Epilogue
“This is so exciting!” Abby shouted, bumping her shoulder into mine. “I can’t believe you’re not more into this.”
Her grin was contagious. While I enjoyed the atmosphere surrounding tonight and could easily get lost in the thrum of the fans and the excitement in the air, I couldn’t stomach watching the fight up close.
I’d agreed to come tonight to support Jackson with the stipulation that I could watch from the back room.
That way if it became too much, I could turn away from the television.
“I’m into it. I just can’t watch it.”
She started to say something else, but Trevor walked in.
She ran over to him, acting like she hadn’t seen him in weeks, when she’d seen him earlier today at the gym.
I wouldn’t begrudge her excitement, though.
She deserved to be happy, and Trevor was a great fit for her.
I didn’t love the seven-year age gap, but they seemed perfect together.
“It’s about time,” Lance said, waving Trevor over. “Cutting it close.”
“Sorry, there was an accident two blocks away, and it took me forever to get around it. But I’m here now.” He headed toward Jackson. “Hey, man. How are you feeling?”
“I’m good.”
“How’s your shoulder?” Trevor pulled out the white wraps and started taping up Jackson’s hands. When he finished, he’d help him put on his fingerless gloves, standard issue for the fight.
Jackson rolled his shoulder. “It feels good.”
After I told him I could no longer work for him, Lance had interviewed a number of candidates to take my place. He got lucky when he found Tim Welz, who was a talented sports therapist. Over the past five months, he’d done wonders with Jackson, specifically with his shoulder.
And I flourished in my new role as the lead rehab therapist at the VA, working with wounded veterans. Every day was a challenge, but I loved my work.
Trevor handed his friend his earbuds, and for the next two minutes and forty-four seconds, Jackson closed out the rest of the world and engaged in his prefight ritual, listening to a song from Linkin Park I couldn’t remember the name of.
“Ten minutes,” Elton shouted from the doorway.
My heart raced the closer the fight got.
I believed Jackson would win this time, but I was still nervous for him.
There was always the chance he could get hurt in the ring, just like any other fighter.
But I didn’t want to think about that. I wanted to focus on what this win would mean to the man I loved.
He told me a month ago that this was going to be his last professional fight.
He’d put his body through rigorous training and fighting for years, and he was tired.
Plus, he didn’t want to do any more damage to his shoulder, as next time, it might not heal.
He was considering training up-and-coming fighters as a new career.
For him to retire on top would mean the world to him.
Not to mention kicking his brother’s ass for what happened last time.
Jay pulled a cheap shot by dislocating Jackson’s shoulder, and although it wasn’t an illegal tactic, it was still a cowardly move.
The entire team believed there was no way Jay would’ve won otherwise, even with Jackson having been distracted by me leaving my seat.
His loss wasn’t my fault, but I still carried a shred of guilt over the whole incident.
After Trevor finished with Jackson, he squeezed my shoulder in reassurance before moving toward Abby. Everyone left the room, but they weren’t going far. They’d wait in the hallway until it was time for Jackson to walk out.
“Come here,” he said, yanking out his earbuds and hopping off the table.
My feet propelled me forward, and once I was in front of him, a peace settled over me.
“Hi.”
He winked at me. “Hi.” His sultry smile made my stomach flip, and I wanted to throw my arms around him and have my torrid way with him, but I would have to wait. Hopefully, he wasn’t too banged up after the fight.
“Are you nervous?” As soon as I uttered the words, a wave of nausea rolled through me. My eyes got big, and my mouth watered.
“I’m fine. Are you? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I quickly answered, not wanting to talk more than I had to because I was on the verge of throwing up.
He pulled me closer and pressed the back of his hand against my forehead. “You’re a little warm. Are you coming down with something?”
“I’m not sick.”
“Are you worried about me? Because I’m fine. I’m in a better place this time. I got this.”
“I know you do.”
“Then why do you look like you’re going to vomit?”
Hearing the word vomit made my stomach roll once more, but luckily, I breathed through it before the contents of my stomach traveled up my throat.
All I could do was shake my head.
“What?” he pressed. “Sophie, I’m not going out there until you tell me what’s going on.”
“I can’t tell you. Not now. I don’t want to ruin it again.” My emotions suddenly took over, and I started to cry.
“What the fuck is going on?” He gently wrapped his hands around my upper arms, the warmth of his touch doing nothing to stop the onslaught of what he perceived to be nerves.
“Two minutes, Jax,” Elton shouted from the doorway before disappearing back into the hallway.
“Don’t worry about me. Go. Have a great….” I swallowed once. Twice. “Have a great fight. I’ll be watching from here. As much as I can.” I squeezed my eyes shut, sucked in a deep breath through my nose, and released it from my mouth.
“That’s it. I’m not fighting,” he shouted, concern weaved into every word he spoke even though he sounded angry.
My eyes popped open. “You have to.”
“No, I don’t. The only thing I have to do is make sure you’re okay.”
“I am. I’ll tell you everything after you win.” The best smile I could concoct ended up crooked.
“You’ll tell me now.” His forceful tone told me he wasn’t budging until I told him what was going on with me. This wasn’t the way I wanted this to happen, but here we were.
An ancient memory flashed through my mind, but I shoved it aside because that wasn’t my life any longer.
A harsh knock rapped against the door, pressuring me to divulge my secret.
“I’m pregnant. Apparently, the pull-out method doesn’t really work.” I attempted another smile, but again it fell flat.
One time, two months ago, we’d run out of condoms, and because he didn’t want to run to the store so late at night, we did it without one. He pulled out before he came, but as it turned out, a few of his strong swimmers escaped beforehand.
“You’re pregnant?” He stared at me for the longest moments of my life. Then the quirk of his lips and the glassiness in his eyes gave me the reaction I’d hoped for. “I’m going to be a father?”
“You’re going to be a father,” I reiterated, my happiness bubbling over and flowing freely down my cheeks.
He wrapped me in the biggest hug and twirled me around, apologizing when I slapped my hand over my mouth once he set me down.
“Jax, let’s go,” Trevor yelled from the doorway.
Jackson ignored him, raining kisses all over my face. “Thank you,” he whispered.
“For what?” I asked, laughing because I never expected him to be this thrilled about the news. I hoped he’d be pleased but also a bit freaked out, like me.
“For giving me a chance at another family.”
My heart splintered for what he’d endured in the past, but now it was time for us to build a future together, and our baby was only the beginning.
“You good?” Trevor asked, shoving my mouth guard at me. “You look weird.”
“How so?”
“For one, I’ve never seen you wear such a goofy smile. You’re supposed to be mean right now. Menacing. You need to hype it up for the fans. No one is going to believe you’re going to win if you keep grinning like that. Although, you do look a little deranged.”
I ignored my friend. I’d give the fans what they came here to see. I’d make Jay regret agreeing to fight me again. I’d live up to my reputation, but not yet. Right now, I wanted to enjoy these few precious moments before I sauntered toward the ring.
Sophie had just given me the greatest gift I could ever ask for, other than her love, of course.
I was going to be a father. I still couldn’t believe it.
I refused to dwell on everything I’d lost when I was younger, since I couldn’t do anything to change it.
But I was getting a do-over of sorts. The chance to build my own family, something I’d only considered once she came into my life.
The intro to my song started, and I craned my neck from side to side, rolling my shoulders and bouncing on my feet, inviting the electricity of the moment into every cell in my body. The roar of the crowd fueled my excitement, their screams reminding me why I accepted this fight.
This win was mine. Jay wasn’t going to steal it from me like he did last time.
“There he is,” Trevor said, smacking my back. “Welcome back. You got this, Jax.”
I flexed my hands over and over, working the muscles of my forearms in preparation. After the prefight pat down and introductions, Jay and I stood opposite each other, assessing one another. I wasn’t the same fighter I was six months ago. I was quicker, stronger, more agile.
I did fear that once I saw him again, all those old feelings toward him would resurface.
The anger. The hate. The betrayal. But I felt nothing toward him now.
He’d chosen his family, and I wasn’t part of it, hadn’t been for a long time.
Now, the only thing I saw when I looked at him was an opponent, an inferior one at that.