Page 6 of Bad Habit
Ty isn’t a bad guy, just a bit persistent. And right now, he’s annoying the fuck out of me. I check the time and my own anxiety swells. Rory’s fight is next. I let my feet carry me to the opposite corner of the room, where she is. Everyone else is already fixated on the screen as AJ and Dad are in the frame with Rory hunched over between them before his walk out. I think I’m the only one not nervous about the outcome tonight. Rory has been walking his path to this victory since he first came to West Haven when we were all kids.
He has the mentality it takes to actually make this his career. I don’t.
We fight for different reasons. If he had to walk away after this fight, he would survive it. I can’t even walk away from the dilapidated building with an empty pool decorated with my splattered blood. It’s become a necessity to climb down that ladder and fight with any opponent who is willing. I have nothing to prove to anyone that watches. It’s my own mind that never lets me stop trying to prove I haven’t wasted my whole life training for something already lost.
Mia’s eyes clock me the minute I start walking towards her. For a brief moment, I think I see relief in her eyes, quickly replaced with a fiery glarewhen I step in front of her. She raises her chin to look up at me, her hair a little extra wild and curly from all the running around she’s done to make tonight happen. She’s changed since this morning though. The tail of the baby viper on her side is fully visible from where her cropped shirt barely rests over her chest. And she’s wearing black leggings with a new pair of new balance. She’s been getting more addicted to tennis shoes since she’s been working at the gym. It’s cute.
“What do you want?” She snarls, crossing her arms, causing the hem of the shirt to raise just enough for me to realize that she isn’t wearing a bra.Fuck me.
I lift a shoulder, “I want to watch the fight from back here and you look lonely.” I know Ty is right next to us and can definitely hear me. I want him to.
“I’m not lonely, Ol.” She flashes me her teeth followed by a devious smile, tilting her head to where Ty takes a step closer like the puppy he is. “I have Ty.”
“Let me correct myself.” I inch closer to her because I can feel the way her body is recoiling and she’s ready to bite. I can’t help but look at her lips and the way they are curved before dipping my head and whispering, “You’re bored.” Her grin twists into a grimace and I know I’m right. This back and forth. She craves it. No way in hell Ty is giving that to her.
Her eyes narrow and she grinds her teeth as she tries to come up with a lie that will be believable. She nips her bottom lip but her lipstick stays perfect, no smudge. Which makes me think back to the only time I’ve seen it a smeared mess. When my lips ruined hers. My hand twitches with the impulsive need to reach out.
On the brink of losing the battle, I watch her entire face transform into the warmest smile. A genuine one and I know Maxwell is behind me with the things I asked him to bring her.
“My favorite guy!” She pushes me to the side and jumps into Maxwell’s arms. He wraps one arm around her and gives me a look overher shoulder. My brother knows damn well something has happened between us. But I respect her decision to keep it between us and he respects us both enough to not ask questions.
He holds out the cherry coke and the lifesavers for her. Something resembling a squeal and moan escapes her. “You are the literal best, Maxie. I love you.” She kisses his cheek and then snatches the items from his hands. “You always know exactly when I need a pick-me-up.”He sure does…I should probably be upset that she thinks my brother is the one that pays attention to her but watching the nervousness leave her body as she does a happy little shake of her hips just makes me feel satisfied.
Maxwell shoots me a side glance before quickly hugging her again as Rory's walk out song starts playing. Ty perks up from where he’s been quietly leaning against the wall. Sweet Dreams. I hold the groan that fights to escape my lungs when Sweet Dreams starts playing and Rory’s annoying wink is shown on screen as he looks at AJ. Fucking simp even changed his walkout song to her favorite song.
I lean against the wall and wait for Mia to make her way next to me. I take the roll of lifesavers out of her hand and start to unravel it while she opens her drink tab. It’s so mundane and done without even thinking. I guess when you circle someone in your life for so long their needs become second nature. She starts tapping her nails on the side of the can, nerves ramping up again.
“He’s going to win, stop stressing.” I hold a single piece of cherry candy out for her to take. But of course she just takes it straight from my fingers with her teeth. Her tongue barely grazes the pad of my thumb and she makes intentional eye contact, leaving a sticky residue on my skin from the wetness of her tongue and the sugar of the candy.
“I’m not stressed.” The strain in her voice betrays her. I bring my thumb to the tip of my tongue and clean the cherry flavor off. Which is a big mistake because I’m immediately reminded of her taste.
“Tell that to your face.” She glares at me and I grin in return. Ty relaxes against the wall on the opposite of her, completely clueless to me stealing his date’s attention.
“This is so exciting! Rory is a total badass. Oh shit… is that AJ??” Ty sounds like a kid watching his favorite super hero movie. Mia and I watch him lean forward with stars in his eyes. I’m not going to lie, seeing her in the professional ring makes my chest flood with pride. I remind myself that she can handle this. I catch Dad in the corner of the screen, his eyes never leaving Rory’s opponent as AJ gets him prepped. For AJ to not be his daughter by blood, they are definitely cut from the same patterned cloth.
“She looks vicious.” Mia admires.
“She is.” We all watch the first round start. Rory fights like he just discovered a new love. He has passion pouring out of him and confidence that is unsettling.
Two months ago, I would have been watching this fight with resentment seeping from my skin. I would have been drowning in the guilt of my own lost potential. I'm watching it now and I’m just numb. I’m more invested in the victory of this fight because it will allow the girl next to me to keep working towards something that she bleeds for. I’m invested in watching my best friend coach Rory to his fullest potential of making his dream come true. But it’s like tiny paper cuts on my heart watching him live out something I once saw myself doing.
I tilt my head closer to Mia, breathing her cherry scent and allowing it to distract me.“He’s going to win.” I assure her as I hand her another piece of candy, which she takes without breaking focus on the fight. “He has more power than this guy and he’s faster. He’s just using this first round to give AJ the chance to figure out the plan.” If anyone knows how AJ plans to coach this fight, it’s me. She’s been cornering me for years.
“Careful, Ol. That sounds like you might be complimenting him.” Mia teases.
“He’s an incredible fighter. Always has been.” I drop my voice even lower watching her as she remains watching the fight. “Don’t you dare tell him I said that though.” She flips her head up to look at me.
Her small hand tries to wrap around my bicep and she uses her grip as leverage to lean up. “You want to keep secrets with me?” There’s an edge to her voice now.
The sound for the end of the first round rings through the air accompanied by cheers. I take a brief moment to turn my body fully to face her, unprepared for the nearness of our faces. Our noses are so close that they are grazing, “We’re good at keeping secrets, yeah?” My voice is lofty. I always have a hard time catching my breath when I’m this close to her, she’s so beautiful. I feel her nose twitch as she tries to keep her balance while still pulling herself up to be more eyelevel with me.
Round two starts and her focus shifts from me to the fight again. Her body is lowering back down, but her hand doesn’t leave my arm and a small part of me feels a kind of petty happiness that her hand isn’t on Ty.
Rory came out strong for this round. Whatever instruction AJ gave him is paying off. I watch him move before the other guy can even process what is happening. Rory is favored to win tonight, but he is up against a guy that has fought in the pro ring before. Rory has something a lot of these guys spend their entire career chasing, grit. It’s why his soul calls to AJ’s and why hers craves his. It was otherworldly watching her fall for him. At the same time, it gave us all this odd sense of hope. Hope that the world sends you what you need to heal if you are willing to accept it.
“Did he win that round?” Mia’s tender voice helps me escape my thoughts. I turn back to see her eyes are a little wider and earnest with the interest in how well he is actually doing in the fight.
“I’d say it was a draw.” Ty’s voice rudely fills the space I wish was just for her and I. He might bartend at The Poolhouse, but he doesn’t know much about the core of the sport.
