Fight For My Heart (2 page)

“NO.” The fuck?

“What?”

“You cannot get in the ring, Taleah” She said to me. Shaking her head in that way that said “what am I going to do with you?”.

Well damn there goes my dream.

XoXoXoXo

We got dressed around 5:30 p.m. since Ant was supposed to pick us up, around this time.

I had body hugging jeans and a black V-neck shirt on, with my favorite black and white chuck Taylors. Because, let’s face it I was looking to let off energy. My hair was wavy, down my back in a pony tail that reached my ass, and I applied some lip gloss. Mama didn’t give me these genes for me to throw them away on cakes of make-up.

Cadence had damn near the same outfit, except her shirt was deep purple, and she had on steeled toed combat boots, I would have found this look not complimentary on most girls, but she could work the look better than most. Her curly hair was down, falling over her shoulder to one side.

A knock sounded on the door and then opened revealing Ant; who just walked inside like he owned the place.

Well, damn excuse me.

He walked up to her and kissed the shit out of her like he didn’t even see me. Damn! ‘I miss that’ is all I thought as I watched them reconnect after only a few hours of separation. You would have sworn he wasn’t just here a while ago.

You see Ant has already been a student here for two years; he and Cadence were high school sweet hearts, even though they started dating when she was a sophomore, and he was senior in high school. How they kept their relationship going was a mystery to me, with the long distance between them. But hey, to each their own, right?

“So, who is fighting tonight?” I said as I grabbed my phone and money, when they were done sucking face.

“My boy Vincent and this guy also trying to go pro, his name is Andrew.” Ant said, grabbing Cadence’s hand walking toward the door.

He opened the door and low and behold; my twin brother and ex were standing there looking confused.
“I should have known you would be in here with Cadence.” Tony smirked and shook his head at Ant who was holding the door open. “What’s up bro? Didn’t see you at the football house.” Tony gave Ant some handshake thing that I have no clue how to do.

“What’s up QB! Yeah, I wanted to get in and out so I could go out. I’m taking my girl and Taleah to my boy’s fight tonight,” Ant said dragging Cadence out.

I walked out locking the door like I didn’t see them standing there. I walked away until I felt someone grab my arm. You see, my daddy and brother didn’t raise me to accept any kind of forward touch that wasn’t asked for. So when I turned around and punched Dom in the throat, it was his own fault.

“Te! What the hell?!?! I was trying to get your attention!” Dom whisperyelled at me grabbing his throat.

“Oh, sorry, did you say something? You know better than to touch me. Shit face” I said in an innocent tone.

“Te, not cool,” Tony said. Helping Dom up.

“Ok then, bye bye boys!” I yelled over my shoulder.

“Te!!” my brother yelled.

“What?” I asked turning around.

“You gonna leave us, when we are trying to hang out with you to make things better?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said straight-faced. I wasn’t ready to be around Dom and even though my brother disappointed me in keeping a big secret, he was still family and I had forgiven him by now; I just wasn’t ready to forget. And if I wanted to have some twin time, Dom would be there as well. Seeing as he went everywhere with Tony.

“Come on Te, you know we’re sorry; it was 6 months ago. You said you accepted our apology” he pouted.

Oh goodness. What to do? Seriously, I mean really!

“Fine!” I snapped. “But I swear, if he tries to act like I’m still his girlfriend I’m soo done!” I said stomping down the stairs, towards Ant’s car that Cadence seemed to be spread out on.

“UGH!!” I said trying to break up the fuck fest.

Cadence jumped down repositioning her shirt, and Ant was looking at her with lust filled eyes, like he couldn’t hold himself still.

“Come on let’s go you guys before shit head 1 and 2 come down,” I told them getting into the back seat.

Tony and Dom walked out and got into Tony’s car, and we took off.

We pulled into a boxing warehouse 10 minutes later.

It was a two-story building with black walls on the outside and red on the inside. Off to the right bags were hanging from the ceiling. I guess I could see myself here punching stuff.

The floor was cement and old with cracks in it. We could hear people shouting at different areas of the gym that were covered in square boxing rings. There were weights next to them, like someone could punch someone in the face then say “Hey, gotta go lift these bells real quick.” All-in-all it wasn’t what I expected.
There were girls in the tiniest outfits known to mankind walking around trying to get the guys attention, and guys that should probably belong to some frat house, with all the noise they were making.

Ant and Cadence walked up to the very middle ring, and Ant had a few words with a big guy that looked around 50 wearing a black t-shirt that clearly was a size too small or he had just pumped a bit too many steroids. I mean this guy was huge, he was wearing dark loose fitting jeans and was holding a stop watch. I guess he was timing the fights going on the center ring.

Ant walked away and up to a guy that looked around 30 and another guy that had to be about 22 or 23 years old, massaging a fighter that was faced away from me. I couldn’t see his face, but his back was delicious. I mean I wasn’t a sexual person by nature, but there was something about his back that called to me on a personal level. I wanted to see my nail marks on it, and have him feeling the same way my body was just by looking at him. Yes, those fantasies seemed to be playing out just the right way in my little fuck me show.

Ant talked to the man, and gave the guy a man hug (you know slap backs or whatever) to the other dude massaging the fighter, and then he bent forward to say something to the sexiest guy I’ve ever seen who is currently sitting in that chair.

All of a sudden, the room was spinning, and I felt my heart rate pick up and then stop. I had to catch my breath because DAMN! When the guy got up and turned around looking to where Ant was pointing, all I saw was him. I mean, have you ever got to a point in your life where you think “I’m going to be a slut today?” Yep! That’s where I was when those eyes I didn’t even know the color of, finally stopped on me.
I had to slump against Cadence and get support because I swear I was about to die.

Ant, the 30-year old guy, the younger dude, and Mr. Fuck-me Eyes, walked over to where Cadence and I were standing.

Ant introduced them. “This is Mark
.”
He looked at the man for reassurance of his name before continuing. Vincent’s trainer, co-manager and Rico, Vin’s best friend and sparring partner, and this is Vincent”.

Cadence extended her hand to them and shook theirs.

Good god in heavens above, kill me now please. Oh fuckity fuck. That is one sexy fucking male. I felt my heat beat faster, palms get clammy, and if I was a part of some romance novel, I swear I have swooned.

“Don’t even think about Te.” Cadence nudged my shoulder with hers, directing her eyes to Vin. I looked at her confused. “Ant has told me things about him and after what you have already been through, let’s just say he puts what Dom did to you to shame.” I trusted her and her opinion, but there was something about him. She would know after having to be there for me more than once in the past 6 months while I nursed a broken heart. I was still taking in her words as I stood there locking eyes with Vincent and then I finally snapped back into reality when he closed the distance and kissed me.

What the hell?!

I pulled back and looked wide-eyed at him. Then suddenly he was gone, not gone as in I imagined him. But gone as in, Dom pulled him away before we got to the good part. Why Dom thought he still had a say in my life was fucking foolish and if I must say reckless, judging by the way Vin was now looking at him
.
I swear I told Tony and Dom to treat me as if I weren’t Dom’s girl before we left…didn’t I?

Fuck this! I tore Dom’s hand off of Vincent and punched him in the throat…again. You would think the man needed to get his tonsils out as many times I’ve done that shit. I could hear Cadence cursing after me as I pulled Vincent by the arm so he couldn’t beat the shit out of my brother who was in shock until a second ago, and walked away.

Vincent looked at me then kissed me again. Who was this guy? I mean seriously. “Hey,” I said pulling away. I didn’t know him or why he felt like kissing me. I backed up again against the wall trying to catch my breath, but when I looked up I finally saw those damn eyes. Hazel. That’s all I kept thinking. Who the hell has hazel eyes so perfect that you can get lost in every color you see in them? Me. That’s who.

“Hi, I’m sorry I just needed to kiss you for some reason. I’m very sorry” Vincent said, looking at me like I was his next breath.

“Hi, I’m Taleah,” I say, not moving, just looking into those damn eyes.

“I’m Vincent Santiago” he reached for my hand. I took it and automatically felt that sudden spark. Wow! I thought; this is a fairy tale kind of thing, but no it was real life, my life.

Boy oh boy, gimme a break, can my body get any more worked up than it is right now? Listen to me thinking about fairytales including a man I just met.

“I’m Taleah Bryant,” I told him shaking his hand.

“Wow, I saw you and I swear I felt my heart burst. Fuck! That sounds like a line” He smiled shyly.
I laughed at him. I mean what else could I do? Yes, I’m used to guys hitting on me. I know I’m a pretty girl, especially with the curves and more than a few times people try to guess my eye color. But, Him noticing me was beyond my wildest dreams. I finally took a look at him; I mean, really looked at him. HOLY SHIT!!! Those eyes weren’t the only thing I figured I wanted about him. Nope, those perfect cheekbones, along with that perfect nose (for being a fighter I expected him to have a crooked nose, hmmm back to that later), square jaw and pouty lips, that his damn tongue was running across this very minute. Oh stop! Wait! Is he trying to taste me? I thought wide-eyed!

“Don’t do that” he whispered.

I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He smiled and came towards me.

”Don’t do what?” I whispered.

“Look at me like that. I can still taste you and when you look at my mouth…god” he groaned and leaned against me, resting his hands on either side of my head. I was in a state of bliss, so I didn’t care. He could do whatever he wanted, and I wouldn’t have cared. “Those lips weren’t enough the first time. I need them again, but I got a fight I have to get to….can u stay?” he said.

“Oh yeah,” I gasped. Trying to get a fix on myself. He looked at me then slowly inched towards me.

“Vin!!! Baby!” a high pitched yell came from the hallway entrance.

“Carmen! Hold up he’s busy at the moment.” Sounded like Rico was coming this way, as well.
We both looked to see who it was; Vincent stiffened and leaned away from me. I already missed his touch. He turned towards the voices at the end of the hallway, and a girl came barreling towards him, with Rico not far behind her. When I looked at Rico, he gave me a sympathetic look and then he shot an angry scowl. The beauty, before me, comes right up to Vin, and she plants an open-mouthed kiss on his lips. The same lips that only 5 seconds ago were on mine, the same kiss that 5 minutes ago was mine.

And just like that, I felt my heart break for the second time in a short period of time. I didn’t know why, because let’s face it we just met, but something inside of me broke, and I couldn’t hold back the gasp that escaped my mouth.

And Then I saw the ring on her left ring finger.

XoXoXoXo

Vincent heard the gasp and immediately turned towards me. He looked broken, why though?

“Introduce me baby,” the girl said. I looked at her. She was gorgeous. Dark caramel skin, tall about 5’9”, boobs the same size as mine except hers were fake, and a dress so small it could be a 10 year olds. Her eyes swept over me before stopping on my eyes and giving me an evil smirk.

“This is Taleah, we just met, Carmen,” he told her. Rico looked at Vin like he had two heads, while I looked right back the girl.

Carmen? Hmm.

She looked at him then went to grab his dick through his boxers and whispered in his ear. Yeah, bitch I get it; he’s yours, hands off. He turned to look at me, and I looked away, got off the wall, and walked towards the growing crowd outside near the rings. What is it with men? Why are they such dogs? Did I really expect anything different from a man that looked like him? He just seemed and felt so damn familiar to. Natural even. I was so lost in my thoughts about him that I didn’t hear someone calling my name.

“Hey! Wait up!” Rico came jogging up behind me. I turned around to face him, purposely not looking back at Vin and Carmen. “I didn’t get your name before,” he said looking at me straight up and down. Damn… how did I not notice him before? Can I just say I should have looked at him longer than I did the first time, since he seems to be eye-fucking me right now?

“Taleah” I reached out and shook his hand and decided ‘what the hell’ and give him the same once over. Tight wife beater, sweat pants, boxing shoes, tight arms and stomach, oh and that hair. I wanted to run my fingers through it to see if it was as soft as it seemed. Chocolate eyes with hints of green, nice plump lips, and he had to be about 6’3” the way he was towering over me. Yet, I felt no spark, just attraction to the package. It’s a sad sad day when one man can ruin all this yumminess for me.
Sigh
.

“Look, I saw the way you were staring at my boy over there, and I just wanted to say that you shouldn’t write him off first thing because of the devil’s mistress over there. But, then again you could always give me a chance,” he gave me a wink after that one. He was too damn cute to ignore, but he was right, Vin turned me away from Rico, hell from any yummy man with that one look.

“Cute, but no thank you. And, as for Vin, well let’s just say that option is not quite open anymore.” I said to him.