Page 50 of Fight for You (Flirting with Forever 2)

Comparisons of my relationships with Tara and Hadleigh had plagued my mind half the night. After I’d finally fallen asleep, I’d dreamed of Hadleigh wet and naked like she’d been in the photo—with Ed’s hands all over her. It’s no surprise that I feel kind of sick to my stomach this morning.

After I’ve gotten dressed, I switch my phone back on to see a message from Hadleigh. It isn’t what I think it is. Hmm. Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t, but I’m stubborn as a mule when I’m hurting. I feel crushed knowing he’s still in contact with her, still calling her his.

Out in the kitchen, Willow is attempting to cook again. I hadn’t told her what was going on, I’d just gone straight to bed last night. She eyes me warily from the cooktop where she’s burning some scrambled eggs.

Without a word, I shake my head at her, gently direct her to step aside, and start the process over again. I can feel her watching me guardedly like I’m a bomb that could explode at any given moment.

Once I’m finished cooking her eggs, I hand her a plateful and she frowns, giving me a funny look. “None for you?”

“I’m not hungry.” My jaw goes rigid as I gather my keys, wallet, and phone, then shove them into my pockets.

Willow sits at the kitchen island, jabbing a fork into her eggs. “I’m going to kill her, you know.”

Yeah, I kind of both hate and love that Willow knows me well enough to know that something is really wrong.

I pull my coat off the hook at the door and slip my arms into it, yanking it up. I mumble, “I’m just pissed and need some time to process things.”

Abandoning her food, she stands up and faces me, arms crossed over her chest. Her chin juts out. “I’m serious. I’ll kick her ass. She knows what you went through with Tara. Did she cheat? Is that what’s going on?”

I clamp my mouth shut and raise both hands to my head, scrubbing my scalp like it’ll somehow bring clarity to the situation. All at once, I burst. “I don’t fucking know. There was a photo and a text from that guy she was seeing before me and—I just don’t know what it all means. I’m confused. She says it’s not what I think, and I’m inclined to believe her because the guy is a total dick but—” I huff out a breath. I drop my arms to my sides in defeat. “Will, you can’t kick her ass or kill her.”

“Well, why the fuck not?”

The words are wrenched from my very soul. “Because I’m in love with her.”

Willow blinks and her lips part. “Oh.” Blinks again. “Well, what are you going to do? Have you even talked to her?” Willow knows me well enough to know I haven’t.

“No.” My voice is clipped. “I wasn’t ready to yet—like I said, I’m thinking and processing.”

She groans. “Sawyer. If you love her like I think you do, you need to actually communicate with her. I know this is how you get when you are frustrated, not wanting to talk to anyone, but if you want this to work …”

“I know. I do.” With a jerk, I yank up my coat’s zipper and shove my hands in the pockets. “I’ve got to go to this damn wrestling tournament because I volunteered to work at the snack bar for an hour, but then I’ll be back and can try to figure out what to do.”

Willow’s laugh is incredulous. “But isn’t the jackass she used to date the wrestling coach?”

“Yeah. I’m sure it’s going to be awesome.” I truly don’t want to be anywhere near Ed Haskin today. I’d contemplated not going at all, but in the end, why let him win? He can’t take everything from me, and my career is important, too. “I’m just going to go watch for a while so I can say I was there, work the shift I signed up for, and then I’m going to get the fuck out of there. I’ll be back later.”

The squeaking of wrestling shoes on the mats, intermittent grunting, the cheering of the crowd, and a shrill whistle clue me in that I’m in the right place before I even turn the corner. I glance around, looking for Ed so I can avoid him as best as possible. I enter the gym and walk around the competition area to take a seat on the bleachers. I watch for several minutes, breathing slowly, trying to calm my thundering heart. I know he’s here somewhere; I just haven’t laid eyes on him yet. Fuck. This sucks.

Sure enough, out of the corner of my eye I spot someone walking toward me. It’s Ed, of course, and if I were a betting man—given the look on his face—I’d say things are about to get interesting.

The last damn thing I want is for this to be a public shouting match, so with a sigh, I stand up. He raises his brows and jerks his head toward the locker room. I nod and follow him through the doorway.

When the door shuts behind us, he spins on his heel, eyeing me with such disdain I wonder if there’s actually something else I’ve done to offend this man. There’s not. He slowly shakes his head, an odd smile on his face. “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to talk to you alone.” He props his hands on his hips. “So, you decided to fuck your teacher, eh?” He grins at me like he thinks this is the funniest thing in the world. “Must be lots of fun, sneaking around. She’ll get tired of it, though.”

I roll my eyes and shake my head. I’m not admitting a damn thing to this asshole. My mind works quickly, trying to figure out his angle. “What’s your deal, man? I don’t understand what you want from me.”

“Did she show you the pictures I took of her? She posed like that—for me. She’ll come back to me eventually.”

She’ll come back to him. Which means she’s not with him now. I eye him carefully, wondering what sort of person sends photos like that to someone they are no longer with. And why does he still have photos of his ex in the first damn place? “Okay, man. Whatever. I’m going to go finish watching the tournament. Thanks for the talk.”

I’m not about to play into his hand or give him any info even though it’s instantly crystal clear what an idiot I’ve been to think for a second that Hadleigh would cheat on me—especially with him. I’m not going to let him know that. I turn and shove through the door, my mind reeling with what he’s unwittingly revealed to me. Little bits of a conversation she and I had not too long ago come back to me, adding fuel to my fire. I think her exact words were that he’s possessive when he shouldn’t be. And that would be because she’s not with him.

I find a quiet corner amid the cheering and do some quick googling, wanting to know just what the legal repercussions are for harassment, because it’s clear the very thing Hadleigh has been trying to hide from me is what I’d unknowingly stumbled upon last night. I’m now one hundred percent certain he’s been harassing her with photos he’d taken of her when they were dating. Fuck knows what else he’s been texting her.

I rub my forehead as I slowly shake my head. By jumping to hurt-fueled conclusions instead of just talking to her, I may very well have messed this up. My eyes glaze over, and I can’t concentrate on anything going on around me. I need to fix this with her. Now.

Bottom line: I love Hadleigh. I trust Hadleigh. I need to make this right.

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