The Guy Named Harrison: Book One

21

"A fight? Really?"

Harrison held the ice pack against his right eyebrow. Alex gave Harrison a black eye and a little swelling, but that was nothing compared to what his face looked like.

He sat at the kitchen table in her apartment as she paced in front of him. "You really got in a fight?"

There was swelling just above his eye. It impacted his vision, enough that Carrie standing in front of him was a little blurry.

Carrie left the kitchen for a few moments. She came back with a few bandages for his knuckles. Beating the shit out of Alex took its toll on his hand.

"I never should have told you," she whispered, placing some cream on his cuts.

He still hadn't said a word since she brought up the fight. It was worth it. He'd do it all over again if he had to.

"You never should've told me?"

She looked up from bandaging his hand. "I wouldn't of told you if I knew this was going to happen."

"He deserved it!"

"I know he deserved it. I wouldn't be lying if I told you while it happened, I somewhat enjoyed it. That's sickening. My point is, you had to unleash your revenge in the middle of the game, in front of millions of people, and in front of all those little kids that look up to you. What kind of message does that send to them?"

"What did you want me to do? Meet him in the parking lot?"

Carrie placed another bandage on his knuckle. "Not fight. You don't understand. This is going to be all over the internet. You and I both are going to be continuously asked about it."

He didn't say anything. "And you kept this from me too. I deserved to know."

"I told you I was going to get him back."

"You didn't tell me you were going to take a cheap shot at him. Or start a fight in the middle of the game."

"Well, I'm sorry for protecting you."

"Protecting me for what? Him or yourself?"

She wasn't too fond of his desire to get back at Alex. It was a part of him that she didn't know. What had been her past was now in the present once again.

"Why would I be protecting you from myself?"

"I saw a side of you I don't know. This is exactly what started with him. How am I supposed to know this isn't your true colors?"

"You assume everything."

Carrie stood up. "Get the hell out of my house then."

"Fine."

He made his way over to her apartment door. "Harrison?"

He stopped right in his tracks. "Why did you do it?"

With one hand on the doorknob, he answered, "you deserve justice. Since the law didn't give it to you."

After that, he walked out, but he didn't get that far before sitting against the wall not 10 feet from her door.

❺❾

Harrison had been out there for hours when he heard her scream. It had to be at least 10 at night. Quickly standing up and fighting off nausea, he dug his keys out of his pocket and unlocked her apartment door.

When he closed the door, she screamed again. "Stop!"

"Get off me!"

He jogged down to her bedroom door and pushed it open, afraid of what he might see. Harrison let out a deep breath when it was only her flailing around in bed.

"Carrie."

"Alex stop!" Then she cried out.

Harrison made his way over to her bed and put his arms around her. "Carrie, wake up."

She kicked him and attempted to push him off her. "Carrie!"

She opened her eyes. "Alex get off me!" Then Harrison was rewarded with a swift punch to the same place Alex had gotten him.

After punching her boyfriend, Carrie realized the whole thing was a dream. "I thought I told you to leave."

He laid down next to her. "I decided to stay."

"I'm sorry about your face. I thought you were him."

Harrison shrugged. "You punch harder than he does."

Carrie's lips stretched into a small smile. "So twinkle toes, did you get your fine yet?"

"Yeah. $18,000."

"That's not that bad. No suspension?"

"No suspension. Although, he got a $50,000 fine and a four game suspension. See, there's justice out there."

"Thank you."

He wrapped her up in his arms and the blankets. "You don't need to thank me," he whispered before kissing her gently.