Page 127 of The Obvious Check
Just in case something happens to him in the fight he’s not going to be in.
I don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to imagine him walking into that ring at all, let alone not walking back out of it.
My stomach churns, bile rising in my throat, knowing the truth about Luke’s fights. I’ve seen the aftermath. The ones where the loser never gets back up. The ones where someone just disappears, and no one asks questions. What if that happens to Cade?
“What if this white hat guy doesn't work out?” I say, my voice barely above a whisper.
Cade shrugs, his expression relaxed in a way that makes my anxiety spike.
“Then I'll figure something out.”
“And what if you can’t?” My voice cracks.
“If I can't, then I'll step in the ring.” He says it so casually, like he's not talking about gambling his life away for me.
“You're not making me feel better.”
A confident smile tugs at his lips. “I've won in Luke’s ring before. Granted, that was when I was a freshman and didn’t give a fuck, but I'm willing to bet I can still take on any guy he has planned.”
My heart pounds against my ribs. “How can you be so sure?”
His green eyes lock onto mine. “Because there's so much more I have to live for. I'm not just fighting for fun anymore. I'm fighting for you.”
The certainty in his voice should comfort me, but it doesn't. It terrifies me. He's so confident, so sure of himself, like he can't even fathom the possibility of losing. But I've seen what Luke's fights do to people. I've seen the ones who were just as confident as Cade right up until they weren't breathing anymore.
“Come Sunday, you'll never have to think about that bastard again,” he continues, his thumb brushing across my knuckles.
My stomach twists like I’m free-falling. “He’s set a date?”
“Yeah.” His eyes darken. “Saturday night.”
The reality slams into me, knocking the air from my lungs. “ThisSaturday? Already?”
“Yeah.” His voice is tight, like he doesn’t want to say it out loud. “Better to get it over with and move on. Then we can start our real life and plan the real wedding you deserve.”
I can’t breathe. It’s happening too fast. The fight. The wedding. The risk he refuses to acknowledge.
Cade must see the panic in my face because he squeezes my hands, pulling me closer, his forehead resting against mine. “Sav, don’t.” His voice is low. “This is supposed to be a good day. We’re getting married.”
How the hell can this be a good day? He’s talking about this fight like it’s some event we’ll move past, like it’s not life or death.
I can’t fight him on this, so instead of pushing him away, I let him pull me into his arms and hold me like he’s trying to keep the world from crashing down around us.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
I listen to the steady beat of his heart, counting as I try to memorize the sound.
Cade presses his lips to the top of my head, lingering there for a moment. “I love you, Pretty Girl,” he says. “More than anything.”
I breathe in and clutch onto him like he’s the only thing tethering me to the ground. “I love you too, Cade.”
But sometimesI love youdoesn’t feel like enough. Not when he’s willing to risk everything for me. Not when he’s planning a future we might not even get if things go wrong.
“Then trust me,” he says, his forehead resting against mine. “We’re gonna get through this. Together.”
I nod against him, even though the weight in my chest doesn’t fully let up. Even though fear still gnaws at the edges of my mind.
He pulls back, his green eyes searching mine. “I know it’s not a fancy event, but I’d love to take you dress and ring shopping this morning before I meet with this hacker. We’d have to miss class, but I think it’s worth it. Will you let me?”
