“Right,” he said with an amused grin. “I feel like I know where this is about to go.”
“I gave her time, but I can’t keep staying away. I can’t sit still without feeling like I’m losing my mind. I need to be working, surfing, running . . . anything so I don’t think about her. And if I sit there for any amount of time, I get up and grab my keys. But I only ever make it to my car before I talk myself out of it, and I don’t want to keep talking myself out of it. I want to be there. I want to show her what we had, and to fight for my chance even though I may not get it again.”
“And that’s me,” he assumed.
“Yeah,” I said on a breath. “That’s you. Looks like I got the best of both of you.”
Dad’s smile changed into something softer, and for a second, his eyes welled up before he was able to blink the tears away. “That has to be the best thing I’ve ever heard come from you, Liam.” Clearing his throat, he took a deep breath and studied me for a second. “I guess that means we’re not sparring tonight?”
“Hell no. I need to go to her.” I heard a voice call my name, but before I turned to look, I grabbed my dad in a quick hug. “Thanks for everything, old man.”
Dad pushed me back and took a few steps away. “I don’t think you’re about to get your chance to—”
“Liam!”
I didn’t hear the rest of what my dad was saying as a wall slammed into me from behind and almost knocked me over. I stumbled forward a few steps, and quickly understood why my dad had backed up. A pair of slender, tattooed arms crossed in front of my chest, and long legs wrapped around my waist.
Grabbing on to the arms I knew so well, I helped her slide down, and turned to face my girl standing there with the widest smile and brightest eyes.
“Kennedy—”
“I’m in love with you!” she blurted out, and her smile seemed to widen.
I shook my head and leaned closer. “What?” I asked, knowing I hadn’t heard her correctly.
“I love you!” Her chest fell and rose with her heavy breaths, and she seemed to bounce even though her feet were firmly on the ground. “I love you, and I’m sorry I never told you that before. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it, and I’m so damn sorry I didn’t tell you about—”
I cut her off by crushing my mouth to hers and pulling her into my arms. “Fucking hell, Kennedy, tell me I didn’t just dream this,” I begged against her lips before kissing her again.
She laughed and pressed her hands against my chest so she could lean back. “Not a dream. I love you, Liam Taylor.”
“Thank God,” I growled as I captured her mouth. “Rhys?”
“I still need to talk to him. I’ve known what my decision would be for a couple weeks now—well, I’ve known since you walked out of my condo that last time—but I just started trying to get to know Rhys again so I could give him a chance in the last couple weeks. I was so worried that I would do something wrong that I hadn’t been able to voice my choice, but now I know who I want and what is right for me.”
My lips curved up in a slow smile, and I shook my head in amazement. “I told you, Moon. One day you would claim me as yours.”
Her eyes narrowed playfully. “I still haven’t done that.”
“You’re about to,” I assured her, and faintly brushed my lips over hers. “You are mine, Kennedy Ryan.”
“And you are mine,” she responded as her arms wrapped around my neck to pull me closer.
“As much as I’m happy that you two finally figured your stuff out, I’m pretty sure you’re either grossing out the members of my gym, or making them wish they were in Liam’s place.”
I turned to glare at my dad before glancing around at the handful of guys staring at us.
“Take it outside so you don’t have this audience. And Kennedy,” he called out just as we began walking toward the doors and waited until we were facing him. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“For choosing correctly.”
Kennedy’s bright smile crossed her face again, and she buried herself in my side. “It was my pleasure, Brandon. Really.”
I pulled Kennedy out of the building and, as soon as we were outside, grabbed her up in my arms and kissed her enough to make up for every kiss I’d missed in the last month. We were both breathless when I set her back on her feet, and she swayed back toward me a bit.
“How did you even know I was here?”
She laughed and her eyes widened for a split second. “I was with Brian, he told me you’d be here sparring with your dad.”
“Fucking Brian,” I mumbled, but couldn’t stop smiling with the way she was smiling at me. I’d never seen her this happy before, and it was contagious. “Didn’t end up sparring. I came in to tell my dad that I was going to go to you because I was done waiting for you to make up your mind.”
Her dark eyebrows rose high. “Were you?”
“I needed to remind you of what you were missing.”
Her features softened, and she tightened her arms around me. “Trust me, Liam. I knew exactly what I’d been missing. It just took me a little bit to stop wasting time.”
“That’s an understatement.”
Kennedy punched my stomach teasingly.
“I’m kidding, Moon. As long as I was the one you chose in the end, you could’ve taken years.”
“Years,” she stated skeptically.
“I never said I’d fight fair during that time.” I shrugged unapologetically.
“Well, a month was long enough for me.” She took a deep breath in and released it slowly. “There’s a lot I need to tell you, but nothing that I want to tell you outside of your dad’s gym. And I still need to tell Rhys what I’ve decided . . . alone.”
“You’re sure you don’t want me there with you?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I need to do it alone. After the conversation I had with him last night, I have a feeling he’s going to understand. Besides, if my decision had been different, would you want me showing up with him to tell you?”
“Fuck.” I rubbed my forehead, but conceded, knowing that this was something I had to let her do. “No, I wouldn’t want that. If you need to talk to him alone, you should.”
“So I think maybe you should go fight with your dad, then go take Brian his second greasy meal of the day, and maybe if you’re up for it, I’ll come over after. I think Brian would be mad at me if I made you miss your Saturday night with him.”
“Miss my Saturday with him? I see Brian whenever, it’s not always on Saturdays.”
Kennedy’s face fell. “That greedy bastard,” she muttered, and sighed. “Whatever, I’m sure he’s expecting you after this. Just don’t take burgers to him, he already had some.”
“Okay, no burgers, and I’ll go work out with Dad as long as you can tell me you’ll come back to me tonight.”
“I said if you—”
“I’ll be up for it, Moon. I’m going to need you tonight—especially if I know you’re about to go talk to your ex about all of this.”