The door is wide open after partygoers have left, and the cops push their way inside then stop when they see the two by the couch while I'm standing by the mantel.
The older officer speaks up, "Ladies, I'm Officer Presley. We have received several nuisances calls this evening for this address. As this is not our first call to this house in the last few weeks, I think we need to have a serious discussion."
I'm still shaking with rage, not enough to fight with either officer but to speak as calmly as possible. "Officer Presley, I apologize for the trouble that they have been giving you. I’m the other tenant on the lease, but it seems that my roommate has taken advantage when I’m either at work or at my boyfriend's house to throw these parties. I was unaware of these events until this evening."
Leena tries to defend herself, yet stumbles in both her speech and over her own body, landing next to Tara who has started crying, too.
"No noooo no, she's lying. S-she's having the parties. Not meee!"
The other cop takes a notebook from his chest pocket, takes one look at Leena, and then me before speaking again. "According to the townhome owner on file, two of you are renting this place from him. Which one of you is Leena Trevoy and the other Natalie Lyons?"
I raise my hand. "I am Natalie Lyons. My driver's license is upstairs if you'd like me to go get it."
The cop whose badge reads Starke nods at me, and I run upstairs to grab the purse I dropped on the floor. I try to fight the urge to Poltergeist vomit looking at the crumpled mess on my bed. I wish I could have the cops call the Hazmat team to remove it.
When I get back downstairs, the cops have Leena, and a now covered Tara, sitting on the couch in the trashed living room.
The two girls are crying, and I can't seem to care. Tara's are more than likely fake tears, and Leena is too drunk to stop the waterworks.
Handing the officer my license, he double checks my identity before speaking to Leena.
"Miss Trevoy, we have had several calls from your neighbors that the parties here have been a disturbance for far too long. As many children live in this neighborhood, respect for others around you is more important than your need to be intoxicated. Now, we have no cause to arrest you and your friend who is clearly involved in another incident here as well, but we will not tolerate these domestic disputes in this area. Your landlord was notified on our way here, and he is eager to speak with you." Turning to me, he says, "Unfortunately, Miss Lyons, he'd like to speak to you as well."
I reply, “Sir, I’ve already decided that one of us is moving out. If both of us need to, I honestly don’t care what happens to Miss Trevoy at this point, and I'll be looking into a restraining order against Tara."
Leena screeches at the cops, "This isn't fair, she can't do that."
Before either officer can reply, Tara snarls at me. "Just because you're dating Colin Shaw doesn't mean you're better than us you bitch!"
Officer Starke turns to me and questions, "Colin Shaw? As in the Houston Rams wide receiver Colin Shaw?"
My face turns red being called on the spot about Colin. This is one thing I told Colin I didn't like about us dating. "Yes sir, and I'm sure he would be here to back me up on the behavior of these two women. I actually do need to call him, though. Please excuse me for a few minutes."
With that, I walk outside to make my call, leaving an upset Leena and Tara.
Dialing Colin's number, he picks up on the second ring. "Babe, I was starting to get worried. Are you sure you don't need me to come home?"
Just hearing his voice has calmed me down more than he realizes. Before I can explain the horrific last hour, I blurt, "I caught Tara having sex in my bed."
I have to hold the phone away from my ear as he yells, "SHE FUCKING WHAT?!"
"Yeah, and she ruined the flowers you sent me. Thank you, by the way. I can't believe you got them here so fast."
With an irritated and defeated tone he says, "Babe, I will get you more flowers. I thought you locked your door whenever she was at the house? How the hell did she get in?"
"Well see, that's the other thing. Leena and Tara decided to have a party tonight, thinking I wouldn't notice or not be here at all. Leena never locked my door. After I caught Tara in my room, I dragged her down the stairs, and as I was about to call the cops, they showed up because our neighbors had already called them. And apparently, this is not the first time this month."
"COPS?! Natalie Sarah Lyons, please tell me the whole fucking story right now. I'm packing my shit up and will be home in a few hours."
Cutting him off, I argue, "No! Colin, it's fine. Stay with Darius. I'm just gonna go to your house tonight and call out of work to go look at places tomorrow. Can I stay with you for a few days until I find something?"
"Babe, I will be coming home in the next twelve hours and nothing you can say will stop me. I don't care how late it will be. Darius will be fine with the physical therapist, and his mother will be here anyway. Now tell me what happened before I start imagining the worst."
Quickly, I give him the details to appease him, and he manages to keep the language at a bare minimum which is an improvement, though I know he’s beyond frustrated. As much as I love his possessive caveman attitude, his sweet side is just as sexy.
"Colin, I gotta go back inside to see if the cops need anything else and then call Dr. Schultz. Leena's drunk off her ass, and I want to make sure they get Tara to leave once I pack a bag."
Sighing, he relents. "Okay, be careful please, and I love you."
I smile before I reply, "I love you, too."
I square my shoulders and make my way inside to the fighting voices.
Since Leena's still blubbering, Tara, of course, is the one to run her mouth. "You're such a psycho bitch. Leena and I were just trying to loosen this place up. You need to stop being a fucking uptight drama queen who’s just jealous of us. I bet Colin has to spend hours getting rid of that stick up your ass and vag before getting his dick anywhere near you."
Both officers stare at Tara as if she grew two heads for the shit coming out of her mouth.
I look at her straight in the eye. "Even if I was a psycho bitch, I'm not the one with several cop calls under my name nor am I the naked home wrecker who thinks she's the hottest shit to walk around Houston. I'm also not the one who is hated by nearly an entire professional football team for their disrespectful attitude toward their teammate and his girlfriend. You're worse than any of the groupies I've come across. You seriously need to get over yourself and be put in sexual disease quarantine."
I take a deep breath before speaking to Leena in a slow and steady voice so her drunken brain will comprehend and Tara cannot misinterpret a damn thing I say. "First thing tomorrow, I'm going to find a new place to live. By the time I'm back at six pm on Friday night, Tara had better get that bed out of my room. As these cops are my witnesses, if I find out either of you damage or steal anything of mine besides that bed, you will have them and the Houston Rams to deal with. What you have done to me, to Colin, to this house, his team, is inexcusable. You two..." looking at both of them with disgust, my angry tone deepens to drive my point home, "…are done. I don't care where you go, but you better not be here and I never want to see either of you near me, Colin, his family, my family, and the Rams ever again."
Leena hysterically cries to the cops, black makeup running down her cheeks, and her lipstick’s smeared all around her mouth. "She can't do that! I have rights, too!"
And then.... she falls off the couch in a drunken mess. I have to stifle a laugh, but apparently one of the cops behind me can't contain his snicker. A part of me is satisfied that her actions have finally caught up to her and that I'm here to witness her demise. Whatever hope I had for her to change died weeks ago. Her sitting on the floor, looking like a clown who's lost all of his balloons is the funniest image I could ever conjure up in a million years, and her rantings are something I wish I could videotape for the world to see.
She's still pointing betwee
n me and the cops, constantly slurring that she doesn't deserve this and it's all my fault.
Officer Presley's gaze never falters as he speaks to Leena. "Young lady, from all the information we have gathered from past calls, your landlord, neighbors, and your present behavior, we will gladly enforce any eviction your landlord decides to file against you. You need to start acting like an adult and taking responsibility for your actions. Now, Miss Lyons gave you a generous offer, so I suggest you honor it."
He turns to me and says, "Make a list of all of your possessions, and we will help make sure your transition is smooth."
I hold my hand out to him and say, "Thank you, Officer Presley. I already have cataloged everything over the last few months. You're really going above and beyond. I appreciate it so much. If you have a few minutes to spare, I'd like to pack a bag before you leave."
"We don't mind. One of us needs to go talk with your neighbors again, but you should be fine."
I jog up the stairs again, trying to pack my essentials as quick as possible. While packing my toiletries, my text tone goes off and it brings a smile to my face when I see it's from Colin.
Heading to the airport now. You have a good surprise waiting for you in the kitchen. Go relax and I will be there soon. Love you.
I quickly grab the rest of my stuff, including my Rams Men of the Year calendar to tease Colin, and lock my room for the night. I have a feeling Mr. Possessive Shaw will be helping me move out even after I protest. I ignore Leena and Tara screaming at my back as I walk out to my car.
My drive to Colin's house is filled with somber music from the radio. The weight of tonight is starting to hit me, and a pang of sadness finds its way over me. I've been friends with Leena since I moved to Houston a decade ago, and it ended because one of us grew up while the other embraced irresponsibility.
It's one to thing to enjoy life to its fullest, but it’s another when it turns you into an immature child stuck in an adult's body.
The saddest part for me is that now I'm pretty much alone again in Houston. At least for the night.
I have no long-term friends here, and yes, I love Colin more than anything, but some of the wives of his teammates still don't see me as a permanent fixture. The ones I do get along well with have lives of their own, and I see them very rarely.
Colin is amazing, but once the season starts again, he'll have away games, training endlessly, interviews, and I won't have anybody to hang out with. I might be able to travel to some games and go to every home game, but I can’t follow him around the country.
Much like the night after Bobby's party, the weight of my heart falls on me. I miss my dad, Mimi, and Richard. I miss my mom. I miss Colin. He's my home, and I'm lost without him right now.
I pull up to the gate of the house and drive around to the front where all the lights are on. I'm welcomed by Colin’s housekeeper, Mrs. Cortez, whom I’ve met a handful of times, stands at the front door, and I'm taken aback the second she walks us inside. Flowers align the whole foyer, and I'm stunned he could do all this in such a short time.
Mrs. Cortez touches my hand and brings me back from my daze. Her smile helps the pain if only a little. "Come inside, honey. He called me all frantic, and he wants you to relax."
In the kitchen, there is a huge platter of wings in the shape of a smiley face.
"Those were more for presentation, but if you'd like, I can heat them up for you to eat now."
I laugh at the thought of her running around Houston getting flowers and wings just to make me feel better.
"This is incredible, Mrs. Cortez. I appreciate the offer, but I think I'm just gonna go upstairs and lie down. It hasn't been the best night."
Her smile brightens to her eyes when she looks at the staircase, and that tells me he asked her to make another surprise in his room.
"Get some sleep, dear, and call me if you need anything at all."
I give her as big of a bear hug as I can and drag my stuff upstairs. Colin's door is slightly open and when I open it all the way, I'm definitely surprised in a good way.
Rose petals line the whole floor and two vases full are on both sides of the fluffy king-sized bed that have rose petals scattered across the comforter. On the silver platter in the middle of the bed is a plate full of chocolate covered strawberries and a little card.
I drop my bag to the side, walk over to the bed, and grab the card off the plate. Sitting on the bed, I take a bite of the strawberry and let the sweetness tickle my tongue while I read the note.
I told you I'd replace the flowers. Have a snack and get some rest baby. I will be with you when you wake.
All my love, Mr. March Madness
The lonely ache I had lifts knowing I'll see him soon. Sadly, with all the drama of tonight and being alone right now, the tears start to fall. All the adrenaline has officially left my body, and I move the silver platter to the little table in the corner of the room, then undress to my sleeping shorts and Colin's t-shirt. It smells like him, which brings me some comfort.
I crawl into the giant, plush bed, still upset and eyes full of water, wishing my mom was here to hold me. She'd stroke my hair and tell me that love is all I'll ever need to make it through bad days.
My dreams are actually quite peaceful in knowing that I've finally resolved one of the most ongoing problems I've had. I think that one of the reasons I hadn't made a true life here in Houston is because I let myself get comfortable with a group of people who really had no purpose in my life. They didn't notice me until I had something they wanted, and I refused to give it to them. It's amazing how quick people are to cut you out of their lives when you don't treat them as if they're entitled to do whatever they want.
It's like Mimi said: People come into our lives whether we want them to or not. It's how we handle their presence to find out if they're worthy of staying there. Leena hasn't shown me she’s worthy of being a part of my life in a very long time. I'm sad it's taken me so long to handle her presence, but now I'm quite happy with my life here in Houston.
Colin's been the light in my darkness. Even with the schedule he has and the commitments he takes on, I’ve never been more proud of him than when he fights for the people who matter to him.
I quietly slip into my bedroom door around six in the morning. I found a redeye back to Houston and have been running on fumes ever since her phone call last night. Seeing her in the bed, peacefully sleeping, helps calm the rage that's been boiling all night since she told me about the cops coming to her house.
Again.
I'm so fucking proud of my girl for standing up against those two halfwits. After Tara stole Natalie's phone and sent me nude pictures, I threatened to file charges against her that minute, damning the media consequences. I told Natalie to have a talk with Leena and Tara about invading our privacy or I would. I had attempted to be less stubborn for the first time in my life so when she convinced me not to because it would start an all-out war in the house, I backed off.
Now, all bets are off.
Throwing my own bag on the chair in my room, I spot her overnight suitcase on the floor next to the bed, and I already know that bag won't be in the room tonight. I'm going to unpack it, with or without a fight. I sent a mass text to some of my teammates last night asking for their help to move Natalie's stuff into my garage.
The faster she's out of that whorehouse, the better. I've seen some crazy groupies, especially my ex with her stupid vendetta, but Leena and Tara take the cake. I think a part of Natalie was hoping that Leena would eventually grow out of this party mode, but the reality probably hit her square in the face last night. I feel bad, but I’ve also seen it many times before. It’s one thing that some professional athletes can never get over, the partying and the groupies. The results are usually disastrous.
Stripping off my clothes, I crawl into bed and pull Natalie into my arms. Even with our height difference, she fits perfectly because I can wrap myself around her. She snuggles her face into my chest and slowl
y opens those tired yet beautiful eyes. A small and contented smile comes across her face when she spots my tattoo.
She says my name in a breathy tone that makes my dick wake up, even though the rest of me is bone tired. She starts rubbing against my chest with her cheek, and the contact is enough to have her under me in a split second.
Kissing her hard, I grind my dick into her naughty little sleep shorts that she knows drive me crazy.
"Mmm, Colin. I missed you."
Kissing down her neck then up again, I whisper into her ear, "I missed you, too, baby."
Instead of letting me kiss her again, she pushes me back to the bed and scoots down my body, giving me ample view of her cleavage in her oversized shirt.
My shirt.
Fucking hell, she wore my shirt to bed, and her tits are visible through the collar.
My abs contract against each kiss from her smooth lips. Every touch of her fingertips trailing along my stomach hardens my dick to the point of explosion without her even going near it. She kisses lightly down the smooth skin of my dick, savoring each and every inch. I don't think there's a spot that she hasn't kissed, and it's taking all the restraint in me not to shove the tip inside her mouth.
By some miracle, I don't come the second her warm mouth surrounds my dick. I grab onto her hair and wrap it around my fist. If the moans vibrating on my dick mean anything, she's more turned on by the pulling on her scalp and resists against my fist to keep sucking on me.
For the love of all things Natalie, this is fucking amazing. I'm always amazed by how much she enjoys going down on me, and I love to remind her with my own tongue how happy she makes me. I have to stop myself from thrusting my dick farther into the back of her throat.
"Fuck, Natalie, I'm so fucking close. Don't stop, baby." I've nearly bitten my tongue ring off in an attempt to not blow too soon, but it feels too fucking good. She's setting off every nerve at once.
Her fingers find their ways to my balls and start massaging in circles to the point where I can't hold on any longer. She's going to town on my dick, and I nearly shout my release.
Crazy Thing Called Life Page 13
