Mixed Martial Hearts

By Sara Rogers

Emily and Matt were college lovers. After Matt's bad choices, Emily left to focus on herself and her goals. Years later, since moving back to Santa Cruz, their home town, Matt and Emily can't seem to stay away from each other. Will they find a way to reconcile and be together or will Matt's actions keep them apart from each other forever?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sara Rogers
• Release date: Sep 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9798352411100

Sara Rogers

Sara Rogers lives in Seattle, Washington with her family and adopted pets. She enjoys going to festivals and conventions, training her dog, and traveling.

Book preview

Mixed Martial Hearts

By Sara Rogers

Mixed Martial Hearts by Sara Rogers

Published by EvilGlasses

Copyright © 2022 Sara Rogers

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact: [e-mail]

Cover by Sara Rogers.

ISBN: 9798352411100

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

About the Author

Chapter 1

Matt barely had to pay attention as he crested the rolling hills an hour outside of the Santa Cruz city limits. His time away in San Francisco, Sacramento, and Lake Tahoe always had him driving back and forth for holidays and special occasions.

This time was a one-way trip coming back to live in the small city where he grew up.

He made it past the last hill and his smile grew as the land opened up and showed him his town. He thought about the beach, the breeze, the people. His dad. Emily.

His palms were sweaty against the steering wheel of his old model, brown ford pickup truck and it wasn’t just from the hot coastal sun beaming down.

The thought of Emily made him nervous.

The first stop he made was the house he grew up in. His dad lived there and was all alone since Matt left for college six years ago. It had always been Matt and his dad. His mom died when he was a toddler. His dad started drinking right then and there.

Neighbors, friends, teachers, and coaches were how Matt got through his childhood and adolescent without ending up exactly like his dad.

Matt pulled up and didn’t know if his dad was home or not. He cut the engine and took a deep breath before getting out and grabbing a small duffle bag from the bed of the truck. He always had a key to the house but the door was unlocked.

Dad? he said as he opened the door.

It was dark and musty as he walked through the front room. The TV was on but the volume was low.

Dad? he called again. He dropped his bag at the beginning of the dark hall of the three bedroom house.

The sliding glass door slid open, the vertical blinds clapped together, and his dad stepped into the kitchen with heavy feet.

Dad. Matt came into the kitchen.

Oh, Matty. His dad wasn’t surprised but he was a little confused.

What are you doing?

His dad walked to the sink and started washing his hands. Fixing that damn fence. The dog next door keeps busting through it to fight with the other neighbor’s dog.

Matt walked to the door and peeked behind the blinds. The dirt backyard was full of junk and things that should have been taken to the dump. A five foot chain link fence was the barrier.

The sourness of years of liquor drinking lingered anywhere his dad was.

Did you finish fixing it?

His dad grabbed a towel to wipe his hands and then opened the fridge for a cheap light beer. He cracked it open and drank a few gulps.

Nope, don’t have the right wire to tie it up.

I’ll get it when I go into town to look at this apartment.

His dad walked to the couch, fell into it, and turned up the TV. You can stay here as long as you need to, you know that. There’s no food though.

Matt held back a sigh. There wasn’t ever any food so he was used to it. I’ll just be here a few days hopefully. A month at the most. He went and stood behind the couch and started watching whatever it was that his dad was watching.

His dad took another long drink. How’s the fighting? Win any lately?

Matt was an MMA fighter. Pretty good in the amateur circuit.

I won my last two. Matt made a fist and pumped it by his side a few times. He was proud of where he was and what he could do with his skills.

What about the ones before that?

Matt lost a little of his pride. Lost a few.

Hmm. His dad patted the couch in a gesture for Matt to sit. You’re not leaving right now are you?

Matt shook his head. About half an hour. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to sit next to his dad. It was that he hated the idea of becoming anything like his dad. Sitting on the couch in the same way made him shutter. Coming back to Santa Cruz, not graduating college, making a living by violence was as close to being like his dad as he was willing to get.

Now that he was back he didn’t want even the smallest actions to be the same.

I’m fine. I’m going to drop my bag off in my room and get my bathroom stuff out.

Matt picked up his duffle bag as his dad nodded and turned up the TV. He walked down the dark hall. His was the door halfway down the hall to the left before the garage.

He pushed the door open, the knob hadn’t worked most of his life. The door was hollow and swung slowly. Matt flipped the light on. The room was plain, a bed, some hangers in the closet that had no door. Everything he had from before leaving for college was gone. The stuff didn’t mean anything to him so there were no feelings lost about all of his stuff making its way to the dumpster.

He tossed the duffle bag on the bed and pulled up the blinds and opened the window. Dust from the window sill blew in his face. He waved it away and felt the warm, salty breeze.

The only right thing his dad did was pay off the house after his mom died. It would have to undergo major construction to put it back to what it was intended to, to be worth anything but it was close to the beach. The salt air came through and it took him back to being a kid looking out hoping that he could see the ocean from his window.

He thought about the beach and when he would be able to get out there. He thought about his best friend, Bret, who he grew up and went to college with. Bret had moved back to Santa Cruz about six months before. If he texted him now maybe they could get dinner together tonight. And then he thought about Emily.

Emily.

He looked at his phone. He was going to check out an apartment soon. He could leave now and just hang out in his truck until his appointment. Or drive around, or get something to eat, or go to Emily.

No. He shook his head. He hoped he wouldn’t start thinking about her so soon but here he was, thirty minutes into being home and he can picture her beautiful tan face, teal blue eyes, pink full lips.

He cursed himself and walked back to the living room.

I’ll be back in a while. Do you want anything else? Matt asked.

His dad struggled to turn around from the divit of the couch. Yeah, if you get food, get me some. I’m going to pour me a drink here in a little bit.

Matt shook his head.

What a way to get Emily off his mind. But, if it works it works.

Sure, Matt said as he left. He got into his truck and after taking a deep breath he started it up and took off toward a small apartment complex on the other side of the city for a viewing.

He arrived just on time after driving the long way around.

He jogged up to the older, short lady who was holding a few papers in her hand.

Hi, I’m Matt.

Hi, Matt. She looked at his body and whistled. You sure can take care of yourself, can’t you.

He laughed. Yes, ma’am.

Alright, let’s go. Units are going quick, the start of summer and all. You have to act fast around here.

They walked into a bottom floor, studio unit with wooden floors, a gas fireplace that probably had never been turned on, a small, simple kitchen, bathroom, and a closet.

No frills but the price reflects that. You do get parking, though. Gas, water, sewer included in rent.

He opened the sliding glassdoor to a small patio. The breeze carried the salt water even though it was far from the beach.

Do you have a girlfriend?

He thought about Emily.

Or boyfriend, I don’t mean to suppose.

He thought that she’d noticed him spacing off while thinking.

No, it’s just me.

Good, she nodded, there’s only one parking spot.

Matt meandered into the middle of the apartment. Is it pretty quiet?

She shrugged her shoulders. It’s quiet now but around six it gets more lively and then it dies down around ten.

Okay. What do I need to do to put my name on it?

She smiled. Give me a check for the deposit and you can move in in a week.

His face fell, A week?

She waved off the question. Not a big deal. Here’s the application. Bring this back and the check by five PM and it’s yours.

Can I hand you cash now?

Even better, she winked at him.

He smiled.

Chapter 2

Emily stared at the cover of her advanced anatomy book as the teacher went on and on about muscle systems. She needed to pay attention but it was hard when she was so preoccupied with thoughts of an old love making his way back into her small city. It felt like a hundred different scenarios ran through her mind for the entire class.

Everyone around her started to shuffle and pack up. The lecture was over and she didn’t write a single note. She closed her notepad and tossed it and her pens in her large tote bag.

Her forgotten-in-the-moment best friend, Shawna, packed up next to her. You didn’t pay attention that whole time.

Emily tilted her head after hearing her speak. Huh?

Shawna pursed her lips and kicked her hip out as she swung her bag over her shoulder. You stared off into the distance and the rest of us were furiously writing notes. You didn’t write down one thing.

Emily groaned. I’ll need your notes later.

Yeah, yeah. What were you thinking about anyway?

Emily sighed as they walked out of the classroom and down the hall. Matt is moving back this week.

That Matt? Like, the Matt? Shawna was amazed.

Emily nodded. That Matt.

Well, it makes sense now. You’re not planning on meeting up or anything are you?

No! Emily shuddered at seeing him.

But then her body also rushed hot. Her thighs tingled. Her heart felt like it beat against her sternum.

For her it was fine to think of Matt before, to reminisce and fantasize, but not now that he was here. There was a real chance of seeing Matt because her older brother, Bret, and him were best friends since they were in middle school. Emily had known him for most of her life.

Shawna rolled her eyes. I’m sure Bret’s going to plan something and the two of you will be there together.

Then I won’t go. Emily was stern in her answer to her friend but much less confident in her resolve to