Love Tap (6 page)

“Tracey!” Thomas hollers, his eyes smiling at me.

A lump forms in my throat from the wicked grin on his face.

“You knock Tracey out, or make him tap out, I’ll train you.” Thomas lifts his chin.

A big burly man steps up behind Thomas. He’s sweaty and looks to be about one hundred and fifty pounds. He has an overgrown red Mohawk, with the rest of his head shaved. Freckles dusting his crooked nose.

“How much does he weigh?” I squeak. My body cringes thinking about receiving a punch from Tracey.

“What are you now Tracey? One thirty? One fifty? Ah, you can take him.” Thomas smiles big, throwing his hand at me dismissively.

“Sorry, as I said before, we don’t train girls here so you’ll have to fight Tracey. If that’s a problem though, I understand your forfeit.”

“No!” I spit. “It’s fine.”
I’m going to die.

“Here we go, these should fit.” Cate grabs my hands and begins to wrap them with fighting tape. It helps protect the knuckles. I, however, can’t take my eyes off Tracey. He’s massive.

“Tate here wants to fight.”

“Me?” Tracey points to himself then looks at me as if I’d lost my mind. His dark eyes wide with surprise.

Thomas nods his head.

“Coach…” Tracey begins to shake his head in rejection.

“It’s fine, she’s a little girl,” Thomas insults. “You might take it easy on her, though.” Thomas walks to the ring leaving a wake of malicious chuckles.

“Hey.” Cate’s voice grabs my attention. Looking at her, her green eyes focused on wrapping my other hand.

“You got this. Tracey is a pussy, do an arm bar and you’ll take him out easily. He can’t figure out how to get out of them so it’ll be a piece of cake.”

Arm bar? I’ve only successfully done that once. Maybe twice now that I’m thinking about it and I was a kid.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because.” She slips my gloves on. “I want to see the look on Thomas’s face when you prove to him women can fight.”

A laugh erupts from my mouth before I can stop it.

She pats my gloves, and shoves a mouth guard into my mouth.

“Go get ‘em.”

Climbing into the ring, my back is covered in sweat, and I know my shirt is soaked beneath my pits. I bet I smell lovely too.
God, why am I doing this?

Thomas steps in between us.

“Ready Barbie?” Thomas insults.

I scowl. Now I know why I’m doing this. To prove this asshole I’m no diva.

I nod, biting my mouth guard.

“Tracey?” Thomas glances at my opponent. Tracey gives a sideways glance before nodding.

“Go!” Thomas jumps out of the way. I pounce forward, my arms raised up to protect my face.

Tracey steps forward, his hands raised as well.

Circling each other he suddenly jabs, and I duck. It was pathetic, there was no power behind his strike.

Is he weak, or is he deliberately trying not to hit me hard because I’m a girl?

His hands raised, he’s leaving his torso uncovered. Taking the opportunity I give a one two punch into his gut. He grunts and instantly covers his stomach with his hands. I twist and elbow strike him in the face. He stumbles, shaking his head as if to clear the pain away.

“Come on Tracey! You’re getting your ass kicked by a girl, son!” Thomas’s brows furrow in distress, nervous he’s going to lose the bet.

Tracey tries to throw another pathetic punch and I go in for a single leg take down, praying I don’t screw it up. Grabbing his leg with my hands, I squeeze it between my thighs, smash down on it to where his other knee buckles, and turn quickly throwing him down. He goes down with ease and I’m shocked.

“For fuck’s sake Tracey!” Thomas becomes irate from the sidelines.

“I’m not hitting a girl coach!” he slurs around his mouth guard.

“I can see why, you suck,” I insult.

“Who is that fighting him?” A familiar gravelly voice grabs my attention from the fight, chills suddenly running down my spine despite my rising body temperature. Glancing over to the side of the ring a man stands facing Thomas, all I see is his side profile, but it looks more than familiar. His hair is short and unruly, and cheeks holding a five o’clock shadow.

“Camden?”

Before I can react, Tracey grabs me around the neck and plows me to the floor hard, trying to lock me up tight. I can’t move.
Was that Camden?
I try to look, and Tracey tightens his hold.

Trying to refocus back on the fight, I have to think about my next move carefully. It’s like I forgot everything I know - which is limited. If I move my arm out too much I’m going to get submitted. He’ll apply so much pressure on it I’ll have no choice but to tap out.

Images of Camden flash in my mind, making it hard to think. Memories of the light stubble growing on his defined cheek bones, and the way his vivid blue eyes looked at me with such disappointment before I left four years ago flash in my eyes.

Focus.

Closing my eyes, I push all thoughts of Camden from my head.

Trying to catch my breath, I slip my hand under Tracey’s body, lay my leg straight before positioning it between his and hug him. I have no idea what this move is called, but I see them do it all the time on TV.

“Fuck, just tap out,” Tracey pants in my ear.

“Fuck you,” I grit through my bite guard. “You tap out.”

He tries to hook me in the face with his fist, and I slip out from underneath him before he can make contact.

Getting back on his feet I slip in behind him and go for a rear naked choke. Locking my legs around his back, I wrap one arm around his neck, while resting the other on top of his head.

Hoping he’ll tap out, he grabs at my glove on his head and tears my arm free instead.

“Shit!” I wipe the sweat off my forehead, I don’t know what else to do to take this asshole out. I’m out of moves.

“You done yet Barbie?” Tracey taunts. Adrenaline slams into my chest so hard my vision blurs. I can do this.

Pulling my fist back hard, I punch him in the face with all I have and he falls into the ring. That wasn’t a pre calculated move. That was just pure anger rolled into my fist.

“Holy shit!” Thomas’s surprised voice isn’t lost on me.

“Whoa!” That voice, it draws my attention back to the side of the ring.

He’s facing me fully now. Seeing his face for the first time in four years, butterflies swarm in my stomach. It’s definitely Camden. His blue irises lock on mine and I hold my breath. My heart breaks all over again just staring at him. His eyes widen with recognition, and his mouth parts.

Not keeping my mind in the game, I’m suddenly taken down on all fours. Tracey hovers above me, wrapping his arm around my neck, and tucking his head right under my arm. Before I can figure out what he’s doing, he rolls over and chokes me out.

Refusing to tap out, my ears ring. My breathing becoming labored.

“Tap out!” A voice I can’t make out echoes in the background.

I refuse. I won’t.

My vision begins to blur, just as Tracey’s arm is pulled from my neck.

I choke and wheeze pulling every morsel of air I can back into my lungs. Falling to my hands and knees, I try to regain my composure. My hair is a mess sticking to my forehead, and sweat trickles down my face to where I can taste it.

“What the hell was that?” Tracey scolds standing above me. Glancing to where Camden was standing I find him missing. My chest weighs heavy, tears threatening to fill my eyes. I wasn’t prepared to see him.

“I didn’t tap out,” I croak, my voice nearly gone. Closing my eyes, I fight from crying. If I do, Thomas will think it’s from the fight, and not from a broken heart.

“What?” Thomas crouches down. Peering up under my lashes I say louder. “I didn’t tap out!” My arms feel like Jello to the point I fall to the mat. Its coolness welcoming me with open arms. “You have to train me now.”

Cate laughs loud, as she raises her arms up in the air in victory.

“You made the deal, you lost buddy!” Cate points at him.

“Jesus Christ.” Thomas stands straight, his hands on his hips as he glares down at me.

“I didn’t tap out,” I whisper proudly.

***

Pulling myself up off the floor, my body aches from the amount of effort it takes. My chest constricts as I frantically look around the gym for Camden. Not seeing him anywhere, I quickly slip out of the ring, pull my gloves off, and spit the guard onto the floor. I gotta get out of here.

I can’t see him. I’m not ready. I’ll never be ready. Turning to grab my bag I run into a wall of pure muscle, the familiar smell hitting home.

Camden.

He smells just like he used to when he was eighteen. Clean and spicy.

My chest trembles as I slowly look up from under my lashes. “Cam-Camden?” I stammer as a shiver runs up my back. The unsettling warmth on my face causes me to sweat, as my heart pounds against my chest with a wave of nerves.

His brows are pulled together with hate, and his blue eyes are cold and unfriendly. He folds his thick arms across his chest, making his dark shirt strain against his biceps.

I look away, digging my nails into the palm of my hand.

The TV has nothing on what the real Camden Steel looks like. He’s his own person. I can’t help but stare back at him. Sharp around the edges, but beautiful. He has small scars that show his pain, and power dusting around his thick eyebrows and cheek bones.

“Why are you here?” His words are bitter, cutting into me.

Looking at the ground I avert my eyes from his. His intense stare too much.

“I um—” I practiced over and over in my head what I would say to Camden if I ever ran into him again. Had it down pat. I would explain why I left him behind, he’d get angry, I’d get angry, and then I’d say something really smart before storming off. He would then chase me, whip me around and kiss me so hard that everything that ever happened would be forgotten. Only… I can’t seem to think of a single thing to say now.

So, I run. I push past him, and run to my car.

Out of the building and nearing my car I feel my eyes prick with the urge to cry.

“Why are you here, Tate?” My name used to come out of his mouth in a way that made my toes curl, now… it’s as if I’m a disease. “TATE!”

I stop. Using my free hand I wipe the one tear that managed to escape. Maybe this is the part he says he’s missed me, and pulls me into an embrace and kisses me.

Turning I look into the distance. “I’m here because I want my family back and I want to be a professional fighter. I- I didn’t know this was your gym though.”

Unpleased with my answer, he scoffs, widening his stance. His face is more defined, and covered in a five o’clock shadow. He’s not a boy anymore, he’s a man. He licks his bottom lip before raking it in with his teeth. I used to kiss those lips. Moaned unintelligible things against them while he loved me.

I didn’t realize how much I missed him, not until now.

“Do yourself a favor, and just go back to wherever it was you came from.”

Anger flushes through my system and my mouth falls open. This is not going the way my dreams had planned out.

“Seriously, after all these years that is the first thing you wanted to say to me?”

He rubs at his chin before hitting me with those cold blue eyes.

“Trust me Tate, the first thing I was going to say wasn’t near as nice as that.” He turns, his back just as toned and chiseled as his front.

“Say it, say what you were going to say,” I push.

Shaking his head, he thumbs the sweat pants on his narrow hips.

“It doesn’t matter… Because you don’t matter, not anymore.”

I gasp at his harsh tone. Ouch. Tears unleash so fast I can’t stop them. Not this time.

“Fucking prick,” I grumble under my breath as I head toward my car.

“What was that?” he asks arrogantly, but I don’t look behind me. If I do, I might punch him in the mouth.

“I said, FUCKING PRICK!” I tug my door open, throw my bag in and jump in. Silently praising myself for finding words that were buried deep inside of me.

Slamming my door shut, I glare at him as I start the car.

I quickly peel out of the parking lot without looking back.

My nostrils flare, and knuckles turning white as I strangle the steering wheel.

Who the hell was that? That wasn’t the Camden I remember. Not at all.

I’m going to kill Fiona when I see her.

Camden

Standing in a cloud of dust I watch as Tate drives away. Again. My heart is beating against my chest hard, my stomach twisted in knots. I thought my longing for Tate grew into hate these past years. That was until I just saw her. I miss her and hate her. I wanted to grab her and pull her into me, but I also wanted to pull her by the fucking hair out of my gym.

I never thought I’d see her again, but I envisioned it.