Chapter 36: Hurting
*Just talk to her. Women like that. Women like lots of things a man can do with his mouth. – Noel*
Riffraff had gone down to the bar and gotten a couple of beers. Taz took advantage of him being in the bar to get some of her stuff. Nessie was gathering her toiletries in the bathroom as Taz absently shoved clothes into her backpack. Both women froze when the door opened.
“What are you doing?” Riffraff asked sadly.
“I’m getting some clothes. I’ll be out of here in a minute.” She whispered, fighting back more tears.
“Jasmine.” He said softly next to her. He started to reach out to touch her, comfort her, but let his hand fall. “This is the best thing for you.”
“How?” she yelled at him. Neither saw Nessie slip out of the room. “How is this the best?”
“You’ll find someone who’s better for you.”
“I don’t want anyone better for me, you asshole! I want you!”
“I’m too old for you.”
“Says who? Who the hell has fucking said that?”
“You need someone younger. Someone that can support you.”
“Someone to make sure that I eat? To rub me down after a fight? Or after I’ve over done it in the gym? Someone to go with me to fights? And interviews? To make sure that I rest? That I have fun? Someone to hold me at night and make me feel special? Is that what I need?”
“Yes.” He said around the lump in his throat.
“That’s you! You’ve fucking done all of that!”
“I can’t give you what you need! Why can’t you just see that?” he yelled.
“All I need is you!” she yelled back at him. “Why can’t you see that? I. Just. Need. You!”
“No. You need someone better.”
“Why? Why do I need someone else?”
“Because….” He honestly couldn’t come up with a single reason other than his age. “Because I’m too old.”
“I didn’t realize that relationships had age restrictions!” she threw a t-shirt at him. “I thought that since we were both adults, we could make those decisions.”
“What about your career?”
“What about it?”
“You need someone to support you on that!”
“I have a coach! I have a manager! I have Priss! The only thing that I need from you, is you!”
“So you don’t want me at your fights?”
“Yes, I want you there! I want you there because you want to be there. I want you to support me as ….” Taz trailed off, wondering if he had ever seen her as his or just a piece of ass. This thought took all of her anger away and replaced it with sadness.
“As what?” Riffraff demanded.
“It doesn’t matter, does it?” she asked as fresh tears fell. “You won. You got me -"
“Stop!” Knuckles yelled at them as he and Toad came through the door. “Just stop, before you say something you’ll regret and can’t take back.”
Taz and Riffraff stood looking at each other. Both angry. Both hurt. Finally, she grabbed her bag and started to walk past him. She paused by his side and softly whispered what would haunt him for the foreseeable future.
“I never wanted to be claimed before you. There’s not another man who could make me want to be their property. I love you, Herbert.”
As she walked out, Knuckles slung an arm around her shoulders and walked her through the crowd that had gathered in the hallway. He led her downstairs and out to her pickup where he put her in the passenger seat. He noticed that some of the brothers had already put his bike in the back. Getting in the driver’s seat, he looked at his younger cousin who was crying even harder now.
“He’ll come around.” He offered quietly as he started the engine and headed for Molly’s compound.
