk and props her ass on the edge. I continue adding. If she can’t knock, like I’ve asked her a million times, I won’t acknowledge her. She has no reason to be in here. Ever.

“Hey. I was thinking. I have the weekend free. Want to go to a game?”

I see her twirling her hair out of the corner of my eye. Does that really work on real people? I’ve seen it in movies but it just makes her look like an airhead. More so than the bleach blonde hair and painted on face.

“No.”

“C’mon, Luca. I need to get out.”

The whine in her voice makes my fucking teeth hurt. I continue punching in numbers, giving her no attention. “Then go out.”

“But I want to get out with you?” She practically stomps her foot like a toddler. “I’ve been having some issues and I thought we could try—”

“When have I given you the impression that would ever happen?” I drop my paper and look up at her.

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