Fighting for Her

Riley had gotten home that night with puffy eyes from crying. She told Anna everything. The ice bath, Miguel, the bar and then dinner. She couldn't help but cry again as she told her the story of Tommy's teenage life.

"So he was naked in front of you?" Anna asked on the edge of her seat, eyes as big as saucers.

"Is that really all you got out of that?" Riley scoffed and shook her head.

"No, no. I'm only joking." She got up and sat next to Riley, laying her arm on her shoulders. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to talk to him tomorrow." Riley said matter-of-factly.

"Well look at you, making grown-up decisions!" Anna got up and poured some tequila into two glasses. She walked over and passed one to her best friend.

"What's this for?" Riley swirled the clear liquid around.

"I don't know about you, but I need a drink after hearing that story." Anna swigged the drink back, twisting her face up after swallowing.

Riley laughed and took the shot. She stuck her tongue out at the burn.

"Plus," Anna poured a little more, "Its almost a certain girlies birthday! So we can celebrate early!" They clinked their glasses as a toast and took the second round of shots.

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Riley felt like a vampire as the sun shined through her windshield. She fumbled for her sunglasses and sighed happily when she placed them over her face.

"Ahhh, much better." She regretted taking all those shots with Anna the night before as soon as she woke up, feeling like the got hit by a train. She felt drained, but the first thing on her agenda was going to see Tommy.

Her All-Star high tops dragged through the front doors of Colts. Fenroy raised his eyebrows at her and stretched his arm to the side, ushering her to the gym. She nodded her head at him as a thanks and walked past the black fencing. She immediately saw Tommy in the corner, beating the crap out of a bag.

He froze as soon as he heard her dragging feet behind him. He let his breath catch up with him before he turned to face her. She stood silent, arms crossed over her leather jacket. Tommy finally turned and saw that she was wearing sunglasses indoors. He furrowed his brows together and smiled a bit.

Immediately she shook her head. "Oh no. Don't you smile at me Tommy." He dropped his head and looked up at her.

"Ri. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean any of that shit I said." His face was serious and sincere. His eyes searched through the dark shades for her own. "I know my dad told you everything."

"He did." She hadn't moved. Her arms still crossed. He pulled his gloves off and stood in front of her. He put his hands on her cheeks and brought his face closer to hers. Her chest rose, her breathing got heavy.

"The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you Riley." He kissed her forehead and took her in his arms.

She hugged him back and fought the tears that wanted to roll out of her eyes. He let go and stared at her for a moment.

"You're like my best friend, you know. Just don't tell Anna." It hurt him a little to say friend but he knew that's what she wanted to hear. She laughed at the Anna joke and finally smiled.

"So what's with the sunglasses? You know you're inside right?" He started to strap his gloves back on.

"Ah. Speaking of Anna. She thought it would be a good idea to take tequila shots until one a.m. last night." She peeled the glasses off her face but decided it was still too bright so she immediately put them right back on again. "I'm just going to sit here. Resume what you were doing, please."

He laughed as she slowly lowered herself to the ground and lifted her head back, leaning against the wall. "You want some water or something?"

She shook her head but he reached for his bottle and passed it to her anyway.

"Oh bebê. I see that you are back for more." Miguel stood behind Tommy and stared right at Riley.

Tommy grunted at the Brazilian fighter. He laughed.

"Ready yet Tommy? I bet she would love to see us go."

Riley, feeling extra brave, or just still drunk from the night before, chimed in. "Oh for fuck's sake dude. Nobody wants any of.... that." She wiggled her fingers at him, sunglasses on, still sitting on the floor.

Tommy threw his head back and laughed.

"You little bitch. Don't you -" Tommy's left hand collided with Miguel's chin and sent him stumbling backward. Riley jumped up and cupped her mouth. A couple of guys came running over, circling the two men, leaving Riley against the wall on her tip toes trying to get a better look.

She kept shouting for Tommy to stop but the guys were yelling much louder than her. Finally a shorter man wearing a newsboy cap came down the stairs and shouted, "ENOUGH!"

The crowd parted and she finally got to see what was going on. Miguel was on his knees, palms to the floor, spitting out blood. Tommy stood in front of him with raging eyes.

"If you guys want to fight, take it to the ring!" He grabbed Tommy's shoulder and was immediately shrugged off. He looked at Miguel who was struggling to get up. He looked at another guy who was bald, covered completely in tattoos. "Get him out of here," pointing at Miguel.

Tommy turned around and walked over to Riley, everyone was staring. He pulled his gloves off and threw them in his bag. "Let's go." She nodded quickly, thankful to be getting out of there.

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Riley studied his face as he drove her truck to the shop. He didn't have a single mark on his face. Miguel hadn't hit him once. After the fight at the gym, they went to the junkyard where she napped in the truck while Tommy slammed tires with a sledge hammer.

She was amazed at first at the sight of it, and he even let her try. She nearly took off her own head after the hammer bounced back and came flying towards her though so he slowly took the hammer away from her, laughing.

She pouted her bottom lip at him and decided she was definitely still drunk from the night before so she laid down in the cab until he woke her up gently when he was done.

Anna had called that she had a new piece for Riley to paint, so they headed over together.

"You know, I am perfectly capable of driving now." She switched the radio stations over and over again until deciding on a CD. Flyleaf filled the truck.

"I'd rather not take any chances. Seeing the way you swung that hammer. I feel bad for whatever piece of furniture you're about to drunk-paint." He laughed, amused at himself.

"Ha. Ha. So funny, Mr. Conlon." She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She remembered seeing his name on a trophy in a photo at his father's house the night before.

He smiled. "So what's yours?"

"My what?" She spoke with her head still leaning back.

"Your last name. You know mine. So what's yours?" He kept his eyes on the road, nodding his head to the music.

"Brighton."

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Anna raised her eyebrow at the sight of Riley jumping out of the passenger side of her truck. Tommy followed smiling a friendly hello at Anna.

"My, my. What a hot mess we have here." She took Riley's appearance to account. Her unlaced shoes, sunglasses still on, messy bun.

"She's ah, a little under the weather still I think." He laughed, watching Riley slightly stumble through the shop.

"She's a baby. She can't hold her liquor for anything. It's actually pretty hilarious." She stopped Tommy before he went any further.

He looked at her with wrinkled brows.

Whispering, she stood closer to him. "I'm throwing her a surprise birthday party tomorrow night. Do you think you could help me out?"

He nodded, listening intently. He had no idea it was her birthday. Then again, he just learned her last name so at least he was making some kind of progress.

"Good. I need her to be, occupied, for a while tomorrow. Then I need her back home at eight on the dot. Can you handle that?" She spoke with a silky tone, trying to sound like a secret agent at a rendezvous.

"Why aren't you asking Ryan to do this?"

"Ugh," she grimaced. "Ryan's an ass. He's not even going to be in town for her birthday. So that leaves you, her other boyfriend. Just do this, please. It'll mean a lot to her." She set her hands together, as if she were praying, or begging.

He sighed at her use of 'other boyfriend'. Looking at Riley in the distance, he shook his head.

"Alright, I'll do it."