TRY HARD

Chapter 34

I shake my head and hope Luke hasn't been on his phone yet this morning. I went out to get a few groceries while he watched Shay and I come home to find he's being painted as an abuser.
"Have you been on your phone yet today?"
"No why?" He asks walking around, bending over so Shay could hold onto his fingers to walk with him.
"Ok don't be mad or upset." I say sternly.
He picks up Shay and spins her around but still looking at me, furrowing his brows.
"Luke....people have seen the bruises and they are questioning you" he stops spinning and just stares at me.
"Don't. Luke." He puts her down and sits on the couch.
"Luke..."  he sighs and puts his head in his hands.
"I have videos of me getting hit at the gym, I'm gonna post it and say my daily life. They'll figure out that's it's not you it's fighting." He nods.
"I would never ever do that..."
"I know Luke, I know" I hit post and read the comments rolling in.
"The bruises!"
"Told you it's not Luke!"
"Hahaha y'all thought it was Luke"
"Lukes an angel" I smile and show him.
"I need my baby" he picks up Shay.
"I have so many regrets when it comes to her" he says bouncing her on his knee.
"Like what?" I question.
"Not being there. I was so so dumb. I missed everything. Birth. First smile. First word. First steps. First meal. First bath. First tooth. First drive in a car. First sleep. Everything." He picks up Shay closer to him.
"I love you baby" he says.
"You know, I can't recreate those but I can show you what videos I have."
"Please" I bring up the video and show him.
"Cmon Shay Cmon." She takes a few steps over towards the voice. Luke has tears in his eyes.
"Good job Shay!" I hear Ashton say.
"Ashton was there?" He asks. I nod.
"They came to visit a lot because they knew. And I told them they'd never be allowed near us if they told you."
"I'm somewhat glad they didn't. I'm glad it happened the way it did" he says.
"Me too, I think it works."
"Time to get to the gym?" He asks.
"Ya I gotta change first" I head up to our room and put other clothes on. I grab my gym bag and my phone rings. It's Calum.
"Sup" I answer walking down the stairs.
"Can I work out with you today?" He asks.
"Ya meet at the gym"

"K I'm going to warm up before training" I tell Calum. He goes to lift weights and I go over to a rope hanging from the ceiling. He starts lifting weights as I grab the rope and pull myself up using just my arms, holding my legs out in front of me. I come back down and do it again a few times, never touching the ground, and never using my legs. I finally let my feet hit the ground and turn around to see Calum.
"What?" I ask.
"That was awesome" he says.
"I do it all the time" I say. He shakes his head and goes back to working out. I do a few more things and find Elvis.
"Get to kicking and punching. I'm planning no mercy for you today Delia get ready, just gotta find someone willing to get in the ring with you"
"I scare everyone" I say.
"I know!" He walks away.
"No mercy sparing eh?" I turn to see someone I don't know.
"Ya, I'm training for a fight, you new here? I haven't seen you around?"
"Ya just moved here, the name is Tyler." He says.
"Nice to meet you I'm Delia" I say.
"So let's get to that no mercy spar match" he says.
"You don't know what you're getting yourself into" I say.
"What's the worst that could happen?" He asks.
"HA" I laugh.
"Hey Elvis new guy Tyler wants to fight" I say.
"Uhhhh Tyler. You signed the waiver at the front right?" He nods.
"K new guy let's see what you got" we step into the ring and wrap our hands.
"It's actually happening? Someone else is getting in the ring with Delia." Todd says. Todd fought me once. No one likes to get into the ring with me anymore. Purely because I beat the crap out of them.
"Tyler don't be afraid of her. Don't be afraid to hit her. Don't go easy on her"
"No mercy." I say.
"You're sure about this?" He says to me.
"Oh I'm sure. But are you?" I ask. We have our hands up ready to fight.
"Not to brag but I only moved here to have new competition. I beat everyone back at my gym."
"Oh really?" I ask. He goes to punch me and I duck, I swiftly kick him in the chest.
"Someone told me about this gym. Someone named North fights here and I wanna beat him"
"Oh yes North ya he'll probably be in later." I easily take him down in a few punch's and kicks. He barely has time to figure out what was happening before I had him pinned to the ground, of course he got one good punch in. I have my foot on his face when Elvis calls it. I stand back.
"The name is Delia. Delia North. Don't forget that" I get out of the ring and grab a towel.
"You're North!!" He says.
"What's the matter? Think you were gonna beat me? Newsflash. Everyone in this gym is afraid of me" I sit down on the bench.
"Damn ok" he sits next to me. I see the bruise I left on his cheek.
"My kid is gonna wonder what happened" he laughs.
"You have a kid?" I ask.
"Ya she's almost 2, you?"
"My daughter just turned one"
"You're husband won't be happy about the busted lip"
"Boyfriend actually. And he's used to it now. But your wife won't love the bruise"
"Actually it's just my daughter and I. She passed away shortly after birth" he says.
"Oh I'm sorry"
"It's ok. What's your boyfriends name?" He asks.
"Luke, actually this is him singing right now" I laugh as Youngblood comes on the radio.
"He's in a band damn."
"Ya so what's your daughters name?"
"Shayla" he answers.
"No way"
"Is that your daughters name?"
"Shaylin" I laugh.