Fighting for Her

Riley's body rocked as Tommy's weight lifted off the bed. Her eyes slowly opened and peered at his shirtless body through the white bed sheets. Her eyes drifted to the glowing red digits on the alarm clock sitting on the night stand. 4:06 a.m.

She let out a low grumble and plopped a pillow on top of her head. Muffled under the pillow she could hear him chuckling.

"Tell your dad I hate his rules." She threw the pillow at Tommy who was pulling his sweatshirt on over his head.

"Ow!" He flopped on the bed beside her and leaned down to kiss her head. "I know, but the tournament is only a month away." He brushed her wild hair out of her face and met her tired eyes. Paddy had agreed to let Tommy stay with Riley every so often but he needed to be home by 4:30 so they could start training.

Riley frowned and sat up. He knew she was scared for him but she still came to visit him at the gym whenever she could. However, there was always a glint of uncertainty in her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that." He brushed the side of her cheek with his rough hands. She let out a low sigh and put her arms around his waist. He squeezed her sides and laughed when he heard her giggle. She pushed him down and kissed him.

"You're going to get me in trouble, Ri." He mumbled under her kisses.

"Are you saying that I'm a trouble maker?" She sat up, raising a brow and putting her hands on her hips.

"No. Not at all." His words oozed sarcasm and she smacked him lightly on the shoulder. Lifting her up gently, he gave her one final kiss before getting off the bed.

She sunk back into the fluffy sheets and stared as he sat in a floral print chair, tying his boots on. He looked like a giant in the antique chair.

"So did you think about what I asked you yesterday?" He froze at her question, the exact same way he did when she had asked him yesterday.

"Riley, I don't know." He tensed a bit but knew she was right. He needed to see his brother before the tournament. It was announced that Brendan would be fighting in his teammates stead after the seasoned fighter tore a tendon while running up the side of a steep hiking trail. Paddy was ecstatic to find out that both of his sons would be fighting in the same tournament, and apparently so were all the reporters covering the story. It was something out of a movie and it was happening at Sparta.

Unfortunately in all the hype, Paddy failed to realise that they might actually need to fight each other, leaving one brother the victor, and the other a loser.

"Okay well just think about it some more." She was supportive, but had a hard time imagining never talking to her brother again. Sure they were both busy but they didn't resent each other. Jack was the only other person in the world that was just like her. She wondered if Brendan was anything like Tommy.

He nodded and gave her a small smile before quietly leaving the room.

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"What about this one?" Anna twirled in front of the long mirror in a sparkly white dress. She stopped only to see Riley staring off into the distance.

"Is that a no?" She crossed her arms and said flatly, "Well I like it."

"What?" Riley whipped her head around to see her best friend standing before her in a beautiful wedding dress.

Henry had proposed to Anna just a month ago on New Year's Eve and they had set their date for the end of February.

Of this year.

Which meant Riley was in full blown wedding planning mode, but given the breaking news that was plastered all over Sportscenter the other day, her head had been in a sort of fog.

"I'm sorry, A. I'm being a terrible maid of honor aren't I? You look beautiful." She smiled honestly and stood up to adjust the back of the dress.

"Yes. And don't make me tell my sister, who by the way, is extremely pissed that you got the jump on the MOH gig, instead of her." Anna pursed her lips jokingly.

"How much does she hate me right now?" Riley laughed, knowing that Anna's younger sister probably had a voodoo doll made up in her honor, filled with tiny little pins sticking into each one of its appendages.

"She's being such a brat." Anna rolled her eyes and then gazed back into the mirror. "But really, what do you think of this one?"

"Its tight, sparkly and shows great cleavage. Perfect for you."

Anna bent forward a little, shimmying in the mirror. "I know right."

Riley picked up a veil from the rack next to their fitting room and pinned it into Anna's thick blonde hair.

"Thanks for not judging me with this whole, two month engagement thing." Anna broke the silence with a candid act of sincerity.

Riley wrinkled her forehead and stuck the last pin into the veil.

"Are you trying to have a moment right now?"  She chuckled and glanced over Anna's shoulder into the mirror and saw tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "Are you crying!? Hold on let me take a picture of this."

"You're a creep." Anna brushed tears away with her fingers and laughed. "I'm serious Ri. It means a lot."

Riley smiled. "Oh god, you're not pregnant are you? Because I am so not ready for that."

Anna threw her head back and groaned.

"Ugh! No! Can't people who love each other just get married? I'll freaking marry him tomorrow!" Some other customers were now looking over at Anna who was shouting in the small bridal boutique.

"I mean really. If Tommy were to ask you to marry him right this second, wouldn't you say yes?!" Anna, clearly worked up, flopped into the chair Riley had been sitting in earlier and gasped when she heard the very recognizable sound of fabric ripping.

"Shit." They both said together.

"Shit shit shit." Anna got up and scurried into the fitting room, with a cackling Riley in tow.

"I can't... I just cant..." Riley was holding her side from laughing so much, her face a dark red.

"Would you please! Help!" Anna clawed at her back, trying to undo the laced up corset.

"Look on the bright side A, at least you didn't shit in it in the middle of the street." Riley untied the back of the dress, unable to contain her laughter.

____________________________________

Exhausted after dress shopping, cake tasting and looking at different colored linens, all Riley wanted to do was see Tommy but since he wasn't answering his phone, she settled for movie night with Anna at the apartment.

Anna set three glasses on the coffee table and began filling them with red wine.

"Three?" Riley grabbed a bowl of popcorn and the box of pizza that was just delivered and set it next to the glasses.

"Well, Valerie should be here any minute." Anna smiled and as if on cue, the doorbell rang.

"Valerie? You didn't tell me your little sister who hates me was in town."  Riley rolled her eyes and took a long swig of her wine.

"I didn't? Hmm. So I didn't tell you that she's staying here for the weekend while I stay at Henry's?" She smiled as she spoke and walked to the door as the bell rang again.

"Here? Her and I alone? Lovely." Riley's glass was empty by the time the front door opened.

A heavily made up face with brightly whitened teeth greeted Anna with a full smile.

"Sissy!" Valerie set her matching luggage down and held her french manicure out to give her sister a hug.

"Val! How was the drive?" Anna ushered her into the living room where Riley was sipping on her second glass of wine.

"Oh it was fine. A little long but not too bad." Valerie eyed the apartments decor with smug intrigue. She wiped the cushion of a red velvet parlour chair before sitting down across from the girls.

"Riley." Valerie nodded with a sly smile, her eyes still wandering about.

"Valerie." Riley poured another glassful of wine.

"What interesting decor you have. So... old." Valerie picked at a brass stud on the arm of the chair.

"Antique." Riley grabbed a slice of pizza and took a big bite, silencing herself from saying something rude.

"Oh Anna, I hope you aren't eating pizza too. You have a dress to fit into." Valerie sipped her wine and glared at Riley.

The doorbell rang giving Riley an excuse to get up and away from Valerie. She opened the door and let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank god." She grabbed Tommy by the shirt and pulled him into the apartment.

"Umm..." Tommy looked at her puzzled, "everything okay?"

"No! Anna's sister has been here for a whopping ten minutes and I already want to punch her in the face." She tilted her head back, finishing her third glass of wine.

"Okay tiger, let's leave the fighting up to me." He took the wine glass out of her hand and added, "and I'll hang on to that too I think." He laughed when she pouted.

"Party pooper." She slumped her shoulders and walked into the living room.

"Hey Anna." Tommy placed the empty wine glass onto the coffee table and stared at Riley, who was staring at Valerie, who was staring at Tommy.

Riley furrowed her brows and grabbed Tommy's hand, dragging him to her bedroom. She stopped and went back into the living room to grab the bottle of wine.

With a cheeky smiled aimed at Valerie, she said goodnight.