Chapter 173 For A Whole Month

Chapter 173 For A Whole Month
Arthur

Two days after that day, Ceci took a break. She then headed to England with Daniel Brahmore to work on a case. I could not bring myself to say no, for this place would be where her career as a detective truly began.

She promised to keep in touch with me regularly, yet I overestimated how well I could endure her absence.

Ceci has been gone for a whole month!

Blame that damned Daniel Brahmore!

The punching bag swung back with violent momentum, and I caught it with my bare hands, ignoring the sting of impact against my already raw knuckles.

Sweat dripped down my temples, my shirt clinging to my back, but the physical exertion did absolutely nothing to ease the deep yearning swelling in my chest.

I hit the bag again, harder this time, feeling the chain rattle overhead.

"Jesus Christ, Arthur." Carter, who had returned home yesterday, cut through my concentration, followed by the sound of the gym door closing. "You trying to kill that thing or just work out some sexual frustration?"

I shot him a look over my shoulder that would have made most people back away slowly. Carter, being Carter, just grinned and sauntered over to the bench press where Max was already warming up.

And beside Max, looking annoyingly radiant in workout clothes, stood Sophia Rose.

My jaw clenched involuntarily at the sight of them together—Carter's hand resting possessively on Sophia's lower back, her head tilted toward him with that particular smile that suggested they were still in that nauseating honeymoon phase where everything the other person did was fascinating.

"Arthur!" Sophia called out with genuine warmth, waving at me like we were old friends rather than people whose relationship had been complicated by her past mistakes. "It's good to see you again."

I grunted something that might have been a greeting and turned back to the punching bag, landing another series of combinations that made my shoulders burn.

Behind me, I heard Alice's voice—she must have come in with them. "Sophia, it's... it's good to see you too."

The words came out stilted, carefully polite in that way that suggested Alice was working very hard to be civil. I glanced back in time to see Alice extending her hand toward Sophia with visible effort.

Sophia took it immediately, her expression shifting into something grateful and slightly emotional. "Alice, I—thank you. For giving me another chance."

"Well." Alice cleared her throat, her hand dropping back to her side. "You did save my best friend's life. That counts for something."

Max pulled Alice against his side with obvious affection, pressing a kiss to her temple. "See? I told you everything would work out."

I turned back to the bag, landing another punch that sent it swinging wildly. The sound of their easy camaraderie—Carter murmuring something to Sophia that made her laugh, Max and Alice's comfortable banter—only made the emptiness in my chest yawn wider.

"Alright." Carter's voice came from directly behind me now, and I turned to find him already wrapped and ready, his eyes bright with challenge. "Let's get in the ring. You clearly need to hit something that can hit back."

"Fine by me," I said, my voice coming out rougher than I'd intended.

We climbed into the ring, touched gloves with the bare minimum of ceremony, and then I was moving—fast, aggressive, channeling every ounce of frustration into precise combinations that had Carter backing up despite his considerable skill.

He got in a few good shots—a jab to my ribs that I'd feel tomorrow, an uppercut that snapped my head back—but I was relentless, pressing my advantage with the kind of single-minded focus that came from having absolutely nothing else to think about except the woman who wasn't here.

"Damn," Carter grunted, blocking a hook that would have taken his head off. "You're really—fuck—you're really going for it today."

I didn't respond, just kept coming, kept pushing, kept landing blows until Carter's guard started to slip and I saw my opening.

The punch connected with his jaw with enough force to send him stumbling backward, his legs going slightly wobbly before he caught himself on the ropes.

"Okay," he said, spitting into the bucket Max held out for him. "Okay, I yield. Jesus Christ, Arthur, what the hell?"

I stepped back, breathing hard, my hands still raised even though the fight was clearly over. "You said you wanted to spar."

"Spar, yes. Get my face rearranged, no." Carter worked his jaw gingerly, wincing. "Sophia's going to kill me. We have engagement photos scheduled tomorrow."

"Engagement photos? You're—" I looked between Carter and Sophia, who was watching from outside the ring with obvious concern. "You're getting engaged? Again?"

"Re-engaged," Carter corrected, climbing out of the ring with Max's help. "Properly this time. No family pressure, no secrets, just—" He glanced at Sophia with an expression that was almost embarrassingly soft. "Just us, doing it right."

"Congratulations," I said, and managed to mean it despite the bitter taste in my mouth.

Max caught my eye, and I saw the exact moment he decided to be an asshole about my situation. "So, Arthur," he said with exaggerated casualness, "how's Ceci doing? Still in England?"

My jaw tightened instantly. "She's fine."

"Just fine?" Max's grin widened. "Not, I don't know, maybe coming home soon? Because I gotta say, a whole month apart from your fiancée—that's gotta be rough."

"Max," Alice said, her voice carrying a warning edge even as she tried to hide her smile.

"I'm not being mean!" Max protested, but his eyes were dancing with mischief. "I'm just saying, if my girl was off in another country solving crimes with some other dude for a month straight, I'd probably be losing my mind."

"I'm not losing my mind," I said through gritted teeth, climbing out of the ring with more force than necessary.

"Right." Max nodded sagely. "That's why you just beat Carter into submission like he personally offended you."

I grabbed a towel from the bench, wiping the sweat from my face with more aggression than the action required. "Carter can handle himself."

"Barely," Carter muttered, still working his jaw. "Seriously though, Arthur—when's Ceci coming back?"

"I don't know," I admitted, and the words tasted like defeat. "Ceci has just cracked a financial case. She should be back in the next few days."

Alice perked up immediately, her earlier restraint forgotten in the face of defending her best friend. "Oh, Ceci called me yesterday—they've already solved a major banking fraud case in London. Her computer skills were crucial to breaking it. The British authorities are calling her a hero!"

I missed Ceci terribly after such a long separation, yet pride welled up inside me all the same.

"My wife," I said, the words coming out with more satisfaction than I'd intended, "is going to be the best damn detective in the world."

Max's grin turned absolutely wicked. "Your wife? Arthur, buddy, you're not married yet. That's kind of the problem, isn't it?"