Page 39 of Fighting the Darkness

“Okay, okay. You can stop ganging up on me now. I didn’t come here for this. I need your help. I don’t know how this became my life.” I bury my hands in my face.

“Sorry, Freya.” Quinn squeezes my knee under the table.

Vicki hums. “Yeah, sorry, babe. We weren’t trying to make things worse, just trying to lighten the mood. So let’s make sure I have this right. First, Soren was an asshole, which is the norm for him. You gave him a piece of your mind. Good on you, babe. That man needs to be put in place from time to time. Griffin came over to see what was going on, and that’s when Wilder showed up. He was also a jerk. Then he and Soren got into an altercation. Do I have this right so far?”

“Yes, Vicki. Your listening comprehension is stupendous.” I just laugh when she sends a glare my way.

“Don’t be rude. You’re the one who wants our help.”

I nod. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“As I was saying... The idiots got into a fight while you spoke with Griffin. Then Wilder pops up, saying he’s going to train you. Acting like a barbarian once more. You shut him down and then gave Soren another piece of your mind. Wilder runs off after you agree to have all three of them train you.

“Then, when you’re supposed to be training with Soren, you decide to ask him what the issue is between him and Wilder. He tells you the reason, which you refuse to tell us—I’m still hurt that you know the tea and won’t spill it, but I’ll deal with that later.” She shoots me a wink, telling me she’s not actually upset. She just wants to know.

“Then Soren calls you a temptation, and you think that Griffin might have overheard you? You’re freaking out that he won’t let you train together because his boyfriend finds you hot—“

“They’re not together,” Quinn butts in. “They sleep together, but they’re far from monogamous. So you can take that fear off the table.”

Vicki huffs. “What’s with the interrupting toads today? Can I finish now?”

Quinn and I laugh, gesturing for her to continue.

“Your session is canceled, so that’s when you text your two new besties—that’s us, by the way.” She points between herself and Quinn. “When you head to your SUV to meet us, you find Wilder leaning against your car. He’s sorry and wants to be in your life. And he wants to take you to Friday’s fight night?” Vicki pauses. “Did I miss anything?”

“Nope, you hit all the major points.” I shake my head when she claps her hands.

“And now you need us to...” she trails off, looking at me expectantly.

I shrug. “Quinn cleared up at least one of the issues I was worried about. At least I know Griffin isn’t likely to kick me to the curb because I’m a temptation to Soren. But what am I supposed to do with that? And what does he mean when he calls me a temptation? Then there’s Wilder. I don’t even know what to do with him. I want to say yes to him because he was such a big part of my life, but when he cut me out of his life before, he almost broke me. How can I give him the power to do it again?”

“That, my dear girl, is what we ask ourselves all the time.” Quinn pats my hand. “That’s always the question when it comes to second chances. Is the person worth it? What if they have changed? Does the positive of them being in your life outweigh the negative that they might hurt you again? That’s something you’ll have to answer on your own.”

“Not the answer I was hoping for,” I grumble.

Vicki bumps my shoulder. “But it’s the one you knew you’d get. As far as Soren goes, I’d just pretend it didn’t happen. Or call him out on it. Whichever sounds better to you. If I were you, I’d definitely ride that cowboy, though.”

“Shut up, Vicki! That’s not going to happen.” My face flushes. Not that the idea of sleeping with Soren is abhorrent. There’s obviously something going on with him and Griffin, and I’m so not getting in the middle of that. Maybe I should just go on a sex ban—no, a man ban. There’s nothing wrong with being single, and I’ve been without sex for months already, so that shouldn’t be a problem?

Except, I’m somehow doubting that. Something tells me that no matter how I want or expect things to go, it’s going to end up differently.

Chapter Eighteen

Freya

It’sfinallyFridaynight,and I get to go to The Guillotine tonight. Not only that, but I’ll be hanging out with Wilder for the first time since our confrontation.

I haven’t even been back to the gym since then. Griffin had called and canceled our session for yesterday, and I’m starting to worry again. Sure, Quinn told me they weren’t together, but what if she’s wrong? I thought Griffin would just tell me if I was no longer welcome at No Holds Barred, but now I’m not sure. Maybe he just can’t stand to see or talk to me.

“Freya,” my mom’s voice calls from downstairs. “Wilder’s here for you.”

Butterflies rocket around in my stomach, but I straighten my shoulders and take one last glance in the mirror.

I’m wearing another jumpsuit, and this one shows almost as much skin as the last one I wore except it’s behind black mesh instead of being bare skin. It had been delivered under my name earlier this week, and I have no idea who ordered it for me, but it fits like a glove. I still think it’s a little weird that someone is buying me clothes without fessing up about it, but if they look this good on me, then there’s no way I’m turning them away.

Grabbing my bag, I head for the stairs and hurry down. I don’t want to make Wilder wait longer than necessary. Especially since my mom’s down there. I’m pretty sure this is the first time he’s been back since he blew up on my mom. I’m sure they’re both feeling a little uncomfortable at the moment.

I find them both waiting at the base of the stairs, and when they see me, they smile. “You look beautiful, baby.”

---