His voice is close. I look up and he’s standing less than a foot away.
He holds his hand out. I put Dog down on the couch with minimal feline protesting and take his hand so he can help me up. Once he does, I’m in his arms, my hands holding on the back of his shirt and my cheek to his chest.
“I’m sorry,” he says, and I feel the press of his lips to the top of my head.
“Me too.” I close my eyes and absorb his comfort. I imagine for a second that it’s Cameron’s arms I’m in, his support that’s warming my insides, his lips that rest against my hair.
He pulls back, and the fantasy is ruined by his shining Cali-boy good looks. Nothing like the angry, hard edges of Cameron. I squeeze my eyes closed, trying to banish the thought.
“Hey, you okay?” Mase slides his arm around my waist.
“Yeah, just tired. A little dizzy.” I blink up at him. “I think I need to lie down.”
“Yeah, of course.” He guides me back on to the couch, and I toe off my flip flops before he pulls my legs up onto the couch. “Get some sleep. I’ll leave my number by the phone. Call me if you need anything.”
I long yawn pulls at my jaw. “Okay, I will.” My eyes drift shut.
“I’ll lock the front door on my way out.”
“Mmm.”
Such a sweet guy. I should love him. I really should.
The last thing I hear is the door closing before I fall to sleep to dreams of Cameron.
*
Cameron
My cell rings. Jonah’s number lights my caller ID. “Slade.”
“She’s home.”
“Good.” I take a relaxing breath. I knew she was being released today, and I’d hoped the good nurse would follow through with my instructions to ensure she got to Jonah’s safely. “She get clothes and a cab?”
“Clothes yes, cab no. I had Baywatch bring her home.”
A low growl vibrates in my chest before I silence it. I have no reason to get possessive over Eve. After all, I’m the one who walked away. Hell, if I were forced to handpick a guy for her to date, I’d kill the person forcing me to pick, but in my head I’d consider Mason.
“I get why you’re doing this, man. She deserves to come first. For what it’s worth, you’re doing the right thing by walking away.”
“Yeah.” It might be right, but it feels like someone’s ripping my lungs from my chest. “How’s she doing?”
“Mase said she’s throwin’ ’tude like a damn champ, so I’m guessin’ she’s feeling good.”
Fuck. I rub my eyes and try to force back the jealousy at the thought of Eve throwin’ sass at anyone other than me.
I forced her into this situation, so I need to lie in the bed of shit I made.
“Sadie and Raven?”
He clears his throat. “Doing good. Raven’s milk came in. Sadie’s nursing. All is right with the world, ya know?”
“Any word on when they’ll be discharged?”
“Shouldn’t be long now.”
“Good news, brother. Take as long as you need. We’ll be here when you’re ready to get back to work.”
“’Preciate that, Cam.”
“Later.”
The phone disconnects, and I rub my face, hoping to extinguish the cloud of doubt that’s been following my ass around since the day I walked out of Eve’s hospital room. It doesn’t do shit except keep my hands busy so I don’t throw my phone across the room.
Eve will eventually fall for Mason. He’s a good fighter, a decent guy, and he fuckin’ loves the shit out of her. He’s a lot closer to her age and could give her the kind of life she deserves.
Me? Ha! She’d end up having to remind me of my own name. That is if I didn’t end up forgetting something that resulted in burning the damn house down. I couldn’t give her the family she deserves. Not strong enough to put a baby in her belly and watch it grow, hoping to God I didn’t do something that would . . . fuck!
This is a waste of time and not what I should be concentrating on. I have a fight coming up that I need to train for. Luckily, the board is taking over most of the promotions so I can focus on training.
I groan and lean back in my office chair. This woman has burrowed in deep, ripping through my insides and making a permanent mark on my fucking soul.
Did I make a mistake by walking away? If Mason makes his move, I’ll rip his throat out. No. Dammit.
My phone vibrates on my desk, a welcome distraction to the direction of my thoughts. “Yeah?”
Throat clearing. “Cam?”
I close my eyes as disappointment washes over me. “’Li, what’s up?”
“I know you don’t want to talk to me, but Ryder just told me you’re . . . Are you . . . ? I mean you’re not returning to the octagon to fight Rusty, are you?”
“I am.”
“Why?”
“He challenged. I accepted.”
A few seconds of silence pass between us, and I have a feeling she’s trying to formulate a response that won’t piss me the fuck off.
“But you don’t fight anymore.”
“I’ve never stopped training, ’Li. Fighting’s my life.”
“Your life. Right. Are you, um . . .?”
Fuckin’ hell. “’Li, you got something to say?”