Page 108 of Breaking the Habit

“You’re not carbo loading, you’re cheese loading.”

“What?” he asked. “I’m about to start training for the league again.” He reached for the tray again when the same server passed by and snagged three more cubes. “And it’s your opening night, and I can eat as much of this amazing cheese as I want.”

“I’m sad I’ll miss your matches in the next league,” Fiona whined, slapping Levi’s arm with her handbag. The next WFC season was slated to begin in just a couple months, and there was an extensive lineup of fighters this time around, now that everyone in the country—and sometimes even around the world—was paying attention. Not just to the WFC, but to Levi in particular. He was more famous than ever, with movie cameo offers rolling in just as often as talk show appearances. His most recent appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s show had set off an enormous wave of fan mail—for both of them. Turned out, sending herself into the spotlight at Levi’s side made her something of a sweetheart in the public eye.

She’d take it.

“You can watch them from the road,” Riley suggested, pinching her friend’s waist. “You know, once your super cool international tour kicks off.”

“Yeah, but it’s not the same asbeing there,” Fiona said. Riley only grinned. She’d created a group of MMA fanatics, herself included. And her appreciation for the sport was all over tonight’s showing. That whole so-called sports photography world that had seemed so far out of reach, so unlike anything she’d ever wanted to do. Haunted, gritty images lined the walls of DRK. Deeply felt, poetic, toeing the line of surreal and hyperreal.

Exactly what she’d always imagined for herself.

She wandered around the gallery as people mingled, getting wrapped up in conversations about some of the shots or peppered with questions by aspiring photographers about her gear and approach. Her body thrummed with contentment, and every time she searched for Levi’s gaze across the room, their eyes met and another jolt went through her.

Yeah, life was damn near perfect.

The gallery stayed packed until well after the show was over. Once all the guests had trickled out and finally it was just Levi and Riley and Yuri left in the main gallery, the floor dusted with the debris of hundreds of visitors and art enthusiasts, Riley could only blink up at Levi.

“I’d call that a success,” Levi said, squeezing her arms. Yuri had gone into the back room to do a final sales calculation. Riley collapsed against his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I sent Gage a few pictures. He said you look beautiful.”

“Aww.” Riley grinned. Gage had opted not to come because of how packed they knew these opening nights got. But the three of them had given him a pre-opening night viewing earlier that week, like the VIP he was.

“So now that you’re a famous photographer and all of LA knows about you, you still have time in your schedule for my matches?”

She snorted, and the two of them started a slow sway in the middle of the main gallery. Surrounded by enormous prints of her best work, both MMA and otherwise. The white track lights shone down, making everything bright and bold.

“You’re my main client, you know,” she whispered, the heaviness of exhaustion and bone-deep happiness coming over her.

“Yeah?”

“You’re also my main man.”

“Yeah.” He swiped a thumb over her cheek, something strange coming over his face. “I thought so. I wanna be your main man forever.”

She didn’t get tired of hearing things like that from him. These past six months had been blissful, and already they’d talked about her moving in full time with him and Gage. The idea didn’t frighten her. She practically lived there already. Every step forward with Levi felt right. Everything about him felt right.

“Would you let me?” he asked, his voice hot at her ear. A shiver traveled up her spine. She pulled back to look at him, feeling something heavier in his question than their casual conversation suggested.

“You already are,” Riley said, smoothing a hand up the strong expanse of his back.

“No, I mean…” His intense gaze broke, and indecision flashed on his face. “Fuck. I don’t have a joke lined up for this one.”

She laughed a little. “For what?”

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t joke about this. Not with you.” He cupped her face in his hands and pressed a hard, urgent kiss to her lips. Then he pulled back.

And sank down to one knee.

Riley blinked down at him, not quite sure what was happening. “Is your leg okay?”

That heartbreaker grin tugged at his lips, the kind that could melt her into a weak puddle. “Riley…”

Her heart started racing, though she wasn’t sure why. He slipped his hand into a pocket and then brought out a tiny black box. Then it clicked.

Levi wanted to be herforever man.

“YES,” she blurted.

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