Page 16 of Fighting Fate

A teary emoji punctuates my sister’s text. Before I can reply, she sends another.

Orla: Hope London is going well. We miss you.

I call her to make sure she knows I haven’t forgotten about her or Mom in the last twenty-four hours. After our father died, we became a real close-knit unit. Orla and Mom have supported me every step of the way in my career, from the very beginning until the present. They’re the reason I push myself past my limits, and I hate that a part of the career they’ve supported takes me away from them.

Throughout my entire shower, all I can think is about what the florist told me and Orla’s text.

Out of sight and out of mind.

Never pull back. It makes you look unreliable and unsteady.

It’s the little personal touches.

Shit!I huff to myself, pulling a pair of dark Levi’s and a T-shirt on. I know I won’t be able to rest until I make sure Willow knows I haven’t forgotten about her. We don’t know each other well, but I want to get to know her. As frustrating as her defensiveness has been so far, I admire that she knows her worth.

Maybe the florist is right. Pulling back was a bad idea. Perhaps she needs to see that my gestures aren’t a ruse to get her into my bed just for another night. Regardless of all the maybes, the only way I can make anything happen is by staying in the game. Strong. Relentless. Totally ready to win this fight.

---