Page 6 of A Fighter’s Love

“But the work will build up,” he said, trailing her. “Might mean you have to come in at the weekend and do some. Both days.”

She turned with her hands on her hips. Billy often irritated her, but right now, being tired on top, he was really grating on her nerves. “I thought you said we were going to have a day out on Sunday. Lunch and a walk by the river.”

“Are you kidding me?”

She knew he’d promised that, several days ago when she’d complained they never did boyfriend and girlfriend things any more.

He stepped closer and took her hand. “Just give me a few weeks, till this fight is over and I’ve got some backup cash in the bank.” He lowered his voice. “It’s all for you, Jenny. And our future, our villa in Spain, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.” She glanced away, and for the first time realized the villa in Spain was never going to happen. The thought hit her like a thump to the chest. How many times had they talked about it? Too many to count. And how many of these conversations had Billy been using the promise of sun, sangria and sexy siestas as a way to persuade her to do something for him?

Jenny didn’t want the answer to that.

She sat at the desk and scowled at the files in front of her and the ancient computer. “Leave me to get on with it,” she said, not bothering to hide her irritation.

“You’re a star,” he said, dropping a hard kiss to the top of her head then striding from the room.

She stared at his retreating figure. This was breaking point. She was exhausted, overworked, and worst of all she was being used by a man she no longer loved.

I don’t love him anymore.

She dragged in a breath as a wave of nausea went over her. For so long it had been Jenny and Billy. They were a couple, a team, they had a future together.

Except they didn’t.

Not anymore.

Their relationship was over. Now all she had to do was untangle herself from him.

Which wouldn’t be easy. There was no way Billy would let her walk away into the sunset. Even if he didn’t love her, which she strongly suspected was the case, he needed her. And Billy letting go of something he needed wasn’t going to happen without a fight.

Chapter Two

Jenny worked in the office until after ten p.m. then stretched her aching back, grabbed her bag and called goodbye to Billy.

He barely looked up from a boxing match he was watching on the TV in the corner of the gym.

She was glad he hadn’t. She wanted to lie low while she figured out what to say to him, and how to make him see she was deadly serious about their relationship being over.

As she headed into the damp London night, she thought back with relief to a couple of years ago when he’d suggested he move into her place—to avoid paying his rent when it had gone up. She’d stayed strong and insisted the place was too small for the both of them. He had a collection of speakers he liked to listen to heavy metal music on, and it was true, her apartment was compact, bijou. It wouldn’t have worked.

At the time she’d been relieved her home would stay pretty and girly, a place of sanctuary from the world. Now she realized what a good decision it had been. They had no ties together domestically or financially. They weren’t engaged despite Billy’s many hints that he might pop the question each time Valentine’s Day and Christmas came round. There was no reason she couldn’t make a clean break.

Except for her conscience, that was.

Jenny, you just don’t think of othersher father used to say.Why is it you’re so selfish?The memory of his angry words rattled around her brain. No matter what she’d done to help him after her mother had died, she’d never got it right. She’d tried. She’d tried so hard. Cleaning the house after school, collecting groceries with her lunch money and making an evening meal for him—if she didn’t he wouldn’t eat, just drink. She’d been missed by social services at sixteen. Billy had been her only friend. Back then he’d been softer around the edges, his tongue less sharp. But then her father had died, Billy had lost an eye that put an end to his boxing career, and everything had changed.

“Time for another change,” she murmured, hopping onto a bus that was going her way.

“Pardon, love?” the driver asked with a frown.

“Nothing. I mean, thank you.” She quickly paid, found a seat at the front and stared out at the dark night. Raindrops peppered the window and the bus headlights shone a buttery glow onto the tarmac.

For nearly eight years she’d believed Billy to be all she had in the world, but now…maybe she was finally finding the courage to stand on her own two feet.

A sign for Camden came into view and she thought of Dale and Jackson again. Would they ever come out as being gay? It wasn’t exactly unusual in London anymore.

She clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. She was jumping to conclusions. There was probably nothing to the brief touch Dale had given Jackson. Likely he had an injury, a bruise there from training and Dale was commenting on it.

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