Chapter 23
There’s nothing quite like finding bruising on your boyfriend’s stomach and ribs and having no fucking clue as to why his perfect skin looks like that.
“Talk, Terecino. Now,” I snap.
“Okay, okay.” He runs his hand over his head again and I can see him trying to figure out how he’s going to deflect. How he’s going to soften the blow I know is coming by hiding things that he knows will most definitely piss me off.
“The truth. All of it,” I say quickly before he can try to spin this in any slick way.
It’s not that I don’t trust him, I do, but I also know this man. Intimately.
I know that he would walk on hot coals if it meant I didn’t have to. It’s one of the weak points in our relationship I would say, because we both are willing to sacrifice ourselves for the other.
I’ve done it, and I won’t let him try to sacrifice for me.
Not anymore.
“God, Roxie, okay,” he says with an annoyed sigh like he’s a teenager and I’m asking him to go do his homework when what he really wanted was to go play video games. “Okay, so, I’m helping out my family with money. You know that?”
I nod, remembering the night he pulled me into his chest and he explained how he’s been working so much to not only support From The Ashes how he can, he’s also been the main breadwinner for his mom and brothers since his dad died.
“Well, I’d kind of…told them they could fend for themselves a little more.
I told them that a while ago, and I’ve still been covering the mortgage and bills, but not the extras.
Well, this past month, things got too tight.
I’m sure it’s because my brother Mario is a fucking prick who only cares about himself.
He’d rather spend the house money on shit that goes up his nose or in his veins. ”
I swallow roughly because I know it’s hard for him to say that. For him to know that he kills himself to take care of his family and they don’t care. They just use him.
And it makes me murderous.
He’s the best, most loving, giving, protective person I know and they treat him terribly. If he was actually close to them, I’d have resorted to violence by now.
I nod to tell him to continue.
“Well, fighting is the fastest way for me to get the amount of money they need, quick.” He shrugs like it’s not a big deal, and I get it, but he’s…he’s a big name down there. The more he wins, the bigger the opponents. The bigger the opponents, the bigger the risk.
“How many?” I ask, pushing off of the counter and into his space.
“Fights?”
“Total. Then how many a week.”
“Seven. Total. One the other day, two the week before, four the first week,” he confesses, dropping his head down like he knows how I’m going to feel. And he’s right.
“Seven? Seven?” I say incredulously, throwing my hands up out of anger. “You’ve been in seven goddamn fights and didn’t tell me. Didn’t think to let me come to watch your back or help you when shit got too close to the line?”
“Look, Roxie,” he starts to say, but I cut him off.
“No, this isn’t a ‘oh I forgot to tell you’ thing, Ty! This is dangerous and you fucking know it.”
“Don’t stand there like you’re better than me, baby.
You forget where I saw you for the first time in six long fucking years.
Knocked the fuck out in the middle of a fight that you never should’ve been in,” he growls, standing over me, but I’m not easily intimidated.
I step closer, shoving him back with my hands.
He doesn’t really move, but sways backward.
“That was different and you know it. Don’t twist shit around now, fuckwad.”
“Alright, alright, miereda,” he curses, putting his hand up in surrender, before I shove him again and he grabs my arms holding me tight against him.
“Keep shoving me and I will pull you down to the floor with me,” he growls hotly, and I know right then that he’d pin me down and make me whimper from pleasure.
But then his expression softens slightly and he nods.
A fierceness in his eyes that’s different from the annoyed frustration before.
“I didn’t want to worry you. I absolutely didn’t want you coming to the Underground when you’re still recovering.
Not only that, but did you think I was going to let anyone from Mickey’s crew breathe the same air as you?
Absolutely fucking not, sobre mi cadaver,” he snarls the last part, but I know it’s not at me, more in my direction.
“Cadaver… Over my dead body?”
Ty smirks a little and says, “You’re getting better, baby.”
“I can’t fault you for not wanting me around…them,” I say softly, shaking my head just slightly. “But you know, you know, how I’d do anything to help you. Maybe I could–” I start to offer suggestions but he shuts me down fast.
“No, baby.” He’s not unkind about it, but there’s definitely no room for argument. “Absolutely not.”
Oh hell no.
“Terecino Hernandez, that is not how we are.” I stand up straighter, shoving my finger in his face. “We don’t hide from each other, not anymore. We don’t brush each other off and handle things ourselves.”
“What are you talking about, Roxie? That’s all we do.” He shakes his head as his eyes narrow at me like he’s asking a question.
My shoulders drop as I tilt my head, looking right into those beautifully haunted brown eyes I love so much.
He’s right. I know he’s right. But Ty goes on anyway.
“You spent six years, six years, in hell because you were trying to save me. Save me from what you were going through, because you knew that I’d move heaven and earth to bring you to safety.
Now, I’m doing this to try and help us both.
Sure, there’s some pain involved, but I’d take that over you getting hurt anymore, anyday. ”
“That was my choice, Ty! Don’t turn this shit around like you have some debt to settle.”
“I’m not!” He raises his voice. Not in anger, more in frustration. It doesn’t make me want to fight, it makes me want to shake him and tell him to not be stupid about this.
“You are. You don’t have to protect me, I can protect myself.”
Ty’s expression softens, his eyes widening and then closing heavily while a shadow of a grimace covers his lips before he opens his eyes. Our eyes connect and I can see into his soul.
He’s got this amazing superpower of shutting off and puffing himself up when he needs to be intimidating and emotionless.
He can project that facade and people that don’t know him would never be the wiser.
But really, Ty’s this incredibly layered person.
He’s deep and emotional, always trying to be better, be more. It’s amazing.
And incredibly hard on him.
When he opens his eyes, I can see him.
“Haven’t we already discussed this, carino?
You’re mine. I’m yours. And we both protect the other,” he says softly, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around my waist. “You’re my girl, Roxie.
I’m always going to protect you. In any way I can, for the rest of my life.
If that means working four jobs so you don’t have to, I’ll do it.
If that means keeping you out of sight of the people who actively hurt you, I’d do that too.
I’m your man, and I’m so glad to be. Let me protect you, let me hold the sky up for just a little bit while you rest easy.
Or,” he says quickly when I open my mouth to try and give him a rebuttal.
“Or, I can at least share some of the load you carry, so it’s not so heavy. ”
My heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest because that might have been the most romantic thing he’s ever said to me. And he’s said some pretty romantic shit.
“You want to help me hold up my sky? But you have your own to hold.”
Ty kisses my forehead and whispers, “It’s all I want. To help you, to hold you, to support you, to keep you. My sky…” He takes a soft breath. “My sky means nothing without you.”
My breath catches in my throat as I try not to let the weight of his words wrap around me.
“Ty…” I say softly, not really knowing what to say to a confession like that, but I cup his face with my hands, holding this precious human who for some unknown reason, picked me to be his. “I love you.”
A genuine smile lights up his face and he whispers, “I love you too, baby.”
“Let me help you. Please,” I say softly, matching his volume as we stay wrapped in our bubble. “I won’t…go overboard. But maybe I can help enough that you don’t need to fight anymore.”
Ty sighs heavily, dropping his gaze to the ground before looking at me, his hand comes up to brush my cheek softly like I’m precious. I lean into his touch and move my hands from his face to his waist, clutching his shirt in between my fingers.
“They’re your family, Ty. And you’re my family. No matter what happens, that’s not changing. We’re family. So let me help you,” I plead softly with him to let me support him in some way.
Ty doesn’t answer, but his thumb brushes over my cheek lovingly before he nods.
Yes, thank god. Breathing a little sigh of relief, I lean up and kiss his lips softly.
“Together, okay?” I ask, showing him that this, us, it’s about working through this life together, not alone.
The corners of Ty’s mouth tip up just slightly in a gentle grin and he nods.
“Together.”