Wrestling Desire 2 (A Contemporary Romance) Read Free

If Derek had to leave it meant that for the first time in her life she’d be without her safety net.  

Chapter 2
     
    Emma glanced out the window and tried not to cry. This couldn’t possibly be happening.
    She’d spent most of the past week on airplanes, bouncing between work and the hospital and was more than a little exhausted from the stress.  She’d been with Derek for the diagnosis on his knee.  She’d flown back to work for the live show, then the next day flown home for his surgery. 
    Now less than a week later she sat in the living room of the home she’d grown up in and stared at her brother in disbelief.  “You’re just in shock.” 
    Derek shook his head.  “This isn’t shock, its reality, Emma.”
    Tears welled in her eyes and she did her best not to cry like a little girl.  “But Doctor Ericson said you could eventually return to wrestle if you wanted to.”
    Derek rested with his knee upon the couch.  His gaze dropped away from her to the cast on his leg.  “Maybe I don’t want to.”
    She didn’t know who this person was in front of her, but it wasn’t her brother.  He might look like Derek and sound like Derek, but he wasn’t acting like the Derek Cruise she knew and loved.  She pushed off the chair, crossed the room and dropped to her knees beside him.  “Why, Derek?”
    “There are a lot of reasons why, Em.  The biggest one being that I’m not happy there anymore.”
    She closed her eyes and worked to steady her nerves.  Even trying to imagine her life without Derek around every day made her heart hurt. “You’ve been unhappy before and it’s passed.  What’s different this time?”
    He sighed.  “Mostly I don’t feel like there is room for me anymore.”
    She took his hand in hers. “You’re the world champion.  How can there not be room for you?”
    “I was the world champion.” He gave her a small smile.  “Now I’m just another in a long line of former world champions who is past his prime.  Besides, you heard how the cr owd responded to me at the Al Hollow’s Eve match.  I’m vilified.”
    “So?”
    “So, I’ve spent my life being the good guy, the hero.  I’ve never wanted to be the villain.”
    “You’re not a villain. Fans still love you.  I love you.”
    He squeezed her hand.  “I know you do, bug, and maybe I do still have fans, but I also have some integrity left.  It was hard enough deliberately dropping the title to Holt without having to return to watch him flaunt it in my face.  I’m sorry, I know you love him and all, but I abhor everything he stands for.  What kind of role model is he for the fans?”
    “He’s been the champion before, Derek.  Just like you.  As much as you may not want to admit this, the fans love him.”
    “I know . W hich makes this situation even worse.”  He shook his head.  “In order to keep up with the competition Gene is letting the company slide away from its founding principles. I can’t abide by the lower standards or morals that are taking place there. Besides-” He let out a sigh. “Let’s be honest here, Em. This is a profession for the young and I’ve been doing this a long, long time.  Most of the guys I wrestled with have either retired or moved on.” He took both her hands in his and gave a small squeeze. “I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching over the past few days and as much as you may not want to hear this, I don’t belong there anymore and I’m going to retire.”
    Panic welled in her chest as his resolve became clear.  This wasn’t a conversation where he was trying to decide what to do and was asking for her opinion.  No.  This conversation was his way of telling her that he’d made up his mind.  “But you can’t leave.” Desperate, she wracked her brain for some way to change his mind. “What about Bryan?”
    Derek looked up and she noted the sadness in his eyes.  “Bryan is at a point in his life where he doesn’t need my guidance anymore.