Текст книги "Everlasting Sin"

Автор книги: J. S. Cooper

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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 9 страниц)

Chapter 13

Hudson

Present Day

The bus stop was in a desolate location. A location that fit my mood. I stood there waiting with panic and anxiety running through my veins, though it was the guilt that pervaded me the most. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called the hospital.

“Mercy Hospital, how may I direct your call?”

“I’m calling to check on a patient,” I quickly said into the phone.

“Sir, we can’t give out privileged information over the phone.”

“Jamilah Brown is her name!” I shouted. “I need to know if she’s okay!”

“Sir, I’m afraid you will have to come into the hospital.”

“What do you think I’m trying to do?” I shouted and hung up the phone angrily. I felt sick to my stomach as I stood there. If Jamilah didn’t make it, I would never forgive myself.

I wondered what I should have done to prevent this. I’d told Jamilah not to swim in the pool by herself. She’d promised me that she wouldn’t do it. Should I have told her mom? I hadn’t wanted her to get banned from swimming altogether, and she had promised me. She’d promised me she wouldn’t go without me.

But you can’t be there all the time, Hudson.

I closed my eyes as I thought about her in the pool. She’d gotten a cramp, her mom had said when she’d called crying. She’d gone swimming late at night and gotten a cramp in her legs in the deep end. She’d swallowed a lot of water. She’d nearly drowned. My heart stopped for a moment. I didn’t know what that meant. I didn’t know if she was okay. If she died, I didn’t know what I would do.

It’s a sign, a voice whispered inside of me. It’s a sign that you shouldn’t be with Riley.

Every time I slept with her, something bad happened. I knew the universe was telling me that I didn’t deserve her. She was too pure and innocent for me. She was good, while I was bad. That didn’t mean I would stop loving her. It just meant I had to start resisting her.

Making love to her tonight had been like heaven on earth. It had felt even better than the first time. I’d felt like I’d gone home again. She’d fit against me so perfectly. For a few minutes, everything in my life had seemed like it was going to be okay. If I closed my eyes and stood perfectly still, I could still smell her. That smell of sex and sin mixed together made my blood boil over. I hadn’t known that one woman could affect me so deeply. I knew in my heart that there would never be anyone else for me. Riley was the one. She had always been the one. I felt tears rolling down my eyes as I realized I had to let her go.

The bus pulled up around twenty minutes later and I jumped on it, making my way to a window seat. I stared out the window and wondered what it was I had done wrong in life to put me in this position. Then I felt mad because I was feeling sorry for myself. I still had my life. I still had my family. I’d had a pretty charmed life growing up.

My thoughts turned to Jamilah and the life she had being a latchkey kid, having to look after her brother. I should have done more. I could have tried harder. I should have been there for her. My heart thudded as I thought about her eager face and smile. All she wanted was to make it to the Olympics. We’d all had dreams like that at one point in time. I just wished she hadn’t gone in that pool at night. If only I hadn’t gone on the camping trip, then I could have been at home and taken her to the pool myself. I could have taken care of her.

The bus ride seemed to take forever, but that’s how it always was when you needed to get somewhere important. The ride seemed slow or the traffic was always crazy. I ran from the bus stop to the hospital. I ran as fast as I could and I didn’t stop, even though it was about two miles away. I knew that I couldn’t be that close and wait for another bus.

I pulled out my phone and called Jamilah’s mom as I approached the hospital. The sun was starting to rise, and I knew that Riley and the guys would be wondering where I had gone. A flash of guilt flooded me when I realized that Riley would be left with those vultures, but I knew she could take care of herself. I was scared that she wouldn’t talk to me again. I felt that I’d committed the ultimate betrayal by sleeping with her and leaving her by herself.

“Hudson!” Jamilah’s mom cried into the phone.

“Where are you? I’m at the hospital.”

“We’re in the ER,” she cried, and I felt my heart pounding as I walked quickly to find her.

I navigated the corridors in a cloud of fear as déjà vu hit me. I hated hospitals. They made me think of death. The last time I’d been in a hospital had been when Clara died and I’d never wanted to come back to one.

“Hudson,” Marcus called out to me in a soft voice as I walked into the emergency room’s waiting area. He looked small and worried as he sat there next to his sobbing mother. Tears were furiously rolling down her face, and as she looked up at me with small red eyes, I felt my feet freeze.

“How is she?” I asked after a few seconds, all the blood having drained from my face as I looked into her bleak eyes.

“She nearly drowned.”

“Is she okay?” I held my breath, waiting for an answer, praying to God that she was okay.

“They said she’s going to be okay.”

I felt my heart start again. I walked over to her and put my arms around her, awkwardly trying to comfort her.

“I don’t know what I would have done!” she sobbed. “My baby. My little baby.” She cried into my shoulder, and I patted her back.

“When can we see her?”

“I don’t know.” She continued to cry, and I just held her. I rubbed her back and smiled at Marcus.

I didn’t want them to see my pain and worry. I wanted to be strong for them. I wanted them to know that they could count on me as a man. I hadn’t been there for Clara when she’d needed me. I hadn’t been there to help her. I hadn’t been there for her mother when she died. I hadn’t known what to say or what to do. How could I have faced her, knowing that I’d been with another woman the night she died? It seemed to me that no mother would want to hear that her daughter’s boyfriend was a dog. I didn’t think she wanted to hear that I’d been about to break up with her daughter either. She didn’t want to know that my dating Clara had been a mistake. That my heart had belonged to Riley since we were teenagers.

“I don’t know if I can take this again.” Jamilah’s mom jumped up. “How am I supposed to look after my kids and work? I can’t seem to do both. My poor babies. I just don’t know what to do.”

“It’ll be okay.”

“How?” She shook her head. “I can’t seem to find another job. I can’t keep leaving my babies at home while I go to work. I can’t afford to pay someone. And I don’t take help from the government. I’m not some welfare mother. I may be a single mother, but I’m working hard to take care of my kids.”

“There’s no shame in accepting help when you need it. That’s what it’s for.”

“I don’t want to be that woman,” she sobbed. “I just don’t know what to do anymore. I try so hard, but every day it’s something else. Every day someone is trying to bring me down.”

“It’ll get better.” I didn’t want to tell her about the million dollars. What if I didn’t win?

“I’m scared.” She sighed and rubbed her eyes. “How am I supposed to raise two strong, intelligent babies if I’m never there?”

There was silence in the room as we sat there, and I felt Marcus grab my hand. I looked down at him, and he looked scared. There was a look in his eyes that I shouldn’t have seen in a young boy.

“I’ll help you as much as I can.”

“You got your own life, boy.” She shook her head but gave me a quick smile. “Thank you for offering though.”

“I mean it.” I rubbed Marcus’s back to try and get him to relax, and I realized that my words meant nothing without actions. I could say anything I wanted. Words were meaningless.

“Hi, Mrs. Brown?” A doctor walked in with a clipboard and I stood up. “You can come in and see Jamilah now. She’s a very lucky girl.”

“Thank you, doctor,” she sobbed. “Thank you.”

* * *

I left the hospital feeling slightly happier. I’d gotten to see and talk to Jamilah, and I had felt life come back into my soul when her eyes lit up when she saw me. I had hugged her and held her tight to me. I pulled my phone out and dialed the number I had memorized by heart even though I hadn’t called it in years.

“Hello.” Her voice was soft and hurt, and I felt terrible.

“It’s me.”

“I know.”

“Are you mad at me?” I asked stupidly.

“Where are you?”

“I had to leave.”

“I see.”

“You don’t, but that’s okay. I’m not the guy for you, Riley. I’m not good enough for you. I’ll never be good enough for you. I’m sorry that I took advantage of you.”

“You did not take advantage of me.” She sounded angry.

“I was supposed to be your protector, Riley. Not your lover. You deserve a man who’s upright. I’m not that man.” My voice cracked as my heart broke. “I need to amend for my sins.”

“Clara’s death is not your fault.”

“I should have been with her that night. I shouldn’t have left her. I shouldn’t have been with you. What I did was wrong.”

“We were both wrong, Hudson.” Her voice cracked. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”

“No. No, it’s not. You were caught up in the moment.”

“I deleted the text message, Hudson. She sent you a text message to come and get her and I deleted it. You didn’t know. Don’t you see? It’s my fault. I’m the one who stopped you from going to get her. If it weren’t for me being jealous, you would have gone to get her. She’d still be alive.”

I stopped dead at her words. I felt sick to my stomach and my face paled.

“Hudson, please don’t hate me. I’m so sorry. You have to know that I never would have deleted the messages if I’d known. I just wanted to be with you. I didn’t want you to leave. I’m the bad one here, not you. Please don’t close down or blame yourself anymore. If you’d known, you would have gone for her. If you’d seen that text, she’d still be alive. I’m so sorry, Hudson.”

I hung up the phone and let it drop to the ground. I felt like I couldn’t breathe or see. Everything in me had frozen at Riley’s words. She still believed in me after all that. That was what made me feel worse. That she still had complete and utter faith in me after everything.

I collapsed to the ground and slammed my fist into the concrete, screaming and shouting. I sat there with my bloody fist in my hand and closed my eyes. This time, all I could see was Clara’s face as I tucked her into bed that last night with a flask of whiskey. “Sweet dreams,” I had whispered in her ear, my mind only thinking about Riley and the night ahead. “I’ll see you in the morning.” I smiled at her as she gazed up at me with hurt eyes.

She’d known, like I had, that it was over between us. She’d known I’d been distant. I thought she’d known how I’d felt about Riley. The one thing neither of us knew was that that would be the last time we’d ever see each other.

I jumped up off the ground, grabbed my bag, and started walking. Riley was wrong. I was responsible for Clara’s death, and if Riley knew everything, I knew she’d never believe in me again. And that was the most troubling thing to me out of everything. I couldn’t stand for Riley to know who I really was. Because if she knew, she would hate me forever. Just like I hated myself.

Chapter 14

Riley

Present Day

It had been two weeks since I’d seen Hudson. He hadn’t been at the gym on the days I’d gone and I had been too numb to care. I didn’t blame him for hating me. What I’d done was wrong and I wasn’t sure if I would have been able to forgive myself either. That didn’t stop it from hurting inside, of course. The pain was raw and deep. I felt like I had been ripped open and my guts were hanging out for all the world to see. To have come so close to happiness again and lose it was devastating.

Being with Hudson the second time had confirmed to me what I’d already known. He held my heart. He held it in his hands and he had crushed it when he’d hung up on me after I’d told him about the text message. I knew what I had done was wrong, but I hadn’t expected him to be so done with me.

Part of me wondered if maybe he had lied that night. Maybe he really hadn’t wanted to break up with Clara. Maybe he had loved her. Maybe I was just a dalliance. An easy piece of meat. He had been a young college boy and I had basically offered myself up on a platter. “Make love to me. Take my virginity.” What man was going to say no that? I was ashamed of myself for having been so easy and then letting him sleep with me again.

I closed my eyes as I sat in the car, too nervous to head into the gym. Today was the day of the final match between Hudson and Channing. Whoever won would represent the club at the championships. Eden and I had talked about it and we both hoped that Channing would be the one to represent the club. I’d done some research and found out that there had been two people who had died at the previous year’s event. Justin had told me that some of the fighters thought they were a part of the Hunger Games and did anything to win, even if it meant someone dying.

I was scared for Hudson and I didn’t want him to win. A part of me wanted to beg him to withdraw, but I knew he wouldn’t listen to me. He was entering the championship to give money to Clara’s mom. There was no way he was going to let me talk him out of that.

I jumped out of my car, ready to walk into the gym, when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.

I turned around and my eyes widened in surprise. “Luke? What are you doing here?”

“Came to see my friend kick some ass,” he laughed, but his eyes looked worried.

“I wish you wouldn’t have told him to do this.” I sighed and shook my head.

“Hey, he’s going to make a million dollars.”

“If he wins.” I glared at him.

“Well, nice to see you too, Riley.”

“It is good to see you.” I gave him a quick hug. “I’m just worried. People die, you know.”

“Hudson knows how to take care of himself.” Luke turned away from me. “He’ll be fine.”

“I hope so.”

“Been skinny dipping lately?” He raised an eyebrow, and I frowned at him.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing. I was just remembering how much you liked to go skinny dipping those summers in Florida.”

“I don’t think so.” My heart raced as I stared at him. “The only summer I went skinny dipping was the last time I went to Florida and you weren’t there.”

“Uh huh.”

“How did you know I went?”

“I just guessed.”

“Did Hudson tell you?” I frowned, and he shook his head.

“No, Hudson didn’t tell me anything.”

“I see.” I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. “Why didn’t you come that summer anyways?”

“I had an internship, but I did make it down for a few days.” His face turned red and he pulled out his phone. “Hold on. I think Hudson is calling me.”

“I didn’t know you came down.” I frowned, trying to remember. “You didn’t stay at the cottage.”

“No, I didn’t.” He put his phone back in his pocket. “Hudson wants to see me.”

“Really?” I frowned.

“Yeah.” He quickly walked ahead of me.

“Luke,” I called after him. “Why do you care so much about Hudson entering the fight?”

“Well, I know he wants to give some of the money to Clara’s mom.” He shrugged. “It would help her out a lot.”

“What do you care?”

“Clara really loved her mom. Everything she did was for her.” His tone changed. “She’s the only girl I know who really cared about someone more than herself.”

“I didn’t realize you knew her that well.”

“We went to college together,” he snapped. “She dated my best friend. We were friends.”

“Okay.” I put a hand up. “No need to bite my head off.”

“Stop questioning me.”

“I wasn’t questioning you. What’s your problem?”

“Sorry. I’m just stressed.” He sighed. “I’m concerned about Hudson as well.”

“Right. You’re scared he’s going to get hurt?”

“No, I’m scared he’s not going to win. He needs to win that money.” His voice rose. “You need to make sure he wins.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head, and I could see a dazed look in his eyes. “Sorry. Nothing.”

“You okay, Luke?” I frowned as I stared at him. He looked like he was wired.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He nodded. “Sorry, okay?” He rushed into the gym ahead of me and I wondered what his problem was.

Something about his demeanor had seemed off. A part of me wondered if he was going to try and take the money from Hudson if he won. I knew that Luke didn’t have a job, and now I wondered if he had gotten himself into some sort of gambling debt or something. Something seemed really odd about how anxious he was for Hudson to win. I didn’t buy that he was worried about Clara’s mom. What did he care if Clara’s mom was kicked out or not? It just seemed fishy to me.

I froze in the middle of the gym as I realized that all of the equipment had been moved to the side and that there were gym mats on the ground. They had been roped off like a boxing ring and there were first aid kits sitting at the side of the mats.

Justin walked up to me with a smile. “Hey, you.”

“Hey, Justin.”

“You excited?”

“Not really,” I shook my head. “More like worried.”

“Yeah, me too,” he whispered, and I gave him a sharp look.

“Why are you worried?”

“Channing is not going to go down without a very dirty fight.” He looked around and continued talking. “He’s was already pissed that Hudson might take away his opportunity and now he’s angry that Hudson took his girl as well.”

“What girl?” My heart flipped as I thought about Hudson with someone else.

Justin gave me a look. “You, of course.”

“Me?” I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Channing thinks you’re cute.” Justin shrugged. “He was hoping you guys would hook up on the camping trip. That’s why he put his bag next to you. But then your bag went missing and...you know.”

“No, I don’t know.”

“Well, I know you guys tried to be quiet, but you know...” Justin’s eyes looked embarrassed.

“Oh, my God.” I flushed red as I realized what he was saying.

“You were the only girl.” He made a face. “Channing felt like Hudson stole you.”

“Hudson and I have history.” I blushed.

“Yeah, and he left you by yourself.” Justin shrugged. “He doesn’t seem like a great guy to me, but I don’t know him well. I’m just saying that I think Channing is out for blood tonight.”

“Channing and I never had anything though.”

“Do you think that matters to guys? In Channing’s mind, you were his. Or at least you were going to be his. It was a done deal. I don’t know if he really liked you or if he sensed you and Hudson had a connection, but Channing is out for the kill.”

“He wouldn’t hurt Hudson though, would he?”

“Are you joking?” Justin’s laugh sounded tormented. “He’s out to hurt him. I think tonight is going to be the fight of the century.”

“They can’t do that.” My face paled. “It’s illegal to harm someone else.”

“This is the world of underground fighting, Riley. Don’t you understand that yet? There are no rules or cares. Everyone has their eye on the prize.”

“But all you guys are so nice.”

“There’s a reason why the two who are fighting the championship are Hudson and Channing. Neither one of them gives two shits about anyone else.”

“That’s not true.” I shook my head. “Hudson’s a good guy.”

“I don’t know why you’re defending him. It seems to me he fucked you and left.” Justin’s eyes looked at me in apology. “I’m not trying to be rude.”

“I know.” I bit my lip and looked down. My mind was filled with a million different thoughts, and I didn’t know if I would be able to watch the fight without throwing up. “Excuse me.” I gave Justin a short smile. “I’ll be back.”

“Okay.” He sat down in one of the plastic chairs and I quickly walked away from him.

I made my way to the locker room, trying to ensure that no one was looking at me. I pushed the door open and walked in quickly. I saw Channing and his group of friends in the far right corner and I moved swiftly to make sure he didn’t see me. I walked to the other side of the locker room and that was when I saw Hudson and Luke standing there.

“You’re doing a good thing, bro.” Luke was grinning at Hudson and egging him on. I paused and decided to watch them for a few minutes before I spoke. I thought it was odd that Luke looked so cheerful now. “Maybe when you win the money, you can dedicate the win to Clara.”

“I don’t think that’s appropriate.” Hudson shook his head.

My breath caught as I stared at him in his black boxer shorts. His tattoos seemed to glow as he stood there, and I wondered at how I had ever thought they were gross. They looked magnificent. He looked magnificent. So powerful and so strong. I swallowed as I stared at his chest and biceps. He looked fitter than I’d ever remembered him being. I wanted to walk over and touch his chest. I wanted to feel his hard body against mine. I wanted his lips to crush down on mine. I wanted him to tell me that everything was going to be okay. I wanted him to tell me that he forgave me.

“You know, Clara knew about you and Riley.” Luke’s voice changed and my breath caught as he spoke.

“What are you talking about?” Hudson’s voice was angry.

“She knew that you had a thing for her. We all knew.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You think she didn’t realize you were being cold to her that summer? Do you think she didn’t see how you used to watch Riley? Do you think she couldn’t tell that you were distant with her?”

“How would you know that, Luke?”

“She...she called me.” I watched as Luke’s face went white. “We were friends.”

“I don’t really remember you guys being friends.” Hudson frowned. “I don’t really remember you talking much at all.”

“Well, I’m just saying you need to win this.” Luke sat on the bench.

“That’s what I’m trying to do.”

“Just think how many girls you’ll get if you win.”

“I’m not doing it for girls.”

“But it’s a great side benefit, right? A bunch of hotties bending over for you?”

“Luke, I think you better leave.” Hudson turned away from him and I could see that he was angry.

“Okay, well, good luck.”

“Thanks.”

I watched as Luke walked away from Hudson before approaching him. My heart was beating fast and I could feel the nerves jumping in my stomach.

“Hey, Hudson,” I said lightly and watched as he turned around to face me.

“You shouldn’t be here.” His eyes lit up as he dismissed me. His eyes were what gave me hope and a little bit more nerve.

“I had to come and see you before the fight.”

“What did you want?”

“You don’t have to be mean.”

“What do you want, Riley?” He sighed and looked into my eyes. “I thought I made it clear that I didn’t want to talk to you.”

“I wanted to wish you luck. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” I looked down at the floor, feeling incredibly hurt.

“Thanks for the good luck.” His voice was hoarse.

“Do you think you’ll ever stop hating me?” I asked softly and looked up at him again. His expression changed and I could see a flow of different emotions cross his face.

“I don’t hate you, Riley. I could never hate you.”

“I know what I did was wrong.” My voice caught and I stopped talking.

Hudson stood up and slowly walked towards me. His hands made their way to my face and he tilted my chin up to look at him.

“Listen to me, Riley. You did nothing wrong. You are a beautiful, wonderful human being.” His eyes blazed into mine. “Never ever forget that.”

“Why did you leave me at the campsite?” I asked him, trying not to cry.

“I left because someone I know was in an accident.”

“Oh, no,” I gasped.

“She’s okay now.”

“You haven’t called me.”

“I have nothing to say.”

“Because you hate me!”

“Riley,” he growled and pulled me towards him. “If you only knew how false that statement is, you’d never say it or think it again. If you only knew how much I cared for you.”

I looked up at him with wide eyes. “How much?”

“This much.” His lips found mine, and I grabbed the back of his head as we kissed passionately.

I ran my fingers down his back and slipped my tongue into his mouth while biting down on his lower lip. He pushed me back into the lockers and lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and he groaned as his hardness came crashing into me. He eyes stared into mine with a dark gleam, and he leaned back a little bit and groaned. His mouth fell to mine again, and his hands gently held my ass. His fingers squeezed my butt cheeks, and I ran my hands through his hair. Our kiss deepened and I felt as if I were somehow flying through the air on wings of a dove. My whole body felt weightless, and I kissed him hungrily, wishing that all my other worries and problems would disappear.

“Now do you understand how much I don’t hate you?” Hudson let me down onto my own two feet and gave me a sweet smile.

“I guess you don’t hate me?” I asked breathlessly, still holding on to him.

“I love you, Riley,” he whispered against my lips. “I love you.”

“But you hung up on me.” My heart raced as he spoke. I wasn’t sure if I was living in some sort of daydream. He loved me? Could this possibly be true?

“Because you have more faith in me than you should.”

I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Now’s not the time.” He shook his head and took a step back. “I don’t want to see your face before the fight. I don’t want you to hate me before the fight. I want you to still respect me, even if it’s because you don’t know the truth.”

“What are you talking about, Hudson? What truth?” I grabbed his arms. “Please tell me.”

“Do you love me, Riley?” he whispered, his eyes hopeful.

“I love you so much, Hudson.”

“Good. That’s what I want to go into the fight knowing.” He gave me a smile. “I want to know I have someone to fight for. I want to know that you’re rooting for me with all your heart.”

“Why?”

“Why?” He looked sad. “Because you’re the only one who’s always believed in me and loved me. And if I lost that before the fight, I don’t know that I could win.”

“I don’t have a good feeling about the fight.” I gripped his arms. “Please don’t enter.”

“I have to.” His fingers wiped the tears on my face away. “I have to do this for Clara’s mom.”

“But I already told you it’s my fault. It’s not your fault.” My voice cracked.

“It’s all my fault.” His eyes looked so bleak that my heart cracked.

“No, it’s not. If you knew about the text, you would have gone for her. She’d still be here.”

“Shh, my darling.” He softly kissed my lips again. “Thank you for being strong enough to always come back to me, no matter what I say or do.”

“I’ll always be here for you. I’ll always come back to you, Hudson. You’re my candle and I’m your moth.”

“You’re my heart, and I’m yours to do with what you want.” Hudson grinned at me. “Oh how I love you, Riley.” He kissed me again, hard and deep. “I want to freeze time. I want us to remain here in this moment, only knowing what we know now. I want this to be it. I could live the rest of my life just staring at the love in your eyes.”

“I feel like you’re saying goodbye to me,” I said sadly, gazing back into his loving eyes. “Why do I feel like this is the end instead of the beginning?”

“Once you know who I am, what I’m capable of, I don’t think you’ll want to be with me.” He looked away from me. “I’m not the stand-up man you think I am.”

“Hudson, there is nothing you could—”

“Ooh, what do we have here?” Channing’s voice interrupted our conversation, and we both sprung apart as he walked towards us. “Is it my fellow fighter and his little slut?”

I gasped at his words and saw Hudson’s face go red, but neither of us responded.

“Do you need a few minutes?” Channing continued and looked at his watch. “I guess you still have some time to pull your shorts down so she can have a quick suck on your cock.”

“Shut it.” Hudson took a step forward and I grabbed his arm.

“Just ignore him,” I muttered, glaring at Channing’s smirk.

“Or would you rather like a suck on mine?” He laughed and grabbed his cock. “I’m sure you’d like to be with a man who could fuck you long and hard and not run off in the morning.”

“I’m warning you,” Hudson growled and took another step forward.

“You’re warning me?” Channing laughed again and his eyes narrowed. “What are you going to do? Hit me?” He beat his fists against his chest. “Are you going to try and fight me? Over this little whore?”

“I told you to shut the fuck up.” Hudson moved swiftly and pushed Channing back into the lockers. “I don’t care what beef you have with me, but I’ll fuck you up if you talk about Riley like that.”

“Didn’t she tell you that when you left I slipped into the sleeping bag and fucked her?” Channing licked his lips. “The only reason she knew it was me was because I lasted so much longer than you. Did she tell you that?”

My heart stopped as I watched Hudson slam his right fist into Channing’s eye. Channing didn’t make a sound, but I could see the look in his eyes turning into pure hate and evil.

“Put him down, Hudson.” I ran up to him. “Please.”

“Listen to your girl, Hudson,” Channing said in a sing-song voice. “Or she’s going to have to charge you extra tonight.”

Hudson’s breathing was heavy, and I was scared he was going to hit him again.

“He’s not worth it,” I whispered. “Wait until the fight.” I touched his arm and prayed to God that he didn’t do anything else. I sighed in relief as he released his grip on Channing and stepped back.

“Get the fuck out of here, Channing.”

“Yes, Batman.” Channing stared at us and laughed. Then he looked me up and down. “I’m glad you chose this loser. I was never that into big-thighed sluts,” he sneered at me and then turned away.

I watched as he walked out of the gym and then looked up at Hudson.

“You okay?” His eyes were full of concern for me, and my heart melted once again at how wonderful he was.

“I’m fine.” I nodded and stepped forward to hug him. “He’s a pompous ass.”

“I’ll enjoy beating the shit out of him.”

“Don’t hurt him.” I touched his face. “Please don’t do anything too bad.”

His eyes widened. “You want me to go soft on him?”

“No, but I don’t want you to break anything.” I bit my lower lip. “Don’t stoop to his level.”

“You have so much faith in me.” He shook his head. “I don’t know why you think I can stop myself from beating the shit out of him.”

“Because I know you. I know you and I love you.” I leaned up and kissed him. “Just remember that when you’re in the ring.”

“I’ll try.” He nodded and paused. “You’re making this so hard.”

“What am I making hard?” I frowned.