Losing Her (The Lexington Series Book 1)

by Belle Winters

  “That is AWESOME! Who knew Nick was good for something.” I joked and he threw a fry at me. He grabbed Mel in a side hug and kissed her temple before returning to his food.

  Dean spoke up next, “so you all know what’s next right? It will be during the beginning of the football and track seasons. We will know about the championships for basketball, and you young lady, get that portfolio together ASAP” Dean met my eyes, “I want the mailman complaining about the amount of applications leaving our homes.” He said and we all cheered. Finally, things seemed to be falling into place.

  It was two weeks later, and it was the championship game. The stadium was packed. There were fans and people everywhere. Nick secured a huge spot almost on the court for all of us. He had a huge personal fan club attending today. In addition to all of us there were several recruits coming. People were still filling in and the team was warming up. I looked at Nick and I could practically feel his nervousness. James would be arriving soon. He was going to meet his friends out front so they could sit with us. Samantha was watching Nick with a hawk’s eye. Suddenly she huffed, slammed her hands against the bench and stood. She handed me her bag and strutted her ass onto the court. The coach and ref tried to stop her but she gave them a lethal glare and yelled, “I’m going to talk to my boy. You try and stop me.” They both fell back. She made her way to Nick and movement from the players stopped. She grabbed him and said something to him in his ear. When she was done she pulled back and looked at him. He gave her a wide smile and she gave him a brief hug and as she walked away she slapped his ass.

  He turned around and cupped his hands around his mouth, “thank you Sexy Sam. And Mel tried it you can bounce a quarter off my magnificent ass!” He screamed. Mel blushed and we laughed.

  One of his teammates frowned and was across the field so we heard him ask, “dude you talk to your mom like that? That’s weird man.”

  Nick rolled his eyes, “that’s not my mom… that’s my woman.” He turned to Sam who was back at my side and he winked, “Right lover?”

  “Um, isn’t that your wife?” I heard a voice ask and I heard James laugh.

  I turned to look and heard Sam laugh and respond, “Sure Nick. Now remember what I told you.”

  “Yes ma’am” I heard Nick reply. There were some snickers from onlookers. But I was focused on James who looked fully amused and about seven other guys.

  “Yes, Nick has a thing for my wife.” He said with a laugh. Some of the guys looked confused while others looked amused. “Let me introduce you to everyone.” He introduced Dean first and not surprisingly Dean knew 2 or 3 from business. He introduced Max next, then Erica, and Sam. He introduced Mel as Nick’s girlfriend and also dropped a hint about her making the track team and how excited the coach is about her when they start next month in December. Landon was introduced next and they asked him a bunch of questions about his upcoming football. We’re in November and his practice has officially kicked off. Their first game was coming up Monday, the week of Thanksgiving.

  When they got to me I jumped out of my seat and cut James off. “And he’s my dad. I’m Lucy.” I said with a big smile and they all laughed.

  “She’s beautiful James, where does she get it from?” this came from one of the younger guys and Landon growled. He grabbed my waist and pulled me down onto his lap and wrapped an arm around me. I rolled my eyes and found my dad trying to cover his laugh.

  “Ah, so she’s also the girlfriend.” He looked to James, “you have your hands full here. You have a Psychiatrist who minored in electrical engineering and can break down a car and put it back together, track star, a basketball star, and a football star. What’s your talent Lucy? It looks like there’s no such thing as normal here.” The man said.

  I shrugged sheepishly, I didn’t do anything as awesome as the rest of them. Landon turned his head to face them and answered, “She’s an artist.” My gaze swung to his and I glared. That was an overstatement. It was a great hobby and I wanted to get better.

  One of the older men’s eyebrows raised, “really? My wife sells art. Do you have anything?” he asked. I shook my head and Landon rolled his eyes and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He started to scroll through, and then handed the guy his phone. The man took it and started looking taking his time scrolling. He let out a low whistle and some grunts. “You did these all yourself from scratch?” he asked. I shrugged.

  “To be honest, I have no idea what you’re looking at.” I admitted. He handed me the phone and as I swiped through I saw pictures out of my sketchpad and some of my paintings that are in my room. I looked at Landon and swatted him. “You’re a fucking creep you know that right? You just go through my shit whenever you want to. Who said you could take pictures of my stuff?” I asked him.

  He shrugged, “I don’t care. I already did it, what are you going to do about it now?” he asked.

  I huffed and went to get off his lap. He laughed and held me down. “I’m hiding my stuff from you so you can’t get to it.”

  He kissed my cheek, “You all want to see my favorite?” he asked.

  He got several affirmations. He scrolled through them and waved the guy over who originally looked at the pics. The man sat in my seat and he handed it over. “You see this? I bought her this because this is where I fell in love with her and where she broke my heart when we were tots.” He said gesturing to my swing necklace and bracelet, the guy looked on amused and the others were paying close attention. “Now I went back there and took this picture,” The guy chuckled and I got curious, but refused to engage him. “She was toying with her jewelry and she said she missed the park so I told her to take a picture of it. So she made this from her memory.” He said swiping at the phone.

  “Well I’ll be damned. That’s really good, and you can see where the emotions fall into the detail. It looks like the real thing, but it has more emotion to it, like a story. Would you mind texting me the two pictures and even of the jewelry. I have got to show my wife. She’s going to love this.”

  “Send it to me too, I know a few people in the art fields that look for stuff like this. A lot of times you see exact replicas or things or just plain ideas. I don’t often see pictures that hold the emotion of the painter in such an elegant way.” Another one chimed in. I couldn’t remember their names.

  “Sure.” Landon said and proceeded to take pictures of the chain and bracelet and then send it off to whoever wanted it.

  The guy with the wife whispered to Landon, “I actually liked a bunch. Do you mind if I steal some and email them to her? I’ll definitely get laid tonight.” We both laughed and Landon handed over his phone and told him to take whatever.

  I turned and whispered in his ear, “I like how you just give out my stuff like it’s yours.”

  He smiled and whispered back, “I can because your mine, and your too shy to show off how awesome your skills are. So I’m going to do it because I’m damn proud. Now stop pouting the game is about to start.”

  The game was intense to say the least. Nick was doing his thing, I couldn’t stop smiling. It was a close call, we were down to the last 15 seconds of the game the score was 86 to 88. We were down two points. We needed either two more plays or a three point. The crowd was bouncing with excitement and we were all standing. A guy wearing a hoodie and a cap pulled down over his eyes sauntered to our area. He walked up to Dean and said something and Dean greeted him. He whispered something to James and James shook his hand and then introduced him to the others. Some looked surprised and others seemed to know him. I had no idea who he was but I didn’t care. He came into our row and stood beside Landon and said something to him. Landon gave him a man hug with a big smile. The guy threw his arm around Mel and she smiled up at him.

  The guys broke from their huddle and entered the court. I was on my toes, I felt like I was on the court. When they checked the ball it seemed like the other team was focused on Nick since he secured the most shots, and his accuracy is on fucking point. The opposing t
eam was relentless. They were all over them, they did not want the make any points. I was biting my nails and screaming for Nick. Player number 15 tried to go in for the shot and they blocked him. Shit. The other team caught the ball. The guys were flying down the court and it was like a blur went past him. He went for the shot but someone came up to his side and snatched the ball and sprang back down the court. Number 7 had the ball as was zooming down the court. The crowd was counting down the time. There was 4 seconds left on the clock and even though he was going fast and left all the other players in his dust, he wasn’t going to make it to the three point line on time. All the other players on the court stopped as Nick veered to the center and just as the clock hit one he got into position and shot. From center court. From center fucking court and the sound of the swoosh indicating a clean shot sent the fucking adrenaline in the room over the top. Everyone went fucking crazy. Mel hopped over the seats in front of us and sprang on the court running straight into Nick’s arms. He caught her and tossed her into the air then spun her around. We were all going wild. I could hear the guys with my dad all losing their shit over that. Nick had scored 54 point, 7 threes, 9 rebounds, and a fucking shot from midcourt. I was so fucking proud. The guy next to Landon looked at him and Landon nodded. The guy stood up on the seat and shouted Nick’s name. Mel heard and pointed Nick in his direction. The guy pulled his hood off his head and took his hoodie off knocking off his cap in the process. I laughed, hard.

  Stephen. Fucking. Curry, had come to Nicks game. And was wearing his team jersey that Nick had signed. Stephen picked up Max and threw him on his shoulders. The crowd went fucking nuts as he ran onto the field to Nick with Max on his shoulders. He grabbed Nick’s hand and held it up in the air, while pointing at the signature on his jersey with the other. They brought him a mic and he looked at Nick then told the crowd, “Just so you all know, I have the first autograph.” He looked at Nick and said, “You might give me a run for my money kid. I heard you were doing your thing on the court, and I had to come see one of your games too since I’m your number one fan. I look forward to seeing more of you.” With that he disappeared into the background. When everything died down they gave out the trophies and with a unanimous vote, Nick was awarded MVP. When he came out of the locker rooms he found us all waiting. He shook hands with all the scouts and they practically drooled on him, and argued over who’s getting him. We were all so fucking happy. He put on a good fucking game. The game had made sports center, and I think it was due to the winning shot and the guest appearance. Stephen only revealed himself after the game and praised Nick. I believe he just intentionally sent Nick’s basketball status through the roof. And to be honest, I don’t think he would’ve done it if he didn’t deserve it.

  Monday evening was their first football game. I rode to school with Landon because he said he’s going home after the game. Since me and Mel were both going I figured we’d grab some food afterschool and head back for the game. Nick and Landon won’t be leaving in between. The school was buzzing with anticipation. After a knockout basketball season, they were ready for their football team to bring it home. I was also in high hopes. This would mean a lot to Landon. The day dragged by, I couldn’t wait for the game. Landon and Nick have been working hard and training with each other on the weekends at the house. I’ve been watching and they both look great. They look fucking ready. I feel like a proud mama bear when I watch those two show their asses in sports.

  After school me and Mel opted for some burgers and fries at a diner. Erica was going to catch us there because she was bringing Max. James and Sam were already there holding seats. Dean was the next to arrive, and finally Max and Erica. Apparently Max had a snack that got everywhere so he needed to wash and change. I laughed at his guilty expression when she told on him. The game was good, but there was no competition. They left these guys on zero. They totally made them eat dust. Landon and Nick were ruthless and in the zone. It became obvious before the end of the game that this was a slaughter but it didn’t stop us from cheering and going crazy in the stands. When the game was over and the guys were about to leave the field for the locker room, Jasmine broke into a run and jumped on Landon throwing her arms and legs around him and letting out a victory yell. He didn’t immediately put her down, and I turned away. Fucking prick, he was going to pay for that. I didn’t turn back at all because I didn’t want to see. I’m sure everyone else did and I’d find out eventually. We stayed in the stands talking, James had saw some recruiter in the stands and decided to introduce us. Eventually we made our way to the parking lot figuring they should be out by now and low and behold, Landon’s car was gone. He left me. I tried not to let anything show, Mel was the only one who knew he was supposed to be my ride. She gave me a worried look and I just shook my head to indicate to her not now. I went to Dean and asked to bum a ride because I came with Mel, he nodded so I rode back home with him. When we got there Landon’s car wasn’t there. So not only did he forget me, he lied about coming straight home. There’s no reason we beat him here when he left first.

  I was in my room watching TV in bed when I heard him pull in. It was an hour and half later. I got up and locked my door and turned the TV up loud. My phone chimed with a text from Landon.

  Are you in your room? Everyone is in the living room.

  I scoffed and turned my phone off completely. At one point I think he came up and tried to come in my room but found the door locked. He might’ve knocked, but the TV was too loud to tell. I fell asleep with it on like that. I woke up early, considering I went to bed hours earlier than usual. I decided to go to school early and hit the art room. I had an hour of playtime when I got to school and I didn’t waste a second. I mixed some colors and just started painting. I didn’t have a vision in my mind or anything I just let the brush glide. I was so into what I was doing I didn’t realize the time until the art teacher came in and told me if I didn’t hurry I’ll be late for class. She said she would put away my piece for me. I thanked her and sped walked to my locker. When I got there Landon was leaning on it waiting for me.

  “Hey, you went to sleep early last night?” he asked.

  I nodded, and swapped books. “You know. I was just so tired.”

  He frowned, “why?”

  I shrugged, “because I walked home. My ride left me.” I said as I shut my locker. He cursed.

  “I’m sorry. I totally forgot, something came up.” He explained.

  I nodded, now wasn’t the time. I turned to walk to class and he fell in step. When I saw his hand move towards mine I rearranged my books so they were in the hand closest to him. If he noticed I did it on purpose he didn’t say.

  Jasmine passed us in the hall and she gave me a cheery smile. “Hey Lucy”

  “Hey” was all I said. I still was pissed she thought it was ok to jump on him the way she did.

  She looked at Landon, “hey thanks for the ride last night and helping me with that assignment…” her voice trailed off in my head as those words sunk in. so she came up last night. Go figure. I knew she was going to be a fucking problem. I just walked away before she could finish what she was saying.

  Mel was in my second period class, and I was forced to spill the beans. She was afraid my glare might actually kill someone. Yes, dramatic much. However, when I told her she was none too happy.

  She seemed to think of her words carefully before speaking, “to be honest, I don’t think it’s like the other times. He doesn’t seem into her. He doesn’t pay her any attention… like at all unless she initiates it. He treats her more of like the shy girl next door, and doesn’t want to hurt her feelings. I mean yea, it’s obvious she’s crazy about him… but he’s a guy. She’s not being upfront about it and she’s making her approaches and reasons to be around him or spend time friendly and subtle. To him it might just seem like he’s being nice to an old friend. She’s still kind of playing the new kid card too… so there’s that. I would say watch her, but I wouldn’t be totally mad at Landon. Just talk
to him and tell him.” She advised. What she said made sense, but there is a such thing as irrational anger.

  I tried to keep what Mel said at the forefront of my mind when we walked to the lunchroom. By the time we reached the table, all the preparation went out the window. You guessed it, she was sitting next to Landon in the seat I normally occupy. Ok, so I did think it was weird initially when they were doing the whole sit in the same seats thing. But it grows on you. It’s become a habit. I saw Nick watching me from the corner of his eye. Ever so observant, he misses nothing. The fact that he needed to check on me tells me that I’m not overreacting. I pretended not to be bothered and instead started to walk to a different seat. Landon spotted me then, I guess it was Mel’s presence that told him, because his head shot up and he gave me a small smile. I smiled back and didn’t stop. He opened his mouth to say something but I turned my head and kept walking. Jasmine didn’t notice, she was still talking a mile a minute. Serves him fucking right, I know that shit drives him crazy. When I do it he’ll clamp his hand over my mouth eventually to shut me up. I placed my tray next to one of the other players I never speak to. I do at least know his name is Ted.

  “Hey Ted.” I greeted.

  He looked up startled. He was a massive guy, on the team he was the one that tackled the other people or kept them from tackling whoever has the ball. You wouldn’t believe he is one of the shyest and sweetest guys you’ll ever meet. That’s why I don’t ever speak to him. He never talks back he’ll nod at me or give one word answers, but he doesn’t engage with us in conversation. He speaks with the guys he’s comfortable with like Nick and Landon, but even then if we’re around he talks low like he doesn’t even want us to hear his voice.