by Kara Hart
I didn’t know what all that would entail. I didn’t know I would still have leftover feelings for Jackson. So when Joseph gave me the ultimatum of leaving in a week, it left me feeling shell-shocked. Today, however, I’m just numb.
On the television, he’s the talk of the sports world. A newscaster levels a serious gaze at the camera. “Is this how we want our sports stars to behave? I mean, really, folks…”
But then, seemingly out of nowhere, the newscaster stops talking to share a phone call that was recorded earlier. It’s from Jackson and it’s an explanation about the fight at the gym. I hear the words that make me pause. “…I fell in love with one beautiful girl…” and I’m taken aback. Love? Did he really just use that word?
I turn off the TV, walking out to grab the mail that was delivered earlier. I’m shocked. I don’t know how to feel. Of course, I felt similar about everything. But that fight was the last straw. I can’t keep dealing with his shit forever. He’s an adult. He should learn to channel that energy onto the field.
When I open the mailbox, I see it. It’s a handwritten letter and I can tell just by looking at it that it’s from Jackson. I rip it open, falling to the grassy lawn of my front yard. I examine the contents and feel my body grow tense. He’s never gone out of his way to do something like this before. I half-expected him to go back to his old ways.
When I read the letter, I have to force myself to read it a second time. And a third time. And a fourth…
It’s heartfelt and straight to the point. It’s probably the sincerest thing Jackson has ever written and it takes me back to the days we first reconnected. Those nights we spent together, that’s what I miss the most. The honesty. The sincerity.
“I don’t know,” I say aloud. All of the sudden, the sprinklers come on and I’m forced to run back inside.
Soaking wet, confused, and ready for some real advice, I grab my phone. There are three missed calls from Jackson. “God,” I whisper, pacing around my kitchen. “What am I going to do?”
I get the call hours later. It’s Landon, which manages to confuse me more than anything. Regardless, I answer. I need to know what’s going on.
“You there?” he asks me, right when I answer the call.
“Um, yeah. What’s going on? Don’t you hate me?” I ask him, holding my breath.
“I never hated you, Fiona,” he sighs. “I just misunderstood some things.”
“Right,” I mutter. “Okay, so why are you calling me? I don’t think we’ve talked before. What’s going on, Landon?”
“Did you turn on your TV this morning?” he asks me.
“I saw the phone call. I heard what he said,” I tell him. “So what?”
“I’m with Jackson right now. We’re on our way to meet with Coach Stern and some of the suits upstairs, if you catch my drift. I just thought you should know. We’ve put things behind us,” he says. “He figured you wouldn’t answer the phone if he called you, but he’s trying to make things right.”
I’m honestly flabbergasted by the whole thing. Jackson, taking control of his life in this way? It’s a bit different. Normally, he overreacts, sending everything around him spiraling. I’m not sure how to react to this news. Even if it is true, how can I be sure?
“There’s no way that this is true.” I find myself actually laughing at the whole thing. “Is this part of your master plan? Is this your way to fuck over Jackson?”
“I’m telling you, it’s all the truth. He’s trying his hardest,” he says.
“Let me talk to him,” I say. “Now.”
“We’re here. I’m sorry, I have to go,” he says. He hangs up the phone and I’m left hanging by a thread.
I have a week until I have to go back to LA. I thought everything was going to resume as normal. I didn’t think everything would get this topsy-turvy. Me, give Jackson a second chance? It sure as hell wasn’t in the plan.
Jackson
“We want to play in the Super Bowl, plain and simple,” I tell the coach and the five other board members dressed in nice Armani suits. It’s hard for me to give these guys the time of day. The coach? Well, he’s worked his whole life to be here. He deserves it. The other people, however, haven’t done shit. They don’t know what it’s like out on the field. They don’t understand the pressures we face as professional football players.
“You fought each other,” one of the men says. “Not only that, all of the press that covers you two has been negative from the start. Look, we know you want to play in the game. I’m just not sure if it’s in the cards for you two. We can’t keep making exceptions every game.”
“So we fought a few times? That happens every year with other players,” I begin to make my case. “It just so happens that it happened to the two best players in the league. Are you really willing to mess with the ratings?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” another says. “People will watch the Super Bowl, whether you sit on the sidelines or not. I think we can afford to leave you two out this time.”
“Then, I’m done,” I manage to say after some time.
“Excuse me?” Scott says to me. “What do you mean, done?”
“I mean, I’m done. I quit the game. I don’t need it anymore if you don’t need me,” I say.
“I quit too,” Landon says. “Fuck it. Might as well go down with the ship, right?”
“You can’t quit,” the leading board member says, slamming his glass of water down so hard that it shakes the wooden table in front of us.
“And why the fuck not?” I ask him, feeling the adrenaline start to flow throughout my body. All I want is to leave this room, to drive to Fiona’s place, and bend on one knee. I want to take her by the waist and hold her close. I want to kiss her passionately, until we fall onto her bed. I don’t know if any of this will happen, but I have hope.
“I’ll remind everyone in this room that you two are bound by a strict contract that says you must stay in the league for three years. Then, and only then, will you be able to renegotiate,” he says, table still shaking. “You both agreed upon this, under law.”
“Then, sue me,” Landon says. “Take me to fucking court and take all my money. I don’t care anymore. I came to play, not deal with board members before the biggest game of my life.”
“I’m selling the mansion. You can take the money. Hell, take it all,” I say, backing Landon up. “It’s not worth anything to me anymore.”
Everyone looks to coach Stern, who is staring at the carpet and shaking his head. “When did the game get so complicated?” he asks us. “Back in the day, everything was so much easier. There wasn’t all this crap you have to deal with nowadays. All the sponsorships, team rivalries, all this adrenaline that gets thrown onto the field… it’s not fair to the players. Members of the board, I ask you to reconsider and let these boys play. God knows we need them.”
Both of us walk up beside the coach and stand with him. The board members turn aside to whisper with each other. The one seemingly in charge looks at me. “Alright.” He clears his throat and takes another sip of water. “I think I’ve heard enough for today. You can play the damn game, but if you manage to get yourselves into trouble one more time, we’re done here. Your contract will be over with and you’ll never set foot onto that field ever again. Got it? Good. Now get out of this office.”
I feel my heart rise into the back of my throat. “Wait, what? Can you repeat that? We can play?” I can’t tell if this is all in my mind or not. We got what we came for. I can’t believe it.
“We can play,” Landon says, smiling wide. We walk out with the coach and stand against the sunlight.
“Boys, you’re very lucky. I hope you know that,” he says. He gives a slight chuckle and rubs his fingers against his mustache. “I mean, the gall you two had. Jesus, I can’t believe it.”
I laugh right alongside of him. “I can’t believe it either. To be honest, I thought they were going to throw us out and take us to court.”
It’s
a miracle any of this worked out. Landon turns to me after some time. “Go get her, man. Get the girl you love.” All I can do is nod. I turn and hail a cab, rushing to her house, only to find her outside. And she’s crying…
Fiona
I can’t shake this. I can’t keep denying Jackson, even if he has messed up. Maybe he’s really trying to start a new life. Maybe he really does love me like he says he does. And maybe I love him.
When I walk outside to grab a coffee, I break down. I just start bawling. The past few days have taken their toll on me and now I just want answers. Only, there’s no answers to be had. I just need to get through the day, dammit.
And then that little yellow cab comes speeding up to the driveway and stops. I see him, front and center. Through the window, I see him and he’s smiling. He’s got a bouquet of flowers and as he steps outside, he walks with a confidence that’s free and new.
I immediately stop crying and scramble to make myself look more presentable. My hair is a mess, I’m wearing my pajamas, and I haven’t even put on makeup. I’m a total wreck.
And what does he say? “Hello beautiful.” That’s what he says. Of course, I can’t hold it in. More tears come down and I start laughing at the same time. He probably thinks I’m an insane person.
“Hi,” I whisper. “I wasn’t sure you were coming.”
“Here I am,” he says. “I think we need to talk.” I nod and press my lips together. Looking at him now, I want to kiss him so bad.
He grabs my hand and looks me in the eye. “But first, I want to do something,” he says. My eyebrows rise up in confusion.
“What?” I ask him, feeling hesitant.
He falls to one knee and my whole world shatters into a million tiny pieces, in a good way. “Oh my God,” I whisper, closing my eyes. “What’s happening? Is this happening? Oh my God!”
“Fiona Colleen Breckinridge,” he begins, “I was such an asshole to you. I took you for granted. I left you behind 10 years ago. And then I found you again and my life changed forever. I was sent back in time and found the guy I was back then. I made a mistake a decade ago, but I was better back then in a lot of ways. I lost my path, but you helped me become a better human being. And I know I fucked up again. I know I keep having to explain myself and give excuses, but this time it’s for real. I’m done playing around. I’m done being an asshole. I just want you. I want a family. I want everything good and bad, and beautiful, and ugly, all with you. Fiona Breckinridge, will you do me the honor of being my wife? And yeah, that kind of means forever, until we both grow old.”
I laugh again, while crying. “You are such an asshole!” I nearly scream.
“I know it,” he smiles. “But that’s why you love me, right?”
“Yes,” I whisper. “It is.”
“So what’s the answer? My knee is all wet from the grass,” he says. And then he opens the ring box and shows me what’s inside. And, oh my god, it’s perfect. It’s subtle and gorgeous, and as he holds it in front of my hand, I can’t help but feel like it’s already mine. It’s like it’s already a part of me.
I bite my lip and feel every bone and nerve in my body start to rattle. It’s a huge decision, but I have to go with what my heart tells me. And my heart is saying that Jackson Leeman, as cocky as he is, is the right one for me.
“Jackson, you annoy the hell out of me, but you’ve been good to me lately. I want a life with you, I really do. And I’m sorry for almost throwing it all away,” I tell him, choking up some more.
“You don’t have to be sorry,” he says. “Hell, you don’t have to ever be sorry with me if you don’t want to.”
“I just can’t imagine waking up and not seeing your face. The nights we spent together were everything to me and I almost let it all go down the drain. We’re going to get married, Jackson. And we’re going to experience the rest of this life together,” I say.
His smile grows at least an inch wider. He slides the diamond ring onto my finger and then grabs my hand and pulls me on top of him. The sprinklers go off and we’re soaking wet, but nothing matters because I found the most important thing in the world, and it’s mine now. I found love.
I found love in a different place.
Jackson
“Are they letting you play, or what?” she asks me, dipping her finger into some frosting from the refrigerator.
“They’re letting me play,” I grin. “We met with all the suits, and the coach. It was really intense.”
“Oh my God, Jackson!” she smiles. “How is that you get so lucky all the time?”
I shrug and walk by her, dipping my finger into the frosting next and feeding it to her. Her thick lips wrap around my knuckle. I pull back slowly and watch as she sucks all the frosting off. My finger is clean when I take it out, which pushes that warm feeling deep inside my body, to rise up.
“I’m just a lucky guy, I guess,” I say, letting go of her hand.
“You are.” She smiles and leans forward. Her tits fall against my chest and her eyes glance up at mine. Her perfume drifts into my senses, sending me into a state of near ecstasy. My cock grows hard against my suit pants, pressing against the zipper. I feel her hand feel around the outside, slowly unzipping and setting me free.
“Fuck, baby,” I moan.
“You really want it, don’t you?” she asks me, when she feels just how thick and hard I’ve become. My throat has tightened a little and when I glance down at her perfectly thick body, something clicks inside of me. It’s a deep feeling, coming from inside of my core, right next to my cock. I need her. Now. I need to taste her. I need to feel her. I need to ravage her.
She slides the top button through the hole of my pants and they fall right off. I pull off my shirt and stumble. Both of us tumbling against the wall as I literally tear the buttons right off her new shirt. “You owe me another top,” she says.
“I’ll just end up ripping that one too,” I say, tongue scraping across her neck.
My lips kiss forward and pull back. The taste of her gives me a new energy. I pick her up and place her on the kitchen counter. She’s wearing that black skirt again. It’s the same tight black skirt she wore on the day I first saw her again. I pull it off and spread her legs apart, revealing her wet pussy.
I’m fucking aching for her. I’m dying to cum inside her. I’m dying to make her mine. I bend forward and lick down from her pelvis, to her clit, and down to her lips. I taste every bit of her, even dragging my tongue across the inner-top of her thighs.
When my mouth is around her dripping pussy, I suck. I suck hard, all the while moving my tongue up and down. Her breathing quickens after a few minutes and soon enough, her hand comes down onto my head. Her palm squeezes as she grabs my hair, forcing me forward even more than before.
“I want to feed you,” she says. When I glance up at her, she’s smiling.
I moan and slide my tongue inside her, pushing against her walls. “Stop,” she moans. “You’re going to make me finish.”
“Good,” I lick across her clit and insert two fingers inside her. This makes her back arch and her feet twist and turn. She bites down on her bottom lip and grabs my head harder. “I want to make you squirm, baby. I want to keep you cumming until morning.”
“The game is tomorrow, Jackson,” she says, in between her erratic breathing. “We can’t fuck all night. You need your rest.”
“That’s what you think,” I smile.
I eat her like I’m starving for her pussy. Her body goes tense and then relaxes, over and over again. When her hands get weaker, she lets go of my hair, like she’s given up. She knows it’s over. She’s about to lose it to my tongue and fingers.
“Jackson,” she moans my name. “I love you.”
If I could talk, I’d say the same thing back, but I’m too invested in her right now. Her thighs shake and her whole body quivers. She gives a deep scream, from the back of her throat, and I know she’s gone. Her pussy contracts over my fingers as I slide them in and out
, and she grows even wetter.
I don’t wait for her to say she’s ready for more. I pick her up while she trembles against my body, and bring her to her bedroom. I drop her onto the bed and she smiles big, cheeks rosy red and forehead glowing. “Fuck me,” she whispers. “Fuck the life out of me.”
“God, you’re beautiful.” I moan, licking my bottom lip.
She spreads her legs and slides two fingers inside her mouth. She knows I want her. She knows just how badly I need her soaking pussy. When I enter her, her warmth falls around my cock. I push in slowly and feel it, as every inch slides in further. “Fuck,” I grunt.
“Even deeper,” she whispers. “I want to feel every single inch.”
Her legs close in around my back and I have no choice. I push in further and watch as my cock disappears inside of her. I pull back out and shake my head because the pleasure is too much for me to handle so fast. “Jesus,” I mutter. “You’re still so tight.”
I wrap my arm around the top of her back, to bring her closer to me. Skin on skin. Her tits press against my chest and her nipples drag across my flesh. Goose bumps actually press up against my skin. A strange and pleasurable sensation runs up my spine as I thrust forward.
The look on her face is saying, ‘Make me yours,’ and I’m all in at this point. I look down at her hand laying across my abs and I see that diamond ring. It glitters against the light and suddenly I feel all too emotional. This is the woman I’m going to spend every day of my life with. This is someone I’m going to have kids with. The weight is immeasurable, but it just leaves me more confident about things. It tells me that my life is right and that I’m going in the right direction. It gives me all the power in the world to know we have this kind of love.
As I grab her thigh and hold, I thrust forward. My emotions are going crazy. I love this woman. I love her so damn much. I want to give her everything. I lean forward and admire her beauty. Her perfect lips, her cute cheeks, and her stunning eyes all hook me, and I just know that I’m hooked for life.
