I glance around, but there’s no other option for a ride, so as much as I don’t want to, I open the car door and slide into the passenger seat of Angie’s car.
She smiles and I can’t help but to notice her too-tight skirt, showing off more leg than should be legal. Her dark hair flows loosely around her shoulders in big waves, and her face hasn’t changed a bit since I saw her ten years ago.
“Where exactly am I taking you?”
“Tough’s Gym.”
The car rolls forward, and Angie’s gaze slides over to me for a brief second before turning back to the road. “You look good, X. Glad to see you’re doing so well. I’ve missed you around the Block.”
I fold my arms over my chest, wanting to cut to the chase. “What are you doing with Bishop, Angie?”
She sits up a little straighter in her seat. “I’m not with Bishop. I work for him.”
I shake my head in disgust. “What happened to getting out of here and going to college?”
She shrugs. “I didn’t see the point in spending time hitting the books when I could work on the Block and make four times as much as I could at a regular job.”
“A negative of a regular job isn’t prison time though,” I retort.
“Still righteous, I see. You’re the only person I’ve ever known who actually left here and made something of himself. The rest of us who try always find our way back.”
“Then, you didn’t try hard enough to stay away.”
Angie parks the car outside of Tough’s Gym, and I don’t waste any time in getting out of the car.
She’s right behind me as I walk toward my bike. “Where are you staying? Maybe I can swing by a little later to keep you company.”
I turn around to tell her there’s no way in hell that’s going down, but before I can get the words out, she kisses my cheek.
I grab her wrist before she can reach up and touch my face. “No, Angie. It’s not happening.”
She pokes her bottom lip out. “You’ve never told me no before.”
“I’ve met someone,” I tell her.
Her eyes scan my face, taking in my serious expression. She slowly pulls out of my grasp. “You love her?”
I nod. “I do.”
Angie adjusts the blue top she’s wearing, and her lips pull down into a deep frown. “She’s a lucky lady.” She takes a step back. “Good-bye, X.”
I stand there, watching Angie hop into the car.
I have no doubt that my rejection hurt her. Back when we used to mess around, she made it clear that I wasn’t the only man in her life, which was why I never took her seriously. We never loved each other.
I never knew what love was until I met Anna. She’s my heart.
Chapter 14
Anna
Several shades of colored tulle line the table from the aftermath of Quinn picking her wedding colors. She points to a piece of violet tulle and holds it up next to a pale yellow one. “Perfect. It’s so girlie. Don’t you love it?”
Aunt Dee smiles at her. “Aye, they’re lovely. I can’t wait to see them paired next to your dress.”
“My dress!” Quinn’s excitement is evident. “Oh my God, Anna, wait until you see it. We need to figure out a time when we can go get you fitted for your dress.”
I lay the fabric down on the table. “Oh, it’ll have to be sometime in the middle of next week. I have to fly out to Seattle to meet up with Tension for a show on Sunday, and then I have to stay there for Tuesday’s show.”
Quinn’s eyes widen. “Seattle? You do realize, being that close to Portland, Uncle Simon might just pop up.”
I sigh. “I know, but if he shows up, I’ll handle him.”
“I don’t doubt that, baby girl,” Aunt Dee says as she adjusts the scarf wrapped around her head. “From what I heard, you shocked the hell out of him when he showed up in Atlanta. He wasn’t prepared for you to speak to him that way while you were defending your relationship with X. It’s hard for my brother to realize that his little girl is all grown-up.”
“It took some real guts, telling him off like you did in Atlanta, cuz,” Quinn adds. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to handle facing Uncle Simon because of how hell-bent you were to avoid him when you first got into town, so major props to you for actually growing a little backbone.”
“Thank you.”
Standing up to Father was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life, but I’m glad I made it clear that I’m in love with Xavier. Father should know now that I never plan on returning to Portland to marry Jorge. Xavier completely has my heart.
I glance at my cell phone. “I can’t believe it’s nearly five already.”
“Five? Shit.” Quinn pops up from her chair like someone lit a fire under it. “I have to be at work in forty-five minutes. Let me go get changed, and I’ll drop you off on the way, Anna.”
“Okay.”
The moment Quinn leaves the room, Aunt Dee sets her brown eyes on me. “I know I harp on this every time I see you, but have you thought about calling your father? My poor brother has been going out of his mind since he discovered you’re in love with that hunky fighter.”
“He’s a wrestler,” I correct her.