For Three Seconds (Forbidden Sports Romance)

by C. Lymari

  Scar got up, gathering her clothes.

  I watched her put her jeans and shoes on, trying to remember the way she looked in my clothes and my room.

  “You’re just going to do this to us again?” I looked down at her, hoping like hell she’d prove me wrong.

  “We are not good together, Gav,” she said in a monotone voice.

  “Fuck that!” I seethed. “You were everything I always wanted, Scar. I loved you since we were kids. I loved you since before we kissed—before we had sex. That love was pure; it still fucking is. So walk out that door, but know you are taking a piece of me with you.” I got close to her and bent my head to the crook of her neck. “And as much as you don’t want to admit it, you’re leaving a piece with me. I could lose the game, Scar, and I would be okay if I had you by my side. But if I lose you, the game won’t mean shit. So leave. Run away like you always do.” I stepped back, glaring at her when I was mad at myself.

  She didn’t look at me as she walked away, wearing my jersey and breaking my heart.

  “Fuck!” I yelled after she had left, punching my fist through the drywall. Immediately, footsteps started to echo through the stairs.

  “What the hell!” Ollie yelled, looking at the hole.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you!” Quincy screamed at me, looking at my bloodied hand. “Can you move it?”

  I made a fist, and it was just a superficial sting, nothing deeper.

  “Get yourself together, Dunn. Homecoming is around the corner. You can’t fuck this up.” Quincy’s gaze met mine, and he patted my cheek. “The road to victory ain’t easy. Take care of your hand, then figure out a way to get your girl.”

  I gave him a nod.

  Once the guys left, I lay in my bed, tired from last night’s bullshit, and the first thing I noticed was her smell. I inhaled it, letting it clear my head. Fucking Gigi was going to pay. She’d been blowing up my phone, and I’d assumed it was more of her guilt-tripping. Then when she said she couldn’t take it anymore, the pain, I got scared she would do something stupid.

  I felt responsible for her losing our baby. I should have ended things a long time ago, but I was an idiot. Hell, I shouldn’t have touched Gigi, but I was dumb and horny, and she was there. She was always there, and Scar, she always ran. And because she was it for me, I was going to chase.

  I napped, then showered, and after I needed to make things clear because I was done with letting my bad choices ruin my life. Scarlett had left my car keys on the nightstand, but when I came outside the house, my car was nowhere in sight.

  A part of me felt excited because it gave me an excuse to talk to her. Before I could call, Isaac was running out to where I was standing.

  “She said to tell you that your car is at the movies.”

  I closed my eyes, feeling like the biggest idiot for leaving her stranded. Fuck, in running to Gigi, I’d forgotten about everything else. My knees almost buckled, but I pulled myself together.

  “Take me to get my car,” I told the pledge.

  Once in my Camaro, I went back to Gigi’s place, pissed as hell, but finally with enough of a clear mind to be done with this sick game I kept getting roped into.

  Gigi opened the door for me, looking at me all sweet and innocent. She probably thought she’d won.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “I’m done with your bullshit,” I said, and her sweet smile dropped. “I talked to my agent, and he thinks I should put a restraining order on you.”

  “Seriously, Gavin? I’m in pain, and I can’t do anything about it? It was your fault we lost our baby,” she seethed.

  “Yeah, that might be so, and I’ll live with that the rest of myself, but I don’t have to relive it with you. You call me again, Giuliana, and I’ll call the cops to come check on you.”

  She was openly glaring on me. I wished things didn’t have to come to this.

  “Another thing,” I said before she closed the door. “I’m not going to stop until Scarlett’s mine. I suggest you get used to the idea of us together and stop with your petty bullshit.”

  Her eyes were burning with jealousy, but also something else that I couldn’t decipher.

  “Fuck you,” she spat before she slammed the door in my face.

  Being on the team had its perks. When I asked the dean if I could be excused from my sociology class for a few weeks, he let me. Ollie was in charge of getting my notes and lectures. I had worked out to do whatever quizzes I’d miss at another time. I didn’t want Scar to stop showing because of me. As much as it killed me, I gave her some time.

  In the morning before leaving to work out, I stopped by her house and left a can of Pringles and note. I had left her a few notes. Just things that I noticed over the years that drove me crazy about her.

  I think it’s adorable the way you chew your pens.

  The way you bite your lip drives me crazy.

  I love the way your hair smells.

  When you smile, baby, the whole world fades for me.

  Look at me, a modern fucking Shakespeare.

  When I got to the gym, some of the guys were already there. I started a quick run on the treadmill, warming up my body while my mind wondered on the best source of action to take. Well, shit wasn’t going to change until I tried. I got off the machine and knew what I had to do next.

  “Hey, Nick, can you spot me?” I came to his office, where he was working on some paperwork.

  “Yeah, give me a few. I’ll be right out,” he said.

  I got ready to do some bench-pressing, and I figured Nick was less likely to kill me this way. Once he came back, I was on the bench, my hands on the bar with Nick looking down at me.

  “I thought you were pressing more?”

  “Warming up,” I huffed.

  It was silent for a few seconds while I gathered my shit to talk to Nick, which was weird because we had an easy relationship. Well, he never knew I was in love with his sister.

  “I gave Gigi Scarlett’s number,” Nick said, breaking the silence.

  “What?” I shouted as I put the bar back.

  I sat up, my hands running through my hair. “When?”

  “A few days ago.”

  “That fucking bitch,” I gritted out.

  “What am I missing here?” Nick leveled me with a gaze. He might be oblivious, but he wasn’t stupid.

  “I love your sister,” I said to Nick.

  Nick shook his head.

  “Fuck you, Dunn,” he spat. “You’re the one who left her at the movies?”

  I ignored his question. “I’ve loved her since I was a kid.”

  “You went out with Gigi.” Nick kept glaring at me.

  “It’s fucked up, I know. Nothing with her has ever been easy.” Then I just told him fucking everything because I needed him in my corner. I needed someone other than me to believe in Scar and me.

  In the end, Nick said to give her some time. In return he promised he wouldn’t let her run. All I could do was wait.

  So I waited more days and watched her from afar all while I made sure she wouldn’t try to forget me.

  I was leaving class when I felt a small hand on my arm. I immediately turned to glare at whoever touched me.

  “Whoa, calm down.” Audrey raised her hands.

  “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

  “Gigi?” She raised her eyebrows at me.

  “Yeah.”

  “Can we talk?” She motioned to a nearby table. I followed her because I owed her.

  “Look, when you told me to save the extra room for Scarlett, I was fine with that. She was my friend too, and I really liked her. But I heard something, and Scarlett barely leaves her room. It’s scaring me. If you hurt her—”

  I cut her off. “What did you hear?”

  “That you were with Gigi again.” She glared at me.

  I shook my head. “I wouldn’t do that to Scar. Gigi made it seem like she was suicidal, and I rushed to her. We have history.”
/>   Audrey seemed to think about it. “When did this happen?”

  I told Audrey what had happened. At this point, I was desperate.

  “That bitch,” she muttered. “I suspended her from the squad that day.”

  “Fuck me,” I muttered.

  At this point, nothing Gigi did could surprise me.

  “Delia’s had enough of Scar’s shit. Don’t you worry, we’ll get her head straight. All I need to know is you won’t hurt her again.”

  “I fucking love her, Auds.”

  She gave me a tense nod before she walked away, typing furiously on her phone.

  “My man, you need to stop moping.” Quincy came and sat next to me.

  “Damn, Auds is fine,” Jeff muttered, taking a seat across from me. “Is she trying to soothe your broken heart?”

  Before I could say dick, Ollie was there smacking his head.

  “What the fuck is this?” I motioned to all of them.

  “An intervention ’cause you’re pussy-whipped,” Jeff joked, but no one laughed.

  “Man, get your ass out of this,” Quincy told him.

  Jeff put his arms up in fake surrender, but he didn’t leave.

  “We’re going to help you get your girl back,” Ollie said.

  I just shook my head.

  “We need your head in the game for homecoming.” Quincy pointed his finger at me.

  I didn’t mind them much. They had been there for me. Ollie got me a box of Pringles, while Quincy told me to write Scarlett notes. And I quote, “Bitches go crazy for that shit.”

  “It’s fine, guys.”

  “No, we’re going to get her to the game, you just watch. Then after, we’re going to party up our victory.” Ollie “raised the roof,” and I laughed. “Rhett texted and said he was coming; so are a few others. It’s going to be lit.”

  “We going to get my boy laid,” Jeff shouted.

  All of us shook our heads at him. With my teammates, hope didn’t seem that far out of reach.

  Twenty-Six

  “That was such a long time ago, Scarlett. I thought we talked about letting the past define your future,” my therapist said.

  Fuck. I was angry. I needed her to tell me it was wrong. That I was a bad person. I needed her to look at me like I was guilty.

  “This all comes back to your guilt, Scarlett. You keep punishing yourself for what? For not dying in the accident that killed your parents. You stop yourself from living out of some sort of punishment.”

  “Stop!” I screeched, pissed off.

  I wasn’t even thinking about my parents. The only good thing about Gavin’s betrayal was that it took precedence over my nightmares.

  “I’m not here to tell you what you want to hear, Scarlett. I’m here to help you.” She closed her notes. “Go home and think about why you are really holding back. And if it comes down to guilt or blame, think about it again until you have a concrete answer.”

  I grabbed my things and left without a goodbye.

  When I walked outside, I groaned when I saw Isaac parked next to me.

  “Seriously!”

  “I’m sorry. Please don’t put a restraining order on me. I’m just following orders.”

  “Tell him to leave me alone!” I shouted at Isaac because I was frustrated. Then I thought better of it. “Sorry.”

  He gave me a small smile. He then took some things out of his car.

  “These are for you,” he said as he handed me a small box.

  He seemed to hold his breath to see if I would take it or not. Curiosity got the best of me.

  I took the box and drove home. When I parked in the driveway, I threw my head back, annoyed that the girls were all home. I could see their heads in the living room.

  Making my way inside, I hoped for a quick getaway to my room, but the girls were sitting on the living room floor with bottles of wine.

  “And she’s home,” Delia shouted.

  “Hey,” I said, starting to make my way to my room.

  “Not so fast.” Kenny sat up and made her way to me, guiding me to the living room and making me sit. “Join us.”

  “I have shit to do,” I told them.

  “Like what? Mope?” Audrey questioned.

  I stayed quiet.

  “Look, whatever happened with you and Gav, it’s not enough for you to act like the world ended. No dick is that big,” Delia told me.

  The girls giggled.

  “It’s not that.”

  “Look, we’re your friends. I know that might be a foreign concept with a best friend like Gigi, but we are here to help with everything that brings you down.” Delia kept talking, and I just looked at Kenny and Audrey shaking their heads.

  “Here.” Audrey handed me some wine. “You don’t have to tell us all of it. Just let us help you.”

  I took a sip of wine and listened to them talk about cheer, their classes, boys. I stayed quiet and drank my wine, and they refilled me up again. I couldn’t shake these girls. At one point, I started giggling with them too.

  “You don’t get it, Scar.” Kenny’s gaze was intense and on me. “Gigi ruined your date because Audrey and our coach decided to suspend her. Her grades have been slipping this year, and I guess seeing you with Gav got that bitch triggered.”

  Delia screeched, “Triggerrrrrrred.”

  But I had stopped paying attention. My stomach fluttered with relief knowing nothing happened with her and Gav, but that still didn’t change things about her miscarriage.

  “It’s not that simple,” I found myself saying.

  “But it is,” Audrey said. “Jesus, Scarlett, you need to stop letting other people define your happiness. You let Gigi define most of your life in high school. You joined dance because she wanted to cheer, you went to parties because she dragged you. It’s like ever since she got Gavin, you let her make the choices so you wouldn’t get hurt.”

  My chest started to rise and fall, and Audrey’s voice mixed with my therapist. What are you so afraid of?

  “You don’t get it,” I told them, clutching onto my wine.

  “What is there to get? Gavin likes you, and you like him, the end,” Kenny stated.

  “It’s not that simple.”

  Delia rolled her eyes at me. “But it is.”

  “We made her lose her baby,” I whispered.

  “What?” Kenny shouted.

  “Fuck,” Delia whispered.

  “Explain,” Audrey said.

  Because I was tipsy and I trusted them, I told them what I knew.

  “That bitch!” Audrey got to her feet, pissed.

  I looked up at her from where I sat on the floor.

  “What happened?” Kenny asked the question I was thinking. I was already tipsy, and that made me chatty Cathy.

  “If that’s true, it’s not your fault, Scar.” Audrey looked at me. “You were so lost in your grief senior year, and Gavin was lost in you. Neither of you noticed how much partying Gigi did. That bitch was drunk on prom night. If anyone is to blame, it’s her and not Gavin, and certainly not you.”

  Everything was spinning. It could have been the wine or the news, but probably the wine.

  “I’m going to be sick,” I said.

  “I’m going to beat her skinny white ass!” Delia shouted angrily.

  Kenny started to giggle. “You’re white too.”

  “But I have a fat ass,” Delia added.

  I couldn’t help but snort.

  That’s when I noticed that they seemed sober except for me.

  “Did you guys get me drunk?” I asked. Audrey was texting, but she gave me a guilty smile.

  “You weren’t opening up to us.”

  “Friends take care of each other. Always.” Delia put a pillow on her lap and patted it.

  I felt tired. A type of tired that was from years of running. I laid my head on her lap while she played with my hair.

  When I woke up, I was in my bed, and I wondered how I got there. I sat up, hugging my knees to my chest,
and thought about what Audrey said. I needed to clear my head, so I changed into running gear.

  When I walked out of the room, a shirtless Ollie was in the kitchen, grabbing some juice.

  “Hey,” he greeted me.

  I waved.

  “I put you to bed and you can’t say thank you?” he teased. When I stayed quiet, he kept going. “You’re coming to our game Friday?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “You should come. If we lose and people find out it’s because their wide receiver was moping over his girlfriend…well, things won’t be pretty.”

  I shifted. “I’m not his girlfriend.”

  “You keep telling yourself that,” he said before he went back to Delia’s room.

  I watched him go. He had zero tattoos, and Delia looked like a work of art.

  Shaking the conversation out of my head, I started to jog. I cleared my head, the same question on repeat. You keep punishing yourself for what? I wasn’t punishing myself. I wasn’t—but the more I told myself, the more it felt like a lie.

  When I got home, I remembered the box Isaac had handed me yesterday at therapy and got it out of my car. I was walking into the house when Nick’s car stopped in the driveway. He was in running gear already.

  “Damn, I came to see if you wanted to hit a trail with me,” he said by way of greeting. He came to me, hugged me, and kissed my head. “Feels like I haven’t seen you in forever. You’re good?”

  “I’m okay,” I told him.

  “What’s in the box?”

  I stayed quiet, not sure what to tell him. For some reason I didn’t feel like lying. Nick motioned for me to sit on the front step of the house.

  “You and Gavin, huh?”

  I turned to look at him, shell-shocked that he knew.

  Nick laughed. “Can’t say I’m surprised, you know. Saw the way he looked at you, but he was with Gigi—by the way, I’m sorry for giving her your number.”

  “How do you know?” I asked.