Dirty Quarterback: A Secret Baby Sports Romance (Blitz Book 1)

by S. J. Bishop

  I walked up the stairs to my apartment and just outside the door I saw something dark and putrid lying there. I walked closer. A bouquet of dead flowers lay tied together with a red ribbon. A note sat beside them. Myron’s idea of a love poem.

  Love is a tender thing,

  Love is a crazy thing,

  Sometimes love hurts,

  Sometimes, it has to.

  I threw the note and flowers in the dumpster and locked the door to my apartment. If my parents found out about this, I thought my mom might actually use it against me to get custody of Lily. So instead of calling the police, like I should have, I sat on the couch with a knife in my hand until it was time to go to work.

  35

  Carter

  Hannah was staring me down. "Is it true?" she asked me again.

  I sighed. "Yes," I finally told her. "I saw Erik make a pass at her. I almost beat his ass for it."

  Hannah’s eyes widened slightly but she didn’t cry. "Well, I guess that settles things, then," she said. "How do you think Mom and Dad are gonna react when I tell them the wedding’s off?" She tried to smile, like it was no big deal, but inside she was clearly hurting. I wrapped her in a hug.

  Hannah let out one choked sob then pulled it together again. "Ava told me something else." I looked at her, eyebrows raised. "She said that Myron wasn’t really her boyfriend. She just wanted to make you jealous." Hannah smiled. "I think Ava’s got it bad for you."

  My heart thumped in my chest. How could I have been so stupid? I kissed Hannah’s head and said, "Thanks for telling me," then grabbed a jacket as I headed for the door.

  "Carter," Hannah called after me, "one more thing." She hesitated. "Don’t get into another fight with him when I tell you this, alright, but Myron told Ava the only way he’d drop the charges against you is if she slept with him."

  My eyes widened. Hannah put a hand out to try to calm me down, but it was useless. "I’ll kill him," I said, then hurried out the door.

  "Carter, don’t really kill him!" I barely heard her call after me as I peeled out of their driveway.

  All the way to Ava’s house I ran Ava’s last words through his mind. He wants a favor. And I’d been too stupid, or too angry, to pick up on the context of it all. "Christ, I’m an idiot.” I banged my hand on the steering wheel. It stung for a second but the pain dulled back down as a fresh wave of anger washed over me.

  I was no longer mad at Ava, I was mad at myself. When no one answered Ava’s door, I went to Piccadilly’s. One of the waitresses there recognized me and told me she was at Y-Mart. I guess not everyone in the town thought I was a drunken deadbeat.

  I rushed to Y-Mart and found Ava stocking cereal down the grocery aisle. She looked surprised to see me. Her eyes were drawn and her face was tired. I noticed deep lines etched across her forehead that looked out of place on someone so young. I could see the toll the last few days had played and my heart went out to her.

  "Carter," Ava exclaimed. She stood up and looked around. "What are you doing here? I haven’t talked to Myron again, if that’s what you want to know. I will, I just... I need a little time."

  She looked so hopeless and it killed me to think I had been the cause of it. I reached out, took the box of cereal she was holding from her hand, and sat it on the ground. Then I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her up off the ground. .

  "Carter!" she squealed, laughing. "What are you doing?"

  I set her back on her feet and kissed her. I didn’t care if anyone saw.

  When I finally pulled away, Ava refused to let me go. Her hands stayed wrapped around me.

  "Can you ever forgive me?" I asked.

  Ava smiled. "For what, precisely? There are so many things to choose from."

  "For being a jerk. For telling you to do whatever Myron wanted. For making it seem like my career was more important than you are." I hesitated. "Hannah told me about Myron. If I ever see that guy again, I’ll kill him."

  Ava’s cheeks reddened. "Don’t say that, Carter. Myron’s a... well, he’s not worth going to jail over. I’m sorry I lied to you about him. I was just..." Her cheeks grew even brighter. "I was jealous of Olivia and wanted to make you jealous too."

  "Well it worked."

  "It did?" Ava looked up at me, a smile on her face.

  "I don’t ever want you seeing Myron again."

  "Well, that might be kind of difficult. I work with him."

  "Then quit."

  Ava laughed. "I can’t quit. I can barely afford my bills as it is."

  "I’ll help you. We’ll figure it out. You’re smart. There must be a better job out there for you than Piccadilly’s or Y-Mart."

  "What about Olivia?"

  "What about her?"

  "I’m not so sure how much she’ll like the idea of you helping me."

  "Doesn’t matter. Olivia and I broke up. For good this time."

  A slight smile lit up Ava’s face. It was somehow sweet and mischievous all at once and it made me crazy.

  "I have my break in twenty minutes," she said. "Will you wait outside for me?"

  "Of course. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me to." I kissed her once more and went outside to wait, my heart lighter than it had been in years.

  36

  Ava

  I looked around the parking lot and saw Carter leaning against his car. He’d parked on the side of the building with the other employees’ cars. Customers never parked there. I was glad he’d chosen that spot. He waved to me and I walked over, unable to wait another second to touch him. Our lips met and I ran my tongue first across his lips and then dipped it into his mouth. I pushed him back against the car door. My hands wrapped around his neck and I pressed my core to him. Electricity surged between us.

  "Wow," he said, when I finally let him up for air. "Guess I should come visit you at Y-Mart more often."

  I giggled. "So are you gonna let me in?" I asked innocently, batting my eyelashes at him.

  "Oh," he said, opening the passenger door for me. "Sure. Sorry. I didn’t realize you wanted to go anywhere. You wanna get some food? I’m buying." He shot me a smile that sent tingles up my thighs as he slipped the keys into the ignition. I pulled the keys out and tossed them in the backseat.

  "What’d you do that for?" he asked.

  "Because I don’t want you trying to get away," I said.

  "What—"

  I lunged at him, stopping him from whatever he was about to ask me. I pressed my lips hard against his, feeling a force inside of me take over. I leaned into him and heard a thunk as his head hit the window. "Ow," he said, laughing, when his leg hit the gear shifter.

  "What’s gotten into you?" Carter asked, smiling.

  I didn’t know but I couldn’t stop myself. "Hopefully you in another minute. My break’s not that long," I said playfully.

  His eyes met mine and the spark I found there showed me he was driven by a desire equal to mine. "Then I guess we better hurry."

  I crawled over the seats into the back. The car was small, but not so small that I couldn’t fit on the seat. I widened my legs to make room for Carter. I unzipped my pants and pushed them to my knees.

  "Hurry I’ve only got like ten minutes."

  Carter climbed into the back and stretched himself over me. He had to squeeze but it didn’t matter. His lips found mine and my heart beat hard against my chest.

  Carter lifted his body for me as I worked to free his erection. When the zipper was down I kicked his pants down and wasted no time in pressing myself against him. My eyes burned bright as I looked at Carter. It was getting darker outside but there was still the lingering light of dusk. Carter’s manhood grew under my touch and my thighs tightened. I lifted my hips against his, my blood pulsing.

  Carter lifted my shirt up and pushed my bra down. He ran his tongue over my breasts and my skin prickled with goose bumps. I writhed under him, my soft mound growing moist and hot as Carter circled my dark pink nipples with his wet tongue. I bit his ear playfully,
sending him over the edge. He pushed into me, entering my sweet, dark cave without hesitation.

  I moaned and arched my back. My thighs clenched. Carter shifted his knees then began to pulse against me, driving his manhood deeper inside me. I moved my body with his and we eased into a rhythm. I lifted my hips again and again, rising to meet each thrust of his pelvis as he dug his way deeper inside me.

  Carter’s manhood filled me so completely it was as if we had been molded together, part of the same marble some master sculptor had set aside just for us. My breath quickened as Carter moved faster. I opened my legs as wide as I could. My knees knocked against the seats. Sweat broke out on my forehead and stung my eyes, but it only added to the buzz of energy that filled the car.

  My hands grabbed hold of Carter’s backside as he moved against me, guiding his speed and strength. The harder I pulled against him, the harder he pushed. My fingers dug deep into his back as my sex began to tingle. My eyes widened and Carter caught the hitch in my breath as I stroked his bare bottom.

  He made one final push, finding his way deeper into me. His manhood searched my core for one final spot in which to touch me and send me over the edge. He found it, and my eyes rolled back. The world around us exploded. The sky, almost completely dark now, filled with light. The sound of trumpets blared from the distance. And then it was all gone and we were in Carter’s car once more.

  I sat up, panting. "That was awesome, but I’ve gotta get back inside."

  "Kiss and run, huh?" he grinned at me and stole one more kiss before I bolted from the car, fixing my hair.

  "It’s not exactly running," I said, "more like crossing the finish line."

  He looked skeptically at me.

  "Alright," I told him. "I’m doing a kiss and run. Sorry. Why don’t I run back into you later tonight?"

  I paused, my eyes going wide. "Wait a second. What about Hannah’s wedding? Shouldn’t that be happening, like, now?"

  Carter grinned. "Hannah kicked him to the curb. He was a schmuck. I never liked him anyway."

  I gave a tentative smile. "I hope it wasn’t my fault. I told her that he made a pass at me."

  "I know, and it wasn’t. It was his fault. He’s a jerk."

  I smiled and leaned over for one last kiss. "I’ll call you when I’m through, but it might be late. I think they want to keep me a little longer tonight."

  "Late or not, call me."

  I grinned and walked away. For a second, I thought I saw Myron standing beside the entrance to Y-Mart, watching me. I blinked and he was gone. My heart thumped hard in my chest and I looked back at Carter, who smiled and waved.

  "I’m getting paranoid," I muttered to myself before stepping back into the store.

  37

  Carter

  I heard the yelling before I’d even stepped inside. I opened the door to my parents’ house and found Olivia, Erik, and Hannah standing together screaming their heads off. Erik’s face was pinched and uneven. Hannah’s was beet red. Olivia looked perfect, as usual. Though I did note that her eyes looked a little too round and her forehead was sweaty.

  "What the hell is going on?" I asked.

  The three of them all turned to me and started shouting over each other.

  "He’s been cheating on me the whole time!" Hannah screamed.

  "Your sister’s a nut job!" shouted Erik.

  "Everyone in this house is insane," said Olivia.

  Finally it hit me that Erik and Olivia were standing together on one side of the room, forming a sort of wall, while Hannah was all alone on hers. I went to stand beside her, searching her face for clues as to what was happening. I assumed Erik was pissed because she’d called off the wedding, but he’d deserved it.

  "I went to confront Erik about hitting on Ava," Hannah said, "and found him in bed with this slut!And you were my Maid of Honor!" Hannah shouted. "What a joke. Slut of Dishonor would be a better title for you.” I should have been shocked, but somehow it made perfect sense knowing those two.

  Hannah picked up a notepad and threw it at Olivia’s head. Olivia ducked, and it just missed her.

  Olivia’s eyes widened. She turned to Erik. "You hit on Ava?" she screamed, smacking his shoulder.

  "No, of course not. That skank is nothing compared to you."

  I watched, fascinated, as Erik and Olivia stared each other down. I wondered who would back down first.

  "They’ve been sleeping together this whole time," Hannah said, anger flushing her face. "Your girlfriend and my fiancé! That’s disgusting! It’s like... ew. I don’t even want to think about it."

  I couldn’t hold back a laugh.

  "What the hell is so funny?" Olivia demanded.

  "You," I said. "I can’t believe after all the jealous tirades you’ve been on about Ava... after insisting on wearing that stupid engagement ring I gave you... and all this time you were screwing Erik?"

  Olivia’s cheeks flushed. "Well you haven’t exactly been attentive to my needs," she said. "Besides, Erik’s twice the man you are. Literally."

  Hannah laughed. "Please. I’ve seen mice with more down there than Erik has."

  Erik’s cheeks turned bright red.

  "I don’t have to listen to this anymore. We’re through," he said to Hannah, huffing towards the door.

  "No shit," Hannah yelled after him.

  He paused at the door and looked at Olivia. "Are you coming or what? ‘Cause I’m not sticking around here to wait."

  Olivia shot one last look at me and for the first time it struck me that she looked remarkably like a horse. I wondered how I’d never noticed that before. Then she ran after Erik. He opened the door and tossed one last insult over his shoulder before stepping outside.

  "You did me a favor," he said to Hannah. "Now I don’t have to cast you in my next picture. Your acting sucks."

  Hannah’s face grew red. But I thought she should be thankful to get out of acting in his B movies.

  I watched as Erik walked outside, Olivia just behind him. Before she could slam the door shut, a man dressed all in black and wearing a ski mask jumped out of the bushes. I saw the flash of metal and gasped as I realized the man wielded a knife. Erik was so startled that he had no time to react. The man drove the knife deep into Erik’s chest. Erik made a small gasping sound, like he couldn’t breathe, then slouched forward.

  My eyes darted to Olivia who stood frozen. Then I looked over at Hannah. Her mouth hung open. I felt like I was stuck in a dream. What was going on? Erik’s eyes bulged out of his head. Blood immediately began to swallow his shirt. The attacker pulled the knife back out, ready to plunge it into Erik one more time and finish the job. Olivia screamed.

  Her scream cut through the night and seemed to wake the attacker from out of a trance. He looked over at me and his eyes widened. He dropped the knife and ran.

  It wasn’t until I heard the clink of the knife as it hit the cement walkway that I snapped out of it. I ran to Erik, who was still alive, barely, and turned back to Hannah. "Call 911!" I shouted.

  Hannah nodded and drew her phone from her pocket. I got up and ran after the killer.

  "Wait!" Olivia shouted. "Carter, don’t!"

  I chased after the attacker. It was hard to distinguish him in the night sky. All I could see was a dark figure weaving between cars and houses. He was ahead of me by fifty feet or so. I was gaining on him though. My heart hammered in my chest as I increased my speed, running like I was heading for the end zone. The man ran around a corner, and by the time I got there he was gone.

  "Dammit," I mumbled, searching the houses around me. I could feel the killer’s eyes on me. There was a crunch from someone’s backyard. I stepped towards it, but just then a line of police cars, chased by an ambulance, rounded the corner. I decided not to push my luck and went back to see if Erik was still breathing.

  38

  Ava

  "Ava, call for you." My boss at Y-Mart, Mr. Turner, smiled as he waved me over to the office. Mr. Turner was by far a better a bos
s than Mr. Brewster, who was still in the hospital, though recovering from his recent injuries. Mr. Turner would never have propositioned me the way Mr. Brewster had.

  "I think it’s your mom," Mr. Turner said, handing me the phone and stepping casually to the side to give me some privacy.

  "Hello?" I asked. My heart started to hammer before my mother even spoke. If my mom was calling me at work, it was bad news.

  "Ava?" my mother sobbed. "Lily..." I felt the blood drain from my face. My hand reached for the desk to steady myself as my knees began to buckle. I had never heard such dire sadness in my mother’s voice. Mr. Turner came over to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

  "Oh my God," I said, tears welling in my eyes. "Is she... is Lily dead?" I could barely get the words out. My whole body began to shake.

  "No," my mother managed to say. I felt myself relax for just the tiniest second before my mother spoke again. "But it’s bad. She collapsed. Oh, Ava I couldn’t wake her up." My mother sobbed into the phone and I stood still, unable to breathe. My father came on the phone now.

  "Ava," he said. "Honey, you better get down here. I’m not sure how long you’ve got." I didn’t hesitate. I dropped the phone and flew out of the building. Luckily, Mr. Turner knew all about Lily and I knew he was sympathetic. He had kids of his own and wouldn’t need any further explanation than knowing Lily was sick.

  My car had made it to Y-Mart. I prayed it would work for me now as I cranked the ignition. It turned over on the first kick and I said a silent "thank you." I stepped on the gas and made it to Dover Medical in record time.

  When I first stepped inside, I was confused by all the police. They weren’t normally present in such abundance at the hospital. I dismissed it, thinking that perhaps someone on the force had been in an accident and the others had come out to see him.

  I didn’t even have to ask where Lily was. The trips to the hospital had become so frequent that I knew my way around the building like the back of my hand. I made my way to the emergency waiting area and saw my parents already seated. I stopped and stared at them. My mother was stark white. I had never seen her look so bad. My father looked just as bad. His lips were drawn together in a thin, hard line. I could tell he was trying to be strong for Mom.