Page 15 of His Greatest Muse

“He’s my best friend.”

“I’m aware of that, T.”

“You need to be nicer to him. He gets enough hassle from Oakley. Don’t add to that. Please.”

Noah would pop a blood vessel if he knew I was pleading on his behalf to my dad, but when is enoughtrulyenough? He moved here for me, away from all of his family and friends. My small family is all I have to offer him, and I don’t want them to create a rift between us.

While I may not see Noah in the way I sometimes suspect he may see me, I wouldn’t survive in any form of reality without him. It’s always been this way between us. One breathing life into the other. It’s unusual and hard to believe, but it’s us.

The moment we met, it was like my soul recognized his. As if old friends were being reacquainted after decades apart. We’re soulmates in its truest form, which is why I choose not to think too much about the looks Noah gives me when he thinks I’m not paying attention. He does a good job of keeping the feelings I suspect he has hidden from me, but I know him far too well.

It’s not love. With Noah, I don’t think it ever would be. He’s not programmed that way. It’s obsession and adoration. A need to protect me and a will to do anything to make that happen. It works with the way we are now. Best friends. But in a romantic sense? It would suffocate me. The part of my heart that pleads for a chance at a fairy-tale type of love would shatter. I’ve been battling the guilt that comes with thinking this way for a long time now, and it hasn’t gotten any easier. I’m beginning to doubt if it ever will. For now, I’ll just keep giving him what I can. It’s been enough so far.

The shuffle of Dad’s feet on the mats pulls me from my thoughts. I curl my fingers in my gloves and glance his way. He’s frowning.

“Noah’s relationship with Oakley is tough. I’m sorry I’ve added to that. I don’t ever want to upset you.”

I shrug. “It’s not me you need to apologize to. Just stop with all the glaring and goading. If you keep pushing him, he will snap. I won’t let you use that against him.”And if that were the case, it’s Noah’s side I’d be taking, I want to add.

“Okay,” he agrees with a sigh. “Alright.”

Relief ripples through me. “Alright. Now, the quicker we get back to work, the sooner I get to go home. Hit me, Pops.”

6

TINSLEY

Sittingbeside me on the couch, Hunter passes me his phone to show me the final list of fight dates and correlating locations. The boxing match on the television provides comforting background noise as I stare at the screen in silence, my lips rolling. My nerves are making me uneasy.

It’s my first season not in the amateur boxing league, and I have a lot to prove—to myself and everyone who’s supported me since my earliest days. My father especially. I’ve worked incredibly hard for this opportunity, and getting to experience it alongside my best friend feels too good to be true. Like I should be preparing for the other shoe to drop. It’s turned me into a nervous mess.

“Everything look good? I’ve left space for challenges and any fights required from the league, but for now, this is the final list,” Hunter says, the rough tone of his voice a lot less terrifying than it was the first time I heard it.

Hunter Ramirez is one of the best. As a two-time heavyweight champion in the World Boxing Association, he knows the ins and outs of this sport. Retiring only two years ago, he decided to branch out into management, and with my father’s contacts, we somehow wrangled him into working for me and the gym part-time. He may be more standoffish than some of the other managers we spoke to, but he gets the job done. I trust him to further my career, and that’s a huge deal for me.

He leans over my shoulder and huffs, “Is your silence a good or bad thing?”

“Good. Very good.”

A jerky nod. “Great.” He takes the phone and shoves it between his thighs. “We’ll start easy and work our way up. I don’t want to push you too hard. Not when it comes to the other women in your weight class. Most of them have been doing this much longer than you have.”

“You make me sound inexperienced. I lost two fights last year,” I mutter stubbornly.

“Two fights in a much lower league.”

“Fair enough.”

“I don’t say it as an insult, Tinsley. If I didn’t think you were good, I wouldn’t have agreed to represent you.”

I smile softly, glancing at him. It’s the first compliment he’s given me, and by the harsh expression on his wide-set face, it feels completely out of place. The guy is intimidating as fuck, with his dark eyes and jaw that’s in a constant state of tension, but maybe that’s why I like him. His demeanour feels right at home with me and my family of misfits.

Noah doesn’t hate him either, which is a total bonus.

“Thanks, Hunter,” I say.

He bristles at the thanks before changing the subject. “I’ll email you the list tonight.”

“Great. You’re a gem.”

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