Chapter 23
Keaton
Pulling into the parking lot at Titan, I was looking forward to whatever Coach Luis had in store for me.
After more than two months on the sidelines, I’d had my last session with Audrey a couple of days earlier, and not only did my shoulder feel damn good, but most of my restrictions had been removed as well.
I grabbed my gym bag and reached for the door handle just as my phone rang.
Marcos’s name lit up the screen, and I rushed to answer. “Hey, Marcos. What’s going on?”
“Tell me you’re sitting down,” he replied, without wasting any time on a greeting.
I chuckled. “That depends. Am I about to be excited or disappointed?”
“Definitely excited.”
Most of my recent conversations with my agent had revolved around doctor appointments, physical therapy updates, and recovery timelines. Hearing genuine enthusiasm in his voice felt like a good sign.
“Okay, now you’ve got me curious.”
“I spoke with a couple of promoters this week.”
I leaned back against the seat. “About me?”
“Yeah. Last time I checked, you’re still one of my clients.”
A smile tugged at my mouth. “What’d they say?”
“Mostly, they wanted to know how recovery is going.”
“What did you tell them?” I asked, curious whether he was ready to start pushing me forward or still being cautious. Promoters wanted to know if and when a fighter they were interested in would be available again, but I found it surprising they were talking about me.
“Based on your progress reports for the past few weeks, I told them we can start looking into getting you back in the cage soon.”
After everything I’d been through with my injury and rehab, this news made it feel as if something was finally waiting for me at the end of a long recovery. “How soon are we talking?”
“There’s a card in Vegas six months from now that I’d love to get you on,” he said.
My grip tightened around the steering wheel as the timeline began turning over in my head.
“Nothing’s official,” Marcos continued. “I’m just letting you know what I’m working on.”
“Do you think six months is enough time?” I needed this fight more than I’d needed anything in a long time, but I wasn’t ready to get my hopes up in case my coaches or doctors threw up roadblocks.
“Based on everything I’ve heard and looked into, it absolutely should be.”
The confidence in his voice settled something inside me.
Everyone kept telling me I was making good progress, but hearing him talk about scheduling an actual fight made it easier to believe.
For the first time since the injury, I wasn’t thinking about what I couldn’t do. I was thinking about what came next.
“This is huge, Marcos.”
“I’ve actually got more good news for you.”
I blinked. “Seriously?”
“You know Phil Reynolds?”
I barked a laugh. “I don’t think there’s a single MMA fighter who hasn’t heard of him.”
Phil Reynolds had fought professionally for more than a decade. Guys at Titan still referenced what he’d done inside the cage and tried to copy his style as closely as they could. The man had forgotten more about fighting than most people would ever learn.
“Well, he was one of my biggest clients, and I heard he recently moved to Northern California, so I reached out to him. He’s been doing a lot of one-on-one training since he retired, and he’s agreed to work with you.”
After months of feeling my career was standing still while everybody else kept moving, it was a bit surreal to hear Marcos talking about a Vegas fight and one-on-one work with a guy who’d had the kind of career most fighters could only dream of.
“That’s ...” I stopped and laughed because I genuinely didn’t know how to finish the sentence. “That’s wild.”
Marcos chuckled. “I’m just trying to keep my clients happy.”
“If that’s what you’re trying to do, I think you went above and beyond. I truly appreciate this opportunity.”
“I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t believe you were ready for the next level,” he explained. “I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together.”
After we wrapped up the call, I sat there for another minute with my phone in my hand before opening my text thread with Rowan.
Got some news to share
It took a couple of minutes, but he eventually replied:
Good or bad?
Good
You scared me for a minute
Sorry about that. But had to tell you I might get a fight in July. Marcos had some other stuff for me too but I’ll share all the details when I see you in person. I’m sure you’re busy at AC
Baby that’s so exciting. Can’t wait to hear
A huge grin spread across my face.
Thanks! Can’t wait to see you this weekend
The typing bubble appeared for a few seconds:
Me too
Then another message followed:
I’ve got a call with Grant in a few minutes so I’ve got to go. Love you
Even though he didn’t have time for a long conversation, the smile never left my face.
Love you too
I stared at the screen for a second before shoving my phone into my gym bag, thinking the future suddenly looked a whole lot brighter.
The flight to Miami felt like it took forever because I couldn’t wait to see Rowan and finally share my own good news with him.
I made it to the hotel and headed straight to the lobby bar where Rowan had told me he was meeting his parents.
I first spotted Frank and Dawn at a high-top table near the back, then I found Rowan and Grant deep in conversation a couple of feet away.
When Rowan’s gaze swept across the room and landed on me, a smile immediately spread across his face.
I barely had time to set my bag down when he crossed the room and embraced me. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I breathed, loving the feel of his arms around me.
When he pulled back, I couldn’t stop grinning, but that didn’t keep me from giving him shit. “You look like you’ve spent the last twelve hours thinking about food.”
He laughed. “Water too.”
“How’d weigh-ins go?”
“Made weight, which is all that’s important. Now I need someone to feed me before I get mean.”
I was going to suggest getting some food together, but before I could say anything, Grant appeared beside him.
“We need to get you back to the conference room. You still have a strategy meeting with your team, and we have electrolytes and a protein bowl waiting on you.” Then he pointed toward a promotion employee waiting nearby.
“And apparently they need you for social media content.”
“It never ends,” Rowan groaned, but I didn’t miss the gleam of happiness in his eyes.
I laughed. “I think this is what success looks like.”
“Catch up with you later?” he asked.
I nodded. “Of course.”
His entire body visibly relaxed. As much as I missed him, he had a fight to get ready for and a hundred other things demanding his attention right now. I wasn’t going to make him feel guilty for needing me to wait.
I watched him go before finally making my way over to Frank and Dawn.
“There’s our Keaton,” Dawn said, standing and pulling me into a hug.
Frank did the same. “Did you have a good flight?”
“Nothing to complain about.” I dropped into the empty chair at their table.
The three of us enjoyed a couple of drinks and talked about what we’d all been up to over the past two months.
They were excited to hear that I was back training, and it seemed they were living their best lives.
Every story somehow involved a weekend trip, a new restaurant they’d tried, or someplace they’d decided to drive to just because they could.
Eventually, Rowan managed to join us again, but even then, it felt like people were constantly asking him for something—questions from Grant, a quick conversation with his coach, promotion employees stopping by the table. Nobody monopolized his time, but everybody took a little piece of it.
After a while, he checked the time and let out a long sigh. “I should probably head upstairs.”
“Already?” Dawn asked.
“Coach Isaac’s meeting me in my room to go over a few last-minute things, and then I need to get some rest.”
I stood and grabbed my bag. “I’ll walk with you.”
The hallway outside the bar was quieter than the rest of the hotel, and for the first time since I’d arrived, it felt as if we were actually alone.
He slipped his hand into mine. “I hate this.”
I looked over at him. “Hate what?”
“Having you here and barely getting to spend any time with you.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I was hoping for more than twenty minutes, but I get it.”
His fingers tightened around mine. “After the fight tomorrow night, once I finish all of my obligations, I’m all yours.”
“Sounds perfect. I’ve got a lot of ideas for how we can celebrate your win.”
His eyes narrowed immediately. “Don’t jinx me.”
I dropped my bag and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I have absolutely no doubt we’ll be celebrating tomorrow night.”
The smile that spread across his face was worth the trip all by itself. “Thanks, baby.”
When we stopped at the elevators, he pushed the call button and I stepped back.
“I’ve still got to check in,” I informed him. “Plus, I don’t think you want to put on a show for Isaac, and that’s exactly what’d happen if I went up to your room right now.”
“Good point.” He leaned in and kissed me one last time. “See you tomorrow, baby.”
“Love you, Lockdown.”
He snorted a laugh. “Love you too.” He stepped backward toward the elevator, and the doors slid shut a few seconds later.
I’d been in Florida less than three hours, and somehow I’d spent most of that time watching other people pull Rowan in a dozen different directions. The thing was, I couldn’t even be annoyed about it. After all, this was the sort of life we’d both been working toward.
Frank, Dawn, and I sat in the arena, anxiously awaiting Rowan’s match.
The crowd had grown with each fight, and now most of the seats around us were filled.
Music played through the speakers between bouts as people moved up and down the aisles with drinks and snacks.
Every time something exciting happened inside the cage, the entire place erupted in cheers.