I’ll be back for this. May it bring you good luck, or at the least, make you think of me during dark times.
Love, Owen.
She scrunched the note gently, brought it into her chest, and took the medallion into the same embrace. As stupid and ridiculous as it was, her crying meant she didn’t need any trinket to remind herself of him. He had given his good luck charm away, just for her. She had nothing to give him except the one thing she had never given him permission to take, but he made off with it like a thief in the night before she even knew what hit her. He had taken a piece of her heart with him.
7
Two monthslater
“Yes, we are.”
“No, we’re not.”
“Yes, we are.”
“You can, but I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
Fiona would not take no for an answer. For the last hour, she had been hounding Tegan to join her for a night out. To be fair, although annoying, Fiona was only trying to help . And she had been asking for this for some time. Tegan always managed to delay her, but time, it seemed, had run out. Tegan cleared her table and returned the mugs to the washing station, Fiona close behind.
“Babe, I’m honestly not feeling the best.”
Fiona took the mugs Tegan had in her hand and placed them down into the sink for her. “You haven’t been feeling well for weeks. This isn’t good for you. I know it’s hard, but you gotta get over him. And this ismesaying this...”
“Babe, it’s not that. It was hard for a few days, but I’m fine now. He messages every now and then. He’s training now anyway. Really, I’m fine. I’m over him.”
“Great, then that means you can come out tonight.”
Tegan sighed. “But, babe—”
“They are having a big showing of the championship fight tonight. Half priced drinks and free nibblies? C’mon, don’t make me go by myself. Whoever wins tonight will be who Owen faces if he wins his match. I took you to your first fight and look what happened?” Fiona finished with a bright flurry of her hands and then humped the air hard.
Tegan smiled back and agreed, yet both knew her enthusiasm was non-existent. She had no interest in watching a match without Owen in it, but the prospect of seeing who the champion would be was a small incentive.
And maybe, in some bizarre way, seeing the match would help her feel closer to Owen. Feel that, even so far away, they were still connected. Because, despite her claims to Fiona, she wasn't over him. An extended one night stand it may have been, but she didn't know if she'd ever be over him. Did she even want to be?
“Where are we going?”
“Where else do young, hot chicks go for a good time? We’re off to T.”
* * *
Tegan had been to the club T a few times over the years but not in some time. Though the line to get in was just as long as she remembered, the place had a different vibe to it. Decked out in posters for the main event and the lower card matches along the wall of the club.
Fiona was right; this was a big event. Thankfully, there was no need to dress up to the nines. No heels to be seen. Fight fans were lining up adorned in all kinds of clothing merchandise for both fighters. Tegan, at first glance, thought the numbers probably favoured Diaz.
“Hey,” said a guy in front of them, proudly showing off his Ricky Chozen Championship shirt, giving the air of trying to pass the time. “Who are you guys going for?”
Fiona unzipped her puffy jacket to reveal her answer: an oversized Team Gasnier shirt which she twisted at the bottom into a knot. The guy laughed. “Hate to tell you, but the pretty boy ain’t fighting.”
“Hate to tell you, but Chozen’s time as champ is numbered. Diaz will kill him. Hopefully, not literally.”
They were interrupted by a sudden outburst from outside the line. As a couple walked down the line, the man saw Fi's shirt and yelled, "Go Gasnier!" And they high fived as he passed.
“If Ricky gets up tonight,” the Chozen fan continued. “I reckon him and Gasnier will be a better fight than Gasnier and Diaz.”
“Nah. Sorry bud. I want Gaz to fuck Diaz up,” Fiona said.