Game Day Baby

by Seabrook, C. M.

  “How old was she?”

  Aria looks away. “Not old enough.” Even in the darkness, I can see the pain that pulls at her features.

  I ignore my instinct to give her space and pull her into my lap. At first, I can feel her need to push me away but then slowly she sinks into me, and a small whimper escapes.

  “You don’t have to go through all of this alone. I’m here for you.”

  “Don’t you get it; this is my life. No matter how hard I try to run from it or hide, it’ll always be like this. Maybe if I’d just...” She trembles against me. “Maybe things could’ve been different...”

  I tilt her chin up, forcing her to look at me. “None of this is your fault.”

  “I’m not completely innocent, Tatum. I’ve done things--”

  “We’ve all done things we’re not proud of. But it doesn’t mean we deserve the bad shit that happens to us. And you especially don’t deserve any of this. You deserve the sun and the moon and...” I hold her gaze. “I want to give it to you, Aria. All of it. If I could make all of this disappear I would.”

  “You can’t.”

  “No. But I can love you.”

  “Tatum--”

  “I love you, Aria. This time apart has been a living hell. I need you.”

  She sucks in a shaky breath. “I love you, too. But--”

  I kiss her, because there are no buts, no reason that is good enough to keep me away. Maybe I should have more self-preservation. And yet, all that matters are her, us, and Rose. Keeping them safe.

  “Come home,” I whisper against her lips. “It doesn’t matter that Rose isn’t mine, because you are.” I cup her face, needing her to hear me. “You and I belong together, Aria. I never knew what love was until I met you. And I don’t give a damn what the world thinks. I want you. And if you can sit here and tell me you don’t want me too, then I’ll walk away.”

  “I want you, too.”

  I press my lips to hers, breathing her in. “Then we fight this thing together.”

  Her arms are wrapped around my neck, and she twists in my arms so that she’s straddling me. “Sometimes, I still think you’re too good to be true.”

  “Trust me, I’m not perfect. But I want to be for you.”

  “How the hell am I supposed to fight you when you say things like that?”

  I chuckle. “You don’t.” I groan when she moves against me, my balls aching with the need to peel off her clothes and bury myself inside of her. “God, I’ve missed touching you.”

  “I’ve missed it too.”

  “Then can we please get you home, so that I can show you just how much I’ve missed you?”

  A small smile touches her lips. “Do we have to wait?”

  The moon is out only light. We are hidden by the woods and her body is so damn warm, so needy. Same as mine. She moves against me harder and I ease down her leggings, my cock in her hand and she sinks down on top of me. Her arms wrapped around my neck and our foreheads touching, our hearts pounding together as one as I claim her as mine no matter what. No matter what comes next, she is mine and I need her to know that. Need her to believe it.

  As we come together, her whimpers in my ear become the most powerful sound in the world. In this instant, I have only two desires in this life -- to be the man she needs and to be the father Rose deserves.

  Her gasps cause my cock to explode inside her, her skin hot to the touch as we both come.

  “I don’t want you to ever leave again. If anything happened to you, I couldn’t bear it, Aria,” I tell her knowing it sounds like I’m a caveman, making some primal demand. But she understands. She knows. The world is not made up of safety nets. And if you get caught in a snare, you might never be free.

  I can’t have that for either Aria or Rose; I can’t have that for me.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Aria

  I’ve made a no media policy. Which means no TV, no radio, and definitely no internet. Tatum has asked me to trust him to take care of things, and even though it goes against my nature, I’m doing my best not to worry.

  Rose and I move back into his apartment. I’m still not convinced it’s the best plan, but I know there’s nowhere else I want to be then in Tatum’s arms. Safe. Protected.

  But is it only an illusion?

  Only our closest friends know that Rose isn’t ours, but I know that eventually, the truth will come out. Or some distorted version of it.

  But watching Tatum with her, no one would guess that he’s not her biological father.

  He loves her.

  And when she lets out a full belly laugh as he makes a funny face, I know she loves him too.

  And so do I.

  My body is still aching from me showing him just how much last night.

  “There’s the most gorgeous woman in the world,” Tatum says, grinning at me when I lean over and kiss his cheek.

  “Thank you for letting me sleep in,” I tell him, joining him in the living room. He’s sitting on the floor, Rose on a pink blanket, kicking her feet and trying to pull them into her mouth.

  “Of course,” he says as if getting up with the baby is the most normal thing in the world when I know for a fact that not every man is cut out for Daddy-duty. My own father, for one. But I’ve also seen enough fathers come in with their daughters for dance class, only to stare at their phones for an hour instead of enjoying watching their little princess learn to pirouette.

  “But I have bad news,” Tatum says, grimacing.

  “Oh no, what is it now?” I sit next to them and squeeze Tatum’s knee. I don’t think I can handle another crisis.

  “We’re out of coffee.”

  I laugh, relieved that our emergency is so easily repairable. “You scared me,” I say. “I thought something awful had happened again.”

  He grins. “Sorry, but you without coffee is pretty terrifying.”

  “Shush,” I say, punching him in the shoulder. He grabs me by the waist, tickling me, and plants a kiss on my lips. “Fine,” I say, giggling. “You win. But it’s not fair to just kiss and make up.”

  He chuckles. “Oh, you’d like to do more than a kiss? Because I can manage that.”

  Laughter falls from my lips. “After I have a latte… maybe.”

  “Maybe? Wow, you drive a hard bargain.”

  I smirk. “You’re the one who’s hard, mister.”

  He groans, adjusting himself. “Not cool. And it’s not my fault, You’re sauntering out here in panties and a see-through tank top. You’re nothing but trouble, Miss Aria.”

  I kiss him quickly on the lips. “Sorry for being such a dick tease.”

  “Sorry for not buying groceries.”

  “Make it up to me by taking me out to breakfast?” I ask.

  He picks Rose up off the floor, kissing her chubby cheeks “If we time it right, she’ll take her morning nap in the sling while we’re out.”

  I look at him, shaking my head. Tatum is truly an amazing man and he’d make an amazing father for Rose. Tears threaten to prick my eyes as I consider the possibility of my sister coming back to town and pulling all of this away from me. Just like she has before.

  But whatever momentary fear rises up in me, is replaced when Tatum takes my hand and helps me to stand. “Come on, babe. Go get decent, I’ll get Rose ready.”

  I do as he asks, smiling as I dress. Thinking that maybe it’s not too late for me. Too late for us. Maybe there’s time for us to get our happily-ever-after yet.

  * * *

  After a pancake breakfast with cups of coffee, we leave the diner with our sunglasses on, our ball caps in place, and our fingers twined in each other’s. Rose is nestled against Tatum’s chest in a sling and I have her diaper bag slung over my shoulder. Yes, there are paparazzi in the distance, but Tatum and I refuse to give them what they want.

  After being holed up in his apartment, we all need fresh air and Vitamin D. Instead of looking their way, we focus on the neighborhood that we need to wind throug
h to get back to his condo. The houses on this block are beautiful and much older than Cleo’s modern waterfront home. The kind of houses that have early twentieth-century charm. Each one is slightly different, a storybook-like house with a sweeping roofline, or a mansion with white columns on the porch, and a three-story Victorian home with gingerbread trim.

  “That is the one I like,” I say, pointing to a forest green bungalow at the end of the street on a corner lot. “Big, but not insane and cozy instead of chic.”

  When we get closer Tatum points. “Look, it’s for sale, and there’s an open house today.”

  I laugh. “What are the odds of that?”

  He pulls my hand to his lips, kissing it. A tingle travels up my spine reminding me that even if our lives are complicated in a hundred ways, that right now, this -- being here with Tatum -- is the most simple, effortless thing of all.

  “The odds are actually in our favor after the month we’ve had.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Want to go in? Take a look?”

  I twist my lips, looking over my shoulder. “I don’t want anyone following us.”

  “No one is. Besides, I’ve been saying I needed a bigger place. Come on. It’ll be fun.”

  He’s right, it is fun. We go into the house and if the real estate agent knows who Tatum is, she is discreet about it.

  “Mind if we look around?” he asks.

  The older woman named Marta smiles and hands him her business card. “Of course, I’m here if you have any questions but most couples like to take a moment to look around on their own.” She peers down at Rose who sleeps against Tatum’s chest. “What a precious little one. Are the lucky parents needing a bigger place now that baby is here?”

  “Something like that,” Tatum says, squeezing my hand. “We’re just gonna look around if that’s alright?”

  “Of course, there’s coffee in the kitchen.”

  We leave the foyer and pass through a living room which has a large stone fireplace, a dining room with built-in cabinets and shelves, a kitchen that has been remodeled into a magazine-worthy features and appliances. “This island alone is bigger than most people’s dinner tables.”

  Tatum runs his hands over the white marble. “It’s gorgeous. I love the gold, grey, and white.”

  We keep walking, passing a study, a library, then head up the staircase to the second floor.

  “Oh, wow, “I say, taking in the master bedroom. “Look at this bathroom.”

  His eyebrows lift. “Double shower? I like it.”

  I laugh. “I bet you do. But I was admiring the soaking tub.”

  He places his hands on my hips. “I think I could enjoy that as well.”

  We keep looking around the bedrooms. There are four on the second floor alone and a large playroom.

  “There would be so much room for Rose to play here,” he says.

  His words send my stomach flip-flopping. Because deep down I know this is not permanent; this thing we are doing. Eventually, Ash will come back and ruin everything.

  He must see my body stiffen because he rests a hand on my back. “Hey, I was just dreaming, is all.”

  I do my best to smile. “I know. I like that you’re a dreamer.”

  “Could you see yourself in a house like this?” he asks as we take the stairs back down to the main floor, out the back patio.

  The yard is lush, green, and full of flowers. There’s a potting shed and large garage, a built-in pool and a hot tub. The yard is as big as the house.

  “Sure, I could see myself here,” I say with a laugh. “It doesn’t even seem like we’re in LA, back here. It feels like a sanctuary.”

  Martha has followed us outside and is rambling again. “And the garage has been renovated into a home gym. I’m not sure if you exercise, but there’s even a dry sauna.”

  Tatum and I share a look, it’s nice not being recognized. “I like to work out now and then,” Tatum tells her with a hint of a smile on his face. “And my wife, here, she is a dancer.”

  “Oh, how lovely,” Marta says. “Well, this house is a special one. It’s only been on the market for a few days but I’m sure it will go fast.”

  We thank her for her time and take the side gate back to the sidewalk. Jasmine vines climb the side of the house and a massive oak tree sits on the front lawn. Everything about this place feels like a home, but I know it’s not just the house -- it’s being here with Tatum and Rose.

  “What are you smiling about?” he asks.

  I don’t want to tell him what I’m thinking. Or to put pressure on our new, just beginning to blossom, relationship. So instead, I tease him, wrapping my fingers around his biceps. “I was thinking you need to step up your workout routine. Martha back there didn’t seem to notice your muscles. It’s not a good sign.”

  Tatum chuckles. “She must have forgotten her glasses,” he says.

  “Sure,” I say, laughing, then I’m on my tiptoes, kissing him. Rose still sleeping like an angel, even though I know she’s gonna wake any minute. “If you ask me, the old lady is blind.”

  “Is that right?” he asks, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. I nod, licking my lips. “God, I love you, Aria,” he says.

  “I love you, too.” If we could stay in this home under the oak trees, with the city in the distance and with cameras and magazine miles away, it would be perfect.

  But it isn’t our reality and it won’t be, ever. The video that was released, changed any hope of that. Rose will always be the child of Ashley and the pain that comes with that will haunt her forever. The same way it has always haunted me. Tatum must see the thoughts in my eyes because he squeezes my hand again and we start walking back to his apartment, the bungalow growing smaller and smaller with each step we take, the fantasy of a normal life fading fast.

  We’re walking back into the apartment when a coldness fills me, and I feel like someone is watching me. I glance around, catching a shadow moving deeper into the alley across the street.

  “You okay?” Tatum asks.

  “Yeah.” I shake my head knowing I’m probably just being paranoid.

  “You know what you need?” he says.

  “What?” I groan. “An orgasm?”

  He snorts, his laughter waking Rose up who begins to cry. “No, I was thinking you need a vacation. But sure, an orgasm, won’t hurt.”

  “A vacation?” I eye him skeptically. “I can’t imagine anywhere we could go that wouldn’t feel like someone is lurking around a corner waiting for us to drop our guard.”

  He pats Rose’s back as we reach his condo. “I know the perfect place.”

  “And it’s baby-friendly?” I ask, remembering our night in the Hollywood Hills Hotel.

  “Yes. The most baby friendly place you can imagine.”

  “And where is this mythical land?” I ask as we step into the elevator.

  “My parents’ house.”

  I gape up at him. “You want me to meet your parents?”

  Tatum grins. “No. I want you to meet my entire family.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Tatum

  Aria’s hesitant at first, but once I lay it all out for her, I can tell she’s excited.

  “And they won’t mind a baby being at their lake house?” she asks after I get off the phone with my mom. I have a few days off between practices and games and I want to spend every minute with Aria.

  “We have to go now. Mom’s already planning a big family dinner,” I say, handing her a bottle for Rose. “She’s making her famous lasagna. No backing out now.”

  “But what does she think about Rose being there when she isn’t your...”

  “My parents know how much you and Rose both mean to me.” I had to tell them the truth about Aria and Rose. I didn’t want them to find out from anyone else. And my mom didn’t take it well.

  “You’re sure?” Aria chews on her bottom lip.

  “This is going to be fine,” I tell her even though the truth is Mom is
worried. More than worried. She’s scared I am setting myself up to get my heart broken all over again. She used the words, Charlie Round Two to be precise.

  But my mom is wrong about this. About Aria and Rose. In my heart, I know this is the right thing. That is why I asked my parents to trust me on this. Why I want them to meet Aria and Rose.

  “The flight is at six tonight, so we have a few hours to pack. We’re lucky it’s a bye week for the team.” And lucky that the coach has me benched yet again. After the last game, my leg is bothering me again. I don’t want to think about the fact that my time on the field -- or the lack thereof this year -- is going to screw me over for any hopes of advancing in the NFL. One injury can change everything. My dreams can be gone in the blink of an eye.

  But then Aria and Rose entered my life and now I’m thinking maybe being a fucking football superstar isn’t the point. Deep down I know it never really was.

  It’s why I called that real estate agent Martha right after I ended the call with my mom.

  My phone buzzes and I look at the text. “Shit.”

  “What is it?” Aria is sitting on the couch with Rose in her arms, giving her a bottle. The television remote in her lap and I know she has an episode of the show she’s been watching on Netflix all queued up.

  “It’s just Knox. I forgot I made plans to meet him and Drew for lunch today.”

  “You should go,” Aria says with a tight nod.

  “I don’t know. After what Drew did to you--”

  “You need to clear the air with him, Tatum,” she says firmly. “It won’t do us any good if you’re fighting with one of your closest friends. Do it for your team, but also for yourself.”

  “You mean it?”

  She waves the remote. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me. Besides, Cleo is coming over with a suitcase for me to borrow.”

  “You could borrow one of mine,” I say, leaning down for a kiss.

  She bites her bottom lip. “I don’t want to constantly ask you to share your things.”

  “What’s mine is yours, Aria.” I mean what I say, but her eyes tell me that she’s not sure if she believes me, that she is still holding back. Holding a lot of things back, in fact. And I have no fucking clue what they are.