AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I roll my eyes and grab my beer from him, aiming a knowing look at Mia. “That drum has a pretty annoying beat though.”
Mia tips her head back with a laugh and holds up her drink. “Cheers to that.”
Luca eyes me, then shifts his gaze to Nadia as he passes a drink to her. “I still don’t know how I feel about you having a fake ID and drinking in a bar.”
She takes a drink and waves him off. “I’m twenty-one in three months. And you drank at my age.”
He slides into the seat beside me, still giving her an assessing look. “Yeah, but… still,” he mutters.
“So.” Mia crosses her arms on the table, looking at Luca. “Before we get into the celebration… how are you doing after all of that? It was fucking awesome and deserved, but are you ok?”
I turn my head to Luca, and I can’t say I haven’t been wondering the same thing since we left the restaurant. He hasn’t said anything about it yet, but he seems fine.
“Fuck yeah I am,” Luca says with a huge smile. “It was time. And now that it’s done, I feel fucking fantastic.”
“Good.” Nadia smiles. “And if they’re still not on board?”
Luca just shrugs. “They don’t have a choice. I’m keeping my job, I’m going to LFA and I’m getting into the fucking UFC. If they don’t like it, then too bad for them.”
I smile at him, taking in just how light and carefree he is right now. The stress he’s been carrying is now officially gone, and there is nothing but joy written all over his face.
“Good for you.” Mia leans over and pulls Luca into a hug. “I’m proud of you.” When she pulls back from him, she looks at me. “And you.”
Surprise takes over as I stare back at her. “What?”
She chuckles. “Making it into LFA within weeks of returning from an almost career-ending injury?” Mia smirks playfully at me. “That’s something to be proud of.”
I just continue to stare back at her, not sure what to say. I don’t think I’ve ever had someone tell me they were proud of me. And she barely even knows me…
“Thank you,” I say, a little too softly. But she hears it and gives me another warm smile.
Luca gives me a soft nod, then turns back to the table. “So, we’re all in agreement that baby blue is Ty’s color, right?”
Mia and Nadia laugh, and I close my eyes with a sigh.
“Fuck no,” I say. “And this is the last time you will ever see me wear it.”
“Hm,” Luca hums as his eyes trail down my arms. “No, I think not.”
“It does look really nice with your dark features.” Nadia shrugs and holds back a smile.
“Not you too,” I mutter as I take a drink of my beer, and Luca high-fives Nadia across the table.
We finish our drinks and get another round, and as we sit around the table and talk, I feel completely at ease and comfortable. Mia talks about her work and how insane it is being an emergency room doctor, and Nadia shares stories of pre-med and gushes about her boyfriend. They ask Luca and I about the gym and training, work and just… life. Like they genuinely want to know. And I find myself easily sharing these things with them, and letting them in. I’m having fun, and it feels good.
Until Mia stands up and gestures to the dance floor. “Alright, let’s go. It’s time.”
“Yes!” Nadia jumps up as well.
I shake my head as Luca also stands. “No.”
He nods. “Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Fuck off.”
