The Mute Fighter | 3

035

035 - I made it

Three years had gone by, it seemed like a lifetime, yet it had gone by so fast. I moved to New York and worked for a big lawyer company. It was a really successful business, I made tons of money.

I worked my ass off and visited my mom often. I had bought an apartment in a fancy building, I invested my money in it and I was thriving.

I was 21. Young, somewhat successful and thriving.

"Mom, get your butt in here" I shouted as I poured us another glass of red wine. Erin laughed and came back in with her hand full of mail.

"Oh wow- I need to get better at checking my mailbox" I said in surprise as she sat down and handed me the letters.

Most were bills and work related letters, but there was one that stood out. It was a light pink envelope 'Miss Nicolina Martell' was on the front.

I raised an eyebrow as I looked at the stamp, it was from Statesville. I shrugged and opened it and my mom watched curiously.

"Oh my god- yes, they're finally getting married!" I cheered as I saw the wedding invitation from Alex Lowell and Marcus Torres.

"Who is it from?" Erin asked and took a look. She didn't know them so I didn't question her confused look.

"They're my friends. I was waiting for this invitation, Marcus proposed like a year ago, I knew he would get off his ass and let her finally plan the wedding" I retorted with a cackle.

"Aw, it's gonna be amazing. I can't wait to see them" I said as I looked up the date on my phone, making sure I had no plans. "Oh, wow-I actually had planned two weeks of vacation. Huh, what a coincidence" I said and chuckled.

"I love weddings, it's inspiring to see people unite in love like that" My mom said as she took her fourth glass of red. I narrowed my eyes as I watched her drink.

Once she had swallowed and put her glass down both of us began laughing. "That was a good one, mom," I retorted.

"I mean it, I may not have had any luck-but you're still young, you have plenty of life ahead of you" She said and I smacked my tongue against my teeth and rolled my eyes a little.

"Save your speech for Ward and Amanda. I don't need to hear it, I'm fine the way I am" I retorted and she gasped in offense.

"You-young lady, are not fine. You deserve a man, the best man in the world. You're working hard, you always have. You deserve a rest, and I hope that someday you will let someone in, to help you rest" My mom said sternly.

"Preach, ma. I hear you" I said and clinked my glass against hers and took a large gulp of the wine. "I'm happy for you, Lina-but I can't help but worry about you. You never let anyone in, except for back in Jacksonville" She said and sighed, she leaned over to brush my long strands of hair out of my face.

My smile fell at the reminder and I looked down at my glass. Guilt consumed me.

I hadn't spoken to my friends in Jacksonville in almost two years. After I took the bar, things escalated. Fran had come to New York, but as she had expressed her worry about my well being, to everyone-something snapped.

I don't know what. But something snapped and I lost them. Fran was the only one who once in a while called me, and I called her.

I don't know what happened to the twins, or Oliver. Even Celina. I didn't know.

But from what Francesca told me, they had cut both me and Mitch off. As hard as it was to do, Oliver kept contact because, well- they are still related.

It was all a mess, it was gone. What we had was gone. All of us.

"I'm fine, ma" I assured her and shot her a stern look for bringing them up. She knew it hurt everytime she did it, but she couldn't help herself.

Ward walked in through the door with three boxes of pizza in his hand and I groaned in relief. "Oh, yes. I'm starving!" I said and got up and greeted my brother.

"Tell me about it, you're skinny as hell. No muscles-are you even working out anymore?" Ward asked with a slight tease, but I knew there was genuine worry hidden in them.

"Shut up, I'm fine. I do yoga" I retorted and rolled my eyes. Okay, so-I had basically taken a step back from everything I used to do. Martial arts were replaced with fucking yoga, I didn't go to fights anymore.

I changed everything.

"Fuck yoga, you need muscles. What are you gonna do if someone jumps you? Stretch at them and meditate? I'm sure that'll scare them away" Ward scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Fuck off" I retorted making our mom gasp. "You two! Behave, the pizzas are getting cold" She scolded, making us both laugh. Ward nudged my shoulder and I smacked the back of his head.

"Who's getting married?" Ward asks with a mouthful of pizza as he sees the invitation on the glass table. "Alexandra Lowell and Marcus Torres, I think you met them once" I said and I watched Ward's eyes widen in realization.

"He finally locked her down? Good for him, Alex could do better though" He retorted with a laugh. "Be nice" Our mom scolded and smacked his hand.

"By the way, guess who I ran into last week?" Ward said and I sighed knowing he saw everyone all the time. "I don't know, Chase?" I suggested.

"No, Warner" Ward said and leaned back into my couch with a satisfied look on his face. I froze and looked up at him, confused as to why he would tell me and why he looked so happy with my uncomfortable expression.

"Okay?" I said and shrugged, pretending to be careless, like his name didn't send a flash of memories through my brain and another tug at my taped together heart.

"How is he doing? I saw him on tv last night-""--Okay, what's going on? Why are you doing this?" I ask them both and stand up.

I felt cornered, they knew how I felt about him, they knew I didn't want to hear about him. I didn't want to know anything, I didn't want to see him fight or know how he was doing.

"Calm down, honey. I was just asking" Erin said with a frown on her face. "You can do that when I'm not in the room, I don't need to hear it, okay? I don't want to know-I don't-it's-just stop" I rambled to the two.

Ward looked at me intensely, as if reading me. "Stop, whatever you're thinking. Stop" I warned him. "Okay, you get it as you want, Lina" Ward retorted, but something wasn't right, the look in his eyes, he wanted to say more, he looked...angry? Frustrated?

But why? He hadn't been that close to Mitch. He didn't care enough about our breakup to be affected by it. He moved on like everyone else, like me. So, why was he acting this way now? It was years ago.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I scoffed and crossed my arms, Ward shook his head slightly before standing up.

"Nothing, but if you have it in you to care about his well being-" Ward retorted, his words hitting home. He saw the way my eyes teared up, the weak look of defeat on my face.

"He's not doing well, he's barely talking. He isn't talking to anyone anymore, he's turning mute, Lina. Because of you" Ward finished. His words tugged at my heart and broke it again.