Never Say Never

Chapter 1

Ryan’s eyes bulge out of his head, “Holy crap!” I look away, feeling that familiar pain in my heart as I think about my father. For the last twelve years I have been doing the very thing that he lived to do. I didn’t hear anything about my father until one day, a year ago, Max, the big-mouthed, overly confident asshole of the gym returned from New York raving to me about a one, Mr Lucas Wesley and the ‘ridiculously awesome’ underground MMA club he had created using his own two hands. His words, not mine. I was so confused and in pain that I had kept that fact to myself, choosing not to tell Ryan.

It took everything in me not to fly straight to New York.  But I always knew that it wasn’t possible for me to do that. He was living in another part of the country, and from what I heard he was milking it. He practically ran the underground MMA scene in New York. People respected him, fighters wanted to fight for him and winning a tourney he organised was a great achievement, not to mention the huge sums of money that the winner got to take home.

“How did you not ever tell me this? I’ve known about this guy for years.” Ryan’s voice is soft and I know he’s hurt but he was afraid to scare me.

I close my eyes, “I’m sorry Ryan, I was so confused and I actually hated him for making a life somewhere else without me. I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

I hear him sigh before he pulls me against his chest, “I’m not mad,” I look at him sceptically, even though he hardly ever gets mad at me, I know this was a bad move on my part, “I mean it! I understand why you didn’t tell me. That’s in the past, so what I want to know is, are you going to enter?” his eyes are serious and intense.

Did I want to enter? Hell yes I did. All these years I wanted to do something in order to get closer to my father but I never knew what or even how to do it. Thoughts of getting a job in New York, to walking up to him and screaming at him had all crossed my mind in the last year.

I look at Ryan, his concern is clear and I’m glad to see the lack of pity in his eyes.

“I do. I really want to. I’ve been thinking about it all week and I think I’ve found a way to get closer to him, to get some answers. But you know I can’t do it without you. So… if you want… you could be my handler or manager, whatever you want to call it?” I look at him, uncertainty clouding my mind. Ryan and I were like two peas in a pod. He was my best friend for the last ten years, ever since I gave him a black eye, in this very gym. However, he always did so much for me and I didn’t know if I was pushing it, especially since its taking place on the other side of the country.

I watch as Ryan’s face lights up with a smile, putting his arm around my shoulder he pulls me against him, “It would be my honour Miss Lea.”

I chuckle, leaning my head on his shoulder, “It’s going to be a tough job, you know since I’m mental and all.”

“Remind me to get some pills.” He chuckles as I slap him on his shoulder.

 

 

I have never been close with my mother. Ever since my father left there was a silent agreement which was struck between us to just carry on with our lives instead of pretending as if we were happy. To say my mother and I were totally opposite would be an understatement. If she was a runway model then I was a sumo wrestler. We never agreed on anything and our tastes were vastly different. Society was her life. Fashion, celebrities, gossip and parties were her life’s goals. That was the main reason why she decided to tie the knot with Tom Anderson three years ago. The ever so dashing, charming and not to forget rich business-man captured my mother’s love with a flick of his wallet. Throwing an over extravagant wedding to mark her arrival into the upper-class, my mother continued her days abusing Tom’s money. Tom spent his days at the office and seemed content with his trophy wife who knew her way around any over-priced fashion parade.