Shattered (Shattered #1)

by D'Agostino, Heather

  “Yeah, I guess,” I looked down at my hands and thought about what she’d just told me. I hadn’t expected Nick to not find somebody, but I had hoped that he would have said something to me. I knew that this was something we’d have to talk about later, and I tucked it away as I watched the team along with Nick come rushing out of the field house and on to the field to start the second half.

  ooooooooo

  “So I’ll meet you at home in a little bit, ok? I’ve got to go and meet Logan,” Avery called as she headed in the direction of the parking lot.

  “Yeah, alright,” I waved as she disappeared around the end of the bleachers.

  I was currently sitting on the bottom bleacher waiting for Nick to come back out of the field house. We’d won the game tonight, 42-7. From what I’d heard from other fans in the stands, it was the highest scoring game this season. Nick had been doing so well, and I secretly wondered how long he would stick around. I mean, most high school coaches have dreams of making it to the big leagues one day. Nick was so much better than this small town. I don’t know what I would do if he decided to leave. I could never go with him. My dad needs me now more than ever. With mom gone, there’s no one here to help him out.

  Before I could let my mind travel down that road anymore, Nick came waltzing around the corner grinning with none other than Becca trailing behind him. What was she doing? As she saw me sitting on the bleachers, she leaned into Nick, and wrapped her arm around his waist. He glared at her, and tried to push her away, but she just grinned up at him as she said something. I don’t know what it could have been, but he laughed, and it was like he’d forgotten that she was touching him. She looked over at me, and smirked as they reached the spot where I was sitting.

  “I’ll see you at practice Nicky,” she cooed as she waved, and walked in the other direction.

  Nick nodded, and reached out to help me up, “Ready?”

  I glared at Becca’s back, and then turned back toward Nick, “You let her call you Nicky?”

  Nick blanched as he realized what she’d done. She’d used my pet name for him. He never let anyone call him Nicky, but me.

  “Not on purpose Baby. It doesn’t mean anything,” he sighed as if he were sensing a fight beginning to brew.

  “It might not mean anything to you, but it sure as hell means something to me,” I scowled.

  Nick frowned as he watched me cross my arms over my chest, “I don’t like her. I never have, and I never will. She’s trouble Nick. She wants you. She’s always wanted you, even back in high school. She’s always tried to get between us.”

  “Just because she wants me, doesn’t mean I want her,” he whispered as he moved closer to me. He put the gym bag that he was carrying down on the ground, and pulled me into his arms. “Nothing is going to come between us. I promise,” he offered a soft smile, and leaned in the brush a kiss across my lips. “Now…can we get out of here?”

  I giggled, “Yeah. Avery’s picking up Logan. She said she’d meet us at home.”

  With that we turned, and headed in the direction of Nick’s truck. He had promised to bring me by in the morning to get my car, and I was secretly glad. I’d spent the entire day away from him and was really looking forward to having him with me the rest of the night. When you’ve spent five years apart, even a ten-minute drive makes a difference.

  Chapter 15

  Leah

  When we pulled up in front of the house, both Cam and Logan’s trucks were parked out front. I snickered as I thought about the fact that every guy I knew drove a pickup truck. I think it must be a requirement for living here.

  “What’s so funny?” Nick cut the engine.

  “Nothing,” I giggled. “Let’s get drunk. It’s been way too long…”

  Nick tossed his head back and laughed, “I missed this.”

  “What?” I turned toward him.

  “This…this version of you…the carefree one. I haven’t seen it in a while. It’s nice having you back.”

  I scowled as I looked over at him, “I’ve had a rough couple of months Nick.”

  “I know…I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right.” He opened his door, and rounded the front end as he came over to my side. “Let’s go in. It’s been a long day. I wanna relax, and take you up on that promise of ‘more to come’,” he grinned as he held my door open.

  “You might have to earn it now after what Becca was doing.” I looked up at him, and decided that I needed to know, “Did you sleep with her?”

  Nick sighed as he took a few steps back, “Leah…”

  “Did you?” I could feel my excitement for the evening slowly evaporating as I watched him battle with himself over how to answer me. “Nick?”

  “It wasn’t like that…we never dated,” he stepped forward, and tried to grab my arm.

  “So you did…you fucked her, and you didn’t see the need to tell me,” I spat at him.

  Nick’s head swung back as if I’d slapped him, “Jesus Leah, we weren’t together. You had left. It was one time. It didn’t mean anything.” He advanced toward me with his fists clenched at his sides, “Will you listen to yourself? You’re being a jealous bitch!”

  I reached up, and before I even knew what I was doing, I slapped him hard across the face. He grabbed his right cheek, and cupped it with his hand as his eyes hardened.

  “I can’t believe you just said that!” he growled as I turned and marched toward the house. “Go home Nick! I don’t want to see you right now.”

  “We’re not done here,” he ran after me, and grabbed my upper arm halting me. “I know that you had boyfriends while you were in Atlanta. I get that, and I’ve accepted it. You have to accept that I had girlfriends while you were gone. It was five years!” he leaned right into my face as he shouted at me.

  “Let me go!” I screamed at him as I wretched my arm out of his grip. “Don’t touch me! Go find Becca, she’s obviously who you want.”

  “Ughhhh!” he growled exasperatedly. “I don’t want Becca. If I did, I would have left the game with her.”

  “I don’t believe you!” I stomped up the steps, and swung the front door open. When I stepped inside, Cam, Avery, and Logan were laughing. One by one they turned to watch the show that Nick and I were putting on.

  “Leah?” Avery looked at my face as her laugh died on her lips. She glanced at Nick, and then back at me, “Are you ok?”

  I shook my head as I ran down the hall, and into my bedroom. I could hear Nick thundering behind me, but I raced to slam the door and lock him out.

  “Go home Nick. I don’t want to talk to you!” I screamed as I tried to force the door shut.

  Nick pushed against it until he over powered me, “I’m not leaving until we talk about this.” He stepped into the room, and closed the door behind him, before locking it.

  A few moments later, the door knob jiggled, “Leah? Are you ok?”

  “I’m fine Avery,” I called.

  “Cam left, and Logan offered to take me to his place. Are you going to be ok here by yourself?”

  “Yeah…I’ll see you in the morning,” I tried to hold my voice steady. I knew Nick wouldn’t hurt me physically, and we had apparently sent our guests running in the other direction. I moved to the other side of the room before turning to Nick, “So talk!”

  He huffed, and scrubbed his hands down his face, “Becca was a one-time thing Leah. I never wanted her. I was at Dave’s one night. It was right after you left. I was hurt, and drunk, and I wanted a warm body to help me forget.”

  I blanched at his admission, “But Becca? Really Nick? Why her?”

  “She was willing. I told her that it was never going to be anything that I was in love with you. She didn’t care. We went back to my place, had sex, and then I kicked her out. I honestly haven’t seen her much until last month when she showed up as the advisor for the trainers.”

  “She’s doing that to get close to you,” I shook my head as the anger I’d been feeling began slowly to melt in
to hurt. “She still wants you,” a tear began to trickle down my cheek as I fought to control my emotions. “Nick, you have to understand that I can’t stand her. She’s always tried to get between us, and you’re too nice to her. Promise me that you won’t give her any ideas. That you won’t let he get to close to you.”

  Nick stepped closer to me and cupped my cheek, “I promise.” He leaned in, and brushed his lips across mine in a soft kiss.

  Before the kiss could go any deeper, I pulled back, and glanced up at him, “How many others?”

  “Damn it Leah! Why does that matter?” he stepped back.

  Anger surged to the forefront, “It matters a lot to me.”

  “I didn’t really keep track, sorry!” he rolled his eyes and began pacing. The sarcastic bite to his words was not lost on me.

  “I wanna know,” I crossed my arms over my chest, and tapped my foot angrily. “I can tell you how many it was for me…one! I went out with one guy. One…and we were in a committed relationship,” I was crying, and screaming at him at this point. Emotions rolling through me faster than I could keep up.

  Nick sighed, and shook his head, “I don’t know. Are you happy now? I don’t fucking know! I drank…a lot. There were mornings that I’d wake up, and not remember how I got where I was.” He stalked toward me and grabbed me by the shoulders as he leaned in right next to my face, “You wanna know what I do know?”

  I nodded as the tears fell free.

  “Every time I was with somebody, every time I was buried deep in a woman, the only face I saw was yours. None of the others mattered. You were the only one I wanted. You were the only one I felt, and you were the only one I saw. You Leah…you were it for me, and then you left.”

  He stood there glaring waiting for me to say something to him. My eyes darted back and forth as I watched his chest heave with the deep breaths that he was now panting out. His admission right there in front of us, splayed out. I didn’t really know what to say, so I did the only thing I knew would get through to him. I pushed on his shoulders for leverage as I jumped into his arms, wrapped my legs around his waist, and crushed my mouth to his.

  Nick rotated, and we slammed into the wall. My back hit it with a thud as he pressed into me. We tore at each other’s clothes as our kisses spiraled out of control. “No one could ever take your place, Leah. No one,” he gasped as he ripped my shirt over my head. His hands danced over my ribs as they crept up my back in search of the clasp on my bra. When it popped loose, he ripped it off my arms, and tossed it behind him. “God you’re beautiful.” Before my mind could catch up with what was happening, Nick leaned forward, and sucked a nipple into his mouth.

  “Ahhh Nick!” I shrieked. I shoved my hands into his soft silky strands and gave a gentle tug. Nick groaned as he bit down lightly causing a shiver to run up my back. I bucked my hips against him as I begged for him to take me. “Please Nick…”

  He turned us toward the bed as he stalked across the room. In one fluid movement, he dropped down onto the soft mattress, and ground his hips against mine. The friction from our jeans sent a delicious sensation rolling through me.

  His lips began trailing across my collarbone, skimming up my neck, and stopping to nip my earlobe. “Nick…” I continued to beg as I skimmed my hands down his chest and abs to work the button of his jeans.

  “I know baby…I know,” he growled as he stepped back to tug my jeans off. “I’m gonna show you…show you you’re the only one. Once he freed my legs from my jeans, he flatten himself against me, and ground his hips into mine once again. I could feel the throbbing bulge of his erection through the front of his jeans, and a surge of pure pleasure worked its way right to my core. “Now Nick…” I continued to try to work his jeans free.

  Nick finally stood, and removed them after my failing attempt to do so, before shucking off his boxers too. As he stood there in all his naked glory, my eyes glazed over, and I bit my bottom lip to stifle a moan. “Like what you see?” he teased as he slid himself against me. I could feel the velvety softness of his cock press against my thigh.

  “Mmmmm,” I moaned as I arched into him. I was beyond the point of wanting something slow and sensual. “Nick?”

  “Yeah Baby?” he leaned in next to my ear, and rolled his hips again.

  “Stop teasing me,” I begged.

  “I need to get a condom,” he whispered as he started to move away.

  I shook my head, wrapped my legs around his waist locking my feet behind him, and tugged him closer, “I’m on the pill.”

  “Are you sure this is ok?” his brow furrowed as I tugged his face down to mine.

  “Just fuck me already,” I mumbled against his mouth before plunging my tongue in.

  In one swift movement, Nick sunk himself as deep as he could go. His eyes rolled back, and every muscle in his body went ridged. I ran my hands down his back, scraping my nails along the way, as I arched off the bed.

  Nick held me still for a moment as he took several deep breaths. “Give me a minute. I’ve never gone bareback before,” he panted as his eyes squeezed shut, and his jaw ticked while he fought for control.

  “Nick…move!” I demanded as I rocked my hips into him again. It was like a stick of dynamite had been lit. Nick began to thrust into me in an unrelenting pace. Sweat began to bead across his forehead, and his breath came out in quick gasps. We rocked together like a well-oiled machine. Nick was on a mission. It was as if I’d unleashed a beast.

  “Oh fuck you feel good,” he panted. “So tight…I can’t…I can’t hold on,” he growled as his rhythm became broken and disjointed. “Shit Leah…I’m gonna come.”

  As he pummeled into me harder, I reached between us, and began rubbing the tight ball of nerves sending myself over the edge with him. He happened to glance down just as I was reaching the peak. “Fuck that’s sexy,” he growled as plunged his tongue into my mouth in a deep kiss, and we groaned in unison as he spilled himself in me.

  Once he calmed down slightly, Nick rolled to the side pulling me with him, and wrapped me in a tight hug. “I love you Leah. There’s never gonna be anyone else. Please believe me,” he whispered.

  “I do,” I nodded against his chest. “I do.”

  We laid there in my bed tangled together for several hours before we drifted off to sleep. I knew he loved me. I knew Becca was nothing to him, but I couldn’t help the knot that seemed to be growing in my stomach. Becca was trouble. Trouble with a capital T. I wasn’t sure how…but I was going to have to find a way to keep her away from Nick. He didn’t see what I saw. He didn’t see how she looked at him like he was available. If she was anything like she used to be, she wasn’t done trying to come between us. No…Becca Taylor was bad news.

  Chapter 16

  Nick

  As I stood in Leah’s kitchen waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, Avery came in the backdoor. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt, probably Logan’s, and a pair of sweats. Her hair looked like a rat’s nest, and her makeup was smudged.

  “Rough night?” I cocked a brow at her.

  “Not rough enough,” Avery deadpanned. “You guys have a way of spoiling the evening.”

  “My evening was great,” I smirked as I watched her drop down into a chair.

  “Yeah well...you two always knew how to make-up,” she rolled her eyes at me and sighed.

  “Coffee?” I reached for another mug as I poured myself a cup.

  “That would be great,” Avery rubbed her eyes.

  “Did you sleep last night?” I scanned her face. Dark circles were under her eyes, and she had that glazed over look.

  “Not really,” she giggled. “Logan doesn’t like to sleep much when I’m around.”

  “So you and Logan huh? I never thought he’d settle down,” I chuckled as I thought about our high school days. Logan was way worse than I ever was. His numbers had to be in the double digits. “How long you two been going out?”

  “We’re not,” she groaned. “It’s not like that.�
��

  “Wait…so you stay at his place, and he stays here, and you don’t think that’s going out?”

  “We don’t go on dates,” she blew out a breath puffing up her bangs, and shrugged.

  “You may not, but if he’s letting you spend the night, he cares more than he wants to admit,” I shook my head as I handed her the cup coffee I’d poured. “I’ve got to go get Leah’s car from the stadium, and I need to go into my office for a little while. Can you let her know that I’ll be back later?”

  “Sure,” she nodded. “With the way you two were going at it, I bet she’ll sleep late.”

  “Maybe,” I chuckled. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Yeah…later,” she sighed as I turned and walked out the door.

  ooooooooo

  When I pulled up to the school, the parking lot was empty with the exception of a small silver Volvo. I hadn’t expected to see anyone here today. Leah had parked at the stadium, and no one ever worked on Saturday’s but me. I groan as I glanced around hoping that the owner of that car was not anywhere nearby. What could she possibly want?

  As I strode toward the gym with my keys, the owner of the car stepped out of the gym door just as I was about to enter through it.

  “Wow! Fancy meeting you here,” she chirped.

  “Yeah, whatever…I work here,” I mumbled as I tried to step around her.

  “Nicky what’s wrong?” she started to follow me.

  “Don’t call me that!” I growled.

  “Oh so only the high and mighty Leah Carmichael can use that name?” she snarled in a bitchy tone.

  “Yeah,” I snapped as I stalked down the hall toward my office. “What do you want Becca?”

  “I was here checking on some stuff before next week’s practice. I have things to do tomorrow, so I needed to be here today,” she droned on.

  “Well, you’re done now so you can leave,” I tried to close my office door in her face, but she pushed it open, and came in anyway. When I moved behind my desk, she stood there leaning against the end of it. She had that gleam in her eye, one that said she was up to something, but I was too busy, and distracted to really think about what it could be.