by C. Lymari
The smell of gasoline wasn’t as heavy now. Before I was put on the ground, there was a loud boom, and everything shook. It took everything in me to open my eyes.
A few feet away was Gigi, screaming while Gavin held her—except when I looked at his face, that wasn’t Gavin.
No. Gigi wouldn’t do that!
She wouldn’t cheat.
She wouldn’t cheat.
When I saw past her, I saw my parents’ car, and it was burning.
Twenty-Eight
The moment I turned to look at Rhett, I felt Scarlett freeze in my arms, bringing the fucking high I was on to an end.
“No. No. No.” Scarlett started to whimper as she clutched to my hands, holding on for her life.
“You did this,” she whispered.
“You did this,” she screeched.
“You did this!” she screamed.
My heart was beating like crazy as Scarlett started sobbing hysterically, and it was breaking me. I had no idea what was going on.
“Scar, baby, what’s going on?” I asked her in a gentle tone.
People around us were staring. Ollie and Isaac were already by us, asking me if she was okay, but I couldn’t concentrate on them when Scarlett was like this.
“Scarlett, what’s wrong, baby? Please tell me?” I asked her, noticing the music had stopped.
“They killed them,” she whimpered, looking straight ahead at where Rhett looked pale and Gigi looked like she was going to be sick.
“What is she talking about?” I asked through gritted teeth, turning to look toward them.
My frat brothers started to push people out, clearing out the house. Someone said to call an ambulance, but I tuned them all out.
“I asked you a fuckin’ question,” I gritted out.
I was confused, and my hands started to shake. I felt as if lava was in me, ready to erupt.
Gigi looked shaken up, but shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s crazy.”
Rhett kept looking at Scarlett. Fuck, my girl seemed almost comatose, and that fucking terrified me. I knew she’d lost it in junior year, but that was nothing compared to how she looked right now.
“I don’t even know her,” he said, but it was obvious it was a lie.
“You were supposed to be my friend,” Scarlett screamed, seeming to get out of the trance she was in and was now in hysterics while looking at Gigi.
I kept rubbing soothing circles on her back as if that would help.
When Audrey knelt on the floor, I handed Scarlett to her and walked to where Rhett and Gigi stood.
“What is she talking about?!” I screamed at Gigi.
When she started to cry, I grabbed Rhett by the collar of his shirt.
“Why is my girlfriend accusing you of killing her parents?!” I heard gasps behind me but ignored them. “What the fuck did you do?!”
“It was Rhett!” Gigi screeched.
Fuck, I felt as if someone had punched me. I looked at Gigi in disgust, and then at Rhett. The guy was always entitled, but this was—fuck me, I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Fuck.
I took my fist to Rhett, punching his face and feeling the cartilage of his nose breaking. I was about to hit him again when I was pulled back.
“Let. Me. Go.” I seethed.
“Think of your future,” Quincy said.
“Fuck my future.” I tried to break free from his hold.
“Think of your girl, Gav,” Ollie said from my other side.
My eyes went to Scarlett, who was still on the floor, clutching Audrey like she was her lifeline. I was breathing heavily. Then I turned to Gigi, who was crying.
“I won’t hit him,” I told them.
I noticed Jeff had Rhett backed against the wall, not letting him get away.
When my friends let me go, I walked up to Gigi.
“You’re a fucking cunt,” I told her. “What were you doing with Rhett?”
“N-n-nothing. We were friends. We were just hanging out.”
“What. Were. You. Doing. With. Him? You were my supposed girlfriend!” I screamed at her.
“Because you were in love with her! Because you paid more attention to her than me!” Gigi screeched.
Before I could do something, Delia was there, yanking Gigi’s hair and slapping her. They fell on the floor while Delia was on top of her, hitting her.
“You’re a cunt!” she told her. “And a liar. You got drunk when you were supposedly pregnant!”
What?
“What did you say?” My voice was lethal.
Ollie was there in an instant, pulling Delia off Gigi.
Gigi sat up, her face red from where Delia had laid into her, and I couldn’t have cared less.
“Did you drink while you were pregnant with my kid? All these fucking years, you led me to believe that it was my fault.”
Gigi cried. I felt no sympathy.
“Fucking answer me! You fucking led me to believe my kid dying was on me, but you were fucking partying while my kid was in your belly!” I could barely control my rage. I was so fucking close to hitting a woman for the first time in my life.
“I’m s-so s-s-sorry. I d-d-idn’t know what to do. I wasn’t ready to have a kid,” she wailed.
Everything inside me froze. Pain like I had never felt before hit my chest.
“What did you do.” I knelt in front of her. “What the fuck did you do!” I looked at her with so much hate. “Did you abort my kid, you selfish bitch?”
“Was it even Gavin’s?” Quincy said.
And in my fucked-up state, the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.
Gigi looked at me like she was scared of me, and she couldn’t even fucking deny the accusation. My hands were shaking from rage. I felt like I was coming out of my damn skin.
“Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck!” I screamed at Gigi. I felt my friends get close to me again. “I can’t fucking look at you, you selfish fucking bitch. I never knew you could fall in love with the idea of someone, then have your heart broken beyond repair by losing them when you’ve never got a chance to hold them… I…” My voice broke off a bit. “I loved that child, I fucking mourned that child, and all along it was another one of your fucking lies. I hope you get what’s coming to you and it has no fucking mercy.” I spat at her and got up, turning to Rhett. “Have fucking fun in jail.”
I turned to walk back to Scarlett, who still was having a breakdown at the same time ambulance sirens got near.
“Someone call Nick,” I told whoever heard me while I scooped Scarlett into my arms.
Everything I thought I knew was a lie except for her.
The only reason they let me ride in the ambulance with her was because of my football status. I had to watch as they sedated Scar. Thanks to having the pledges following her around, I was able to provide the doctors with info on her therapist.
The doctors said the sedative would help her rest. When Nick made it to the hospital, his eyes were bloodshot. He went to the cops while I stayed with Scar.
“They didn’t deny it,” he spat. “He was fucking drunk, swerving coming fast and his headlights off. By the time my dad noticed, it was too fucking late.”
There were no words I could say that would take his pain away right now. Shit, I was still trying to wrap the fact that I had been mourning the loss of a child that was never mine to begin with. Both Nick and I sat on chairs just processing everything that had happened.
When life fucked you over, it did it raw.
Scarlett
The first thing I smelled when I became conscious again was the sterile environment. When I opened my eyes, I saw the hospital room layout, but I didn’t freak. In fact, I felt eerily calm.
“Scar.” Nick was right there looking tired and disheveled.
“What happened?”
“God, Scar.” Nick put his head on my lap and cried.
I held my brother’s hands while he grieved. All these years and I’d had the answers with me. I turned my head
, already feeling tired again when I saw Gavin sleeping on the other side of the room. I wanted to stay awake, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I was hoping like hell everything wasn’t fucked-up when I woke up again.
Unfortunately, life didn’t work that way. Once again, my life had spiraled out of control from one wrong decision—this time it wasn’t my own. Just like I had all those years ago, I woke up wrapped in Gavin’s arms, except now we were in a hospital bed.
“Hey, sleepyhead.” He gave me a sad smile.
“I kind of hoped none of it was true.”
“Fuck, baby, if I could take the pain away, I would.”
“What happened?”
Before he could talk, my therapist walked in with my brother.
“How are you feeling, Scarlett?”
“Like I lost my parents all over again,” I croaked.
She wanted to talk to me, but I told her whatever she had to say she could do it in front of Gav and Nick. I didn’t want him to stop holding me. Not when once again, he was the only thing keeping me steady.
According to my therapist, I had suppressed my memories. The death of my parents, Gigi’s betrayal, and her involvement in the accident was too much for me to cope with. My brain had prioritized the memory that was more important, repressing the other two that caused me pain—until I was strong enough to handle the truth.
Just like junior year, I lost my shit again. Only this time, because the sight of Gigi and Rhett was enough for my suppressed memories to resurface.
“You didn’t think I was crazy?” I asked him.
“No, Scar, I never thought you were.”
Gavin confronted them, and when Gigi started to shout hysterically, they knew I was telling the truth. That was not the only thing that came to light. Gigi had lied all along. She’d never had a miscarriage, but an abortion. And the real fucked-up part was the baby was never even Gavin’s; it was Rhett’s. I held Gavin a little tighter at that moment. He’d carried a child in his heart; he’d mourned the loss, carried the guilt, all for it to be a lie. God, how could Gigi do that?
I had lost my best friend way before I thought I did. I’d made decisions in my life thinking of her, and all she cared about was about herself.
“Are you okay?” I asked him.
“Seriously, babe? Your whole world got ripped apart, and you want to know if I’m okay?”
I didn’t answer.
He pressed his forehead to mine. “I hate her, Scar, I fucking hate her with all I am, but if I let this anger and pain take over me, it’s going to consume me, so I’m going to let justice take care of her and him. And I’m going to make sure that we are okay—that she doesn’t win. It might take time, but with you by my side, I’ll be fine.”
“It hurts so much, Gav,” I whispered, burrowing closer to his touch.
He held me tighter.
“I know, babe. But you’re not alone; you have me.”
Gavin pulled me in for a kiss. Although the wound of my parents was once again fresh, in a way, I felt free of the memories that haunted me. This kiss was refreshing. I had been drowning for so long I didn’t realize what it was like to take a breath of fresh air. Gavin did that. He was my fresh air. He steadied and calmed me. He made all the decisions that led us to this point not hurt.
“I know, Gav. I’ve always had you…and you have me.”
At that, he gave me a sad smile.
“I kind of ruined your victory party,” I attempted to joke to take my mind off things.
“Baby, you could never ruin anything. Besides, everyone went home to get some rest, but I’m sure they’ll be back later. Everyone is worried about you.”
“And you. Your friends care about you,” I told him.
He didn’t deny it. He just kissed the top of my head. “I love you, Scar.”
I was about to answer him, but he cut me off.
“The draft is in the future for me. I know it’s fucking selfish, but I need to know we’re solid. I need to know that no matter all the changes, I still have you in my life.”
I closed my eyes. I was still in shock, and I felt so heartbroken, but if one thing was clear, it was that I wasn’t drowning when Gavin was near. My therapist still wanted me to keep seeing her, and I agreed. Weirdly, I felt…closure. I’d been depressed, on my own, and when I got help the first time it had worked, but then I wasn’t sure what I was getting support for—now I did. Gavin was right. I couldn’t let Gigi win. Three tears fell when I opened my eyes and blinked.
One was for my dad, who’d died on impact.
The second was for my mom, who’d begged for me to be saved.
The third was for the life I was determined to live no matter how much pain it brought me. No matter how much pain it brought me to think of all the moments that impacted my life to get me to the point I was today.
“One kiss,” I started to say, and Gavin tensed. “And you’ve ruined me for everyone else.”
Epilogue
Three Years Later
The plane landed on time, and like the rest of my teammates, I was ready to get the fuck out and get home to my wife. It’d barely been a year, but it still made me smile when I called her my wife.
After homecoming and all the crazy shit that went down, I was scared I was going to have to be away from my girl for a little while, but as painful as the truth was, it helped her get closure. God, was I proud of my wife for working so hard and getting up again. On draft day, she was right there with my parents, and I was a nervous wreck because she hadn’t mentioned anything about moving with me. I knew she loved me, that we were solid, but that didn’t translate to her moving with me. I didn’t push her; as much as I wanted to, I just let her make up her mind. I got third pick in the draft to Colorado. She didn’t mention anything then, just that she was proud of me. I was patient and enjoyed our celebrations.
On graduation day, we both graduated with business degrees, and amidst all that chaos of people hooting and shouting, she informed me she was moving in with me. Since then, it was mostly happy days.
Except when she came back home with me for Christmas. It was hard for her, but like everything else she did, she took it in stride. A few months later, when Jordan’s family was on vacation, I took her to the lake and asked her to marry me.
Once I was in my car, I took a calming breath and drove home, glad we didn’t get delayed by any press. Things with my team were going phenomenally. I didn’t want to jinx it, but it looked like we were heading to playoffs. The change to Denver was good for us. A change of scenery in a new city brought us closer. Word got out about what went down at the homecoming party, and it made us somewhat famous. People had love for not only me but for Scarlett. My girl was loved.
When I made it to our gated community, I grew anxious. I wanted to see my wife already. One thing that Scarlett had not gotten used to was the money. At first, we fought a lot on all the things I paid for, and, well, fighting led to a lot of pissed-off sex until she saw she could keep losing or do something with it—which she did. She helped fund a wellness center that catered to teens battling depression and addiction.
I was so damn proud of her. She told me she was going to make her parents proud, and I told her she already had.
When I opened the door to my house, Chuck, our Rottweiler, came running at me.
“Hey, boy.” I scratched behind his ear. “How’s Mama? Is she still sick?”
The dog barked at me, and I took that as a yes. I left my stuff in the living room, which would drive Scar crazy. When I made it to our bedroom, I heard ESPN playing in the background. My wife rarely missed my games. She was my biggest cheerleader, my number one fan. She kept me grounded in this crazy world. I walked up to the door and leaned against the doorframe and looked at my wife, who was lying in bed wearing my jersey and sucking on an ice pop.
“You had outstanding stats, babe; I still think that last play was bullshit.” She turned, offering me a smile.
Her knowledge of football was s
exy. Having her brother as head coach to our alma mater and her husband a pro player did her good.
“Yeah?” I pulled away from the door, walked up to the bed, and sat next to her. “Were you yelling at the referees again?”
She glared at me.
I reached my hand out to cup her cheek. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and she looked tired.
“How are you holding up?”
“Better, I think. According to Google, I should be over it.”
I snickered at her. “Google lies. We been over this.”
“Shut up.” She swatted my chest. “Give me a hug.”
I didn’t need to be told twice to be embraced by her.
“You missed me?” I asked, reaching for her lips.
“Mmmhmm,” she replied, leaning up to kiss me.
I opened up to her, my lips moving against hers in a synchronized rhythm we had developed over the years. Her lips were cold from the ice, and she tasted like cherry. When she was fully under me, I let my hand roam up her shapely thighs.
“No panties?” I pulled away from her lips and smirked at her.
“You looked really hot playing,” she whispered, and fuck me, my dick jumped up at the lust in her voice.
“Oh yeah?” I said, my voice coming hoarse. “Did it turn you on?”
“Why don’t you find out?” she challenged.
I groaned when my fingers met the wetness between her legs.
“You drive me, crazy, baby.” I kissed her neck.
“You are my safe place. I love you, Gav.” She leaned in to kiss my cheek.
I removed my fingers from her wet pussy, letting my hand roam up her body before it froze. Scarlett bit her lip and smiled at me. I sat up, bringing her with me, and then I removed my shirt from her body.
My mouth parted open at the sight in front of me. Every time I thought I’d never seen Scarlett looking more beautiful than ever, she proved me wrong. She sat in kneeling position, her naked body gloriously displayed, but now there was a bump in her midsection.
“When did this happen?” I asked with awe in my voice as my hand came to her pregnant belly.
Scar shrugged. “I woke up, and then it was just there.”
