Fighting Love (Love to the Extreme) (34 page)

“I know. I’ve never denied that,” she said, turning back to the TV where his team was

surrounding Tommy.

Twenty-three years of friendship flashed before her eyes. Even if at times they’d been in

different states, they’d always had the other’s back, facing the world together. And now that

friendship was gone.

As much as she’d prepared herself for this moment, spending years knowing one day their

relationship would change, nothing had readied her for the pain that engulfed her.

Tears burned the backs of her eyes and she hugged her arms around her torso.

“Brody. I need to be alone.”

He sighed. “Okay.” She felt him come up behind her, and then he kissed her cheek. “Call me if

you need to talk.”

As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, the first hiccupped sob shot past her lips. She

pressed her hand to her mouth as she turned her attention back to the TV. Tommy’s face was

overjoyed, his eyes and smile bright with happiness.

The same look he’d had two nights ago at the club. If only his career inside that cage had

stopped, maybe they would’ve had a chance. But the reality was, it hadn’t. At least not for

Tommy.

She had to move on, no matter how much it hurt to do so.

Julie picked up the remote and turned off the TV. She knew what came next. He’d interview,

leave the cage, and the partying would start. He was free to do as he pleased. No worries of her

disappointment. Her judgment.

Would he embrace it? Maybe not at first, but once the atmosphere got to him, excited him,

he’d find his groove again—just as he had the other night. And then he’d realize she’d been right,

and had done them both a favor by ending things between them.

She laid the remote down on the couch and straightened. Then she stood there, the silence

closing in on her again. She wrapped her arms around herself.

What now?

Change clothes.

Yes, getting into her pajamas sounded like a good idea. She walked back to her room.

No, not a good idea.

The bed was as imposing as ever, screaming Tommy’s name. Lucy lay on the rug and lifted her

head, that accusing look back on her furry face.

“Lucy, I’m sorry. I did what I needed to do.”

The dog made a whiny sound and lowered her head to her paws, those chocolate brown eyes

latched onto Julie as she backed out of the room and retreated to the living room. Was there

nowhere to go to escape him?

Would it just take time for his memory to fade from this house?

All she knew was, she couldn’t think anymore. If she could have thrown herself into her work,

she would have, but she had to settle for cleaning an already spotless house. When her phone

rang, she froze, only to be disappointed to see it was Brody. After the third time, she’d set her

phone to go directly to voice mail, not needing the constant roller coaster of emotions.

For two hours, she concentrated on killing every dust bunny she could find, which wasn’t many,

but the hunt kept her occupied. She’d just cut the vacuum cleaner off when she realized someone

was knocking on the door.

She sighed. She should’ve just answered the damn phone.

As she opened the door, she said, “I’m—” The words died on her lips, and her heart skipped a

beat.

Tommy.

He stood on the porch, drenched from the pounding rain. Blond hair plastered to his head,

water dripping off the tip of his nose. The baseball cap gripped tight in his hands.

She swallowed, a thousand emotions crowding her heart. “What are you doing here?”

“You didn’t call.”

She blinked.

“I looked for you,” he said. “Before the fight, after the fight, hoping you couldn’t stay away,

hoping I hadn’t really fucked up the best thing that ever happened to me. But I didn’t find you,

and I felt empty, Julie. Totally empty.”

Her stomach fluttered. She’d been wrong. He hadn’t been enjoying the crowd’s cheers. He’d

been looking for her. She tightened her grip on the doorknob.

He’d felt empty. So had she. But that didn’t change things.

“You didn’t call,” he whispered hoarsely. “I waited and waited, but you never called. I went

back to Mac’s, paced around his place, and waited some more. I couldn’t believe you wouldn’t call.

So I got in my car and came here. I’ve been stalking back and forth to my car trying to convince

myself to leave for the last hour.”

She stared at him. “Tommy, you should know I was proud of you. You didn’t need me to call to

know that.”

Hurt seared across his face as he jerked back. “Jesus, Julie, did I fuck up so badly you didn’t

even watch the fight?”

“Of course I watched the fight.”

“And that is all you have to say?” Again hurt flared sharp.

“I’m not sure what you’re looking for. Congratulations?”

“I tell the entire arena, and millions watching at home, how much I love you, how much you

mean to me, and congratulations is all you’ve got?”

Gasping, she clamped her hand over her mouth. Her eyes stung. “You did what?”

His gaze narrowed. “I thought you watched the fight.”

“I did, and I did not see that.”

He stepped forward, crossing the threshold, an almost frantic expression on his face. “During

the interview. You didn’t see it?”

“No. I—I turned off the TV after you won.”

He shoved his hand through his drenched hair. “Fuck. I can’t even make up with you right. No

wonder it was so easy for you to let me go.”

At his words, pain compressed her chest. “Easy was the last thing it was,” she whispered.

But he wasn’t listening; he was messing with his phone. After a few seconds, he tried to hand

it to her. When she hesitated, his eyes pleaded with her. “Please, Julie. I need you to hear this. I

need you to know.”

Hands shaking, her heart pounding, she took his phone to find a YouTube video pulled up. The

title read MMA FIGHTER %^$%S UP, BEGS FORGIVENESS.

She pressed play.

Tommy took the mic from the official. “But there is someone even more important I need to

thank. A woman I realized too late I’ve never thanked or even mentioned, though she has been

there for me every second of every day. Stood by me when *bleep* got real. Never wavered in her

support of me. I never thanked her. I took her for granted. And now I’ve lost her.”

He looked into the camera. “Julie, baby, I love you. You have been my world since we were

ten. You are my everything. I have never met a woman I wanted to hold hands with. Hold. Wake

up beside every morning. Until you. I *bleep* up. I made you feel unwanted.” He looked around

the arena. “I made the woman I love feel unwanted.” Boos came from the stands.

“Yes, I’m a complete *bleep* for doing so.” He looked back at the camera but was motioning

with his hand to someone in the background. A second later, the Braves cap was thrust at him.

Tommy held it up. “The moment I realized all the things you’d given me were about to be

destroyed in that fire, I rushed headlong into the flames to save them. No hesitation. No thought. I

couldn’t lose everything I had of you. That was before I knew I loved you, Julie. I failed in saving

that box of memories. I lost every cheesy gift you’ve ever given me, and it was one of the most

painful moments of my life. Then you gave me this hat”—he held it up—“and that’s the night you

became more to me than just my best friend.”

He tugged it on his head. “That’s the night I realized that, yeah, it sucked losing the little

mementos of our friendship, but as long as I have you I don’t need a damn box of…things.” He

stepped forward, his face tight with emotion. “I’m so sorry. If I have to walk through flames again

to show you how much you mean to me, I will cross hell and back to prove it. I *bleep* up. I’m

still new to this relationship stuff, Julie, but you are the one I want to make mistakes with. You are

the one I want to become great for. I want a future with you. I want you by my side. I want the

entire world to know you are the woman I love, and who I want to make a whole lifetime of

memories with. And most important, at the end of each and every day, I want to come home to

you. Please let me come home. My life is empty without you.”

Tears swam in her eyes as the video ended. After all these years, not only he’d finally

mentioned her in a speech—and so beautifully—but he publically expressed his love for her in front

of millions. Confirmed bachelor Tommy Sparks had told the world he was in love…with her.

When she glanced up, he stepped forward and said, “I know they are just words and I have to

prove myself, but I swear to you, I will spend the rest of my life making up for this. You will never

doubt again that I want you by my side. No one will ever question what you are to me. All I want

is to come home.” He took her face between his hands, pressed his forehead to hers, and

whispered, “Can I, Julie?” He closed his eyes momentarily before opening them again, and she was

shocked at the moisture that glistened in his gaze. “Can I please come home to you?”

He loved her. Truly, deeply loved her. She saw it in his gaze. Felt it in the tremble of his hands

against her skin. Yes, he’d screwed up, had hurt her. But she was certain the man before her now

would never leave her standing alone again, because he knew the emptiness of being without her.

And he would do everything he’d vowed to never feel it again.

She nodded, a shaky “Yes” stuttering from her mouth.

The tension released from his body as he pulled her into his arms, muttering, “Thank God.”

Then he kissed her, a frantic kiss that spoke of the level of fear he’d had about losing her

forever. She clung to him, the emotions and desperation she’d experienced for days nearly

overwhelming her.

He lifted her into his arms and kicked the door shut. She thrust her fingers through his damp

hair, not caring that the moisture from his shirt was seeping into hers. All that mattered was that

she wanted to spend her life wrapped in his arms, wrapped in the certainty that he was truly hers.

He broke the kiss. “Where to?”

“Our room.”

He smiled that heart-stopping smile he saved for her alone. “Man, I love that.”

She brushed his hair back. “I love you.”

It was the first time she’d said the three words to him without a “but” following, the first time

she’d allowed all the feelings she’d kept hidden for years to free themselves in her eyes and heart.

Seriousness stole over his face. “Say it again.”

She cupped his face in her hands. “You’re my best friend, my past, my present, and now my

future. I love you, Tommy ‘Lightning’ Sparks.”

Blinking rapidly, he cleared his throat. “I won’t screw up again, Julie. You have my word.”

She pursed her lips. “Oh, you’ll screw up. It just better be more of the feeding your dinner to

the dogs variety from now on.”

He chuckled, hugging her closely as he walked into their room. She couldn’t believe it had only

been weeks since she’d given Tommy a place to live, never imagining that his home catching fire

would finally lead to a lifetime of happiness for both of them.

After he laid her on the bed, she took the baseball cap from his hand and gazed at it. “It really

meant that much to you?”

“The first time you gave it to me, I went home and cried like a fucking baby. It was my first real

present, Julie. I kept all your gifts, but that hat was always the most special one.”

Tears blurred her vision and she cupped his cheek. “I never knew that. That’s why you ran

back inside to try and save it.”

He kissed her palm. “No. I was trying to save the past. The only times in my childhood I knew

happiness was with you. But I don’t need to look back at the past anymore. We have a future to

build now.”

Love expanding her heart, she tugged the hat on the head of her best friend and lover. “Oh,

we don’t have to completely shut out the past.” She looped her arms around his neck and tugged

him down. “I love you, Green Knight.”

Unshed tears brightened his green eyes and he took a moment before he spoke. “I love you,

too, Lady J,” he said, his voice deep and rough. “From this day forth, I dedicate my life to

protecting you.”

And he did.

Acknowledgments

When I turned Fighting Love, I was happy with the story. I really believed it was Tommy and

Julie’s story. Then I received the revision letter from Liz and her assistant, Allison.

It was a grueling process that included sleepless nights, extremely early mornings—especially

for this hates mornings author—lots of caffeine, very, very understanding roommates and two

exceptional children that knows when mommy’s hair starts sticking up like that its best to go play

in their room. But I powered through.

My editor, Nina, was assigned the task of editing—I prayed for her. Nina did her wicked editor

magic, marked some places I needed to work on, and sent me back the edits. This was when I

saw the story for the first time with fresh eyes.