call without taking her eyes off of Grayson’s coach. “Nice to see you West, you visiting a friend in the building?” She waves vaguely off to one of the other doors on her floor.
West shakes his head, a little sheepishly now. “No, Adriana, I’m here to see you. It’s about Grayson.”
The seriousness in his voice makes her heart skip a beat. “Is he alright?” She hates herself a little for caring, but she really does, she couldn’t hope to pretend otherwise.
“He’s healthy and strong as an ox if that’s what you mean,” West reassures her.
“Good, well nice to see you West, but I’ve got to get to work; I’m already running late.” She shrugs apologetically at him and starts walking towards the stairs.
“He misses you.” West’s voice stops her in her tracks.
Adriana takes a deep breath, not wanting to dump all of her shit on West, but his words have severed the very thin rein she had on her temper. She wheels around, advancing on a man big enough to lift her with his pinky finger menacingly enough to make him take a step back.
“He misses me? Are you fucking kidding me, West? The guy that broke my heart ten years ago, only to waltz back into my life and do exactly the same thing again, misses me? Well, unless we have two very different definitions of the phrase, I think you must be mistaken. And now, I really do have to go.” She tries to take in some deep breaths to regain control of her breathing. “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I think a third time would officially make me a head case.” She turns on her heels again, wanting to get away from this confusing conversation as fast as her legs can carry her.
“He needs you, Adriana. He won’t say it, but I know he does. That boy is like a son to me, and it tears me up to see him like this. I don’t know what’s got into his thick head this time, but I do know that whatever reason he’s pushing you away, he thinks it’s for the best.” West puts a fatherly hand on her shoulder. “I’ve never seen him as happy as when he was with you that morning. It was like that damn cloud that he carries around with him had lifted. Now, it’s back. He’s not sleeping, he’s distracted and unfocused. That’s not good for him, and it’s not good for the fight tonight.”
Adriana’s eyes widen at West’s words. “So, that’s what this is about. You need me to turn up because you think that I’m his goddam lucky charm?” Adriana shakes her head in disbelief. “I like to think I’m a pretty good judge of character West, but I didn’t have you pegged as someone who uses other people.”
“This fight, it isn’t just about the title for him; it’s bigger than that, more important. His future is hanging in the balance, and I’m scared he’s going to throw it all away because he’s so busy beating himself up about leaving you that he doesn’t have the energy to beat on the other guy in the ring!” West rubs a hand over his ball head that’s already starting to sweat in the morning humidity. “Grayson’s past is…complicated. He carries a lot of baggage around with him, things that no one should have to live with. He needs someone to help him make sense of it all; he needs someone like you to help him.”
Adriana bites her lip, not wanting to feel anything at West’s words, but she can’t help it; she feels everything. The thought of Grayson going through pain, of him hurting and carrying the burden alone, trying to be brave, trying to do the right thing, it makes her heart ache.
“What are you asking me to do, West?” Her voice falters around the knot in her throat.
“I’m asking you to come to the fight tonight, get his head back in the game. After the fight, you can decide what you want to do with Grayson. All I’m asking for is tonight.” West holds out his hands, palms up as if to demonstrate how little he wants.
“Grayson told me you
West shakes his head, a little sheepishly now. “No, Adriana, I’m here to see you. It’s about Grayson.”
The seriousness in his voice makes her heart skip a beat. “Is he alright?” She hates herself a little for caring, but she really does, she couldn’t hope to pretend otherwise.
“He’s healthy and strong as an ox if that’s what you mean,” West reassures her.
“Good, well nice to see you West, but I’ve got to get to work; I’m already running late.” She shrugs apologetically at him and starts walking towards the stairs.
“He misses you.” West’s voice stops her in her tracks.
Adriana takes a deep breath, not wanting to dump all of her shit on West, but his words have severed the very thin rein she had on her temper. She wheels around, advancing on a man big enough to lift her with his pinky finger menacingly enough to make him take a step back.
“He misses me? Are you fucking kidding me, West? The guy that broke my heart ten years ago, only to waltz back into my life and do exactly the same thing again, misses me? Well, unless we have two very different definitions of the phrase, I think you must be mistaken. And now, I really do have to go.” She tries to take in some deep breaths to regain control of her breathing. “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I think a third time would officially make me a head case.” She turns on her heels again, wanting to get away from this confusing conversation as fast as her legs can carry her.
“He needs you, Adriana. He won’t say it, but I know he does. That boy is like a son to me, and it tears me up to see him like this. I don’t know what’s got into his thick head this time, but I do know that whatever reason he’s pushing you away, he thinks it’s for the best.” West puts a fatherly hand on her shoulder. “I’ve never seen him as happy as when he was with you that morning. It was like that damn cloud that he carries around with him had lifted. Now, it’s back. He’s not sleeping, he’s distracted and unfocused. That’s not good for him, and it’s not good for the fight tonight.”
Adriana’s eyes widen at West’s words. “So, that’s what this is about. You need me to turn up because you think that I’m his goddam lucky charm?” Adriana shakes her head in disbelief. “I like to think I’m a pretty good judge of character West, but I didn’t have you pegged as someone who uses other people.”
“This fight, it isn’t just about the title for him; it’s bigger than that, more important. His future is hanging in the balance, and I’m scared he’s going to throw it all away because he’s so busy beating himself up about leaving you that he doesn’t have the energy to beat on the other guy in the ring!” West rubs a hand over his ball head that’s already starting to sweat in the morning humidity. “Grayson’s past is…complicated. He carries a lot of baggage around with him, things that no one should have to live with. He needs someone to help him make sense of it all; he needs someone like you to help him.”
Adriana bites her lip, not wanting to feel anything at West’s words, but she can’t help it; she feels everything. The thought of Grayson going through pain, of him hurting and carrying the burden alone, trying to be brave, trying to do the right thing, it makes her heart ache.
“What are you asking me to do, West?” Her voice falters around the knot in her throat.
“I’m asking you to come to the fight tonight, get his head back in the game. After the fight, you can decide what you want to do with Grayson. All I’m asking for is tonight.” West holds out his hands, palms up as if to demonstrate how little he wants.
“Grayson told me you
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