“I’m afraid.” The words tore out of me without permission. I winced, humiliated at the truth.

“Afraid of what?” she asked softly.

My mouth just kept spewing. “Afraid of getting hit like Jake, leaving Dean behind, and now Parker …” I bit my lip to shut myself up and turned my head away from Marcy’s knowing gaze. Boxers weren’t supposed to fear. It was an anathema to the sport.

“So,” she said thoughtfully, “you came here tonight to see how Rose and I were getting on without Jake, didn’t you? To see if we were suffering as much as you feared.”

Blood rushed in my ears as I nodded, still unable to face her.

“We’re okay, Rhys. Yes, we miss Jake. But death is a part of life.” Her fingers found my chin and gently guided my face back. Her blue eyes were glassy as she peered up at me. “It happens to all of us at some point. But if you don’t let anyone in, you’re never going to fully enjoy living.”

I exhaled, battered inside, but couldn’t speak.

“What do you want out of life, Rhys?”

“What Jake had. A family. A home.”

I wanted to tend to my gym, teach kids the art of boxing, then come home and make dinner for the brilliant girl with the biggest, prettiest brown eyes I’d ever seen.

The realization stuck in my throat and pushed at my chest until I made a sound of distress. Marcy gave me a sympathetic squeeze. “Then go get it, Morgan.”

By the time I left Marcy’s house, I felt pulled thin as rice paper. One wrong move and I’d tear. Ordinarily, when I got like this, I ran, no matter the time or the weather. I’d run through my problems, push my body to the limits of exhaustion, and then fall into a deep sleep, dead to the world.

But I didn’t want that now. I wanted to see Parker.

Problem was, she wasn’t answering her phone. Or texts.

Doubt began to niggle at the pit of my aching stomach. She always answered. Always. My doubt turned to fear when I thought of who I’d been antagonizing lately. Would that fuck Fairchild actually harm her? Ice coated my gut as I hopped on my bike and drove to Parker’s condo.

It was pouring rain, and I was thoroughly soaked by the time I got there. I rubbed the rain out of my eyes to clear my vision and headed for the stairs, forgoing the elevator, needing to run, needing to get to her as fast as I could. No one answered when I banged on the door. My fear turned to dread.

“Parker!” I shouted. “Are you there? Open up!” My shouts rang through the hallway, sounding more than a little desperate. “Parker! Don’t scare me like this. I need to know you’re okay.”

Movement sounded on the other side of the door, and finally—finally—she opened the door. My body sagged in relief, and I stormed in, hauling her close and hugging her tight.

“Jesus, Tink,” I rasped. “You scared the hell out of me. Why didn’t you answer your phone? Or the door?” She felt stiff in my arms, and I realized I was probably freezing her. I stepped back but kept a hold of her upper arms. “Were you sleeping?”

Her eyes were puffy and her face blotched. But she shook her head and stood like a plank of wood staring at me as though she’d never seen me before. “I was … distracted,” she finally said.

Distracted? The uncomfortable pinch of doubt returned to my gut.

“I’m getting your floor all wet,” I said.

Water dripped from the ends of my hair and ran over my face. But I didn’t let go of Parker. I feared if I did, she’d somehow be lost to me. A ridiculous idea, but I couldn’t shake it. Not with the cold and withdrawn way she stared back at me.

“Why are you here, Rhys?” Her voice was thick and stilted.

“What do you mean, why? You’re my girl.” My throat felt constricted. This whole night was off, filled with too much emotion that I didn’t want to face. “I needed to see you.”

When she pulled away, I let her go, never wanting to use my strength against her. But my hands flexed with the need to hold her again.

“It’s a bad night,” she said dully.

As if to punctuate her point, lightning flashed and thunder boomed.

I rubbed the water from my face. “I know. But today was … hard.” I didn’t want to admit the weakness in me. I didn’t. But I couldn’t stop myself from exposing it. “I need you, Parker.”

That was apparently the wrong thing to say. Parker sucked in a sharp breath, and her listless expression snapped into focus. “For sex? Is that what you need?”

I didn’t know what to make of her response. Nothing about this night felt normal. “Yes. No,” I amended when her eyes narrowed. “Jesus, Tink. I’m not good at this.”

“This?”

“Communicating,” I said.

One delicate brow lifted. “Oh, I think you do fairly well communicating what you need.”

Her disdain hit me like a lash. “Not if this is your reaction, sweetheart. I had a rough night, Parker. And all I wanted to do is to get to you, to be with you. It isn’t just sex.”

She stood unmovable, but her lower lip trembled once before she bit it hard. “You’re right. You could get sex anywhere. A relationship has to be about more than sex, doesn’t it?”

I stepped forward, balling my hands to keep from reaching for her. “What the hell is going on, Tink? You’re obviously pissed but I’m stumped as to why.”

Her expression suddenly turned cold and remote again. I fought off a shiver. “Our time together was … enjoyable. But I think we want different things.”

Shock prickled my skin as I gaped at her. I’d been sucker punched in the ring and it hurt less. Was she breaking up with me? “Enjoyable? Different things?”

“Would you please stop repeating everything I say.”

“I have to.” I bit back a shout. “Because everything you’re saying makes no fucking sense.”

When her eyes narrowed in warning, I took a deep breath. “You want to explain why yesterday we were good and now you’re looking at me like I’m a stranger? Because I don’t get it.” I stretched my arms wide, imploring. “Talk to me, honey. I’m right here.”

Parker exhaled, squaring her shoulders, but a shimmer of tears in her eyes betrayed her. “I want something more, okay?”

Flinching, I stepped back, rubbed my face with a shaking hand. It suddenly hit me what this was about. While I’d been sorting my head out, Parker had been spending too much time in hers. I felt dizzy, the floor beneath me tilting. “Yeah, I fucking get it. I’m not him. Never will be.”

“You think this is about Theo?”

I didn’t want to hate the sound of his name on her lips. But I did. God help me, I did. “You’re in love with a ghost. I can’t compete with that.”

Her laugh was thin, and she closed her eyes as if reaching for patience. Well, join the fucking club, honey.

When she opened her eyes, they were shining with irritation. “This isn’t about Theo. Yes, I loved him. But he’s gone. I’m not pining for him.”

I wanted to feel relief. But I didn’t. Something was standing between us, but I was damned if I knew what. “Then what the hell? You give me this bullshit line about us wanting different things, that it’s over, then you should have the guts to tell me why.”