When I close my eyes, all I can see is the image of Carter's fist flying towards my face continuously. I can feel the pain of my bones breaking and I can feel the blood wetting my skin. The last thing I remember hearing clearly was her voice, yelling for him to stop.
Everything else was a blur after that. If I could turn back time, I would've been smarter. I wouldn't have let my ego or my yearn for revenge cloud my judgment. Even if Carter James didn't win, he did. He's goal was to knock me down and make me feel like I had to try harder than I should've and he succeeded in that. I helped him.
"Are you okay?"
My eyes remove themselves from my fists, looking up at Faye who sits beside me in the hospital chair. I hate being here, I just want to go home.
"I'm okay." I force a smile, hers not reaching her eyes. I know she's still shaken up and I don't blame her. I wish she didn't have to see any of it.
"The doctor says you can go home tomorrow." She sighs, picking at her lunch. The poor sandwich has only had one bite taken out of it; a small one at that. Her frown deepens and I can tell she's thinking about something hard.
"What is it?" I ask. She looks to me, her frown softening. "I can tell something's on your mind."
She shakes her head, looking back to her sandwich as she sweeps her hair over one shoulder. "I'm just thinking about what happens after this." She speaks quietly. "After you've healed..."
I hadn't thought about that. After I found out there was no winner announced, the first thing that came to mind was that I'll fight him in the next championship. The short term goals have yet to appear and I find myself shrugging.
"What do you want to do?" She asks, her eyes on me now.
"Maybe..." I breathe, not really feeling the urge to think about it. My mind and body remain restless from all of the strain I've put on it. "Maybe I'll take a break for awhile." I nod and she raises her brows in surprise at my response. "God knows I need to get away for a little."
"Like travel?" She asks and I find myself smiling at her.
"Would you come with me?" I ask softly. She breathes a short laugh, pursing her pink lips before she pushes herself out of the uncomfortable chair to join me on the bed. Her scent alone can send a million butterflies erupting in my stomach. She kisses me softly, her hands on my face.
"I would go anywhere with you." She says.
"What about Henderson's?" I ask, my hands pull her t-shirt to close the space between us.
"I still have paperwork to fill out so it'll take about a couple weeks before I start officially." She says.
The idea of getting away, just her and I, sounds extremely exciting. "Where would you want to go?" I ask and her smile brightens.
~••~
The sun beats down on us, the boat floating along on the open North Pacific Ocean. The island of Honolulu a few miles away behind us. The waves quietly hit the sides of the sailboat, rocking us gently.
"Can we stay here forever?" Faye hums, leaning back on a chair. Her eyes shut as she soaks up the sun. The striped bikini she wears has been tempting my eyes to wander her body every chance I get.
It's been a few days here in paradise. The outside world and what's happened last week has almost disappeared from thought. Rick was all for the trip and Mum was worried as usual but Faye assured her the way she always has.
"We should go dancing tonight." Faye says. "There's a special event for the hotel guests on the beach."
"Dancing?" I ask and she giggles.
"Yes." She looks to me. "Come on, it'll be fun."
I smirk at her, my eyes dancing over her curves as I approach her from the railing of the boat. I block the sun from her vision as she looks up at me, a playful smirk on her lips. Leaning forward, I rest my hands on either side of the chair. She inhales quickly, gulping.
Both of us have felt that tension as soon as we stepped foot in that hotel room. There were Hawaiian flowers set along the tables of the room romantically. I could see the rosy red of her cheeks across from the room as she looked around.
I lean a few centimeters closer before her lips touch mine. She smiles against my mouth, humming before pulling back.
"Dancing it is." She comments, pulling her shades back on.
~••~
The nighttime is much cooler on the beach than during the day and I prefer it way more. The sky is full of stars tonight and the crescent moon reflects on the gentle water.
Faye's head is on my chest, her arms wrapped around my back as we sway slowly to the small Hawaiian band that play on a wooden stage on the beach. The guests seem happy, a few chatter as they dance while others just sway. It's a very romantic setting.
"Never, in a million years, did I see myself dancing on a beach." I tell her and she chuckles lightly, pulling her head back to look up at me. Her smile is bright and she looks so happy. I smirk down at her, kissing her forehead.
"I'm glad we came here." She speaks softly, looking around at everyone else. "It's so peaceful, it almost feels like we don't belong here after everything that's happened."
"Because of everything that's happened, we deserve to be here." I say and she looks to me again. Her eyes seem to twinkle like the stars in the sky.
"Promise me that whatever happens after this, we'll be okay." She says, a worried frown settling on her sun kissed features. My hand gently finds her face, my thumb erasing the frown from her forehead.
"I love you." I say softly. "Everything is going to be okay."
She smiles softly at me, stepping onto her toes to press her lips to mine. I pull her close, my arms wrapping around her waist as I hold her. "Can we go back to our room now?" I ask breathily and she smiles against my mouth, nodding before we separate. She pulls me along the beach and towards the hotel.
The elevator is empty of any bodies and as soon as the door shut, I pull her towards me again. She giggles loudly, wrapping her arms around my neck as I kiss her hard. She moans as I press her back against the wall of the elevator. Moments later, the doors open with a ding and we exit onto our floor.
I shut the room's door as Faye walks into the room, towards the balcony. The wind whips at her hair once again as she slides the doors open, letting the cool night air in. I watch her, the smile on my face permanent. The room is dimly lit, the lamps on the bedside tables and the moon the only lighting. I continue to watch as she turns around, her eyes on mine.
The mood has changed into something I couldn't have expected from her. Her hands reach behind her neck to untie the string that holds the red dress to her body. I gulp as she lets it slowly fall to the floor before making her ways towards me.
"You're so beautiful." I whisper, my hand on her face as she looks up at me. Her fingers begin to work at the buttons on the shirt I wear, the fabric sliding down my arms.
She takes my hands once again and leads me to the bed, stopping at the end before kissing me. My hands feel hot against her cool, soft skin as I lay her down. Hovering over her, I feel complete.
"I love you." She whispers, her fingers in my hair.
"I love you." I whisper back before she pulls me back down to her, wrapping her arms and legs around me.
~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~
