Chapter 74

Liam’s POV

It had been a good long while since I stepped into a boxing ring. Even longer since I’d actually wanted to throw a punch this badly.

As Logan and I circled each other in the ring, our boxing gloves on and mouth guards in, all I heard in my head again and again were Aria’s words.

When I needed him most, he stepped up to be Joe’s father…

Where was I then? Drowning in a bottle, trying to bury my own hurt feelings without having realized all the hurt I’d caused in return?

Meanwhile, Aria had needed me. Joe had, too. Since I wasn’t around, Logan had stepped in, and now he was impossible to get rid of.

Maybe Logan was right. It was very possible the person I was most angry with was myself.

But I couldn’t throw punches at myself. And Logan’s smug smirk really needed a good hit.

We continued to circle, each bouncing from one foot to the next.

I take the first chance, jabbing. Logan easily blocked, but now I could see how he carried himself, and how he turned when he blocked, leaving his one side open.

My next attack was more forceful. A one-two punch, I jabbed for him to block. When he did, leaving that side open, I hooked around and punched at his side.

He dodged away, but not before I made some contact. It might have been just enough to piss him off, if the glare he sent me was anything to go by.

Logan came for me next, aiming straight for my head. I raised both arms to block the attack, but this left my middle unprotected. Logan took advantage of that, jabbing me there before I could lower my arms.

The hit was harder than the ones I had sent his way, and shoved the breath out of me for a moment.

We both backed up, recovering.

With our mouth guards in, we couldn’t say a word to each other, but I could see the mockery in his eyes. I could practically hear his voice in my head.

Aria wants me, not you.

Win or lose the fight, you’ll still lose her.

My own imagination amped up my anger, so when we both stepped closer for another bout, I immediately aimed for his side again, punching harder. This time, I fully connected, but while I was on offense, I let my defense wane.

Logan took the advantage, and punched me in the jaw.

It hurt like hell, but I didn’t back down. I immediately aimed for his jaw too, hitting him in the same place as he hit me. He hadn’t seen it coming and took the full force of the blow, same as I had.

We backed away again.

By now, I could see that a crowd had begun to form around us. Logan noticed too, looking from left to right. Then he gave me a questioning glance, as if asking if I wanted to continue.

Why the hell wouldn’t I?

Rushing forward, I raise my fist to give him the hardest punch yet, when a voice breaks through the usual rumble of the gym.

“Liam! Logan! Knock it off!”

Lowering my glove, I turned just as Aria stormed toward us, righteous fury in her eyes.

Uh, oh. She was furious. And I had a feeling I deserved it.

Quickly I spit out my mouth guard. “Aria, it was a fair match. We were just –”

“Save it, Liam,” Aria snapped as she stepped into the ring. She walked right around me to Logan’s side. Looking at his face, she said, “We have to get ice on that bruise before it swells.”

Why did she care about Logan’s bruises? What about mine?

“Aria,” I tried again.

She turned her head to glare at me. “This was juvenile, Liam. You want to show me the kind of man you are now? This only proves to me that you are still an immature selfish ass.” Hooking her arm through Logan’s, she began to pull him away.

I was stunned into silence. Even Logan seemed surprised by her words, wide-eyed, even as he obediently followed her.

The crowd mumbled their displeasure about the fight ending prematurely.

Feeling defeated, I could only stare there as Aria dragged Logan into the locker room.

Aria’s POV

I was so furious at both Liam and Logan that I could have breathed fire. I had settled, in the moment, for chewing Liam out and dragging Logan away. Not that Logan was without blame. I’d seen a few bruises on Liam, too. But I knew Liam was the one who rushed to the gym, looking for a fight.

Liam had started this.

In the locker room, I forced Logan to sit down on one of the benches. I held my hand out, signaling him to stay while I went to find some ice. When I returned with an ice pack, he had spit out his mouth guard and set it aside along with his gloves.

He looked at me with an apology in his eyes. “Aria…”

“Save it,” I told him. I walked to his side, lifted the ice pack, and then pressed it none-too-gently against the side of his jaw where the bruise was at its worst.

Logan watched me in silence for a long moment. I kept my gaze firmly on the ice pack but I could see him looking out of the corner of my eye.

“Did something happen?” Logan asked. When I didn’t immediately answer, he pressed, “Liam came here ready to fight me, Aria. I would like to know why, if you are able to tell me.”

Realizing that Logan deserved an explanation, I sighed.

“He wanted to announce our marriage, six years too late. I said I wasn’t ready. Your name came up.” That was the quick summary version.

“I see,” Logan said. “I suppose I can understand his anger then. Though your feelings remain a mystery to me.”

“Why I’m not ready?”

“Why my name came up at all,” Logan said. “It gives a man hope… when there might not be any.”

I shifted my gaze down to the ground. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize for your feelings, or lack there of.”

Everything was so complicated. If Liam wasn’t around, I would have fallen hard for Logan. But Liam was around. Every time I tried to think of what a relationship between Logan and I would look like, Liam always got in the way.

I didn’t want to keep hurting Logan, but honesty felt like the only way.

“My heart still wants him…”

“Your heart is a part of you,” Logan said. “So you still want him.”

“I’m scared he hasn’t changed. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be talking to you about this.”

Logan reached up and placed his hand over mine on the ice bag. “Aria. Above all, we are friends. I won’t lie and tell you this is my favorite topic of conversation, but I won’t deny you the chance to talk about the things that have been bother you.

Truly, I didn’t deserve Logan as such a good friend. Not after how much my indecision had hurt him.

“I’m not sure my advice can be trusted, given my feelings, but I will remind you of one thing,” Logan said. “Whatever your feelings are for Liam, and whether or not he has truly changed, one thing remains the same.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

Logan’s eyes filled with pity. “He will always put Sophia and William first.”