by Jamie Summer
“There they are!” Trevor called, the excitement audible in his voice. I turned to give him a quick glance, smiling at the way his whole face lit up.
“Why is Ty going over to the bench?” I heard his dad ask.
I turned toward the field, searching the home bench. Sure enough, Tyler had taken a seat, far from the players making their way onto the field.
“What’s going on?” Ty’s mom added, confusion marring her features. They turned their heads toward me, but I just shrugged. I had no idea why Tyler wasn’t playing. Had something happened I wasn’t aware of? Obviously. Why wouldn’t he talk to me about it? And what exactly was it?
“Has he not been good enough?” his mom asked again, and I shook my head.
“He’s been a constant on the team for the past year,” I told her. “As far as I know, his performance has been steady, just the way his coach likes it.”
At least that was what I heard the guys say last time the three of them were at the bar. I had heard whispers about Gavin’s trouble, but nothing about Tyler at all.
“Okay. Then why isn’t he playing?”
“I may know why.”
I turned to face Betty, who sat right behind me. “You do?” I asked in surprise, and she carefully nodded. I hadn’t even noticed how my voice had risen slightly. By the wide-eyed looks of everyone around me, though, it most certainly had. “I’m sorry,” I apologized. “Why do you think Ty’s not out there?”
Betty sighed and rummaged in her purse, pulling out a magazine. It was one of those tabloids I stayed away from ever since I realized what kind of crap they wrote. Growing up in a rather wealthy family, I had my fair share of run-ins with the media, and reading the lies they came up with definitely wasn’t anything I wanted to do in my spare time.
She held it out. “Here. This is the third or fourth article of this kind in the past two weeks. I’m surprised Tyler didn’t tell you about it.”
I scanned the words, my eyes growing wider with each one. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whispered as I finished the article, which explained all about Tyler’s violent tendencies. “This has to be a joke. Coach has to know this isn’t true.”
Tyler’s mom grabbed the paper from me, her exclamation mirroring my own.
I shook my head. “Tyler isn’t violent. Where do they get their stories from? Tarot readers? Seriously. That’s bull—” I looked at Trevor, “crap.”
“Yes, and Coach knows that. However, management doesn’t look too kindly on bad press, truth or not. From what little Gavin has told me, Tyler has been in the coach’s office a few times because of these articles.”
“Let me guess. As long as the bad press continues, he has to stay on the bench.”
Betty shrugged. “Seems like it.”
“Wait. Isn’t that at the wedding?” Tyler’s mom remarked. I turned to her, seeing her pointing at one of the pictures.
“Yes… Where did they get that picture? Did you see any press around that day?” I asked, and both Tyler’s parents shook their head.
“No. Jonathan isn’t famous or anything, so this was pretty low-key. No press, no nothing.”
“So where did the picture come from?” I whispered quietly, then looked at Betty. “Do you remember what the other articles were about?”
“Apparently, he threw a punch at some guy at a reception he went to. That’s when everything started,” she said.
I felt like I had been punched in the gut. A reception. Tyler throwing a punch. There was only one event we went to where that happened.
Charly.
“Jo, are you okay? You look quite pale, my dear." The voice of Ty's mom barely registered in my mind. It was too busy drawing out all the possibilities of how Tyler ended up in the situation he was in.
Could it be? Charly? My parents? Would they truly stoop so low?
Would they?
“Jo?” Tyler’s mom’s voice drifted over to me, but the anger and confusion warring inside me made it hard to focus on anything else. “Jo, whatever it is, we’ll get through it together. Okay?”
I fisted my hands in my lap. “It was Charly, the bastard. He was the one who alerted the media and had them take all these pictures. He probably called them right after seeing us at the christening and told them to hurry so they could get a money shot in. Then also gave them one heck of a story.”
“The guy he punched at the christening?”
I nodded. “My family wants me to marry him.” I heard the sharp inhale from Ty’s mom. I couldn’t blame her. Maybe it wasn’t the right time to bring his up, but it would make them understand where my suspicions came from.
“You think he would deliberately sabotage Tyler to get you?” There was slight disbelief in her voice, and while I couldn’t blame Ty’s mom for the skepticism, I knew what Charly was capable of. And how far my mom would go to keep her precious reputation in high standing.
“I can’t believe they would do that. What were they thinking?” I grabbed my phone and dialed my mother’s number.
“Well… Hello, daughter. How nice to hear from you.”
“Spare me. How could you do this to me? Do you have any idea what you have done?” I yelled. I felt everyone’s eyes on me, but I didn’t care. I was furious at the way my family played with someone’s future.
“I have no idea what you are talking about. And please, keep your voice down. I can hear you just fine without all the yelling.”
“You and Charly. It was all you. Tyler could lose his spot on the team, his future. Doesn’t that mean anything to you? Doesn’t that bother you?”
“I’m not sure what you refer to. I’m not involved in anything and haven’t seen Charly in a few weeks. Do tell, though. What has gotten you so worked up?”
I knew that tone all too well. She was very aware of what I was talking about. And that hurt more than anything else.
I hung up without giving her an answer. I couldn’t talk to her anymore. The betrayal cut through me like a hot knife, leaving a trail of pain behind.
When someone hugged me, I leaned into the comfort the embrace brought. “We’ll get through this and find a way to fix it, okay?” Ty’s mom said. While I wanted to believe her, I had no idea how she would do it. This was the British press we were talking about. They wrote whatever they saw fit, and if Charly continued to feed them with lies, they would happily put it on the front page. Especially when it involved a scandal revolving around a football player.
“I can’t believe my mother would do that,” I said. As we separated from the hug I definitely needed, Tyler’s mom smiled at me.
“I’m glad Tyler found someone who truly cared about him. And I’m even more glad it’s someone as wonderful and loyal as you.”
I felt my cheeks heat at her words, unsure how to respond. “He’s a great guy.”
“I like to think so, which is why it was always important to us that he found someone who’s as amazing as he is. And he did. So thank you.”
I watched her, trying to ignore the traitorous feeling in my heart.
She waved her hand through the air. “Anyway, I’m rambling. Sorry.”
She turned away from me and started a conversation with her husband, leaving me alone with the thoughts she put in my head. The feelings that suddenly spread all over my body, washing away the anger I felt moments earlier.
Feelings I had no business thinking about.
After all, our whole relationship was built on the fact that it was fake. In a fake relationship, there was no room for actual feelings.
Yet the thought of Tyler having to give up his career because he got caught up with me hurt in ways it shouldn’t. Hurt in ways I didn’t want it to.
I was screwed.
Tyler
I was fuming. And that was putting it mildly. Ten minutes ago, I was ready for the game, but here I was, sitting on the sidelines, watching my teammates.
“Coach pissed at you or something?” one of them asked.
I glared at him,
which made him back off. I wasn’t in the mood for questions. I wasn’t the mood for anything right now.
I glanced up at the private lounge where I knew Jo and my parents were sitting, but I couldn’t see anyone. Maybe they were inside getting themselves a drink or something to eat. I knew they’d have questions once they saw me on the bench. I didn’t want any of them to know the reasons for it. Jo’s relationship with her family wasn’t the best, so hearing it was her future husband—according to her mom anyway—who put me here wouldn’t do anything to put that relationship right again.
The moment I saw them come out of the lounge and take their seats, I avoided looking up there. I couldn’t bear to see the look in their eyes. Not that I would from down here, but I didn’t want to risk it.
Halftime came and went. While we were in the lead 3-0, I couldn’t find it in me to cheer for the team. Not when I was sidelined for something I had no control over. I knew that wasn’t being a team player, but I couldn’t care less at this point.
Devon and Gavin sat next to me for a few minutes, trying to keep me positive, but all I wanted was to tell them was to go screw themselves.
After the game, I walked into the underground tunnels leading to the changing rooms even more mad, needing some kind of outlet for my anger.
“Portsmith, a word?”
I hadn’t heard anyone approach in the solitude of the corridor, so I was surprised to see Coach standing in front of me. I nodded, following him to his office.
“Shouldn’t you be on the field with the players?” I couldn’t help but ask.
He waved his hand through the air. “They’ll be fine without me for a moment. I wanted to talk to you before you stormed off the way I knew you would.”
I didn’t even try to deny his words.
He smirked. “That’s what I thought. Look, I get you’re mad. I would be, too. Some things are out of my control, but this is something you can work on. I know what they wrote in that article is a bunch of crap, but you need to realize that all publicity matters at this point. Just make sure none of the wild speculations about your tendencies toward violence spread any further than it needs to. I know there was a good reason you did what you did, but the press is now doing whatever it can to find more to pin on you. Pay attention, get your stuff in order and don’t step out of line again. As long as you do that, I can keep you on the team. Another mishap and I may not be able to.”
I tried to comprehend his words, having a hard time wrapping my head around them. I knew the press situation was bad and had guessed it could cost me my career, but having it confirmed was different.
“It won’t happen again,” I promised, but I wasn’t sure what kind of promise it was. An empty one? One I would be able to keep?
“Now go home. Cool off, show up to practice on time and pay your dues. Hopefully this whole thing will die a quick death.” He waved me off.
I hurried out of the office and into the changing room, suddenly having the urge to get out of this place as quickly as I could.
I brushed off all the apologies and words from Gavin and Devon as I saw them, then darted out of the changing room five minutes after I entered. I was about to walk out the front door when the voice stopped in my tracks.
“Well, well, well… Who do we have here? Fancy seeing you here.”
I turned, my stomach churning at the sight of Charly standing at the other end of the corridor. There was a smug smile on his face. For a split second, I wondered how long it would take me to cross that space and punch him square in the jaw.
As if sensing my mood, he smirked. “Now, Coach wouldn’t like you to make headlines again, would he? So whatever you want to do to me, you can’t. Sucks, doesn’t it? Not getting what you want?”
Somehow, I felt his last words weren’t about me playing football anymore.
His face fell, his expression hardening. “I’ve always gotten what I wanted. I’m used to that. Hell, it’s what I deserve. All my life, everything has gone according to my plan. My plan. Not anyone else’s. So your little stunt with Jo? It has kinda thrown a kink in my plans. And I don’t like that. At all.”
“What do you want?” I asked, anger slowly turning into annoyance.
“I think that’s pretty clear, don’t you?”
I shrugged.
“I want what belongs to me.”
“What belongs to you? Are you serious? Jo isn’t property. She’s a person.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” He smirked as he started walking toward me. “She’s mine. Has been for years. She just doesn’t know it,” he said, showing just how delusional he truly was. “I will get her back. She will be my wife. Not yours. Speaking of which, do you really think you fooled anyone with that little stunt you pulled? No way Jo would ever go for a nobody like you. So whatever you think you have going on can be over before anyone gets hurt. Just tell her you’re calling it quits. Easy, right?” The smug smile stayed on his face, but there was an underlying anger behind his eyes. Barely three feet separated us, and it wouldn’t take much more to make my patience snap.
“Screw you.”
“Nah, I rather screw Jo.”
I saw red. Blinding rage came over me, and before I knew what I was doing, I had closed the distance between us. Before my fist connected with his face, strong hands pulled me back.
“Don’t. Remember what Coach said. You can’t do anything stupid or you’re off the team.” Devon’s voice was soothing, but it only riled me up more.
“It’s his fucking fault! His fault,” I raged.
Something flickered in Devon’s eyes as he looked at Gavin. For a moment, I thought they were going to let me go. “Even more of a reason to not let him get to you. You need to be the adult here. Understood?”
Manic laughter rang in my ears as I saw Charly walk off. “Too bad. I truly would’ve loved to get a picture of you trying to throw another punch. Would’ve definitely made headlines. Like I said, just tell Jo this little charade is over and you can keep playing your little game. If not, believe me, I will make your life a living hell.” He flipped me off and walked out of sight.
“Let me go after him,” I growled at my friends, but their grip didn’t let up.
“Not a chance in hell. You’re not thinking straight,” Gavin explained. “You need to calm down first. Be glad we came by when we did; otherwise, you might have done something stupid.”
“You heard him. He threatened to destroy my career. All because he is a delusional dick who thinks women are property.”
“Oh, I heard him. Believe me, you weren’t the only one who wanted to punch him. However, with everything you got going on right now, you just need to go on your merry way. You hear me?” Devon turned me to face him. “He’s a jerk. You can’t let him get to you. Promise me that.”
I took a few deep breaths, then nodded. The anger was still there, fighting to be set free, but I was able to hold it off. For now.
“There. Now, before you go running after him, think about what that would achieve. Absolutely nothing positive. Go home. Tomorrow, we’ll meet up and try to come up with a plan to take care of this douchebag. Got it?”
I looked long and hard at Devon, then nodded another time. They finally relaxed and stepped back,
“This isn’t you, Tyler. You wouldn’t get this riled up about the whole issue if it was still a fake relationship.”
Gavin’s serious tone made me glance his way, but I didn’t have a chance to ask him what he meant before Devon interrupted.
“Listen, we need to get changed. Don’t do anything stupid. We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”
I watched them walk off, leaving me thinking about Charly’s words. Lose Jo, or lose my career.
Jo
The plan had been to go out to eat with Tyler’s parents after the game. I had even made reservations at a cute little Italian place around the corner. When I told Tyler about it before the game, he smiled, telling me he loved the place, too.
However, I
wasn’t sure that was still the plan now. When Tyler met us after he changed, I could tell something was off. And it wasn’t just the fact he had been sidelined. Something else was going on. When I asked him about it, he said everything was fine.
“Do you still want to go eat?” I asked when we got ready to leave the private lounge. His parents were getting their coats on, so we had a few seconds to ourselves.
“Absolutely,” Tyler said, though it was a little less enthusiastic than I would have liked.
“Do you wanna talk about what happened down there?”
“Not particularly. I rather just spend the time with you and my parents, okay?”
Without warning, he pulled me in for a kiss. This one seemed different. More desperate, more final, more real than any of the others we shared. I kissed him back, hoping to soothe whatever worries he carried within himself.
Tyler pulled away, gazing into my eyes. “Let’s go.”
I wanted to pull him back to me. Wanted to feel him close again, try to make him forget about whatever was bothering him.
The way… I swallowed, stunned at my thoughts. The way it works for real couples.
“We’re ready,” Tyler’s parents said as they walked back. The four of us walked out of the stadium and over to the restaurant.
The hostess led us to a table out on the terrace. Since the weather was pleasant, it was the perfect place to have an early dinner.
“Tyler, I’m so sorry about what happened today. I would’ve loved to see you play again.”
I winced at his mom’s words. I knew she meant well, but the reminder likely didn’t help matters.
“I know,” he choked out. He bit his lip, and I hoped dinner wouldn’t end before it had even started. “I’m sorry, too.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, son,” his dad said. “From what we heard, it wasn’t your fault you were on the sidelines today.”
The words made Tyler perk up slightly. “How do you know?”
